Control system and control method for wearable device

Abstract

Disclosed are a control system and control method for a wearable device. The control system for a wearable device comprises: a main control circuit that includes a main processing circuit including one or more processors for controlling an operation of the wearable device, and a main power management circuit for controlling power supply to the main processing circuit; and an auxiliary control circuit connected to the main control circuit. The auxiliary control circuit includes: a wearing detection sensor for detecting whether a user is wearing the wearable device; a motion detection sensor for detecting motion of the wearable device; and an auxiliary processing circuit that determines whether to output a control signal for causing the main power management circuit to supply power for activating the main processing circuit on the basis of at least one of an output signal of the wearing detection sensor and an output signal of the motion detection sensor.

Description

Control system and control method for wearable devices

[0001] The embodiments relate to a control system and a control method for a wearable device.

[0002] In general, a walking assistance device is a device or apparatus that helps patients who cannot walk on their own due to various diseases or accidents to perform walking exercises for rehabilitation treatment, and / or a device or apparatus that can be used for exercise. Recently, as the aging society deepens, the number of people who have difficulty walking normally or complain of discomfort when walking due to leg joint problems is increasing, and interest in walking assistance devices is also increasing. Walking assistance devices are attached to the user's body and can assist the user's muscle strength required for walking, for example, and guide the user's walking so that the user can walk with a normal walking pattern. These walking assistance devices can also perform functions that assist the user with various leg exercises (e.g., power walking, jogging, stair climbing, lunges, stretching).

[0003] A control system for a wearable device according to an exemplary aspect may include a main control circuit including a main processing circuit including one or more processors for controlling an operation of the wearable device and a main power management circuit for controlling power supply to the main processing circuit, and an auxiliary control circuit connected to the main control circuit. The auxiliary control circuit may include a wearing detection sensor for detecting whether a user is wearing the wearable device, a movement detection sensor for detecting movement of the wearable device, and an auxiliary processing circuit. The auxiliary processing circuit may determine, based on at least one of an output signal of the wearing detection sensor and an output signal of the movement detection sensor, whether to output a control signal that causes the main power management circuit of the main control circuit to supply power to activate the main processing circuit.

[0004] A control system for a wearable device according to an exemplary aspect may include a main processing circuit including one or more processors for controlling an operation of the wearable device, a motion detection sensor for detecting a movement of the wearable device, and a communication circuit. The main processing circuit may, in response to receiving an inquiry message for searching for a Bluetooth device from another electronic device, control to transmit a response message corresponding to the inquiry message and movement information of the wearable device collected by the motion detection sensor through the communication circuit to the other electronic device. The main processing circuit may, in response to receiving a pairing request message from the other electronic device after transmitting the movement information, control to establish a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device.

[0005] A method for controlling a wearable device, comprising a main control circuit including a main processing circuit for controlling an operation of the wearable device according to an exemplary aspect, and an auxiliary control circuit including a wearing detection sensor for detecting a user's wearing of the wearable device, a movement detection sensor for detecting movement of the wearable device, and an auxiliary processing circuit, may include an operation of obtaining an output signal of the wearing detection sensor included in the auxiliary control circuit, an operation of obtaining an output signal of the movement detection sensor included in the auxiliary control circuit, and an operation of controlling power supply to the main processing circuit based on at least one of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor and the output signal of the movement detection sensor.

[0006] These and / or other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent and more readily understood from the following description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an overview of a wearable device worn on a user's body according to various embodiments.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an exercise assistance system according to various embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear schematic diagram of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a left side view of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating configurations of a control system of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a wear detection sensor according to various embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating configurations of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating interaction between a wearable device and an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating activating a wearable device based on wearing detection and / or movement detection according to various embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining operations of a control method of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining operations of a control method of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a Bluetooth pairing process between a wearable device and another electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0020] FIGS. 14A and 14B are drawings illustrating a process of comparing a signal waveform representing movement information of a wearable device according to various embodiments with a signal waveform representing movement information of another electronic device.

[0021] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and may be modified and implemented in various forms. Therefore, the actual implementation is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and the scope of this specification includes modifications, equivalents, or alternatives within the technical concepts described in the embodiments.

[0022] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "has" should be understood to indicate the presence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but not to exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the description with reference to the attached drawings, identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0025]

[0026] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an overview of a wearable device worn on a user's body according to various embodiments.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, a wearable device (100) may be a device worn on a user's (110) body to assist the user's (110) walking, exercising, and / or working. The wearable device (100) may also be used to measure the user's (110) physical ability (e.g., walking ability, exercise ability, exercise posture). In embodiments, the term 'wearable device' may be replaced with 'wearable robot', 'walking assistance device', or 'exercise assistance device'. The user (110) may be a person who wears the wearable device (100) and walks, exercises, or works.

[0028] A wearable device (100) may be worn on a user's (110) body (e.g., lower body (legs, ankles, knees, etc.) and / or upper body (torso, arms, wrists, etc.)) to apply external forces, such as assistance force and / or resistance force, to the body movements of the user (110). Assistance force refers to a force applied in the same direction as the body movement direction of the user (110), and represents a force that assists the body movements of the user (110). Resistance force refers to a force applied in the opposite direction to the body movement direction of the user (110), and represents a force that hinders the body movements of the user (110). The term 'resistance force' may also be referred to as 'exercise load'.

[0029] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may operate in a walking assistance mode to assist the walking of the user (110). In the walking assistance mode, the wearable device (100) may assist the walking of the user (110) by applying an assistive force generated from the driving module (120) of the wearable device (100) to the body of the user (110). The wearable device (100) may assist the force required for the walking of the user (110), thereby enabling the user (110) to walk independently or to walk for a long time, thereby expanding the walking ability of the user (110). The wearable device (100) may also help improve the walking of a user with abnormal walking habits or walking posture.

[0030] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may operate in an exercise assistance mode to enhance the exercise effect of the user (110) or to provide various exercise experiences to the user (110). The exercise assistance mode may include a resistance mode and an assistance mode. The resistance mode of the exercise assistance mode refers to a mode that impedes the body movement of the user (110) or provides resistance to the body movement of the user (110) by applying a resistance force generated from the driving module (120) to the body of the user (110). If the wearable device (100) is a hip-type wearable device worn on the waist (or pelvis) and legs (e.g., thighs) of the user (110), the wearable device (100) may provide an exercise load to the leg movement of the user (110) while being worn on the legs in the resistance mode, thereby further enhancing the exercise effect on the legs of the user (110). The assist mode of the exercise assistance mode refers to a mode in which an assistive force is applied to the body of the user (110) to assist the body movement of the user (110). In the assist mode, an assistive force, which is a force in the same direction as the body movement, is provided to the user (110). For example, when a disabled person or an elderly person wears a wearable device (100) and exercises, the wearable device (100) may provide an assistive force to assist the body movement. In the assistive mode, the wearable device (100) may provide a force in the same direction as the leg movement direction of the user (110), and the user (110) may perform an exercise with less force through the force provided from the wearable device (100). In an exercise program performed using the wearable device (100), the resistance mode and the assistive mode may be operated in combination. For example, the wearable device (100) may provide an assistive force and a resistance force in combination for each exercise section or time section, such as providing an assistive force in some exercise sections and a resistance force in other exercise sections.In the exercise assistance mode, various exercise programs can be operated according to the exercise purpose and / or the physical ability of the user (110). The exercise program is exercise content that the user (110) performs using the wearable device (100), and may include, for example, aerobic exercise, strength training, postural balancing exercise, or any combination thereof. The type of exercise program is not limited thereto and may vary. Depending on the exercise program performed by the wearable device (100), the resistance mode and the assistance mode may be appropriately operated in an alternating manner, and a target exercise speed that matches the appropriate physical condition (e.g., heart rate) of the user (110) while performing the exercise may be guided to the user.

[0031] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may operate in a physical ability measurement mode for measuring the physical ability of a user (110). The wearable device (100) may measure movement information of the user (110) using a sensor (e.g., an angle sensor (125)) or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) (135)) provided in the wearable device (100) while the user (110) walks and / or exercises, and may evaluate the physical ability of the user (110) based on the measured movement information. For example, the gait index (e.g., number of steps, total walking distance, stride) or the exercise ability index (e.g., muscle strength, exercise endurance, postural balance) of the user (110) may be estimated through the movement information of the user (110) measured by the wearable device (100).

[0032] In a specific embodiment, for convenience of explanation, a hip-type wearable device (100) as illustrated in FIG. 1 is used as an example, but is not limited thereto. As described above, the wearable device (100) may also be worn on other body parts (e.g., upper arms, lower arms, hands, calves, or feet) other than the waist and thighs. The shape and configuration of the wearable device (100) may vary depending on the body part on which it is worn.

[0033] The wearable device (100) may include a support frame (e.g., a waist support frame (20) as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) for supporting the body of the user (110) when the wearable device (100) is worn on the body of the user (110), a drive module (120) for generating a torque applied to the legs of the user (110) (e.g., the drive modules (35, 45) of FIG. 3), a torque transmission frame for transmitting the torque generated by the drive module (120) to the legs of the user (110) (e.g., the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) of FIG. 3), a sensor circuit including one or more sensors for obtaining sensor data including movement information about the body movement of the user (110) (e.g., leg movement, upper body movement), and a control circuit (130) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) (e.g., the control circuit (710) of FIG. 7). A control circuit (130) according to one embodiment may include a main control circuit corresponding to the main system (e.g., the main control circuit (530) of FIG. 5) and an auxiliary control circuit (e.g., the auxiliary control circuit (510) of FIG. 5) as a separate control circuit distinct from the main control circuit. The auxiliary control circuit may be a circuit that controls whether the main control circuit is activated.

[0034] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may include an angle sensor (125) and an inertial sensor (135). The angle sensor (125) may measure a rotation angle of a torque transmission frame of the wearable device (100) corresponding to a hip joint angle of the user (110). The angle sensor (125) may include, for example, an encoder and / or a hall sensor. In one embodiment, the angle sensor (125) may be positioned near a motor included in the drive module (120) connected to the torque transmission frame. The inertial sensor (135) may include an acceleration sensor and / or an angular velocity sensor, and may measure changes in acceleration and / or angular velocity according to movements of the user (110). The inertial sensor (135) can measure, for example, a movement value of a waist support frame (e.g., waist support frame (20) of FIG. 3) or a base body (e.g., base body (80) of FIG. 3) of a wearable device (100). The movement value of the waist support frame or base body measured by the inertial sensor (135) can correspond to a waist movement value (or upper body movement value) of a user (110).

[0035] In one embodiment, the control circuit (130) and the inertial sensor (135) may be placed within a base body of the wearable device (100) (e.g., the base body (80) of FIG. 3). The base body may be positioned at the waist area of ​​the user (110) while the user (110) is wearing the wearable device (100). The base body may be formed or attached to the outside of the waist support frame of the wearable device (100). The base body may support the lumbar region of the user (110).

[0036] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may provide haptic feedback to a user through a haptic circuit (e.g., the haptic circuit (760) of FIG. 7). The haptic circuit may include one or more haptic actuators that provide haptic feedback. Haptic feedback has advantages over visual and sound feedback in that it can be quickly perceived by a user (110) without a separate confirmation process by the user (110) and is less constrained by other factors such as ambient noise.

[0037] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) can be activated (or driven) when a set condition is satisfied without direct manipulation by the user (110). For example, even if the user (110) does not directly manipulate the wearable device (100) to turn it on (e.g., press the power button), the wearable device (100) can be activated as if the power button is pressed when a set condition is satisfied. The set condition may include, for example, when it is detected that the user (110) is wearing the wearable device (100) and / or when the movement size of the wearable device (100) is greater than a threshold value (or when the movement of the wearable device (100) corresponds to a walking movement). The activated state of the wearable device (100) may indicate a state in which the wearable device (100) is powered on, the main system is driven, and torque generation is enabled. Whether a set condition is satisfied may be monitored by an auxiliary control circuit included in the control circuit (130). The auxiliary control circuit may be driven at low power when the wearable device (100) is in a deactivated state (e.g., powered off) and may determine whether to activate the main control circuit of the wearable device (100) based on a sensor value. By such conditional automatic activation of the wearable device (100), the inconvenience of the user (110) having to press the power button every time to activate the wearable device (100) may be reduced. The user (110) may activate the wearable device (100) by wearing the wearable device (100) and making a movement when the wearable device (100) is not activated. The system preparation process from when the user (110) wears the wearable device (100) until the user performs the exercise program can be automatically performed by the wearable device (100) without manual operation by the user (110).

[0038] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) can automatically perform Bluetooth communication pairing with another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (210) of FIG. 2, another wearable device (220), another electronic device (1300) of FIG. 13) when a set condition is satisfied without direct manipulation by the user (110). Pairing refers to a process in which different devices capable of Bluetooth communication recognize and connect to each other so that they can connect and communicate with each other. When pairing is successfully completed, the devices remember each other's existence and can automatically connect to each other when a Bluetooth connection is required in the future.

[0039] Typically, pairing requires pressing a separate button to perform the pairing function or a process such as QR code recognition. Users have had to go through the hassle of having to directly select a device to be paired on a user terminal (e.g., a smartphone or a smartwatch) and perform the pairing process requested by the application. According to one embodiment, when a set condition is satisfied, the wearable device (100) and the user terminal can automatically perform Bluetooth communication pairing with the user terminal of the user (110) without direct intervention of the user (110) (e.g., selecting a device to be paired or pressing a button to perform the pairing function). The wearable device (100) can collect movement information of the wearable device (100) through a sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor, an angular sensor), and the user terminal can also collect movement information of the user terminal through a sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor). When the Bluetooth communication function of the user terminal is activated, the user terminal can transmit an inquiry message to search for nearby Bluetooth devices. When the wearable device (100) receives an inquiry message, it can transmit the collected movement information of the wearable device (100) along with a response message to the user terminal. The response message can include, for example, information about a device address and a device name for Bluetooth communication of the wearable device (100). The user terminal can compare the movement information of the wearable device (100) received from the wearable device (100) with the movement information of the user terminal that it has collected, and if it determines that they match, it can transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100). When the wearable device (100) receives the pairing request message from the user terminal, it transmits a pairing response message to the user terminal, and thus pairing between the wearable device (100) and the user terminal is performed.In this way, rather than the user (110) manually selecting a peripheral Bluetooth device for pairing Bluetooth communication, the user terminal of the user (110) and the wearable device (100) can automatically perform pairing through movement information.

[0040] As described above, the wearable device (100) can improve convenience of use by activating the wearable device (100) or automatically performing Bluetooth pairing without the user (110) having to operate a specific button and / or application.

[0041]

[0042] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an exercise assistance system according to various embodiments.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 2, the exercise assistance system (200) may include a wearable device (100), an electronic device (210), another wearable device (220), and a server (230). In the exercise assistance system (200), at least one of the devices other than the wearable device (100) (e.g., the electronic device (210), another wearable device (220), or the server (230)) may be omitted, or one or more other devices (e.g., a dedicated controller device for the wearable device (100)) may be added.

[0044] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may be worn on the user's body in a walking assistance mode to assist the user's movements. For example, the wearable device (100) may be worn on the user's leg to generate an assistive force to assist the user's leg movements, thereby assisting the user's walking.

[0045] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may generate and apply to the user's body a resistance force to hinder the user's body movement and / or an assistive force to assist the user's body movement in order to enhance the user's exercise effect in the exercise assistance mode. In the exercise assistance mode, the user may select an exercise program (e.g., aerobic exercise such as power walking and outdoor walking, strength training such as squats, split lunges, dumbbell squats, and lunge and knee ups, stretching, postural balancing exercise, or any combination thereof) and / or an exercise intensity to be applied to the exercise program via the electronic device (210). The wearable device (100) may control a driving module (e.g., a driving module (120) of FIG. 1) of the wearable device (100) according to the exercise program and / or exercise intensity selected by the user. For example, the wearable device (100) can adjust the strength of the resistance and / or assist force generated by the drive module according to the exercise intensity selected by the user. The wearable device (100) can control the drive module to generate a resistance force corresponding to the exercise intensity selected by the user. As the exercise intensity increases, the magnitude of the resistance force applied to the user can also increase.

[0046] The wearable device (100) can transmit sensor data measured through a sensor (e.g., an angle sensor (125) of FIG. 1) or an inertial sensor (135)) to the electronic device (210), and can receive a control signal for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) from the electronic device (210).

[0047] The electronic device (210) can communicate with the wearable device (100) via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) or wired communication, and can remotely control the wearable device (100) or provide the user with status information regarding the status of the wearable device (100) (e.g., booting status, charging status, exercise program operation status, error status). The electronic device (210) can recommend an exercise program using the wearable device (100) to the user and analyze the exercise performed by the user. The electronic device (210) can receive sensor data acquired by a sensor of the wearable device (100) from the wearable device (100), and can estimate the user's current exercise status, exercise result, exercise posture, and / or physical ability based on the received sensor data. The electronic device (210) can provide the user with the estimated current exercise status, exercise result, exercise posture, and / or physical ability of the user through a graphical user interface (GUI).

[0048] In one embodiment, a user may execute a program (e.g., an application) on an electronic device (210) to control a wearable device (100), and the user may adjust the operation or setting values ​​(e.g., the torque intensity output from the motor of the drive module, the volume of audio output from an audio output circuit (e.g., the audio output circuit (750) of FIG. 7), the brightness of a lighting unit (e.g., the lighting unit (85) of FIG. 3)) of the wearable device (100) through the program. The program executed on the electronic device (210) may provide a graphical user interface for interaction with the user. The electronic device (210) may be a variety of devices. For example, the electronic device (210) may include, but is not limited to, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, or a home appliance device (e.g., a television, an audio device, a projector device).

[0049] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (210) may be connected to the server (230) using short-range wireless communication or cellular communication. The server (230) may receive user profile information of a user using the wearable device (100) from the electronic device (210), and store and manage the received user profile information. The user profile information may include, for example, information on at least one of name, age, gender, height, weight, medical history, or body mass index (BMI). The server (230) may receive exercise history information regarding exercise performed by the user from the electronic device (210), and store and manage the received exercise history information. The server (230) may provide the electronic device (210) with various exercise programs or physical ability measurement programs that may be provided to the user. In one embodiment, the server (230) may be connected to the wearable device (100). The server (230) can receive sensor data measured by the wearable device (100) from the wearable device (100) and transmit control signals and / or exercise program-related data for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) to the wearable device (100). In one embodiment, the server (230) can be a cloud server.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the wearable device (100) and / or the electronic device (210) may be connected to another wearable device (220). The user's exercise result information, physical ability information, and / or exercise motion evaluation information determined by the electronic device (210) may be transmitted to the other wearable device (220) and provided to the user through the other wearable device (220). Status information of the wearable device (100) may also be transmitted to the other wearable device (220) and provided to the user through the other wearable device (220). In one embodiment, the wearable device (100), the electronic device (210), and the other wearable device (220) may be connected to each other through wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication). Other wearable devices (220) may be, for example, wireless earphones (222), a smartwatch (or a wearable device in the form of a watch) (224), or smartglasses (a wearable device in the form of glasses or goggles) (226), but are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0051] In one embodiment, the wireless earphones (222) may be wirelessly connected to the electronic device (210) and / or the wearable device (100) to output guide voices, music, and / or sound effects related to an exercise program. The wireless earphones (222) may provide the user with information related to the exercise program (e.g., an introduction to the exercise program, remaining exercise time) or may inquire about the user's selection through the guide voices. The wireless earphones (222) may include a microphone, and the microphone may receive a user's voice input. The voice input received through the microphone may be transmitted to the electronic device (210), and voice recognition may be performed on the voice input in the electronic device (210).

[0052] In one embodiment, the smartwatch (224) may include a biosensor (e.g., a heart rate sensor, an electromyography sensor) that measures a biosignal including heart rate information of the user, and may transmit the biosignal measured by the biosensor to the electronic device (210) and / or the wearable device (100). The electronic device (210) may estimate the heart rate information (e.g., current heart rate, maximum heart rate, average heart rate) and / or electromyography information of the user based on the biosignal received from the smartwatch (224), and may provide the estimated heart rate information and / or electromyography information to the user. The heart rate information and / or electromyography information may be used to determine the haptic intensity of the haptic feedback provided through the wearable device (100).

[0053] In one embodiment, the smartwatch (224) may include an inertial sensor for measuring user movement information and / or a position sensor for measuring user location information, and may transmit the user movement information and / or location information to the electronic device (210) and / or the wearable device (100). The smartwatch (224) may include a communication circuit (e.g., a short-range communication circuit) for communicating with another device (e.g., the electronic device (210), the wearable device (100)). In one embodiment, the smartwatch (224) may provide an exercise program related interface through a display. The exercise program related interface may be implemented through a separate application installed on the smartwatch (224). The user may also control the wearable device (100) through the smartwatch (224).

[0054] In one embodiment, the smart glasses (226) can provide information to the user through a glass-shaped display. For example, in exercise mode, the smart glasses (226) can output information such as current exercise speed, target exercise speed, current exercise volume achieved, exercise time, and biometric information through the display. Additionally, the smart glasses (226) can output a screen to guide the user on their exercise route.

[0055]

[0056] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear schematic diagram of a wearable device according to various embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a left side view of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a wearable device (100) according to one embodiment may include a base body (80), a waist support frame (20), a driving module (35, 45), a torque transmission frame (50, 55), a thigh fastening part (1, 2), and a waist fastening part (60). The base body (80) may include a lighting unit (85). In one embodiment, at least one of these components (e.g., the lighting unit (85)) may be omitted from the wearable device (100), or one or more other components may be added.

[0058] The base body (80) can be positioned on the user's lower back while the user wears the wearable device (100). The base body (80) can be mounted on the user's lower back to provide a cushioning feeling to the user's lower back and support the user's lower back. The base body (80) can be hung over the user's buttocks (hip area) to prevent the wearable device (100) from falling downward due to gravity while the user wears the wearable device (100). The base body (80) can distribute a portion of the weight of the wearable device (100) to the user's lower back while the user wears the wearable device (100). The base body (80) can be connected to the lower back support frame (20). The base body (80) can be provided with lower back support frame connection elements (not shown) that can be connected to the lower back support frame (20) at both ends.

[0059] In one embodiment, a lighting unit (85) may be provided on the outer surface of the base body (80). The lighting unit (85) may include a light source (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED)). The lighting unit (85) may emit light under the control of a processor (not shown) (e.g., a processor (712) of FIG. 7) of the wearable device (100). According to an embodiment, the lighting unit (85) may be controlled so that visual feedback corresponding to the status of the wearable device (100) may be provided (or output) through the lighting unit (85).

[0060] In one embodiment, a display (not shown) may be provided on the outer surface of the base body (80). The display may provide a screen for various visual information related to the wearable device (100) (e.g., status information of the wearable device (100)) and a user interface.

[0061] The waist support frame (20) can support the user's body (e.g., waist) when the wearable device (100) is worn on the user's body. The waist support frame (20) can extend from both ends of the base body (80). The user's waist can be accommodated on the inside of the waist support frame (20). The waist support frame (20) can include at least one rigid body beam. Each beam can have a curved shape with a preset curvature so as to surround the user's waist. A waist fastening part (60) can be connected to an end of the waist support frame (20). A first driving module (45) and a second driving module (35) can be directly or indirectly connected to the waist support frame (20).

[0062] In one embodiment, a processor, a memory (e.g., a memory (714) of FIG. 7), an inertial sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor (135) of FIG. 1, an inertial sensor (722) of FIG. 7), a communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (716) of FIG. 7), an audio output circuit (e.g., an audio output circuit (750) of FIG. 7), and a battery (not shown) may be disposed inside the base body (80). The base body (80) may protect the components disposed inside. The processor may generate a control signal that controls the operation of the wearable device (100). The processor may control a motor (or actuator) of each of the first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) that generates torque based on electric energy stored in the battery.

[0063] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may include one or more sensors. For example, the wearable device (100) may include a motion detection sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor, an angle sensor) that obtains sensor data including motion information of a user and / or motion information of a component of the wearable device (100), and a wearing detection sensor (e.g., a wearing detection sensor (522) of FIG. 5) that detects whether the user is wearing the wearable device (100). In one embodiment, the one or more sensors may include, but are not limited to, an inertial sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor (135) of FIG. 1, an inertial sensor (722) of FIG. 7) for measuring a movement value of the user's upper body or a movement value of the lumbar support frame (20) and / or an angle sensor (e.g., an angle sensor (125) of FIG. 1, a first angle sensor (724) and a second angle sensor (724-1) of FIG. 7) for measuring a hip joint angle value of the user or a movement value of the torque transmission frame (50, 55). For example, the one or more sensors may further include at least one of a position sensor, a torque sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a biosignal sensor, a distance sensor, or a proximity sensor.

[0064] The waist fastening member (60) can be directly or indirectly connected to the waist support frame (20) and can secure the waist support frame (20) to the user's waist. The waist fastening member (60) can include, for example, a pair of belts.

[0065] The first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) can generate an external force (or torque) applied to the user's body based on a control signal generated by the processor. For example, the first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) can generate an assistive force or a resistance force applied to the user's leg. In one embodiment, the first driving module (45) can be positioned corresponding to the user's right hip joint position, and the second driving module (35) can be positioned corresponding to the user's left hip joint position. The first driving module (45) can include a first actuator and a first joint member, and the second driving module (35) can include a second actuator and a second joint member. The first actuator can provide power transmitted to the first joint member, and the second actuator can provide power transmitted to the second joint member. The first actuator and the second actuator may each include a motor that receives power from a battery and generates force (or torque). When powered and driven, the motor may generate force to assist the user's body movements (assistive force) or force to impede the user's body movements (resistive force). In one embodiment, the processor may control the strength and direction of the force generated by the motor by adjusting the voltage and / or current supplied to the motor.

[0066] In one embodiment, the first joint member and the second joint member can receive power from the first actuator and the second actuator, respectively, and apply an external force to the user's body based on the received power. In one embodiment, the first joint member and the second joint member can be disposed at positions corresponding to the user's joints, respectively. One side of the first joint member can be directly or indirectly connected to the first actuator, and the other side can be directly or indirectly connected to the first torque transmission frame (55). The first joint member can be rotated by the power received from the first actuator. An encoder or a hall sensor that can act as an angle sensor for measuring a rotation angle of the first joint member or the first torque transmission frame (55) (corresponding to the user's joint angle) can be disposed on one side of the first joint member. One side of the second joint member can be connected to the second actuator, and the other side can be connected to the second torque transmission frame (50). The second joint member can be rotated by power transmitted from the second actuator. An encoder or hall sensor that can function as an angle sensor for measuring the rotation angle of the second joint member or the second torque transmission frame (50) can also be arranged on one side of the second joint member.

[0067] In one embodiment, the first actuator may be disposed laterally of the first joint member, and the second actuator may be disposed laterally of the second joint member. The rotational axis of the first actuator and the rotational axis of the first joint member may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other, and the rotational axis of the second actuator and the rotational axis of the second joint member may also be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the actuator and the joint member may share a rotational axis. In one embodiment, each actuator may be disposed to be spaced apart from the joint member. In this case, the drive module (35, 45) may further include a power transmission module (not shown) that transmits power from the actuator to the joint member. The power transmission module may be a rotating body such as a gear, or a longitudinal member such as a wire, a cable, a string, a spring, a belt, or a chain. However, the scope of the embodiment is not limited by the positional relationship between the actuator and joint member and the power transmission structure described above.

[0068] In one embodiment, the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) can transmit the torque generated by the first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) to the user's body (e.g., the leg) when the wearable device (100) is worn on the user's leg. The transmitted torque can act as an external force applied to the user's leg movement. One end of each of the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) can be directly or indirectly connected to a joint member and rotated. The other end of each of the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) is directly or indirectly connected to the first thigh fastening portion (2) and the second thigh fastening portion (1), so that the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) can support the user's thigh while transmitting the torque generated by the first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) to the user's thigh. For example, the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) can push or pull the user's thigh. The first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) can extend along the length of the user's thigh and can be bent to wrap at least a portion of the user's thigh circumference. The first torque transmission frame (55) can be a torque transmission frame for transmitting torque to the user's right leg, and the second torque transmission frame (50) can be a torque transmission frame for transmitting torque to the user's left leg.

[0069] The first thigh fastening part (2) and the second thigh fastening part (1) are directly or indirectly connected to the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50), respectively, and can fasten the wearable device (100) to the user's leg (particularly, the thigh). The first thigh fastening part (2) may be a thigh fastening part for fastening the wearable device (100) to the user's right thigh, and the second thigh fastening part (1) may be a thigh fastening part for fastening the wearable device (100) to the user's left thigh.

[0070] In one embodiment, the first thigh fastening unit (2) may include a first cover, a first fastening frame, and a first strap, and the second thigh fastening unit (1) may include a second cover, a second fastening frame, and a second strap. The first cover and the second cover may apply torque generated from the first driving module (45) and the second driving module (35) to the user's thigh, respectively. The first cover and the second cover may be disposed on one side of the user's thigh, respectively, to push or pull the user's thigh. The first cover and the second cover may be disposed along the circumferential direction of the user's thigh. The first cover and the second cover may extend in both directions with respect to the other end of the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50), respectively, and may include a curved surface corresponding to the user's thigh. One end of each of the first cover and the second cover may be directly or indirectly connected to the first fastening frame and the second fastening frame, respectively. The other end of each of the first cover and the second cover can be directly or indirectly connected to the first strap and the second strap.

[0071] The first fastening frame and the second fastening frame may be arranged to, for example, surround at least a portion of the user's thigh, thereby preventing the user's thigh from being detached from the wearable device (100) or reducing the possibility of detachment. The first fastening frame may have a fastening structure connecting the first cover and the first strap, and the second fastening frame may have a fastening structure connecting the second cover and the second strap.

[0072] The first strap may encircle the user's right thigh, the remaining portion not covered by the first cover and the first fastening frame, and the second strap may encircle the user's left thigh, the remaining portion not covered by the second cover and the second fastening frame. The first strap and the second strap may comprise, for example, an elastic material (e.g., a band).

[0073]

[0074] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating configurations of a control system of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 5, a control system (500) of a wearable device (100) according to one embodiment is a system for controlling the wearable device (100). The control system (500) may include a main control circuit (530) and an auxiliary control circuit (510) connected to the main control circuit (530). The main control circuit (530) may include a main processing circuit (546) including one or more processors (e.g., processor (712) of FIG. 7) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100), and a main power management circuit (544) for controlling the power supply to the main processing circuit (546). In one embodiment, the main processing circuit (546) may further include at least one of a memory (e.g., a memory (714) of FIG. 7), a communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (716) of FIG. 7), an input circuit (e.g., an input circuit (740) of FIG. 7), an audio output circuit (e.g., an audio output circuit (750) of FIG. 7), a haptic circuit (e.g., a haptic circuit (760) of FIG. 7), and a motor driver circuit (e.g., a motor driver circuit (732, 732-1) of FIG. 7) in addition to the processor. The main power management circuit (544) may manage the supply of power from a battery (550) included in the wearable device (100) to each component of the main processing circuit (546). The main power management circuit (544) may include, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0076] In one embodiment, the auxiliary control circuit (510) may include a wearing detection sensor (522) for detecting the user's wearing of the wearable device (100) and / or a movement detection sensor (524) for detecting movement of the wearable device (100). The wearing detection sensor (522) may include, for example, at least one of a temperature sensor, a distance sensor (or a proximity sensor), a touch sensor, and a pressure sensor. The movement detection sensor (524) may include, for example, at least one of an inertial sensor and an angle sensor.

[0077] In one embodiment, the auxiliary control circuit (510) may further include an auxiliary processing circuit (526). In one embodiment, when the wearable device (100) is not being driven and is in a powered-off state where control by the user is not possible, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) may automatically power-on the wearable device (100) by activating the main processing circuit (546) when certain conditions are satisfied, without the user having to directly power-on the wearable device (100) by pressing a button or the like.

[0078] In one embodiment, when the wearable device (100) is powered off, the auxiliary control circuit (510) may be activated and operating, and the main control circuit (530) may be in a deactivated state. When the wearable device (100) is powered off, the power of the battery (550) may be converted into a voltage usable for the auxiliary processing circuit (526), ​​the wearing detection sensor (522), and the movement detection sensor (524) through the auxiliary power management circuit (528) and supplied. At this time, the power of the battery (550) may not be supplied to the main processing circuit (546).

[0079] The auxiliary processing circuit (526) may determine whether to output a control signal that causes the main power management circuit (544) to supply power to activate the main processing circuit (546) based on at least one of an output signal of the wearing detection sensor (522) and an output signal of the movement detection sensor (524). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) may determine to output the control signal when it is determined that the user is wearing the wearable device (100) based on the output signal of the wearing detection sensor (522) and when it is determined that movement of the wearable device (100) is detected based on the output signal of the movement detection sensor (524).

[0080] In one embodiment, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) may determine to output the control signal when the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor (522) satisfies a set condition and the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the motion detection sensor (524) lasts for a set period of time or longer. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) may determine to output the control signal when the movement of the wearable device (100) detected based on the output signal of the motion detection sensor (524) is determined to correspond to a walking movement. In some embodiments, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) may also determine to output the control signal when the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor (522) satisfies a set condition or the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the motion detection sensor (524) lasts for a set period of time or longer.

[0081] When the value of the output signal of the wear detection sensor (522) satisfies a set condition, for example, at least one of a case in which a temperature value higher than a specific value is sensed by a temperature sensor, a case in which a distance value lower than a specific value is sensed by a distance sensor (or a proximity sensor), a case in which a touch sensor (or a pressure sensor) is included, a case in which a touch is sensed by a touch sensor, and a case in which a pressure higher than a specific touch value is sensed by a pressure sensor may be included. When the movement detection sensor (524) includes an inertial sensor, the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the movement detection sensor (524) may be an acceleration value and / or an angular velocity value. When the motion detection sensor (524) includes an angle sensor, the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the motion detection sensor (524) may be a change in the angle of the torque transmission frame (e.g., the first torque transmission frame (55) and the second torque transmission frame (50) of FIG. 3) of the wearable device (100).

[0082] In one embodiment, the main control circuit (530) may further include a power supply activation circuit (542) that outputs a control signal for activating the main power management circuit (544) in response to receiving the control signal output by the auxiliary processing circuit (526). The power supply activation circuit (542) may generate a trigger signal for activating the power supply to the main processing circuit (546) in response to receiving the control signal output from the auxiliary processing circuit (526), ​​and may transmit the generated trigger signal to the main power management circuit (544).

[0083] In one embodiment, the auxiliary control circuit (510) may further include an auxiliary power management circuit (528) that controls power supply to each of the wear detection sensor (522), the motion detection sensor (524), and the auxiliary processing circuit (526). The auxiliary power management circuit (528) may manage the supply of power from a battery (550) included in the wearable device (100) to each component of the auxiliary control circuit (510). The auxiliary power management circuit (528) may be controlled by the main processing circuit (546). For example, when the main processing circuit (546) receives power from the main power management circuit (544) by the control signal output from the auxiliary processing circuit (526) (or when the main processing circuit (546) is activated), the auxiliary power management circuit (528) may output a control signal to block or reduce power supply to at least one of the wearing detection sensor (522), the motion detection sensor (524), and the auxiliary processing circuit (526). Through this, when the main processing circuit (546) is activated, the auxiliary control circuit (510) may be deactivated or driven at low power, thereby reducing power consumption and increasing the usable time of the wearable device (100).

[0084] In one embodiment, the main processing circuit (546) can change the state of the auxiliary processing circuit (526) to a sleep state or a shut down state via a control signal. In the sleep state, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) can operate in a low power mode. When an output signal from the wearing detection sensor (522) and / or the movement detection sensor (524) is sensed to be below a specific value, the auxiliary processing circuit (526) can wake up from the sleep state and operate in a normal operating state. The shut down state indicates a state in which the auxiliary processing circuit (526) is inactive (or off) and does not perform any operation.

[0085] The main control circuit (530) may further include a communication circuit (not shown) (e.g., communication circuit (716) of FIG. 7) for communicating with other electronic devices (e.g., Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication, cellular communication). In one embodiment, after the main processing circuit (546) is activated, the main control circuit (530) may attempt to establish a connection for Bluetooth communication with another electronic device (e.g., electronic device (210) of FIG. 2 or another wearable device (220)). To establish a connection for Bluetooth communication, a pairing process may first be performed between the wearable device (100) and the other electronic device.

[0086] During the pairing process, the other electronic device may transmit an inquiry message to search for nearby Bluetooth communication devices. The inquiry message may be a message that asks nearby Bluetooth communication devices for their device address (e.g., MAC (media access control) address) and device name for a Bluetooth communication connection.

[0087] The communication circuit of the main control circuit (530) can receive the inquiry message from another electronic device. In response to receiving the inquiry message, the main processing circuit (546) can control to transmit a response message corresponding to the inquiry message and movement information of the wearable device (100) collected by the movement detection sensor to the other electronic device through the communication circuit. The response message may include, for example, information about a device address and a device name for Bluetooth communication. As a movement detection sensor for collecting movement information of the wearable device (100), the movement detection sensor (524) of the auxiliary control circuit (510) may be used, or a movement detection sensor other than the movement detection sensor (524) (e.g., the inertial sensor (722) of FIG. 7) may be used.

[0088] The other electronic device may include a motion detection sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor) for collecting motion information of the other electronic device, and may collect motion information of the other electronic device through the motion detection sensor. One or more processors (e.g., the processor (910) of FIG. 9) of the other electronic device may, in response to receiving the motion information and response message transmitted from the wearable device (100), determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the motion information of the other electronic device collected by the motion detection sensor of the other electronic device and the motion information of the wearable device (100).

[0089] The other electronic device may determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on a comparison result between a signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device and a signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100). In one embodiment, the other electronic device may generate an adjusted signal waveform by adjusting at least one of a signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device and a signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100), and may determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the adjusted signal waveform. For example, the other electronic device may adjust a scale and / or phase of the signal waveform. If the other electronic device determines that the signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device and the signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100) correspond to each other, the other electronic device may determine to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100). Here, at least one of the signal waveform representing movement information of another electronic device and the signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100) may be adjusted.

[0090] After transmitting movement information of the wearable device (100), if a pairing request message is transmitted from another electronic device, the communication circuit of the main control circuit (530) can receive the pairing request message from the other electronic device. In response to receiving the pairing request message from the other electronic device after transmitting the movement information, the main processing circuit (546) can control to establish a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device.

[0091]

[0092] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a wear detection sensor according to various embodiments.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 6, the wearable device (100) may include one or more wearing detection sensors (610, 620, 630) (e.g., the wearing detection sensor (522) of FIG. 5) for detecting the wearing of the wearable device (100) by a user (110) at one or more locations. The wearing detection sensors (610, 620, 630) may include, for example, at least one of a temperature sensor, a distance sensor (or a proximity sensor), a touch sensor, and a pressure sensor.

[0094] One or more wearing detection sensors (610, 620, 630) may be positioned at one or more locations that come into close contact with the body when the user (110) wears the wearable device (100). For example, the wearable device (100) may include at least one of a wearing detection sensor (620) positioned on the inner surface of the first thigh fastening portion (2), a wearing detection sensor (610) positioned on the inner surface of the second thigh fastening portion (1), and a wearing detection sensor (630) positioned on a cushion provided on the inner surface of the base body (80).

[0095] In one embodiment, the wearing detection sensor (610, 620) may be powered by a battery built into the base body (80) or a separate battery, and may transmit the sensed value to an auxiliary processing circuit (e.g., an auxiliary processing circuit (526) of FIG. 5) of the wearable device (100) via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) or wired communication. The wearing detection sensor (630) may be powered by a battery built into the base body (80) and may transmit the sensed value to an auxiliary processing circuit of the wearable device (100) via wireless communication or wired communication. The auxiliary processing circuit may determine whether the user (110) is wearing the wearable device (100) based on sensed values ​​(e.g., a temperature value, a distance value, or a pressure value) received from one or more wearing detection sensors (610, 620, 630). For example, the auxiliary processing circuit may determine that the user (110) is wearing the wearable device (100) if a temperature value or a pressure value is greater than a specific value or if a distance value is less than a specific value.

[0096]

[0097] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating configurations of a wearable device according to various embodiments.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 7, a wearable device (100) may include a control circuit (710), a communication circuit (716), one or more sensors, a driving module (730, 730-1), an input circuit (740), an audio output circuit (750) including a speaker, and a haptic circuit (760).

[0099] The drive module (730) may include a motor (734) and a motor driver circuit (732) for driving the motor (734), and the drive module (730-1) may include a motor (734-1) and a motor driver circuit (732-1) for driving the motor (734-1). Although the embodiment of FIG. 7 illustrates that there are two drive modules, this is merely an example, and there may be one or three or more drive modules. The drive module (730) including the motor driver circuit (732) and the motor (734) may correspond to the first drive module (45) of FIG. 3, and the drive module (730-1) including the motor driver circuit (732-1) and the motor (734-1) may correspond to the second drive module (35) of FIG. 3.

[0100] One or more sensors may include one or more sensors that acquire sensor data (or sensed values). The one or more sensors may transmit the acquired sensor data to the control circuit (710). The one or more sensors may include, for example, an inertial sensor (722) (e.g., the inertial sensor (135) of FIG. 1 ), a first angle sensor (724), and / or a second angle sensor (724-1). Each of these sensors may be present in multiples, and some may be omitted.

[0101] The inertial sensor (722) can measure the movement value of the user's upper body. For example, the inertial sensor (722) can sense the acceleration of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis and the angular velocity of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis according to the movement of the user. The movement value of the user's upper body can correspond to the movement value of the waist support frame of the wearable device (100) (e.g., the waist support frame (20) of FIGS. 3 and 4). The inertial sensor (722) can be located on a printed circuit board present inside the base body (80) of the wearable device (100), and can measure a signal indicating the degree of inclination of the wearable device (100) and / or the acceleration of the wearable device (100).

[0102] The first angle sensor (724) and the second angle sensor (724-1) can measure the hip joint angle according to the user's leg movement. The first angle sensor (724) can sense the hip joint angle of the user's right leg, and the second angle sensor (724-1) can sense the hip joint angle of the user's left leg. Each of the first angle sensor (724) and the second angle sensor (724-1) can include, for example, an encoder and / or a hall sensor. The hip joint angle of the right leg sensed by the first angle sensor (724) may correspond to a movement value (e.g., a rotation angle value) of the first torque transmission frame (e.g., the first torque transmission frame (55) of FIG. 3) of the wearable device, and the hip joint angle of the left leg sensed by the second angle sensor (724-1) may correspond to a movement value (e.g., a rotation angle value) of the second torque transmission frame (e.g., the second torque transmission frame (50) of FIG. 3) of the wearable device.

[0103] In one embodiment, the one or more sensors may further include a torque sensor for sensing a torque value, a position sensor for obtaining a position value of the wearable device (100), a proximity sensor for detecting the proximity of an object, a biosignal sensor for detecting a biosignal of a user, a distance sensor for measuring a distance to an object, a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure value, and / or a temperature sensor for measuring an ambient temperature.

[0104] The input circuit (740) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the wearable device (100) (e.g., a processor (712)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the wearable device (100). The input circuit (740) can include, for example, keys (e.g., buttons) and / or a touch screen.

[0105] The audio output circuit (750) can output an audio signal to the outside of the wearable device (100). The audio output circuit (750) can include a speaker that plays a guide audio signal (e.g., a driving start sound, an operation error notification sound), music content, or a guide voice.

[0106] In one embodiment, the wearable device (100) may further include a battery (not shown) (e.g., battery (550) of FIG. 5) for supplying power to each component of the wearable device (100) and a power management circuit (not shown) (e.g., auxiliary power management circuit (528) and / or main power management circuit (544) of FIG. 5) for controlling power supply. The wearable device (100) may convert power from the battery to an operating voltage of each component of the wearable device (100) and supply the converted power to each component.

[0107] The drive module (730, 730-1) can generate an external force applied to the user's leg under the control of the control circuit (710). The drive module (730, 730-1) is located at a location corresponding to the user's hip joint position and can generate a torque applied to the user's leg based on a control signal generated by the control circuit (710). The control circuit (710) can transmit the control signal to the motor driver circuit (732, 732-1), and the motor driver circuit (732, 732-1) can control the operation of the motor (734, 734-1) by generating a current signal (or voltage signal) corresponding to the control signal and supplying it to the motor (734, 734-1). Depending on the control signal, the current signal may not be supplied to the motor (734, 734-1). The motor (734, 734-1) can generate an assistive force that assists the user's leg movement or a resistive force that impedes the leg movement when a current signal is supplied to the motor (734, 734-1) and the motor is driven.

[0108] The control circuit (710) controls the overall operation of the wearable device (100) and can generate control signals for controlling each component of the wearable device (100). The control circuit (710) may include one or more processors (712) and memories (714).

[0109] The processor (712) may, for example, execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the wearable device directly or indirectly connected to the processor (712), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (712) may store instructions or data received from another component (e.g., a communication circuit (716)) in the memory (714), process the instructions or data stored in the memory (714), and store the resulting data after the processing in the memory (714). The processor (712) may include one or more processors, and the operations of the wearable device (100) described in the present disclosure may be performed by one processor or by a combination of multiple processors. According to one embodiment, the processor (712) may include at least one of a main processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor) and / or an auxiliary processor (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 in conjunction therewith. The processor (712) may also be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or an integrated circuit (IC) that performs processing. The auxiliary processor may be implemented separately from the main processor or as a part thereof.

[0110] The memory (714) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor (712)) of the control circuit (710). The data can include, for example, input data or output data for software, sensor data, and commands related thereto. The memory (714) can include at least one instruction executable by the processor (712). The memory (714) can include one or more memories, and the instructions for controlling the processor (712) to perform the operations of the wearable device (100) described in the present disclosure can be stored in one memory or can be divided and stored in multiple memories. The memory (714) can include volatile memory or non-volatile memory.

[0111] The communication circuit (716) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the control circuit (710) and other components of the wearable device (100) or an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (210) of FIG. 2 or another wearable device (220)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication circuit (716) may, for example, transmit sensor data acquired by a sensor to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (210) of FIG. 2) and receive a control signal from the external electronic device. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (716) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently from the processor (712) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (716) may include a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a cellular communication circuit, a short-range wireless communication circuit, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication circuit) and / or a wired communication circuit. The wireless communication circuitry may communicate with other components of the wearable device (100) and / or external devices via, for example, Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity), ANT (advanced and adaptive network technology), IrDA (infrared data association), a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

[0112] The haptic circuit (760) can provide haptic feedback to a user under the control of the processor (712). The haptic circuit (760) can include one or more haptic actuators. The haptic actuators can include, for example, a piezo actuator, a bander type actuator, and / or a vibration motor-based actuator. The haptic actuators can be one or more. In one embodiment, the haptic actuators can be located in at least one of a base body (e.g., the base body (80) of FIG. 3), a torque transmission frame (e.g., the first torque transmission frame (75) of FIG. 3, the second torque transmission frame (70)), and a thigh fastening part (e.g., the first thigh fastening part (2) of FIG. 3, the second thigh fastening part (1)) of the wearable device (100).

[0113]

[0114] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating interaction between a wearable device and an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 8, a wearable device (100) can communicate with an electronic device (210). For example, the electronic device (210) may be a user terminal of a user using the wearable device (100). According to one embodiment, the wearable device (100) and the electronic device (210) may be connected to each other via short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication).

[0116] In one embodiment, a pairing process may be performed between a wearable device (100) and an electronic device (210) when the two devices first attempt Bluetooth communication. The pairing process may be performed automatically based on movement information of the wearable device (100) and movement information of the electronic device (210). The process of pairing the wearable device (100) with another electronic device, such as the electronic device (210), is described in more detail in FIG. 13 .

[0117] In one embodiment, the electronic device (210) may execute an application for checking the status of the wearable device (100) or controlling or operating the wearable device (100). By executing the application, a screen of a user interface (UI) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) or determining the operation mode of the wearable device (100) may be displayed on the display (212) of the electronic device (210). The UI may be, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI).

[0118] In one embodiment, a user may input a command (e.g., a command to execute a walking assistance mode or an exercise assistance mode) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) or change the settings of the wearable device (100) through a GUI screen on a display (212) of the electronic device (210). The electronic device (210) may generate a control command (or a control signal) corresponding to the operation control command or setting change command input by the user and transmit the generated control command to the wearable device (100). The wearable device (100) may operate according to the received control command and transmit a control result according to the control command and / or sensor data measured by a sensor module of the wearable device (100) to the electronic device (210). The electronic device (210) may analyze the control result and / or sensor data to provide the user with result information (e.g., current exercise status information, exercise result information, exercise posture evaluation information, physical ability evaluation information) through the GUI screen.

[0119]

[0120] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 9, the electronic device (210) may include a processor (910), a memory (920), a communication circuit (930), a display circuit (940), a motion detection sensor (950), and an input circuit (960). In one embodiment, the electronic device (210) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the input circuit (960)), or may have one or more other components added (e.g., an audio output circuit, a haptic circuit, a battery).

[0122] The processor (910) may control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (210) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (910) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., communication circuit (930)) in the memory (920), process the command or data stored in the memory (920), and store the resulting data in the memory (920). The processor (910) may include one or more processors, and the operations of the electronic device (210) described in the present disclosure may be performed by one processor or by a combination of multiple processors.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the processor (910) may include at least one of a main processor (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural network processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or in conjunction with the main processor. The processor (512) may also be implemented as a system on a chip (SoC) or an integrated circuit that performs processing.

[0124] The memory (920) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor (910) or the communication circuit (930)) of the electronic device (210). The data can include, for example, input data or output data for a program (e.g., an application) and instructions related thereto. The memory (920) can include at least one instruction executable by the processor (910). The memory (920) can include one or more memories, and instructions for controlling the processor (910) to perform operations of the electronic device (210) described in the present disclosure can be stored in one memory or can be divided and stored in multiple memories. The memory (920) can include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

[0125] The communication circuit (930) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (210) and another electronic device (e.g., wearable device (100), another wearable device (220), server (230)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication circuit (930) may include a communication circuit for performing a communication function. The communication circuit (930) may operate independently from the processor (910) (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 circuit (930) may include a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a Bluetooth communication circuit, a cellular communication circuit, a Wi-Fi communication circuit, or a GNSS communication circuit) or a wired communication circuit (e.g., a LAN communication circuit or a power line communication circuit) that performs wireless communication. The communication circuit (930) may, for example, transmit a control command to the wearable device (100) and receive at least one of sensor data including movement information of the wearable device (100), status data of the wearable device (100), or control result data corresponding to the control command from the wearable device (100).

[0126] The display circuit (940) can visually provide information to an external device (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (210). The display circuit (940) can include, for example, an LCD or OLED display, a holographic device, or a projector device. The display circuit (940) can further include a control circuit for controlling display operation. In one embodiment, the display circuit (940) can further 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. The display circuit (940) can output a user interface screen for controlling the wearable device (100) or providing various information (e.g., exercise evaluation information, setting information of the wearable device (100).

[0127] A motion detection sensor (950) can detect the movement of an electronic device (210) and collect movement information. The motion detection sensor (950) may include, for example, an inertial sensor.

[0128] The input circuit (960) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (210) (e.g., the processor (910)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (210). The input circuit (960) can include an input component circuit and can receive user input. The input circuit (960) can include, for example, a key (e.g., a button) and / or a touch recognition circuit for recognizing a touch on a screen.

[0129] In one embodiment, the electronic device (210) may perform Bluetooth communication with the wearable device (100). During the pairing process of the Bluetooth communication, the processor (910) may transmit an inquiry message to search for a surrounding Bluetooth communication device through the communication circuit (930). In response to the transmission of the inquiry message, a response message corresponding to the inquiry message and the collected movement information of the wearable device (100) may be received from the wearable device (100) through the communication circuit (930). The processor (712) may compare a signal waveform representing the movement information collected through the movement detection sensor (950) with a signal waveform representing the movement information of the wearable device (100), and determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the comparison result. Prior to comparing the signal waveforms, the processor (712) may adjust the scale and / or phase of one or more signal waveforms. When it is determined that the signal waveform representing the movement information of the electronic device (210) and the signal waveform representing the movement information of the wearable device (100) correspond to each other, the processor (712) may decide to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100).

[0130] When it is determined to transmit a pairing request message, the pairing request message may be transmitted to the wearable device (100) via the communication circuit (930). When a pairing response message is received from the wearable device (100) in response to the transmission of the pairing request message, the processor (712) may establish a Bluetooth communication connection with the wearable device (100) and perform Bluetooth communication with the wearable device (100) via the communication circuit (930).

[0131]

[0132] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating activating a wearable device based on wearing detection and / or movement detection according to various embodiments.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 10, the wearable device (100) can be automatically activated (or powered on) based on wearing detection and / or movement detection even if the user does not directly power on the wearable device (100).

[0134] Assume that the wearable device (100) is in a powered-off state where the main system is not running. In operation (1010), the wearable device (100) can sense whether the user is wearing the wearable device (100) using a wearing detection sensor (e.g., a wearing detection sensor (522) of FIG. 5). If the user wears the wearable device (100) in a powered-off state, a sensing value higher than a specific value can be measured through the wearing detection sensor of the wearable device (100). For example, if the wearing detection sensor is a temperature sensor, a temperature value corresponding to the user's body temperature (or a temperature value slightly lower than the body temperature) can be measured. If a temperature value corresponding to the user's body temperature is measured, the auxiliary processing circuit (e.g., the auxiliary processing circuit (526) of FIG. 5) can determine that the user is wearing the wearable device (100). The wearing detection sensor and the auxiliary processing circuit can operate in a powered-off state of the wearable device (100).

[0135] In operation (1020), the wearable device (100) may sense the movement of the wearable device (100) using a motion detection sensor (e.g., the motion detection sensor (524) of FIG. 5) while the wearable device (100) is still powered off. The auxiliary processing circuit may detect movement and / or movement of the wearable device (100) (or the user) through the motion detection sensor. The auxiliary processing circuit may recognize a walking pattern that occurs when a user wearing the wearable device (100) walks through the motion information collected through the motion detection sensor, and may distinguish between a stationary state and a walking state. For example, the auxiliary processing circuit may determine that the walking state is present when an output signal value of the motion detection sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The auxiliary processing circuit may determine that the movement of the wearable device (100) satisfies a set condition when the movement and / or movement of the wearable device (100) is detected for a specific period of time or longer.

[0136] If it is detected that the user is wearing the wearable device (100) for a set period of time or longer and the movement of the wearable device (100) satisfies a set condition, the auxiliary processing circuit can activate the power of the wearable device (100) in operation (1030). Activating the power indicates turning on the wearable device (100). Power is supplied to the main processing circuit corresponding to the main system in the wearable device (100) (e.g., the main processing circuit (546) of FIG. 5), and the user can execute an exercise program through the wearable device (100). In this way, the user can automatically activate the power of the wearable device (100) simply by wearing and moving the wearable device (100) without separately operating a button to activate the power of the wearable device (100).

[0137] When the wearable device (100) is powered on and the main system enters a stable state (e.g., a state in which system booting is normally completed), the power supplied to the auxiliary processing circuit, the wearing detection sensor, and / or the movement detection sensor may be cut off or reduced. Power consumption may be reduced by cutting off or reducing the power supply.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the power of the wearable device (100) may be controlled to be activated when both the wearing detection condition of the user's wearable device (100) and the movement condition of the wearable device (100) are satisfied, or the power of the wearable device (100) may be controlled to be activated even when either the wearing detection condition or the movement condition is satisfied.

[0139]

[0140] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating operations of a method for controlling a wearable device according to various embodiments. In one embodiment, at least one of the operations in FIG. 11 may be performed simultaneously or in parallel with another operation, and the order of the operations may be changed. Furthermore, at least one of the operations may be omitted, and another operation may be additionally performed.

[0141] The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11 relates to an embodiment of automatically activating the main system of the wearable device (100) using sensor data acquired from one or more sensors while the main system of the wearable device (100) is inactive. Referring to FIG. 11, in operation (1110), an auxiliary control circuit of the wearable device (100) (e.g., an auxiliary control circuit (510) of FIG. 5) may acquire an output signal of a wearing detection sensor (e.g., a wearing detection sensor (522) of FIG. 5) included in the auxiliary control circuit.

[0142] In operation (1120), the auxiliary control circuit can obtain an output signal of a motion detection sensor included in the auxiliary control circuit (e.g., motion detection sensor (524) of FIG. 5).

[0143] In operation (1130), an auxiliary processing circuit (e.g., an auxiliary processing circuit (526) of FIG. 5) included in an auxiliary control circuit can control power supply to a main processing circuit (e.g., a main processing circuit (546) of FIG. 5) included in a main control circuit (e.g., a main control circuit (530) of FIG. 5)) of a wearable device (100) based on at least one of an output signal of a wearing detection sensor and an output signal of a movement detection sensor.

[0144] In one embodiment, when the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor satisfies a set condition and the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the motion detection sensor lasts for a set time or longer, it may be determined to supply power to activate the main processing circuit. When the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value and the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the motion detection sensor lasts for a set time or longer, the auxiliary processing circuit may output a control signal to supply power to activate the main processing circuit. Power may be supplied to the main processing circuit by the control signal and the wearable device (100) may be turned on.

[0145] In one embodiment, the auxiliary processing circuit may output a control signal to supply power to activate the main processing circuit when either a condition is satisfied that the value of the output signal of the wear detection sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold value or a condition that the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the movement detection sensor lasts for a set period of time or longer.

[0146] In one embodiment, when it is determined that the control signal is output only when all of the above conditions are satisfied, the condition that the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold value may be first satisfied and then it may be determined whether the condition that the movement of the wearable device (100) lasts for a set time or longer is satisfied, or conversely, the condition that the movement of the wearable device (100) lasts for a set time or longer may be first satisfied and then the condition that the value of the output signal of the wearing detection sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold value may be determined.

[0147] When the main processing circuit is supplied with power for normal operation, the main processing circuit can control to cut off or reduce the power supply to the auxiliary processing circuit in operation (1140). When the main processing circuit is activated, the main processing circuit can control to cut off or reduce the power supply to the auxiliary processing circuit, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0148]

[0149] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operations of a method for controlling a wearable device according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, at least one of the operations in FIG. 12 may be performed simultaneously or in parallel with other operations, and the order of the operations may be changed. Furthermore, at least one of the operations may be omitted, and other operations may be additionally performed.

[0150] The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 12 relates to an embodiment of automatically activating the main system of the wearable device (100) using sensor data acquired from a wearing detection sensor (e.g., a wearing detection sensor (522) of FIG. 5) and a motion detection sensor (e.g., a motion detection sensor (524) of FIG. 5) while the main system of the wearable device (100) is deactivated. Referring to FIG. 12, in operation (1210), an auxiliary processing circuit (526) (e.g., an auxiliary processing circuit (526) of FIG. 5) included in an auxiliary control circuit (e.g., an auxiliary control circuit (510) of FIG. 5) of the wearable device (100) can determine whether a value of an output signal of the wearing detection sensor satisfies a condition. The wearing detection sensor can be, for example, a temperature sensor that senses a temperature value, and the auxiliary processing circuit can determine whether a temperature value sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If the temperature value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it can be determined that the condition is satisfied.

[0151] If the value of the output signal of the wear detection sensor is determined to satisfy the condition (if 'yes' in operation (1210)), in operation (1220), the auxiliary processing circuit can determine whether the value of the output signal of the motion detection sensor satisfies the condition. The motion detection sensor may be, for example, an inertial sensor that senses acceleration and / or angular velocity values, and the auxiliary processing circuit can determine that the condition is satisfied if the movement of the wearable device (100) according to the acceleration and / or angular velocity values ​​sensed by the inertial sensor continues for a set time or longer (or if the movement of the wearable device (100) corresponds to a walking movement).

[0152] By first determining whether the value of the output signal of the wear detection sensor satisfies the condition, it is possible to prevent the process of determining whether the value of the output signal of the movement detection sensor satisfies the condition from being performed unnecessarily when the user is not wearing the wearable device (100).

[0153] If the value of the output signal of the motion detection sensor is determined to satisfy the condition (if 'yes' in operation (1220)), in operation (1230), the auxiliary processing circuit can output a control signal for activating the main processing circuit (e.g., the main processing circuit (546) of FIG. 5). The control signal can be transmitted to a power supply activation circuit (e.g., the power supply activation circuit (542) of FIG. 5) included in the main control circuit (e.g., the main control circuit (530) of FIG. 5). In operation (1240), the power supply activation circuit can activate the main processing circuit (546) through a main power management circuit (e.g., the main power management circuit (544) of FIG. 5) included in the main control circuit. Under the control of the main power management circuit, power is supplied to the main processing circuit (546), and the main processing circuit can start system booting. During system booting, the status of each component of the wearable device (100) can be checked and an inspection can be performed to determine whether normal operation is possible.

[0154] After the main processing circuit is activated, the main processing circuit may deactivate the auxiliary control circuit at operation (1250). For example, power may be cut off or reduced to at least one of the wear detection sensor, the motion detection sensor, and the auxiliary processing circuit included in the auxiliary control circuit.

[0155]

[0156] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a Bluetooth pairing process between a wearable device and another electronic device according to various embodiments. In one embodiment, at least one of the operations in FIG. 13 may be performed simultaneously or in parallel with another operation, and the order of the operations may be changed. In addition, at least one of the operations may be omitted, and another operation may be additionally performed. In one embodiment, the operations in FIG. 13 may be performed after the wearable device (100) is powered on by the operations in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12.

[0157] FIG. 13 relates to an embodiment of a method for simplifying a pairing procedure by automatically performing pairing based on the movements of two devices without a user's direct Bluetooth communication pairing operation between a wearable device (100) and another electronic device (1300) (e.g., another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (210) of FIG. 2 or another wearable device (220)). Through pairing, the wearable device (100) and the other electronic device (1300) can be registered as Bluetooth devices that can connect to each other.

[0158] Referring to FIG. 13, in operation (1310), the wearable device (100) may collect movement information of the wearable device (100) using a movement detection sensor. The movement detection sensor may include, for example, an inertial sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor (722) of FIG. 7) and / or an angle sensor (a first angle sensor (724), a second angle sensor (724-1) of FIG. 7). The movement information of the wearable device (100) may include, for example, information on changes in a swing period and angle of a torque transmission frame (e.g., a first torque transmission frame (55) and a second torque transmission frame (50) of FIG. 3) of the wearable device (100).

[0159] In operation (1315), another electronic device (1300) may collect movement information of another electronic device (1300) using a movement detection sensor (e.g., the movement detection sensor (950) of FIG. 9). The movement detection sensor of another electronic device (1300) may include, for example, an inertial sensor. The movement information of another electronic device (1300) may include, for example, information about changes in the swing cycle and angle of another electronic device (1300) according to the user's movement.

[0160] In operation (1320), the other electronic device (1300) may activate the Bluetooth function for Bluetooth communication. The Bluetooth function may be activated automatically or by a user's selection. For example, the Bluetooth function may be activated when the user runs an application related to the wearable device (100) on the other electronic device (1300) or when the user touches an icon corresponding to the activation of the Bluetooth function on the screen of the other electronic device (1300). The activation of the Bluetooth function may also be performed before operation (1315). When the Bluetooth function of the other electronic device (1300) is activated, the other electronic device (1300) may output a pop-up message through the display to encourage the user to wear the wearable device (100) and walk, or output a voice message through the speaker to encourage the user to wear the wearable device (100) and walk.

[0161] In one embodiment, if the Bluetooth function of another electronic device (1300) is activated and the wearable device (100) has not been registered as a Bluetooth device, the following pairing process with the wearable device (100) may be performed.

[0162] After the Bluetooth function is activated, the other electronic device (1300) can transmit an inquiry message to search for a Bluetooth device in operation (1325). If the wearable device (100) is within an area where Bluetooth communication is possible with the other electronic device (1300), the wearable device (100) can receive an inquiry message to search for a Bluetooth device from the other electronic device (1300) in operation (1330).

[0163] In operation (1335), in response to receiving the inquiry message, the wearable device (100) may transmit a response message corresponding to the inquiry message and movement information of the wearable device collected by the movement detection sensor in operation (1310) to the other electronic device (1300). The wearable device (100) may transmit the movement information of the wearable device (100) collected before transmitting the response message to the other electronic device (1300).

[0164] The wearable device (100) can transmit movement information of the wearable device (100) to another electronic device (1300) so that the other electronic device (1300) can determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on movement information of the other electronic device (1300) collected by a movement detection sensor of the other electronic device (1300) and movement information of the wearable device (100).

[0165] In operation (1340), the other electronic device (1300) may receive the response message and movement information of the wearable device (100) from the wearable device (100). In operation (1345), the other electronic device (1300) may determine whether to attempt pairing for Bluetooth communication with the wearable device (100) based on the received movement information of the wearable device (100) and the movement information of the other electronic device (1300) collected in operation (1315). The other electronic device (1300) may determine whether to attempt pairing with the wearable device (100) based on the movement information of the other electronic device (1300) collected before receiving the response message from the wearable device (100).

[0166] The other electronic device (1300) can compare a signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device (1300) with a signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100), and determine whether to transmit a pairing request message (or page message) to the wearable device (100) based on the comparison result. The other electronic device (1300) can compare swing cycles and angle changes between the signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device (1300) and the signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100).

[0167] In one embodiment, the other electronic device (1300) may generate an adjusted signal waveform by adjusting at least one of a signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device (1300) and a signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100), and may determine whether to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the adjusted signal waveform. For example, the other electronic device (1300) may adjust a scale and / or phase of the signal waveform. If the other electronic device (1300) determines that the signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device (1300) and the signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100) correspond to each other (or have a high degree of similarity between each other), the other electronic device (1300) may determine to transmit a pairing request message to the wearable device (100). Here, at least one of the signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device and the signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100) may be adjusted. The other electronic device (1300) may terminate the pairing process if the signal waveform representing the movement information of the other electronic device (1300) and the signal waveform representing the movement information of the wearable device (100) do not correspond to each other.

[0168] If a user wears a wearable device (100) and moves while carrying (or wearing) another electronic device (1300), the signal waveforms measured by the movement detection sensors of the wearable device (100) and the other electronic device (1300) will be similar to each other. Accordingly, if the signal waveform representing the movement information of the other electronic device (1300) and the signal waveform representing the movement information of the wearable device (100) correspond to each other, the other electronic device (1300) can determine that the wearable device (100) is a target for Bluetooth pairing.

[0169] If it is determined to transmit a pairing request message, in operation (1350), the other electronic device (1300) may transmit a pairing request message for a pairing request to the wearable device (100). In operation (1355), the wearable device (100) may receive a pairing request message from the other electronic device (1300) after transmitting a response message.

[0170] In response to receiving a pairing request message, the wearable device (100) may transmit a pairing response message (or page response message) to another electronic device (1300) in operation (1360) and control the device to establish a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device (1300). When a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device (1300) is established, the wearable device (100) may output a sound to notify that the Bluetooth pairing is successful through an audio output circuit (e.g., an audio output circuit (750) of FIG. 7).

[0171] In operation (1365), the other electronic device (1300) may receive a pairing response message from the wearable device (100). Thereafter, the other electronic device (1300) may be connected to the wearable device (100) and perform Bluetooth communication between the two devices. When a Bluetooth connection with the wearable device (100) is established, the other electronic device (1300) may output a sound to notify that the Bluetooth pairing is successful through an audio output circuit or may output a message (e.g., a notification message, a pop-up message) to notify that the Bluetooth pairing is successful through a display.

[0172] In one embodiment, through the above operations, pairing between the wearable device (100) and another electronic device (1300) can be performed automatically by simply wearing the wearable device (100) and walking without the user having to perform a separate Bluetooth pairing process.

[0173]

[0174] FIGS. 14A and 14B are drawings illustrating a process of comparing a signal waveform representing movement information of a wearable device according to various embodiments with a signal waveform representing movement information of another electronic device.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 14A, the wearable device (100) may collect movement information of the wearable device (100) through a movement detection sensor (e.g., an inertial sensor (722) of FIG. 7), a first angle sensor (724) and / or a second angle sensor (724-1)) when a user wears the wearable device (100) and moves (e.g., when walking). The movement information of the wearable device (100) may include information on changes in the swing period and angle of a torque transmission frame (e.g., a first torque transmission frame (55) and a second torque transmission frame (50) of FIG. 3) of the wearable device (100) while the user wears the wearable device (100) and moves. The movement information of the wearable device (100) may include information on a swing (e.g., angle change, cycle) generated by the user's walking. For example, the movement information of the wearable device (100) may include information about an angle QWa at which the torque transmission frame rotates in the user's movement direction based on a line perpendicular to the ground and a rotational center axis of the torque transmission frame while the user is walking while wearing the wearable device (100), and an angle QWb at which the torque transmission frame rotates in the opposite direction of the user's movement based on a line perpendicular to the ground and the rotational center axis. In one embodiment, when the angle QWa measured through a movement detection sensor is used, the angle QWb may be assumed to be symmetrical to the angle QWa but with a different sign.

[0176] A user may walk while holding another electronic device (1300) in his / her hand, and the other electronic device (1300) may collect movement information of the other electronic device (1300) using a movement detection sensor (e.g., a movement detection sensor (950) of FIG. 9) while the user is walking. The movement detection sensor of the other electronic device (1300) may include an inertial sensor. The movement information of the other electronic device (1300) may include information about changes in the swing cycle and angle of the other electronic device (1300) according to the user's walking. For example, the movement information of the other electronic device (1300) may include information about an angle QSa at which the other electronic device (1300) rotates in the direction of movement of the user based on a line perpendicular to the ground and a rotational center axis (e.g., an elbow) along which the other electronic device (1300) moves while the user is walking while wearing the wearable device (100), and an angle QSb at which the other electronic device (1300) rotates in the direction opposite to the movement of the user based on a line perpendicular to the rotational center axis and the ground. In one embodiment, when an angle QSa measured through a motion detection sensor is used, the angle QSb may be assumed to be symmetrical to the angle QSa but with a different sign.

[0177] Referring to FIG. 14B, examples of a signal waveform (1410) representing movement information of a wearable device (100) and a signal waveform (1420) representing movement information of another electronic device (1300) are illustrated. The signal waveform (1410) may be a signal waveform representing movement of a first torque transfer frame (e.g., the first torque transfer frame (55) of FIG. 3) measured by a first angle sensor (e.g., the first angle sensor (724) of FIG. 7) of the wearable device (100) when a user is walking while wearing the wearable device (100). The signal waveform (1420) may be a signal waveform representing movement of another electronic device (1300) measured by an inertial sensor of the other electronic device (1300) when a user is walking while holding the other electronic device (1300) in his or her right hand. Since the motion information of the first torque transmission frame corresponds to the movement of the user's right leg during walking, and the motion information of the other electronic device (1300) corresponds to the movement of the user's right arm during walking, the signal waveform (1410) and the signal waveform (1420) show a tendency for the signs of angles to be opposite to each other.

[0178] In one embodiment, when another electronic device (1300) receives movement information of the wearable device (100) from the wearable device (100), the other electronic device (1300) may adjust a signal waveform (1420) representing the movement of the other electronic device (1300) for comparison of the movement information. For example, the other electronic device (1300) may apply a compensation coefficient to the signal waveform (1420) to adjust the scale (or amplitude) and / or phase of the signal waveform (1420). The signal waveform (1425) represents a signal waveform corresponding to the result of adjusting the signal waveform (1420). The other electronic device (1300) may compare the signal waveform (1410) and the signal waveform (1425) to determine whether they are similar or correspond to each other. For example, if the amplitude difference (1430) between the signal waveform (1410) and the signal waveform (1425) is within a set amplitude error range, and the period difference between the signal waveform (1410) and the signal waveform (1425) is within a set period error range, the two signal waveforms may be determined to be similar to or corresponding to each other. If the two signal waveforms are determined to be similar to or corresponding to each other, the other electronic device (1300) may attempt to pair with the wearable device (100) for a Bluetooth communication connection.

[0179]

[0180] The various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the present disclosure 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 the present disclosure, 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 the 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 at least a third component(s).

[0181] The term "module" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure 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 integrally formed 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). Accordingly, each "module" in this specification may include a circuit.

[0182] Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or, independently or collectively, command the processing device. The software and / or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, or computer storage medium or device for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may be distributed across networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software comprising one or more instructions stored on a storage medium that can be read by a machine. For example, a processor of the device may recall at least one of the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the device to operate to perform at least one function in accordance with the recalled at least one 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' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily in the storage medium.

[0183] According to one embodiment, the method according to the embodiments may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0184] 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 placed 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.

[0185] While this disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that the various embodiments are illustrative and not limiting. It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it will be understood that any embodiment(s) described herein may be used in conjunction with any other embodiment(s) described herein.

Claims

1. In the control system (500) of a wearable device, A main control circuit (530) including a main processing circuit (546) including one or more processors (712) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100) and a main power management circuit (544) for controlling the power supply to the main processing circuit (546); and Auxiliary control circuit (510) connected to the above main control circuit (530) Including, The above auxiliary control circuit (510) A wearing detection sensor (522) for detecting the user's wearing of the wearable device (100); A movement detection sensor (524) for detecting the movement of the wearable device (100); and An auxiliary processing circuit (526) that determines whether to output a control signal that causes the main power management circuit (544) to supply power to activate the main processing circuit (546) based on at least one of the output signal of the wear detection sensor (522) and the output signal of the movement detection sensor (524). A control system including:

2. In paragraph 1, The above auxiliary processing circuit (526) When the value of the output signal of the above-mentioned wear detection sensor (522) satisfies the set condition and the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the above-mentioned movement detection sensor (524) continues for a set time or longer, it is determined to output the control signal. Control system.

3. In paragraph 1, The above auxiliary processing circuit (526) When it is determined that the user is wearing the wearable device (100) based on the output signal of the above-mentioned wearing detection sensor (522), and when it is determined that the movement of the wearable device (100) is detected based on the output signal of the above-mentioned movement detection sensor (524), it is determined to output the above-mentioned control signal. Control system.

4. In paragraph 3, The above auxiliary processing circuit (526) If it is determined that the movement of the wearable device (100) detected based on the output signal of the movement detection sensor (524) corresponds to a walking movement, it is determined to output the control signal. Control system.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above auxiliary control circuit (510) An auxiliary power management circuit (528) that controls the power supply to each of the above-mentioned wear detection sensor (522), the above-mentioned movement detection sensor (524), and the above-mentioned auxiliary processing circuit (526). Including more, The above main processing circuit (546) When power is supplied from the main power management circuit (544) by the control signal output from the auxiliary processing circuit (526), ​​the auxiliary power management circuit (528) outputs a control signal to block or reduce the power supply to at least one of the wearing detection sensor (522), the movement detection sensor (524) and the auxiliary processing circuit (526). Control system.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The above main control circuit (530) A power supply activation circuit that outputs a control signal to activate the main power management circuit (544) in response to receiving the control signal output by the auxiliary processing circuit (526). A control system further comprising:

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The above wear detection sensor (522) includes a temperature sensor, The above motion detection sensor (524) includes at least one of an inertial sensor and an angle sensor. Control system.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, The above main control circuit (530) Communication circuit (716) for communicating with other electronic devices Including more, The above main processing circuit (546) In response to receiving an inquiry message for searching for a Bluetooth device from the other electronic device, control is provided to transmit movement information and a response message of the wearable device (100) collected by the movement detection sensor (524) to the other electronic device through the communication circuit (716). Control system.

9. In paragraph 8, The above main processing circuit (546) In response to receiving a pairing request message from the other electronic device after transmitting the response message, controlling establishment of a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device. Control system.

10. In the control system of a wearable device (100), A main processing circuit (546) including one or more processors (712) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100); A motion detection sensor for detecting the movement of the wearable device (100); and Communication circuit (716) Including, The above main processing circuit (546) In response to receiving an inquiry message for searching for a Bluetooth device from another electronic device, a response message corresponding to the inquiry message and movement information of the wearable device (100) collected by the movement detection sensor are controlled to be transmitted to the other electronic device through the communication circuit (716). In response to receiving a pairing request message from the other electronic device after transmitting the above movement information, controlling to establish a Bluetooth connection with the other electronic device. Control system.

11. In paragraph 10, The above other electronic devices, Includes a motion detection sensor for collecting motion information of the other electronic device, In response to receiving the movement information from the wearable device (100), determining whether to transmit the pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the movement information of the other electronic device collected by the movement detection sensor of the other electronic device and the movement information of the wearable device (100). Control system.

12. In paragraph 11, The above other electronic devices, Deciding whether to transmit the pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the comparison result between the signal waveform representing the movement information of the other electronic device and the signal waveform representing the movement information of the wearable device (100). Control system.

13. In paragraph 12, The above other electronic devices, Generating an adjusted signal waveform by adjusting at least one of a signal waveform representing movement information of the other electronic device and a signal waveform representing movement information of the wearable device (100), Deciding whether to transmit the pairing request message to the wearable device (100) based on the adjusted signal waveform; Control system.

14. A method for controlling a wearable device (100), comprising a main control circuit (530) including a main processing circuit (546) for controlling the operation of the wearable device (100), and an auxiliary control circuit (510) including a wearing detection sensor (522) for detecting a user's wearing of the wearable device (100), a movement detection sensor for detecting movement of the wearable device (100), and an auxiliary processing circuit (526), An operation of obtaining an output signal of the wear detection sensor (522) included in the auxiliary control circuit (510); An operation of obtaining an output signal of the motion detection sensor (524) included in the auxiliary control circuit (510); and An operation of controlling power supply to the main processing circuit (546) based on at least one of the output signal of the above-mentioned wearing detection sensor (522) and the output signal of the above-mentioned movement detection sensor (524). A control method including:

15. In paragraph 14, The operation of controlling the above power supply is as follows: An operation of determining to supply power to activate the main processing circuit (546) when the value of the output signal of the above-mentioned wear detection sensor (522) satisfies a set condition and the movement of the wearable device (100) detected by the output signal of the above-mentioned movement detection sensor (524) lasts for a set period of time or longer. A control method including:

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