Optical module and wearable electronic device including same

Abstract

A wearable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise: an outer portion defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device; an inner portion including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device and a side wall extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer portion; a circuit board positioned between the outer portion and the inner portion; and an optical module (300) disposed on the circuit board. The optical module may comprise: a substrate; a light-emitting part disposed adjacent to the side wall and formed to emit light to the outside of the side wall; a light-receiving part disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the light-emitting part; a cover part (340) formed to at least partially surround the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part and including a reflective surface formed such that light incident on the inside of the cover part faces the light-receiving part; and a light-transmitting molding part filling a space between the cover part and at least one of the light-emitting part or the light-receiving part.

Description

Optical module and wearable electronic device including same

[0001] Various embodiments disclosed in this document relate to optical modules and electronic devices including the same.

[0002] Thanks to remarkable advancements in information and communication technology and semiconductor technology, the proliferation and use of various electronic devices is rapidly increasing. In particular, recent electronic devices are being developed to enable portable communication.

[0003] Wearable electronic devices are devices that can be worn on the body, such as clothing, watches, or glasses. Wearable electronic devices can be categorized into various types, such as smart glasses, smart watches, and ring-type wearable electronic devices (or smart rings), depending on their form.

[0004] Wearable electronic devices are evolving into various forms for user convenience and are becoming smaller and more portable. For example, wearable electronic devices can be provided in the form of a ring that can be worn on the user's finger. Furthermore, interest in health is growing, and so is interest in technologies that can monitor health conditions.

[0005] Accordingly, wearable electronic devices can include sensors for measuring a user's biometric information, and are evolving into various forms that utilize these sensors to measure and utilize various biosignals from the human body. In other words, wearable electronic devices provide various services that manage the user's health or confirm their health status by measuring various biosignals.

[0006] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0007] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an outer portion defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device, an inner portion including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device and a side wall extending from the inner surface to the outer portion, a circuit board positioned between the outer portion and the inner portion, and an optical module (300) disposed on the circuit board. The optical module may include a substrate, a light emitting part disposed adjacent to the side wall and formed to emit light outside the side wall, a light receiving part disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the light emitting part, a cover part (340) formed to at least partially surround the light emitting part and the light receiving part, the cover part including a reflective surface formed such that light incident on the inside of the cover part is directed toward the light receiving part, and a light-transmitting molding part filling a space between at least one of the light emitting part or the light receiving part and the cover part.

[0008] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an outer portion defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device, an inner portion including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device, and a side wall extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer portion, a circuit board positioned between the outer portion and the inner portion, and an optical module disposed on the circuit board. The above optical module may include a substrate disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board, a light emitting part disposed on the substrate and formed adjacent to the sidewall to emit light outside the sidewall, a light receiving part disposed on the substrate and arranged parallel to the light emitting part, and a cover part formed to at least partially surround the light emitting part and the light receiving part and having one side opened, the opening being disposed to face the sidewall, and including a reflective surface (343) formed so that light incident on the inside of the cover part faces the light receiving part.

[0009] However, the problem to be solved in this disclosure is not limited to the problem mentioned above, and may be determined in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining usage examples of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3b is a side view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an inner portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner portion thereof excluded.

[0015] FIG. 4b is a side view of an inner portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner portion thereof excluded.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of optical module-related components of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is emitted (or transmitted) from a light emitting portion of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light enters (or is received) into a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the internal structure of an optical module as viewed from a cross-section of the optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing the internal structure of an optical module as viewed from the side of the optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a projected side view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is emitted from a light emitting portion of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is received in a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 14 is a diagram simulating a path along which light emitted from a light emitting unit is reflected by an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) and transmitted to a light receiving unit, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing the arrangement of an optical module placed on a rigid-flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing the arrangement relationship of optical modules arranged on a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrams showing the arrangement of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 18a and FIG. 18b are drawings showing the arrangement relationship of optical modules arranged on a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the outer surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the inner surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the inside of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the inner surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 22 is a drawing showing the front side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 23 is a drawing showing the upper side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, projected from the inside of a wearable electronic device, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 24 is a drawing showing the rear side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 25 is a drawing showing the arrangement relationship of various optical modules arranged on a rigid-flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (A) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 27 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (B) of FIG. 25 where an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 28 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (C) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 29 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (D) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 30 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (E) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 31 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a key operation of a wearable electronic device is performed using two hands according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 32 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a key operation of a wearable electronic device is performed using one hand according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 33 is a perspective view illustrating a swipe motion of a wearable electronic device using two hands according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating key operation performance of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 35A is a first flowchart for explaining key operation performance of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 35b is a second flowchart illustrating key operation performance of a wearable electronic device connected to FIG. 35a according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 36 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] The following description refers to the attached drawings, and specific examples of implementations are illustrated within the drawings. Furthermore, other examples may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various examples.

[0050] Electronic devices according to the embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0051] The embodiments and terminology used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to 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.

[0052] In this document, phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding component from other corresponding components and do not limit the corresponding components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second) with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0053] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0054] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and arranged in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may have at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)) omitted, or one or more other components added. In one embodiment, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0057] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor)) that can operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0058] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) itself where artificial intelligence is performed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0059] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0060] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0061] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0062] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0063] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external device (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a hall area program device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0064] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0065] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0066] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0067] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0068] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0069] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0070] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0071] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0072] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0073] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0074] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. In one embodiment, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0075] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0076] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0077] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0078] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining usage examples of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] The embodiment of FIG. 2 can optionally be combined with the embodiment of FIG. 1, or the embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 36.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 2, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may be configured to be worn on a user's body. For example, the wearable electronic device (200) may be implemented as a wearable electronic device that can be worn on a user's finger. For example, the wearable electronic device (200) may be provided in the form of a ring that can be worn on a user's finger. The wearable electronic device (200) may be named and / or referred to as a smart ring.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) can perform wireless communication with another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102, 104) of FIG. 1) via a wireless communication network (e.g., the first network (198) or the second network (199) of FIG. 1). For example, the wearable electronic device (200) can perform wireless communication with another electronic device, such as a smart phone (S1), a desktop / laptop computer (S2, S3), a car (S4), a smart TV (S5), indoor smart home devices (S6), a tablet PC (S7), or a smart watch (S8). The wireless communication between the wearable electronic device (200) and the other electronic device can be implemented as wireless communication via a short-range communication network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a long-range communication network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 1). For example, when a Bluetooth communication link is established between the wearable electronic device (200) and an electronic device that the user wishes to connect, message transmission may be possible between the two electronic devices, and the wearable electronic device (200) worn by the user may generate commands corresponding to specific movements / gestures of the user's fingers and transmit the commands to another electronic device. In order to detect the user's finger movements / gestures, etc., motion sensors such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or an electronic compass (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1) may be arranged in the wearable electronic device (200). When a message is received from another electronic device to the electronic device (200), the electronic device (200) may notify the user of the receipt of the message using sound, vibration, a display screen, or lighting (e.g., a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp).To this end, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an acoustic module (e.g., an acoustic output module (155) of FIG. 1, or an audio module (170)), a haptic module (e.g., a haptic module (179) of FIG. 1), or a display module (e.g., a display module (160) of FIG. 1). According to one embodiment, in the electronic device (200), at least one of the acoustic module, the haptic module, or the display module may be omitted, or one or more other components may be output.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may obtain a user's biometric information (e.g., oxygen saturation) and provide the biometric information to another electronic device. According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may provide a key function through an optical module (or various sensor modules, such as a pressure sensor module).

[0083] FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] FIG. 3b is a side view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an inner portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner portion thereof excluded.

[0086] FIG. 4b is a side view of an inner portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner portion thereof excluded.

[0087] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 3A to 4B may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 2.

[0088] The embodiments of FIGS. 3A to 4B can optionally be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 2, or the embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 36.

[0089] Referring to FIGS. 3A to 4B, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210). The housing (210) may form the overall appearance of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0090] In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be ring-shaped. The housing (210) may include an opening configured to receive a user's finger. For example, the opening may be defined as a hole formed in the housing (210).

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 3A to 4B, the XYZ coordinate system can be defined such that, with respect to the optical module, the thickness direction of the ring toward the center of the ring is defined as the Z-axis, the length direction of the ring is defined as the Y-axis, and the width direction of the ring is defined as the X-axis. The XYZ coordinate systems illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 4B are intended to exemplarily explain the arrangement of each configuration and do not limit the scope of the rights. According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213). The inner portion (213) may be coupled to the outer portion (211). According to one embodiment, the outer portion (211) and the inner portion (213) may be manufactured separately and assembled, or may be formed integrally. In one embodiment, the outer portion (211) may be named at least one of an outer (outer) housing portion, or an outer ring portion, and the inner portion (213) may be named at least one of an inner (inner) housing portion, or an inner ring portion.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the outer portion (211) may include an outer circumferential surface (211a) and a first side wall (211b) extending from the outer circumferential surface (211a) toward the inner portion (213). The first side wall (211b) may be substantially perpendicular to the outer portion (211). The first side wall (211b) may form a partially curved surface.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the outer portion (211) may include a material that can withstand external impacts and / or scratches and implement design features. For example, the outer portion (211) may include a conductive material and / or an opaque material. For example, the outer portion (211) may include at least one of a metal such as titanium or stainless steel, or a ceramic. The outer portion (211) may be color-treated or coated to implement the design.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the inner portion (213) may include an inner circumferential surface (213a) and a second side wall (213b) extending from the inner circumferential surface (213a) toward the outer portion (211). The second side wall (213b) may be substantially perpendicular to the outer portion (211). The second side wall (213b) may form a partially curved surface.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the first side wall (211b) and the second side wall (213b) are side walls of the housing (210) and may be formed of different materials. The first side wall (211b) and the second side wall (213b) may have different lengths (e.g., thicknesses) depending on the design of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0096] According to one embodiment, the inner portion (213) may be a portion that comes into contact with a user's finger when the user wears the wearable electronic device (200). The inner portion (213) may include a non-conductive material and / or a transparent material for sensing. The inner portion (213) may be made of a material such as a molding material, transparent plastic, or glass. For example, the inner portion (213) may be configured to be at least partially transparent. For example, the inner portion (213) may include a material that is transparent to light for measuring biometric information. At least a portion of the inner portion (213) may be made of a material substantially the same as or similar to the outer portion (211). At least a portion of the inner portion (213) may include a metal material for measuring biometric information.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the outer portion (211) and the inner portion (213) may be combined to provide an internal space of the housing (210). Various electrical / electronic components of the wearable electronic device (200) may be arranged and / or mounted in the internal space of the housing (210). For example, the housing (210) may accommodate various electrical / electronic components.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include at least one of a circuit board (240) and / or a battery (260) (e.g., battery (189) of FIG. 1).

[0099] According to one embodiment, a circuit board (240) (e.g., a first circuit board) may be placed in an internal space of the housing (210). The circuit board (240) may include at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a rigid-flexible PCB (RF-PCB).

[0100] According to one embodiment, various electrical / electronic components may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (240). For example, the circuit board (240) may be equipped with a processor (e.g., a processor (120) of FIG. 1), a memory (e.g., a memory (130) of FIG. 1), a communication module (e.g., a communication module (190) of FIG. 1), a sensor module (e.g., a sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), or an optical module (e.g., an optical module (300) of FIG. 5).

[0101] According to one embodiment, the circuit board (240) may include a plurality of printed circuit boards. For example, the plurality of printed circuit boards may be arranged according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210) and may be electrically connected to each other. The circuit board (240) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). For example, the flexible printed circuit board may be at least partially bent according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the battery (260) is a device for supplying power to components of the wearable electronic device (200), and may include a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. The battery (260) may be integrally disposed within the wearable electronic device (200), or may be detachably disposed with the wearable electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the battery (260) may be formed as a single integral battery or may include multiple detachable batteries. The battery (260) may include a battery pack that is flexible according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210). The battery (260) may include a plurality of non-flexible battery packs. The battery (260) may include a flexible battery pack and a plurality of non-flexible battery packs.

[0103] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a power management module (e.g., power management module (188) of FIG. 1) disposed on a circuit board (240).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a sensor for acquiring (or measuring) at least one piece of biometric information. For example, the at least one piece of biometric information may include at least one of user's oxygen saturation information or user's heart rate information. For example, the sensor may include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor for measuring oxygen saturation or heart rate.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor may include at least one light source (e.g., an LED) configured to emit light in two wavelength bands (e.g., a RED wavelength band or an Infrared wavelength band). The PPG sensor may include at least one light receiving unit (e.g., a photodiode) configured to detect at least a portion of light reflected from, or transmitted by, a body part of a user (e.g., a finger, skin or blood vessels of a finger).

[0106] In one embodiment, the light emitting portion of the PPG sensor may emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. For example, the light emitting portion may emit light of various bands and include at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).

[0107] According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit of the PPG sensor can accumulate photocharges corresponding to the amount of light reflected or transmitted onto a body part of the user and convert a biosignal in the form of an analog current according to the accumulated photocharges into a digital signal. The light receiving unit can include at least one of a photodiode (PD), a phototransistor, a charge-coupled device (CCD), or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).

[0108] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an optical module (300) that provides key-related functions to provide a user with various experiences (e.g., touch keys, swipes, gestures). The optical module (300) may include a light-emitting portion (e.g., light-emitting portion (320) of FIG. 5) formed to emit light, and a light-receiving portion (e.g., light-receiving portion (330) of FIG. 5) that absorbs reflected light that is reflected back by the light emitted from the light-emitting portion (320) and is reflected by an external object (e.g., a body part of the user). The light-emitting portion (320) may be adjacent to a side wall (e.g., a second side wall (213b)) of an inner portion (213) of the wearable electronic device (200) and formed to emit light toward the outside of the side wall, and the light-receiving portion (330) may be disposed adjacent to the light-emitting portion (320).

[0109] According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor and the optical module (300) may be disposed on a circuit board (240). For example, the PPG sensor and the optical module (300) may be disposed on the same circuit board (240). When viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the PPG sensor and the optical module (300) may be disposed in parallel toward the same direction with respect to the center of the ring shape. For example, the PPG sensor and the optical module (300) may be disposed on different circuit boards (240). When viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the PPG sensor and the optical module (300) may be disposed toward opposite sides with respect to the center of the ring shape.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a touch key module (not shown) that provides key-related functions. The touch key module may be referred to as a CAP sensing key and may be understood as a key that uses a capacitive sensing method. In addition to a physical method, when a user touches the key through electrical touch detection, the touch key module may detect a change in electrical capacitance to recognize a key input. According to one embodiment, the touch key module may be disposed on a circuit board (240) together with a PPG sensor and an optical module (300), and may function as a side key disposed toward the side of the housing (210).

[0111] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0112] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of optical module-related components of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210) and a light module (300). The light module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (310) (e.g., a second circuit board), a light emitting part (320), a light receiving part (330), a cover part (340), and / or a molding part (350).

[0114] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 4. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the XYZ coordinate system may define the thickness direction of the ring toward the center of the ring as the Z-axis, the length direction of the ring as the Y-axis, and the width direction of the ring as the X-axis, based on the optical module.

[0115] The embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 can optionally be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, or the embodiments of FIGS. 7 to 36.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) can provide an optical key function to the wearable electronic device (200). Unlike physical keys or pressure sensor keys, the optical key via the optical module (300) can provide various user experiences (e.g., various functions such as a touch key function, a swipe function, or a gesture function).

[0117] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be a single integrated circuit (IC) having a structure in which a light emitting unit (320) and a light receiving unit (330) are arranged on a substrate (310). The optical module (300) may be arranged on a circuit board (240) of a wearable electronic device (200). The substrate (310) of the optical module (300) may be electrically connected to the circuit board (240) of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0118] According to one embodiment, the substrate (310) of the optical module (300) may be joined to the circuit board (240) of the wearable electronic device (200) by soldering. For example, a plurality of BGA balls (ball grid array balls) (e.g., balls (311) of FIGS. 9 and 10) may be arranged on the lower side of the substrate (310) of the optical module (300). Solder paste may be applied to an area formed on the upper side of the circuit board (240) and facing the substrate (310) of the optical module (300), so as to align the plurality of BGA balls of the substrate (310). Thereafter, the substrate (310) of the optical module (300) may be joined to the circuit board (240) of the wearable electronic device (200) by a surface-mount technology (SMT) method through reflow soldering at a high temperature.

[0119] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the optical module (300) is disclosed to have a structure in which a separate substrate (310) is included, and a light emitting unit (320) and a light receiving unit (330) are disposed on the substrate (310), but is not limited thereto. The design may be changed to a structure in which only one of the light emitting unit (320) or the light receiving unit (330) is disposed on the substrate (310), and the other components are disposed on the circuit board (240) of the wearable electronic device (200), or both the light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330) are disposed on the circuit board (240) of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) of the light module (300) may be positioned and / or mounted on the substrate (310) and formed adjacent to a side wall (e.g., a second side wall (213b)) of the inner portion (213) so as to emit light outside the side wall.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) may be arranged in one or more units within the light module (300). The light emitting unit (320) is an element that emits light as a light source, and other expressions of emitting light (emit light, release light, discharge light) may be understood as at least one of radiate light, project light, transmit light, give off light, produce light, illuminate, or beam light.

[0122] In one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) can emit light of a specified range of wavelengths. The light emitting unit (320) can emit light toward an external object (e.g., a body part of the user). For example, the light emitting unit (320) can emit light toward a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, the skin of the finger, and / or a blood vessel of the finger).

[0123] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) may emit light of various bands and may include at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The light emitting unit (320) may be configured to sequentially (or repeatedly) emit light of different wavelength bands by dividing time.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the light receiving portion (330) of the optical module (300) may be placed and / or mounted on the substrate (310) or circuit board (240) and positioned adjacent to the light emitting portion (320).

[0125] According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit (330) may be arranged in one or more units within the light module (300). The light receiving unit (330) is an element that absorbs / introduces transmitted light, and another expression for light entering may be understood as at least one of light is received, light is absorbed, light penetrates, light comes in, or light is introduced.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit (330) can accumulate photoelectric charge corresponding to the amount of light reflected or transmitted from an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) and converted an analog current-type biosignal according to the accumulated photoelectric charge into a digital signal. For example, light (or optical signal) acquired (or detected) through the light receiving unit (330) can be converted through an analog to digital converter (ADC) (e.g., AFE) and stored in a memory or a sensor buffer. The light receiving unit (330) can include at least one of a photodiode (PD), a photo transistor, a charge-coupled device (CCD), or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The light receiving unit (330) is not limited thereto, and can include various elements capable of converting an incident optical signal into an electrical signal.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the cover portion (340) of the optical module (300) may be disposed on the substrate (310) and formed to at least partially surround the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330). The cover portion (340) may be coupled to the substrate (310). For example, an adhesive material may be disposed on the lower end of the cover portion (340) and attached to one surface of the substrate (310).

[0128] According to one embodiment, the cover portion (340) may have one side opened toward a side wall (e.g., a second side wall (213b)) of the housing (210). The opened shape of the cover portion (340) may form a passage through which light emitted from the light emitting portion (320) may exit outside the side wall, or through which reflected light may enter inside the side wall toward the light receiving portion (330). The opening of the cover portion (30) may be covered by the second side wall (213b), and the second side wall (213b) may be formed of a transparent molding material, transparent plastic, or glass, which is a part of the inner portion (213), through which light can easily pass.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the cover part (340) may include a reflective surface (343) to allow light entering the inside to easily travel. For example, the cover part (340) may be formed entirely of metal. For example, the cover part (340) may be formed entirely of a non-conductive material and then the inner surface may be coated with a reflective surface such as metal. The frame formed of the non-conductive material may be injection molded. According to one embodiment, the reflective surface (343) may include a surface that contacts the inner space of the cover part (340). According to one embodiment, the cover part (340) may be named at least one of a cover, a shield can, a reflective part, a guide part, or an optical path part.

[0130] According to one embodiment, the molding portion (350) of the light module (300) may be formed to fill the space between at least one of the light emitting portion (320) or the light receiving portion (330) and the cover portion (340). The molding portion (350) may be called a light-transmitting molding portion and may be formed of substantially the same material as the inner portion (213) so that light may easily pass through. For example, the molding portion (350) may be formed of substantially the same material as a transparent molding material, transparent plastic, or glass. Since it is advantageous for light reflected from an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) and entering the inside of the cover portion (340) to pass through substantially the same material, the molding portion (350) may be formed of the same material as a side wall (e.g., the second side wall (213b)) of the inner portion (213) located on the path of light movement.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the inner side of the cover portion (340) is not limited to being filled with a molding material like the molding portion (350), but may be made of air that is advantageous for the movement of light. However, in this case, at least a portion of the side wall that is in contact with the air and is positioned on the path of movement of light may be made of a material that is advantageous for the movement of light, such as plastic or glass.

[0132] According to one embodiment, light emitted from at least one light emitter (320) may reach the light receiving unit (330) along a plurality of light paths. For example, at least one light path may be a path reflected from a finger, among other body parts of the user.

[0133] In one embodiment, the optical module (300) may include a blocking member (360). For example, the blocking member (360) may include a material that absorbs or blocks light. For example, the blocking member (360) may include a material that reflects light.

[0134] According to one embodiment, the blocking member (360) of the light module (300) is a structure for physically separating the light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330), and can limit or reduce light reflected from an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) from being directed back to the light emitting unit (320). The blocking member (360) may have a surface opposite to the light receiving unit (330) formed as a reflective surface, and together with the reflective surface (343) of the cover unit (340), may guide or induce light reflected from an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) to be directed to the light receiving unit (330). According to one embodiment, the reflective surface of the blocking member (360) may be surrounded by the reflective surface (343) of the cover unit (340). For example, at least a portion of the reflective surface of the blocking member (360) may be disposed to face the reflective surface (343) of the cover unit (340).

[0135] According to one embodiment, at least one blocking member (360) may be named as at least one of a bulkhead, a barrier wall, a dividing wall, a partition, or a compartment member, or similar expressions.

[0136] According to one embodiment, the blocking member (360) may be formed such that the cover portion (340) is disposed on the substrate (310) and at least partially surrounds the light emitting portion (320). The cover portion (340) may be coupled to the substrate (310). For example, an adhesive material may be disposed on the lower end of the cover portion (340) and may be attached to one surface of the substrate (310). The blocking member (360) may have a shape corresponding to or similar to the cover portion (340).

[0137] According to one embodiment, the blocking member (360) may have one side open toward the side wall (e.g., the second side wall (213b)). The open shape of the blocking member (360) may form a passage through which light emitted from the light emitting portion (320) may pass out of the side wall. The upper surface of the blocking member (360) and / or the side facing in the direction opposite to the opening may reflect light entering the cover portion (340) and block it from reaching the light emitting portion (320).

[0138] According to one embodiment, the opening of the blocking member (360) may be covered by a side wall (e.g., a second side wall (213b)), which may be formed as part of the inner portion (213) of the housing and made of a material such as a transparent molding material, transparent plastic, or glass through which light can easily pass.

[0139] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is emitted (or transmitted) from a light emitting portion of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0140] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light enters (or is received) into a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0141] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the internal structure of an optical module as viewed from a cross-section of the optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing the internal structure of an optical module as viewed from the side of the optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0143] Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a circuit board (240), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may include an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213) made of different materials in an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (310), a light emitting part (320), a light receiving part (330), a cover part (340), and / or a molding part (350), a blocking member (360), and / or a filter (370).

[0144] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 7 to 10 may be partially or entirely the same as the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 6. The embodiments of FIGS. 7 to 10 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 6 or the embodiments of FIGS. 7 to 36. Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10, the XYZ coordinate system may define the thickness direction of the ring toward the center of the ring as the Z-axis, the length direction of the ring as the Y-axis, and the width direction of the ring as the X-axis, based on the optical module.

[0145] According to one embodiment, various components may be arranged on the circuit board (240). An optical module (300) may be arranged (or mounted) on the circuit board (240), and a light emitting unit (320) and / or a light receiving unit (330) may be arranged in parallel on a substrate (310) of the optical module (300). The housing (210) includes an outer portion (211) including a first material and an inner portion (213) including a second material different from the first material. The first material may be a conductive material such as metal, and the second material may be a transparent, non-conductive material that facilitates light transmission. The circuit board (240) may be located at the boundary between the outer portion (211) and the inner portion (213). According to one embodiment, the circuit board (240) may include at least one integrated circuit (243) arranged adjacent to the optical module (300). The integrated circuit (243) may be part of a sensor electrically connected to the optical module (300) or may be another component.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the outer portion (211) may include an outer circumferential surface (211a) and a first side wall (211b), and the inner portion (213) may include an inner circumferential surface (213a) and a second side wall (213b). The first side wall (211b) and the second side wall (213b) may be made of different materials and may be combined with each other to form an outer appearance (e.g., a side) of the wearable electronic device (200). The sections of the first side wall (211b) and the second side wall (213b) may be designed in various ways depending on the position of the optical module (300). For example, as the optical module (300) is positioned closer to the outer portion (211), the second side wall (213b) forming the light-transmitting surface may form a relatively increased section in the entire side wall.

[0147] According to one embodiment, the circuit board (240) may include a first side (241) facing the inner portion (213) and a second side (242) facing the outer portion (211). The light module (300) may be disposed on the first side (241) of the circuit board (240) so as to emit (or transmit) light toward a region (e.g., the second sidewall (213b)) of the inner portion (213) that is a transparent, non-conductive material.

[0148] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the second side wall (213b) may form a window so that light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting portion (320) may be transmitted to the outside. For example, the window facing the light emitting portion (320) may be made of a material such as a transparent molding material, transparent plastic, or glass.

[0149] According to one embodiment, a portion of the second side wall (213b) may be formed as a protruding lens (L) so that the light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting unit (320) can efficiently reach an external object (e.g., a body part of the user). For example, the protruding lens (L) may have a lens shape that protrudes outward and is partially convex. For example, the protruding lens (L) may have a narrower field of view (FOV) than a normal lens, so that the light can be formed to accurately reach a limited area. For example, the light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting unit (320) may form a radiation path that is focused on a limited area while passing through the protruding lens (L). However, the protruding lens shape constituting a portion of the second side wall (213b) disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8 is only one example, and may be designed to be changed into various shapes of windows that can be easily recognized as keys so as to efficiently focus and transmit light to an external object (e.g., a body part of the user).

[0150] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) is a light source that emits light of a specified range of wavelengths, and may include components having advantageous viewing angle characteristics, such as, for example, an infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) and / or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) is a surface-emitting laser designed in a vertical structure, which is advantageous in optical system design due to vertical emission, and can be arranged in a high density, so that multiple lasers can be integrated into a small space, thereby advantageously enabling multi-channel transmission, and may have the advantage of consuming low power.

[0151] According to one embodiment, the blocking member (360) is formed to surround the side surfaces of the light-emitting portion (320) except for the light-emitting surface, and has a shape that protrudes laterally more than the light-emitting portion (320), thereby limiting or reducing X-talk (cross talk). For example, the protruding shape of the blocking member (360) can prevent light traveling inside the cover portion (340) from approaching the light-emitting portion (320), thereby preventing signal interference from occurring in components such as the light-emitting portion (320). For example, when viewed from above the blocking member (360), the blocking member (360) can be formed to completely cover the light-emitting portion (320) so that the light-emitting portion (320) disposed inside is not visible.

[0152] In one embodiment, the blocking member (360) may include a material that reflects light. For example, the blocking member (360) may be formed entirely of a conductive material (e.g., metal). For example, the blocking member (360) may be formed entirely of a non-conductive material and then coated on the inner surface with a reflective surface such as a conductive material (e.g., metal). The frame formed of the non-conductive material may be injection molded.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit (330) can absorb (or receive) light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting unit (320) and reflected by an external object (e.g., a body part of the user) and incident on the inside of the cover unit (340). For example, the light receiving unit (330) can accumulate photoelectric charges corresponding to the amount of light incident on the inside of the cover unit (340) and convert a biosignal in the form of an analog current according to the accumulated photoelectric charges into a digital signal.

[0154] According to one embodiment, light incident into the cover portion (340) can easily reach the light receiving portion (330) through the reflective surface (343) of the cover portion (340) and the reflective surface of the blocking member (360). The cover portion (340) has an open shape on one side so that reflected light can be incident, and the reflective surface (343) formed on the inner surface can facilitate the reflection of light.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the reflective surface (343) of the cover portion (340) may include a flat surface (343a) parallel to the substrate (310), and a surface (343b) adjacent to the light-emitting portion (320) and inclined with respect to the substrate (310) or the flat surface (343a). The inclined surface (343b) may form a designated inclination such that light reaching the inside of the cover portion (340) is reflected by the inclined surface (343b) and easily reaches the light-receiving portion (330). A portion of the inclined surface (343b) of the cover portion (340) may be arranged to face or overlap with the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving portion (330). The space between the inclined surface (343b) and the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving portion (330) may provide a path for light reaching the inside of the cover portion (340) to travel to the light-receiving portion (330).

[0156] According to one embodiment, the filter (370) disposed on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit (330) is a structure for blocking an external light source that may enter the light-receiving unit (330), and when the light-emitting unit (320) is a light source that emits infrared (IR), light of a wavelength other than infrared (IR) can be restricted (e.g., reduced or blocked).

[0157] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330) may be arranged parallel to each other on the first surface (315) of the substrate (310), with the light emitting unit (320) being arranged adjacent to the second side wall (213b), and the light receiving unit (330) being arranged on the opposite side of the second side wall (213b). Since the input portion of the touch key of the wearable electronic device (200) is positioned at the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213), the light emitting unit (320) may be arranged close to the second side wall (213b) to facilitate light emission. Light incident on the second side wall (213b) is directed to the light-receiving portion (330) located inside the light-emitting portion (320), and considering the mounting space of the inner portion (213) of the housing (210), the light-emitting portion (320) and / or the light-receiving portion (330) may be formed to be smaller than the minimum width of the cover portion (340). For example, when looking toward the inside of the light module (300) from the second side wall (213b) (e.g., see FIG. 8), at least a portion of the light-emitting portion (320) may be arranged to overlap with the light-receiving portion (330). For example, when looking toward the inside of the light module (300) from the second side wall (213b), the light-emitting portion (320) may not be visible because it is covered by the light-receiving portion (330).

[0158] According to one embodiment, the inner portion (213) of the housing (210) may have a width that decreases toward the opposite side of the outer portion (211) (e.g., toward the center of the ring shape). Accordingly, the cover portion (340) may be formed to have a shape in which the width gradually decreases toward one side of the inner portion (213) (e.g., toward the center of the ring shape). For example, when looking toward the inside of the light module (300) from the second side wall (213b) (e.g., see FIG. 8), the cross-section of the cover portion (340) may have a trapezoidal shape, and the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330) arranged inside the cover portion (340) may have a shape corresponding to the trapezoid, or may be formed to have a width that is smaller than the minimum width of the trapezoidal shape of the cover portion (340).

[0159] According to one embodiment, the inside of the cover portion (340) may be filled with a material such as air, a transparent molding material (e.g., silicone), transparent plastic, or glass so that light can easily travel. According to one embodiment, when reflected light is transmitted toward a part of the second side wall (213b) adjacent to the light emitting portion (320), the inside of the cover portion (340) that forms the path of the reflected light may be formed of a material substantially the same as the material formed by the second side wall (213b). Since it is easier for light to travel within the same medium than to penetrate different media when traveling, when the second side wall (213b) is made of a transparent molding material, the inside of the cover portion (340) extending from the second side wall (213b) may also be filled with a transparent molding material.

[0160] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a projected side view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is emitted from a light emitting portion of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a path through which light is received in a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0163] FIG. 14 is a diagram simulating a path along which light emitted from a light emitting unit is reflected by an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) and transmitted to a light receiving unit, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 14, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a circuit board (240), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may include an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213) made of different materials and having an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (310), a light emitting part (320), a light receiving part (330), a cover part (340), a molding part (350), and / or a filter (370).

[0165] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 11 to 14 may be partially or entirely the same as the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 10. The embodiments of FIGS. 11 to 14 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 10 or the embodiments of FIGS. 12 to 36. Referring to FIGS. 11 to 14, the XYZ coordinate system may define the thickness direction of the ring toward the center of the ring as the Z-axis, the length direction of the ring as the Y-axis, and the width direction of the ring as the X-axis, based on the optical module.

[0166] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) can operate while being worn on a user's finger in a ring shape. The optical module (300) of the wearable electronic device (200) can perform a touch key operation, and is positioned adjacent to a side (e.g., a side wall) of the ring shape to emit (e.g., transmit) light to the outside and receive light reflected from an external object (e.g., the user's finger).

[0167] In one embodiment, the optical modules (300) may be arranged in multiple numbers and spaced apart from each other. For example, the optical modules (300) may be arranged in three pairs at a specified interval when viewed toward the curved side of the ring shape.

[0168] According to one embodiment, in the optical module (300), the light emitting portion (320) and other component structures (301) (e.g., substrate (310), light receiving portion (330), cover portion (340), molding portion (350), and / or filter (370)) (hereinafter referred to as component structures) form a pair and may be spaced apart from each other. For example, the component structure (301) may be understood as a configuration of the optical module (300) other than the light emitting portion (320).

[0169] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be respectively placed (or mounted) on opposite surfaces of the circuit board (240). The light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330) may be placed to face opposite directions with respect to the circuit board (240).

[0170] According to one embodiment, the circuit board (240) may include a first surface (241) facing the inner portion (213) and a second surface (242) facing the outer portion (211). The light-emitting portion (320) may be disposed on the second surface (242) of the circuit board (240), and the component structure (301) including the light-receiving portion (330) may be disposed on or over the first surface (241) of the circuit board (240). For example, the substrate (310) of the component structure (301) may be disposed on the first surface (241) of the circuit board (240), and the light-receiving portion (330), the cover portion (340), and / or the molding portion (350) may be disposed on the substrate (310).

[0171] According to one embodiment, a region (e.g., a protruding lens) of the first side wall (211b) of the outer portion (211) adjacent to the light emitting portion (320) may be formed of a transparent, non-conductive material so that the light emitting portion (320) can easily emit (or transmit) light. Regions other than the region where the light emitting portion (320) emits (or transmits) light may be designed to be made of various materials and colors, such as a conductive material (e.g., metal), taking into consideration the design of the wearable electronic device (200). For example, the conductive material portion may be formed to surround the region formed of a transparent, non-conductive material.

[0172] According to one embodiment, a portion of the first side wall (211b) may be formed as a protruding lens so that light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting unit (320) can efficiently reach an external object (e.g., a body part of the user). For example, the protruding lens may have a lens shape that protrudes outward and is partially convex. For example, the protruding lens may have a narrower field of view (FOV) than a normal lens, so that light can accurately reach a limited area. For example, light emitted (or transmitted) from the light emitting unit (320) may form an optical path that is focused on a limited area while passing through the protruding lens.

[0173] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit (320) is a light source that emits light of a specified range of wavelengths, and may include components with advantageous viewing angle characteristics, such as, for example, an infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) and / or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

[0174] According to one embodiment, the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213) adjacent to the light receiving portion (330) may be formed of a transparent, non-conductive material so that light can be easily guided (or received) to the light receiving portion (330). According to one embodiment, the molding portion (350) forming the inner side of the cover portion (340) may be filled with a material substantially the same as the second side wall (213b). Accordingly, reflected light reflected from an external object (e.g., a body part of a user) can easily travel to the molding portion (350) on the inner side of the cover portion (340) via the second side wall (213b).

[0175] According to one embodiment, since the light receiving unit (330) is positioned adjacent to the second side wall (213b), reflected light reflected from an external object (e.g., a user's finger) can easily be incident on the light receiving unit (330). For example, a portion of the reflected light reflected from an external object (e.g., a body part of the user) may be guided to the reflective surface (343) of the cover unit (340) and incident on the light receiving unit (330), or may be incident directly on the light receiving unit (330).

[0176] According to one embodiment, light incident into the cover portion (340) can reach the light receiving portion (330) through the cover portion (340). The cover portion (340) has a shape in which one side is open so that reflected light can be incident, and a reflective surface (343) formed on the inner surface can provide reflection of the incident light and guide the path of the light.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the reflective surface (343) of the cover portion (340) may include a flat surface (343a) parallel to the substrate (310), and a surface (343b) adjacent to the light-emitting portion (320) and inclined with respect to the substrate (310) or the flat surface (343a). The inclined surface (343b) may form a designated inclination so that light reaching the inside of the cover portion (340) is reflected by the inclined surface (343b) and easily reaches the light-receiving portion (330). A portion of the inclined surface (343b) of the cover portion (340) may be arranged to face or overlap with the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving portion (330).

[0178] According to one embodiment, a filter (370) disposed on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit (330) is a structure for limiting (e.g., reducing or blocking) an external light source that may enter the light-receiving unit (330), and when the light-emitting unit (320) is a light source that emits infrared (IR), light of a wavelength other than infrared (IR) can be blocked.

[0179] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing the arrangement of an optical module placed on a rigid-flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing the arrangement relationship of optical modules arranged on a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0181] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16 , a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (e.g., housing (210) of FIG. 3A), a circuit board (240), and / or a light module (300). The housing (210) may have an overall ring shape. The light module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., substrate (310) of FIG. 7 ), a light emitting part (e.g., light emitting part (320) of FIG. 7 ), a light receiving part (e.g., light receiving part (330) of FIG. 7 ), a cover part (e.g., cover part (340) of FIG. 7 ), and / or a molding part (e.g., molding part (350) of FIG. 7 ).

[0182] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 15 and 16 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 10. The embodiments of FIGS. 15 and 16 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 10 or the embodiments of FIGS. 17A to 36.

[0183] The embodiments of FIGS. 15 and 16 may have a structure in which a light emitting unit (320) and a light receiving unit (330) are arranged side by side on one surface of a circuit board, as disclosed in FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0184] Referring to FIG. 15, the first circuit board (240a) may be a rigid-flexible circuit board. For example, the first circuit board (240a) may include a plurality of rigid substrates (244) and flexible substrates (245) alternately arranged between the plurality of rigid substrates (244). The rigid substrates (244) and the flexible substrates (245) may be electrically connected to each other.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 15, the first circuit board (240a) is disclosed as being arranged on a plane, but when considering a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200), the first circuit board (240a) can be mounted in the device in a variable state in which the flexible substrate (245) portion is bent to correspond to the ring shape as a whole.

[0186] In one embodiment, the optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed on a rigid substrate (244). The optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed spaced apart from one surface of the rigid substrate (244). The other electronic components may be understood as components other than the optical module (300), and may include, for example, a biosensor (401) such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. The biosensor (401) is a device that measures blood flow changes using optical technology, and may monitor biosignals such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, or respiration rate. The biosensor (401) includes, separately from the optical module (300), a light emitting unit (e.g., LED) (401a) and a light receiving unit (e.g., PD) (401b), and the light emitting unit (e.g., LED) (401a) or the light receiving unit (e.g., PD) (401b) may be spaced apart from the components of the optical module (300) on the same rigid substrate (244), or may be respectively placed on different rigid substrates (244).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the optical modules (300) (e.g., the light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330)) may be arranged in parallel on a rigid substrate (244). For example, in order to provide a variety of experiences to the user (e.g., touch keys, swipes, gestures), the optical modules (300) may be formed in multiples and may be arranged on separate rigid substrates (244). For example, three optical modules (300) may be arranged on three separate rigid substrates (244).

[0188] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be placed on the same rigid substrate (244) as components of a biosensor (401), such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, or may be placed on different rigid substrates (244) in consideration of the mounting space. The optical module (300) may be placed adjacent to a side wall of a ring-shaped housing (210) and along an edge of the rigid substrate (244) so ​​as to easily detect light by moving a finger while wearing the wearable electronic device (200) on the finger or by using another finger. The biosensor (401) is for detecting a biosignal inside a finger and may be placed adjacent to an inner surface of the ring-shaped housing (210) and along the center of the rigid substrate (244).

[0189] Referring to FIG. 16, the second circuit board (240b) may be a flexible circuit board. For example, the second circuit board (240b) may be a single flexible board (245) extending in the longitudinal direction of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0190] Referring to FIG. 16, the second circuit board (240b) is disclosed as being arranged on a plane, but when considering a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200), the second circuit board (240b) may be mounted in the device in a state in which it is bent as a whole and changed to correspond to the ring shape.

[0191] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed on a flexible substrate (245). The optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed spaced apart from one surface of the flexible substrate (245). The other electronic components may be understood as components other than the optical module (300), and may include, for example, a biosensor (401) such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. A light emitting unit (e.g., LED) (401a) or a light receiving unit (e.g., PD) (401b) of the biosensor (401) may be disposed on the same flexible substrate (245) as the components of the optical module (300).

[0192] According to one embodiment, the light modules (300) (e.g., light emitting unit (320) and light receiving unit (330)) may be arranged in parallel on the flexible substrate (245). For example, in order to provide various experiences (e.g., touch keys, swipes, gestures) to the user, the light modules (300) may be formed in multiple pieces and arranged at a specified interval.

[0193] According to one embodiment, the light module (300) may be disposed adjacent to a side wall of the ring-shaped housing (210) and along an edge of the flexible substrate (245) so as to easily detect light by moving the finger while wearing the wearable electronic device (200) on one finger or by using another finger. The biosensor (401) may be disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the ring-shaped housing (210) and along a center of the flexible substrate (245) so as to detect a biosignal inside the finger.

[0194] FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrams showing the arrangement of an optical module placed on a rigid-flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0195] FIG. 18a and FIG. 18b are drawings showing the arrangement relationship of optical modules arranged on a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0196] Referring to FIGS. 17A to 18B , a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (e.g., housing (210) of FIG. 3A ), a circuit board (240), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may have an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., substrate (310) of FIG. 7 ), a light-emitting unit (e.g., light-emitting unit (320) of FIG. 7 ), a light-receiving unit (e.g., light-receiving unit (330) of FIG. 7 ), a cover unit (e.g., cover unit (340) of FIG. 7 ), and / or a molding unit (e.g., molding unit (350) of FIG. 7 ).

[0197] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 17A to 18B may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 14. The embodiments of FIGS. 17A to 18B may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14 or the embodiments of FIGS. 19 to 36.

[0198] The embodiments of FIGS. 17a to 18b may have a structure in which a light-emitting unit (320) is arranged on one surface of a circuit board and a light-receiving unit (330) is arranged on the other surface of the circuit board, as disclosed in FIGS. 11 to 14.

[0199] Referring to FIGS. 17A and 17B , the first circuit board (240a) may be a rigid-flexible circuit board. For example, the first circuit board (240a) may include a plurality of rigid substrates (244) and flexible substrates (245) alternately arranged between the plurality of rigid substrates (244). The rigid substrates (244) and the flexible substrates (245) may be electrically connected to each other.

[0200] Referring to FIGS. 17a and 17b, the first circuit board (240a) is disclosed as being arranged on a plane, but when considering a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200), the first circuit board (240a) can be mounted in the device in a variable state in which the flexible substrate (245) portion is bent to correspond to the ring shape as a whole.

[0201] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed on (e.g., on the inner surface and / or the outer surface) of the rigid substrate (244). FIG. 17A is a view looking at the inner surface of the first circuit board (240a), and FIG. 17B is a view looking at the outer surface of the first circuit board (240a). The optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed spaced apart from each other on the outer surface (244a) or the inner surface (244b) of the rigid substrate (244). The other electronic components may be understood as components other than the optical module (300), and may include, for example, a biosensor (401) such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

[0202] According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) of the optical module (300) may be disposed on the outer surface (244a) of the rigid substrate (244), and the light receiving portion (330) of the optical module (300) may be disposed on the inner surface (244b) of the rigid substrate (244). According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330) may be disposed facing each other with the rigid substrate (244) interposed therebetween.

[0203] According to one embodiment, in order to provide various experiences (e.g., touch keys, swipes, gestures) to the user, the light modules (300) may be formed in multiple units and may be respectively disposed on spaced apart rigid substrates (244). For example, three light emitting units (320) may be respectively disposed on the outer surfaces (244a) of three spaced apart rigid substrates (244). For example, three light receiving units (330) may be respectively disposed on the inner surfaces (244b) of three spaced apart rigid substrates (244).

[0204] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be placed on the same rigid substrate (244) as components of a biosensor (401), such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, or may be placed on different rigid substrates (244) taking mounting space into consideration. The optical module (300) may be placed adjacent to a side wall of a ring-shaped housing (210) and along an edge of the rigid substrate (244) so ​​as to easily detect light by moving the finger while wearing the wearable electronic device (200) on the finger or by using another finger. For example, the light emitting units (320) may be arranged along an edge of an outer surface (244a) of the rigid substrate (244), and the light receiving units (330) may be arranged along an edge of an inner surface (244b) of the rigid substrate (244). The biosensor (401) is for detecting a biosignal inside a finger, and can be positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the ring-shaped housing (210) and along the center of the rigid substrate (244).

[0205] Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B, the second circuit board (240b) may be a flexible circuit board. For example, the second circuit board (240b) may be a single flexible board (245) extending in the longitudinal direction of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0206] Referring to FIGS. 18a and 18b, the second circuit board (240b) is disclosed as being arranged on a plane, but when considering a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200), the second circuit board (240b) may be mounted in the device in a state in which it is bent as a whole and changed to correspond to the ring shape.

[0207] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed on (e.g., on the inner side and / or the outer side) of the flexible substrate (245). FIG. 18A is a view looking at the inner side of the second circuit board (240b), and FIG. 18B is a view looking at the outer side of the second circuit board (240b). The optical module (300) and other electronic components may be disposed spaced apart from each other on the inner side (240ba) or the outer side (240bb) of the flexible substrate (245). The other electronic components may be understood as components other than the optical module (300), and may include, for example, a biosensor (401) such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

[0208] According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) of the optical module (300) may be disposed on the outer surface (240bb) of the flexible substrate (245), and the light receiving portion (330) of the optical module (300) may be disposed on the inner surface (240ba) of the flexible substrate (245). According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330) may be disposed facing each other with the flexible substrate (245) interposed therebetween.

[0209] According to one embodiment, in order to provide various experiences (e.g., touch keys, swipes, gestures) to the user, the light modules (300) may be formed in multiple pieces and may be arranged on a single extended flexible substrate (245). For example, three light-emitting units (320) may be arranged at a specified interval on the outer surface (240bb) of the flexible substrates (245). For example, three light-receiving units (330) may be arranged at a specified interval on the inner surface (240ba) of the flexible substrates (245).

[0210] According to one embodiment, the light module (300) may be arranged adjacent to a side wall of a ring-shaped housing (210) and along an edge of a flexible substrate (245) so as to easily detect light by moving the finger while wearing the wearable electronic device (200) on one finger or by using another finger. For example, the light emitting units (320) may be arranged along an edge of an outer surface (240bb) of the flexible substrate (245), and the light receiving units (330) may be arranged along an edge of an inner surface (240ba) of the flexible substrate (245). The biosensor (401) may be arranged adjacent to an inner surface of the ring-shaped housing (210) and along a center of the flexible substrate (245) to detect a biosignal inside a finger.

[0211] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the outer surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0212] FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the inner surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the inside of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0213] FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an optical module disposed on the inner surface of a flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0214] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a second circuit board (240b), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may have an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a board (310), a light emitting portion (320), a light receiving portion (330), a cover portion (340), and / or a molding portion (350).

[0215] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 19 to 21 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 18. The embodiments of FIGS. 19 to 21 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 18 or the embodiments of FIGS. 22 to 36.

[0216] The embodiments of FIGS. 19 to 21 may have a structure in which a light emitting unit (320) and a light receiving unit (330) are arranged side by side on one side (or the other side) of a flexible substrate, as disclosed in FIG. 16, FIG. 18a, or FIG. 18b.

[0217] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21, the second circuit board (240b) may be a flexible circuit board. For example, the second circuit board (240b) may be a single flexible board extending in the longitudinal direction of the wearable electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be disposed on the second circuit board (240b). For example, the light emitting unit (320) and / or the light receiving unit (330) may be mounted on the second circuit board (240b). For example, the optical module (300) may include a separate substrate (310), and the light emitting unit (320) and / or the light receiving unit (330) may be mounted on the substrate (310), and the substrate (310) may be electrically connected to the second circuit board (240b) through soldering.

[0218] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21, a plurality of optical modules (300) may be formed and arranged at specified intervals on the second circuit board (240b). For example, three optical modules (300) may be arranged in parallel at specified intervals. Hereinafter, the arrangement and structure of one optical module (300) will be described, and other optical modules (300) may apply the same.

[0219] Referring to FIG. 19, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) excluding the light emitting unit (320) (e.g., the light receiving unit (330), the cover unit (340), and / or the molding unit (350)) may be disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the second circuit board (240b). For example, the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be disposed to directly face the side wall of the housing (210) (e.g., the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213)). According to one embodiment, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be arranged in parallel along the edge of the second circuit board (240b). The light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be arranged adjacent to each other. Accordingly, light generated from the light emitting unit (320) is emitted to the outside through the second side wall (213b) made of a transparent material, and after being reflected by an external object (e.g., a user's finger), the reflected light may move toward the light receiving unit (330) of the component structure (301) located next to the light emitting unit (320).

[0220] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) includes an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213), and the second circuit board (240b) may form an arc along the center of a side wall of the ring-shaped housing (210). The light-emitting portion (320) and the component structure (301) disposed on the outer surface of the second circuit board (240b) may be disposed to face at least a portion of the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213) formed of a side wall made of a transparent material. Accordingly, when looking toward the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the side wall of the housing (210) may be formed such that the thickness of the inner portion (213) (e.g., the second side wall (213b)) is relatively larger than the thickness of the outer portion (211) (e.g., the first side wall (211b)) formed of an opaque material.

[0221] According to one embodiment, the side wall of the transparent material may be limited to a portion of the second side wall (213b) and an area facing the light emitting portion (320) and the component structure (301).

[0222] Referring to FIG. 20, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) excluding the light emitting unit (320) (e.g., the light receiving unit (330), the cover unit (340), and / or the molding unit (350)) may be disposed on the inner surface of the second circuit board (240b). For example, the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be disposed to directly face the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213). According to one embodiment, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be arranged in parallel along the edge of the second circuit board (240b). The light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) may be disposed adjacent to each other. Accordingly, light generated from the light emitting portion (320) is emitted to the outside through the second side wall (213b), and after being reflected by an external object (e.g., a user's finger), the reflected light can move toward the light receiving portion (330) of the component structure (301) located next to the light emitting portion (320).

[0223] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) includes an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213), and the second circuit board (240b) may form an arc along the center of a side wall of the ring-shaped housing (210). The light-emitting unit (320) and the light-receiving unit (330) disposed on the inner surface of the second circuit board (240b) may be disposed to face the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213) formed of a side wall made of a transparent material. Accordingly, when looking toward the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the thickness of the side wall of the housing (210) may be substantially the same as the thickness of the outer portion (211) (e.g., the first side wall (211b)) formed of an opaque material.

[0224] Referring to FIG. 21, when looking toward the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light-emitting portion (320) and the component structure (301) excluding the light-emitting portion (320) (e.g., the light-receiving portion (330), the cover portion (340), and / or the molding portion (350)) may be placed on the inner surface of the second circuit board (240b).

[0225] According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion (320) may be arranged to directly face the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213), and the component structure (301) may be arranged behind the light emitting portion (320) (e.g., in the opposite direction to the light emitting surface of the light emitting portion (320)). The light receiving portion (330) of the component structure (301) may be formed to have a greater thickness than the light emitting portion (320), such that when viewed toward the side of the wearable electronic device (200), a portion of the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330) may be arranged to overlap, and another portion of the light receiving portion (330) may be visible through the transparent second side wall (213b). For example, the light emitting portion (320) and the light receiving portion (330) may be arranged to directly face the second side wall (213b) of the inner portion (213).

[0226] According to one embodiment, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), the light emitting unit (320) and the light receiving unit (330) may be arranged in a stacked state. The light emitting unit (320) may be mounted on the second circuit board (240b), and the light receiving unit (330) may be arranged on the light emitting unit (320).

[0227] FIG. 22 is a drawing showing the front side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0228] FIG. 23 is a drawing showing the upper side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, projected from the inside of a wearable electronic device, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0229] FIG. 24 is a drawing showing the rear side of an optical module disposed on a rigid-flexible substrate, viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0230] Referring to FIGS. 22 to 24, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a first circuit board (240a), a battery (260), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may include an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213) formed of different materials and having an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., a substrate (310) of FIG. 7), a light emitting portion (e.g., a light emitting portion (320) of FIG. 7), a light receiving portion (e.g., a light receiving portion (330) of FIG. 7), a cover portion (e.g., a cover portion (340) of FIG. 7), and / or a molding portion (e.g., a molding portion (350) of FIG. 7).

[0231] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 22 to 24 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 21. The embodiments of FIGS. 22 to 24 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 21 or the embodiments of FIGS. 25 to 36.

[0232] The embodiments of FIGS. 22 to 24 may have a structure in which a light emitting unit (320) and a light receiving unit (330) are arranged side by side on one side (or the other side) of a rigid-flexible substrate, as disclosed in FIG. 13, FIG. 15a, or FIG. 15b.

[0233] Referring to FIGS. 22 to 24, the first circuit board (240a) may be a rigid-flexible circuit board. For example, the first circuit board (240a) may include a plurality of rigid substrates (244) and flexible substrates (245) alternately arranged between the plurality of rigid substrates (244). The rigid substrates (244) and the flexible substrates (245) may be electrically connected to each other.

[0234] According to one embodiment, the first circuit board (240a) may be formed to have different widths depending on the area, taking into consideration the mounting space of the electronic component (e.g., the battery (260)). For example, the battery (260) may be arranged in a curved shape toward the rear side of the wearable electronic device (200), and a portion of the first circuit board (240a) arranged parallel to the battery (260) (e.g., the first section (T1)) may have a smaller width than another portion (e.g., the second section (T2)). The first section (T1) of the first circuit board (240a) may be arranged in a curved shape toward the front side of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0235] According to one embodiment, the battery (260) may be integrally disposed within the wearable electronic device (200) and may also be detachably disposed with the wearable electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the battery (260) may be formed as a single integral battery or may include multiple detachable batteries.

[0236] In one embodiment, the battery (260) may include a battery pack that is flexible according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210). In one embodiment, the battery (260) may include a plurality of non-flexible battery packs. In one embodiment, the battery (260) may include a plurality of flexible battery packs and a plurality of non-flexible battery packs.

[0237] According to one embodiment, when viewed from the side of the wearable electronic device (200), a plurality of rigid substrates (244) overlapping a battery (260) are spaced apart from each other and a plurality of flexible substrates (245) can electrically connect the rigid substrates (244). For example, three optical modules (300) can be arranged on each of three rigid substrates (244). Each optical module (300) can be arranged along an edge facing the front of the rigid substrate (244).

[0238] FIG. 25 is a drawing showing the arrangement relationship of various optical modules arranged on a rigid-flexible substrate, as viewed by projecting the interior of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0239] FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (A) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0240] FIG. 27 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (B) of FIG. 25 where an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0241] FIG. 28 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (C) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0242] FIG. 29 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (D) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0243] FIG. 30 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an area (E) of FIG. 25 in which an optical module is arranged, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0244] Referring to FIGS. 25 to 30, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a circuit board (240), a battery (260), and / or an optical module (300). The housing (210) may include an outer portion (211) and an inner portion (213) formed of different materials and having an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., a substrate (310) of FIG. 7), a light emitting portion (e.g., a light emitting portion (320) of FIG. 7), a light receiving portion (e.g., a light receiving portion (330) of FIG. 7), a cover portion (e.g., a cover portion (340) of FIG. 7), and / or a molding portion (e.g., a molding portion (350) of FIG. 7).

[0245] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 25 to 30 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 24. The embodiments of FIGS. 25 to 30 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 24 or the embodiments of FIGS. 31 to 36.

[0246] Referring to FIGS. 25 to 30, the first circuit board (240a) may be a rigid-flexible circuit board. For example, the first circuit board (240a) may include a plurality of rigid substrates (244) and flexible substrates (245) alternately arranged between the plurality of rigid substrates (244). The rigid substrates (244) and the flexible substrates (245) may be electrically connected to each other. In FIGS. 26 to 30, for convenience of explanation, the flexible substrate (245) is not illustrated.

[0247] According to one embodiment, a rigid substrate (244) formed flatly may be placed on a curved portion (P) of a ring-shaped housing (210). As the center of the rigid substrate (244) is placed based on the center (or the lower portion adjacent to the center) of the thickness of the curved portion (P), the size of the first space (P1) on the outer surface of the rigid substrate (244) may be different from the size of the second space (P2) on the inner surface. For example, the first space (P1) of the rigid substrate (244) may have a thickness that is highest near the center and gradually decreases toward the periphery. For example, the second space (P2) of the rigid substrate (244) may have a thickness that is lowest near the center and gradually increases toward the periphery. According to one embodiment, when the rigid substrate (244) is placed at the center of the curved portion (P) thickness (or a lower portion adjacent to the center), since the thicknesses of the centers of the first space (P1) and the second space (P2) are substantially the same, the overall size of the first space (P1) may be smaller than the overall size of the second space (P2). According to one embodiment, as the rigid substrate (244) is placed upwards relative to the center of the curved portion (P) thickness, the overall size of the first space (P1) may become increasingly smaller than the overall size of the second space (P2).

[0248] Referring to FIG. 26, considering the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing (210), the optical module (300) may be placed inside the second space (P2) of the housing (210), which has a relatively larger mounting space compared to the first space (P1). According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be placed on the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244). For example, by forming a larger space (e.g., the distance between the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244) and the housing (210)) near the center of the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244) toward the flexible substrate (245), the optical module (300) may be placed near the edge.

[0249] According to one embodiment, the light module (300) disposed on the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244) may have the light emitting portion (320) disposed adjacent to a side wall (e.g., the front side), and the component structure (301) (e.g., the light receiving portion (330), the cover portion (340), and / or the molding portion (350)) disposed in a direction opposite to the side wall of the light emitting portion (320) (e.g., the direction in which the battery (260) is disposed). Since at least a portion of the component structure (301) (e.g., the cover portion (340), and / or the molding portion (350)) has a greater thickness than the light emitting portion (320), the light emitting portion (320) and portions of the other components may be visible when viewed from the front.

[0250] Referring to FIG. 27, considering the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing (210), the optical module (300) may be placed inside the second space (P2) of the housing (210), which has a relatively large mounting space compared to the first space (P1). According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be placed on the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244).

[0251] According to one embodiment, a larger space (e.g., the distance between the rigid substrate (244) and the inner surface of the housing (210)) may be formed near the edge toward the flexible substrate (245) than near the center of the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244). Accordingly, the light-emitting portion (320) of the light module (300) having a relatively small thickness may be positioned near the center of the rigid substrate (244), and other components of the light module (300) having a relatively large thickness (e.g., the light-receiving portion (330), the cover portion (340), and / or the molding portion (350), hereinafter referred to as the component structure (301)) may be positioned near the edge. For example, in the optical module (300), in order to easily absorb (or receive) light, the number of light-receiving units (330) may be greater than the number of light-emitting units (320) (e.g., one light-emitting unit (320) and two light-receiving units (330), and the light-emitting unit (320) may be positioned near the center, and the two component structures (301) (e.g., each including a light-receiving unit (330)) may be positioned near both edges.

[0252] According to one embodiment, an optical module (300) disposed on an inner surface of a rigid substrate (244) may have a light emitting portion (320) and a component structure (301) disposed adjacent to a side wall (e.g., a front surface) so that light can be easily emitted (or transmitted) or incident (or received). For example, one light emitting portion (320) and two component structures (301) may be disposed in parallel along an edge of the rigid substrate (244) facing the front surface.

[0253] Referring to FIGS. 28 and 29, components of the optical module (300) may be arranged on the inner and outer surfaces of the rigid substrate (244), respectively. Considering the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing (210), a light-emitting portion (320) of the optical module (300) having a relatively small thickness may be positioned inside the first space (P1) of the housing (210), which has a relatively small mounting space compared to the second space (P2). Other components of the optical module (300) having a relatively large thickness (e.g., a light-receiving portion (330), a cover portion (340), and / or a molding portion (350), hereinafter described as a component structure (301)) may be positioned inside the second space (P2). For example, a light emitting portion (320) may be placed on the outer surface of a rigid substrate (244), and a component structure (301) may be placed on the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244).

[0254] According to one embodiment, the light module (300) disposed on the outer and inner surfaces of the rigid substrate (244) may have a light emitting portion (320) and a component structure (301) (e.g., including a light receiving portion (330)) disposed adjacent to a side wall (e.g., a front surface) so that light can be easily emitted (or transmitted) or incident (or received).

[0255] Referring to FIG. 28, the light emitting portion (320) and the component structure (301) (e.g., including the light receiving portion (330)) of the optical module (300) may be placed facing each other with the rigid substrate (244) interposed therebetween. For example, the light emitting portion (320) may be placed near the center of the outer surface of the rigid substrate (244), and the component structure (301) may be placed near the center of the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244).

[0256] Referring to FIG. 29, the light emitting unit (320) and the component structure (301) (e.g., including the light receiving unit (330)) of the optical module (300) may not be disposed facing each other with the rigid substrate (244) therebetween. As a larger space is formed near the center of the outer surface of the rigid substrate (244) than near the edge facing the flexible substrate (245), the light emitting unit (320) may be disposed near the center of the rigid substrate (244). As a larger space is formed near the edge facing the flexible substrate (245) than near the center of the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244), the component structure (301) may be disposed near the edge of the rigid substrate (244). According to one embodiment, in the optical module (300), in order to easily absorb (or receive) light, the number of light-receiving units (330) may be greater than the number of light-emitting units (320) (e.g., one light-emitting unit (320) and two light-receiving units (330), and the light-emitting unit (320) may be positioned near the center of the outer surface of the rigid substrate (244), and the two component structures (301) (e.g., each including a light-receiving unit (330)) may be positioned near both edges of the inner surface of the rigid substrate (244).

[0257] Referring to FIG. 30, components of an optical module (300) may be arranged on each of the inner and outer surfaces of the rigid substrate (244). In order to easily absorb (or receive) light, the optical module (300) may be configured with a greater number of light-receiving units (330) than light-emitting units (320) (e.g., one light-emitting unit (320) and three light-receiving units (330). Considering the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing (210), a smaller number of components (e.g., one light-receiving unit (330)) of the components of the optical module (300) may be positioned inside the first space (P1) of the housing (210), which has a relatively smaller mounting space compared to the second space (P2). A large number of components (e.g., one light emitting unit (320) and two light receiving units (330)) of the optical module (300) may be located inside the second space (P2).

[0258] According to one embodiment, since the inner side of the rigid substrate (244) forms a larger space near the edge toward the flexible substrate (245) than near the center, the light-emitting portion (320) having a relatively small thickness may be placed near the center, and the component structures (301) having a relatively large thickness (e.g., each including a light-receiving portion (330)) may be placed near both edges of the rigid substrate (244).

[0259] FIG. 31 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a key operation of a wearable electronic device is performed using two hands according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0260] FIG. 32 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a key operation of a wearable electronic device is performed using one hand according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0261] FIG. 33 is a perspective view illustrating a swipe motion of a wearable electronic device using two hands according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0262] Referring to FIGS. 31 to 33, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (e.g., housing (210) of FIG. 3A), a circuit board, and / or an optical module (e.g., optical module (300) of FIG. 7). The housing may include an outer portion and an inner portion made of different materials in an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., substrate (310) of FIG. 7), a light emitting portion (e.g., light emitting portion (320) of FIG. 7), a light receiving portion (e.g., light receiving portion (330) of FIG. 7), a cover portion (e.g., cover portion (340) of FIG. 7), and / or a molding portion (e.g., molding portion (350) of FIG. 7).

[0263] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 31 to 33 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 30. The embodiments of FIGS. 31 to 33 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 30 or the embodiments of FIGS. 34 to 36.

[0264] Referring to FIGS. 31 to 33, the optical module (300) can transmit light from a side of the ring-shaped housing (210) and receive light from the side. For example, the optical module (300) emits light from a light emitting unit (320), the emitted light is reflected by an external object (e.g., a user's finger), and the reflected light is incident on a light receiving unit (330) to perform a key operation. The key operation can include, for example, at least one of touch, swipe, tap, double tap, long press, pinch, drag, flick, or rotate.

[0265] According to one embodiment, the optical module (300) may be formed in one or more pieces. For example, for the key operations of swiping, pinching, dragging, flicking, or rotating, a plurality of optical modules (300) may be spaced apart at a specified interval along the side of the housing (210).

[0266] Referring to FIG. 31, a key operation using two hands is illustrated. When a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) is worn on a finger of one hand (H1) of a user, a key operation can be performed by having a finger of the other hand (H2) touch the side of the wearable electronic device (200). For example, the light emitting unit (320) of the optical module (300) emits light toward the tip of a finger of one hand (H1) (e.g., toward the front of the side of the housing (210), and when a finger of the other hand (H2) performs the key operation (e.g., touch or tap) toward the optical module (300), the light reflected by the finger of the other hand (H2) can be incident on the light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300).

[0267] Referring to FIG. 32, a key operation using one hand is illustrated. When a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) is worn on a finger of a user's hand (H1), the key operation can be performed in such a manner that a part of the finger touches the side of the wearable electronic device (200) as the finger is bent. For example, the light emitting unit (320) of the light module (300) can emit light toward the tip of the finger of the hand (H1) (e.g., toward the front side of the side of the housing (210). In this case, the light module (300) can be positioned adjacent to the palm so that the light can be emitted in the direction in which the finger is bent (e.g., toward the palm). When the upper part of the joint where the wearable electronic device (200) is fitted performs the key operation (e.g., touch or tap) toward the optical module (300) by the bending motion of the finger of one hand (H1), light reflected from the joint of the finger can be incident on the light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300).

[0268] Referring to FIG. 33, a swipe key operation using two hands is illustrated. When a ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) is worn on a finger of one hand (H1) of a user, the key operation can be performed by swiping the side of the wearable electronic device (200) with the finger of the other hand (H2). In the swipe operation, the finger of the other hand (H2) can perform the key operation by touching and moving a plurality of optical modules (300) spaced at a specified interval. The swipe operation can be understood as an operation in which the finger of the other hand (H2) touches the side of the housing (210) and quickly slides it in a different direction. For example, when each light emitting unit (320) of the light modules (300) emits light toward the tip of a finger of one hand (H1) (e.g., toward the front of the side of the housing (210)), and a finger of the other hand (H2) performs the key operation (e.g., sequentially passing over the light modules (300)) toward the light modules (300), the light reflected by the finger of the other hand (H2) can be incident on the light receiving unit (330) of each of the light modules (300).

[0269] FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating key operation performance of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0270] Referring to FIG. 34, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (e.g., housing (210) of FIG. 3A), a circuit board (e.g., circuit board (240) of FIG. 7), and / or an optical module (e.g., optical module (300) of FIG. 7). The housing may include an outer portion and an inner portion made of different materials in an overall ring shape. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., substrate (310) of FIG. 7), a light emitting portion (e.g., light emitting portion (320) of FIG. 7), a light receiving portion (e.g., light receiving portion (330) of FIG. 7), a cover portion (e.g., cover portion (340) of FIG. 7), and / or a molding portion (e.g., molding portion (350) of FIG. 7).

[0271] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 34 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 33. The embodiments of FIG. 34 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 33, or the embodiments of FIGS. 35a, 35b, and 36.

[0272] According to one embodiment, a processor (120) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1), a memory (130) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), or a communication module (290) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1) may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (240).

[0273] According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include an application processor (AP), a supplementary processor (SP) (e.g., a sensor hub)), a central processor unit (CPU), a neural processor unit (NPU), a graphics processor unit (GPU), or an internet of things (IoT) processor (e.g., a processor integrated with a communication module (290)). For example, the processor (120) may control the operation of the wearable electronic device (200). For example, the performance of a specific operation by the wearable electronic device (200) and / or components of the wearable electronic device (200) may be defined as being controlled by the processor (120). The processor (120) may be defined and / or referred to as a controller.

[0274] According to one embodiment, the memory (130) can store data (e.g., sensing data or communication data). The memory (130) may be integrated with the processor (120).

[0275] According to one embodiment, the communication module (290) can support communication between the wearable electronic device (200) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0276] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include an antenna (e.g., an antenna module (197) of FIG. 1). The antenna (197) may be an antenna for wireless communication. The antenna (197) may be placed in an internal space of the housing (210). According to one embodiment, a portion of the housing (210) may be utilized as the antenna (197).

[0277] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a charging circuit. The charging circuit may be configured to support a wired charging (e.g., terminal or pogo pin) method and / or a wired charging (e.g., WPC or NFC) method for charging a battery (e.g., battery (260) of FIG. 3A). The wearable electronic device (200) may charge the battery (260) through the charging circuit.

[0278] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 34, a flowchart related to key operation recognition through an optical module (300) of a wearable electronic device (200) will be described.

[0279] At least some of the operations of FIG. 34 may be omitted. The order of the operations of FIG. 34 may be changed. At least two of the operations of FIG. 34 may be performed in parallel. Operations other than the operations of FIG. 34 may be performed before, during, or after the operations of FIG. 34. The operations of FIG. 34 may be defined as being controlled by the wearable electronic device (200) or the processor (120). In the operations of FIG. 34, the memory (130) may store commands that cause the wearable electronic device (200) to perform various operations when each operation is executed by the processor (120).

[0280] According to one embodiment, the key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) may be performed when the electronic device is powered on (e.g., power on, operation 1001).

[0281] According to one embodiment, in operation 1002, the processor (120) controls the light emitting unit (320) of the optical module (300), and the light emitting unit (320) can emit (or transmit) light to the outside. The light emitting unit (320) can emit light periodically (e.g., at a first cycle (t1)). For example, operation 1002 is for low-power operation of the optical module (300), and the light emitting unit (320) in normal times can emit light instantaneously at a designated interval according to the first cycle (t1). The light emission interval can be approximately 1 second, and the interval time can be designed to be variously changed in consideration of the environment of the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the user's environment.

[0282] According to one embodiment, in operation 1003, the processor (120) may control the operation of the light emitting unit (320) and / or the light receiving unit (330) based on the detected data value when the incident (or reception) of light is primarily detected from the light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300). For example, when the wearable electronic device (200) primarily detects whether light is received through the light receiving unit (330), the device may proceed to operation 1004, and when the reception of light is not detected, the device may maintain the operation of operation 1002.

[0283] According to one embodiment, in operation 1004, when the processor (120) primarily detects whether light is received by the light receiving unit (330), the processor (120) may control the light emitting unit (320) to emit (or transmit) light at a cycle different from the first cycle (t1) based on the detected data value in order to determine the user's intention to perform a key operation. The light emitting unit (320) may emit light at a cycle shorter than the first cycle (t1) (e.g., at a second cycle (t2)). The interval between emitting light may be approximately 10 ms (milliseconds), and the interval time may be designed to be variously changed in consideration of the environment of the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the user's environment.

[0284] According to one embodiment, in operation 1005, when the incident (or reception) of light from the light receiving unit (330) is secondarily detected after light is emitted from the light emitting unit (320) in a second cycle (t2), the processor (120) may control the operation of the light emitting unit (320) and / or the light receiving unit (330) based on the detected data value. For example, the processor (120) may command the light module (300) and / or other components to perform subsequent operations based on the detected data value whether or not the user intends to perform a key operation. For example, if the wearable electronic device (200) detects secondarily whether light is received through the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., if it is determined that the user has an intention to perform a key operation), it may proceed to operation 1006, and if the light is not detected or light is detected by another external object (e.g., if it is determined that the user has no intention to perform a key operation), it may proceed to operation 1002.

[0285] According to one embodiment, in operation 1006, after determining that the user intends to perform a key operation based on the data values ​​detected from the light receiving unit (330), the processor (120) may confirm and process a pattern of data values ​​detected from the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., key operation data values). The memory may store a key operation-related command (e.g., key execution mode) corresponding to each pattern of the detected data values ​​(e.g., key operation data values). The processor (120) may execute the command stored in the memory based on the pattern of the detected data values ​​(e.g., key operation data values).

[0286] According to one embodiment, in operation 1007, the processor (120) may distinguish and execute a key execution mode corresponding to the acquired key operation data value. For example, the processor (120) may determine whether the key operation data value acquired by the light receiving unit (330) is “key 1”, and based on the key operation data value being determined to be “key 1”, may execute a “first operation mode” stored in the memory. The first operation mode may be a key touch mode. For example, the processor (120) may determine whether the key operation data value acquired by the light receiving unit (330) is “key 2”, and based on the key operation data value being determined to be “key 2”, may execute a “second operation mode” stored in the memory. The second operation mode may be a swipe mode.

[0287] According to one embodiment, in operations 1007 to 1009, the key operation data value processed by the processor (120) may be a preset key mapping value (e.g., key 1 or key 2) that takes into account the environment, such as the intensity or time of light received by the light receiving unit (330), by the operation (e.g., touch or swipe) that the user transfers to the side of the wearable electronic device (200). When the user simply touches the side of the wearable electronic device (200) with his or her finger during the operation, the corresponding key operation data value may be key 1, and the processor (120) may execute the “first operation mode” stored in the memory. When the user's finger sequentially touches a plurality of light-receiving units (330) on the side of the wearable electronic device (200) during the user's operation, the corresponding key operation data value may be key 2, and the processor (120) may execute the "second operation mode" stored in the memory.

[0288] According to one embodiment, in operation 1008, the processor (120) may perform a first operation mode (key touch mode). In the key touch mode, in operation 1008a, the processor (120) may verify an acquired key operation data value (e.g., key 1) and confirm a first key operation data value. Thereafter, in operation 1008b, the processor (120) may identify that the confirmed first key operation data value corresponds to a first key setting data value stored in a memory (e.g., preset), and in operation 1008c, may perform a first key operation (e.g., an action button) corresponding to the first key setting data value. The first key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) may be variously set or defined by a user in advance, and may be, for example, at least one of measuring a biosignal, turning off the power, finding another electronic device, performing an SOS function, or performing a specific operation of another electronic device.

[0289] According to one embodiment, in operation 1009, the processor (120) may perform a second operation mode (swipe mode). In the swipe mode, according to operation 1009a, the processor (120) may verify the acquired key operation data value (e.g., key 2) and confirm the second key operation data value. Then, according to operation 1009b, the processor (120) may identify that the confirmed second key operation data value corresponds to a second key setting data value stored in the memory (e.g., preset). For example, the second key operation data value may be determined differently depending on the swipe direction of the user, and the second key setting data value may also be set differently to correspond thereto. Then, according to operation 1009c, the second key operation (e.g., action button) corresponding to the confirmed second key setting data value and stored in the memory may be performed. The second key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) can be variously defined by the user in advance, and can be, for example, at least one of measuring a biosignal, turning off the power, finding another electronic device, performing an SOS function, or performing a specific operation of another electronic device.

[0290] According to one embodiment, the operation of the wearable electronic device (200) can be set in various ways. Regarding the SOS function, for example, in the interaction between the wearable electronic device (200) and the user, in an emergency situation, if the user keeps touching the optical module (300) for several seconds (approximately 3-5 seconds), an emergency rescue message can be transmitted to a preset number. When transmitting the message, if the user has another electronic device (e.g., a smart phone (S1) of FIG. 2), location information can be transmitted together through the other electronic device. When transmitting the message, if the user does not have another electronic device, location information can be transmitted together through the electronic device of another user (e.g., a smart tag).

[0291] Regarding arrhythmia measurement during the above bio-signal measurement, taking as an example the interaction between the wearable electronic device (200) and the user, when the user experiences a sudden arrhythmia phenomenon, if the user maintains a touch on the optical module (300) for several seconds (approximately 3-5 seconds), the wearable electronic device (200) can measure the arrhythmia-related HR signal and store the measurement data. Thereafter, the wearable electronic device (200) transmits the measurement data to another electronic device (e.g., the smart phone (S1) of FIG. 2), and the other electronic device can store the measurement data and transmit it to a medical institution.

[0292] In relation to a call while performing a specific operation of the other electronic device (e.g., the smart phone (S1) of FIG. 2), for example, in the interaction between the wearable electronic device (200) and the user, when a call comes in while the smart phone is away from the user, such as during exercise, the optical module of the wearable electronic device (200) linked to the smart phone may be activated. When the user wishes to answer the call (or reject it), a swipe motion may be performed on the optical module (300). In this case, the smart phone may receive the call, and the smart phone may execute a speaker mode (or Bluetooth mode) function.

[0293] FIG. 35A is a first flowchart for explaining key operation performance of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0294] FIG. 35b is a second flowchart illustrating key operation performance of a wearable electronic device connected to FIG. 35a according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0295] FIG. 36 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit of an optical module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0296] Referring to FIGS. 35A to 36 , a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (e.g., housing (210) of FIG. 3A), a circuit board (e.g., circuit board (240) of FIG. 7 ), and / or an optical module (e.g., optical module (300) of FIG. 7 ). The housing may have an overall ring shape and include an outer portion and an inner portion made of different materials. The optical module (300) may include at least one of a substrate (e.g., substrate (310) of FIG. 7 ), a light-emitting portion (e.g., light-emitting portion (320) of FIG. 7 ), a light-receiving portion (e.g., light-receiving portion (330) of FIG. 7 ), a cover portion (e.g., cover portion (340) of FIG. 7 ), and / or a molding portion (e.g., molding portion (350) of FIG. 7 ).

[0297] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 35a to 36 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 34. The embodiments of FIGS. 35 and 36 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 34.

[0298] Hereinafter, the key operations of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 35a and 35b may be applied to the key operations of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 34. The key operation execution process of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 35a and 35b, together with the key operation execution process of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 34, allows the electronic device to detect a specific gesture of the user, determine the same, and perform a function. Hereinafter, the detection of a specific gesture and the corresponding operation will be described in detail.

[0299] At least some of the operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B may be omitted. The order of the operations of FIG. 35 may be changed. At least two of the operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B may be performed in parallel. Operations other than the operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B may be performed before, during, or after the operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B. The operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B may be defined as being controlled by the wearable electronic device (200) or the processor (120). In the operations of FIGS. 35A and 35B, the memory (130) may store commands that cause the wearable electronic device (200) to perform various operations when each operation is executed by the processor (120).

[0300] According to one embodiment, the key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) may be performed when the electronic device is powered on (e.g., power on, operation 1001).

[0301] According to one embodiment, in operation 1010, the processor (120) may cause the light emitting unit (320) to maintain a state of constantly emitting light according to operation 1002, based on the user's settings, or may cause the light emitting unit (320) to maintain a state of emitting light in consideration of a case where a specific gesture is detected according to operation 1020.

[0302] For example, if a user sets the default setting to operation 1002, the processor (120) controls the light emitting unit (320) of the optical module (300) according to operation 1002, and the light emitting unit (320) can emit (or transmit) light to the outside. The light emitting unit (320) can emit light periodically (e.g., at the first cycle (t1)).

[0303] For example, when a user sets the default setting to operation 1020, the light emitting unit (320) of the light module (300) can be controlled and the light emitting unit (320) can emit (or transmit) light to the outside only when the processor (120) detects a specific gesture according to operation 1020. A method of detecting a specific gesture can detect a specific gesture through other sensors without operating the light module (300). For example, if the specific gesture is a touch-like gesture, it can be a specific tap motion such as a double tap or a long press. For example, if the specific gesture is a motion gesture, it can be a specific motion motion such as shaking or rotating the device. For example, the specific gesture can include a voice gesture.

[0304] According to one embodiment, in operation 1020, if the processor (120) confirms the specific gesture, it proceeds to operation 1004 to confirm the user's intention.

[0305] According to one embodiment, in operation 1004, when the processor (120) confirms the specific gesture, the light emitting unit (320) may be controlled to emit (or transmit) light at a cycle different from the first cycle (t1) based on the confirmed data value in order to determine the user's intention to perform a key operation. The light emitting unit (320) may emit light at a cycle shorter than the first cycle (t1) (e.g., at a second cycle (t2)).

[0306] According to one embodiment, in operation 1005, when the incident (or reception) of light from the light receiving unit (330) is secondarily detected after light is emitted from the light emitting unit (320) in a second cycle (t2), the processor (120) may control the operation of the light emitting unit (320) and / or the light receiving unit (330) based on the detected data value. For example, the processor (120) may command the light module (300) and / or other components (e.g., an acceleration sensor) to perform a subsequent operation based on the detected data value whether or not the user intends to perform a key operation. For example, if the wearable electronic device (200) detects secondarily whether light is received through the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., if it is determined that the user has an intention to perform a key operation), it may proceed to operation 1006, and if the light is not detected or light is detected by another external object (e.g., if it is determined that the user has no intention to perform a key operation), it may proceed to operation 1002.

[0307] According to one embodiment, in operation 1006, after determining that the user intends to perform a key operation based on the data values ​​detected from the light receiving unit (330), the processor (120) may confirm and process a pattern of data values ​​detected from the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., key operation data values). The memory may store a key operation-related command (e.g., key execution mode) corresponding to each pattern of the detected data values ​​(e.g., key operation data values). The processor (120) may execute the command stored in the memory based on the pattern of the detected data values ​​(e.g., key operation data values).

[0308] According to one embodiment, in operation 1030, the processor (120) can confirm the user's intended operation through a specific sensor (e.g., an accelerometer sensor) using the acquired key operation data value, and perform the next operation.

[0309] According to one embodiment, in operation 1007, the processor (120) may distinguish and execute a key execution mode corresponding to the acquired key operation data value. For example, the processor (120) may determine whether the key operation data value acquired by the light receiving unit (330) is “key 1”, and based on the key operation data value being determined to be “key 1”, may execute a “first operation mode” stored in the memory. The first operation mode may be a key touch mode. For example, the processor (120) may determine whether the key operation data value acquired by the light receiving unit (330) is “key 2”, and based on the key operation data value being determined to be “key 2”, may execute a “second operation mode” stored in the memory. The second operation mode may be a swipe mode.

[0310] According to one embodiment, in operation 1008, the processor (120) may perform a first operation mode (key touch mode). In the key touch mode, in operation 1008a, the processor (120) may verify an acquired key operation data value (e.g., key 1) and confirm a first key operation data value. Thereafter, in operation 1008b, the processor (120) may identify that the confirmed first key operation data value corresponds to a first key setting data value stored in a memory (e.g., preset), and in operation 1008c, may perform a first key operation (e.g., an action button) corresponding to the first key setting data value. The first key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) may be variously set or defined by a user in advance, and may be, for example, at least one of measuring a biosignal, turning off the power, finding another electronic device, performing an SOS function, or performing a specific operation of another electronic device.

[0311] According to one embodiment, in operation 1009, the processor (120) may perform a second operation mode (swipe mode). In the swipe mode, according to operation 1009a, the processor (120) may verify the acquired key operation data value (e.g., key 2) and confirm the second key operation data value. Then, according to operation 1009b, the processor (120) may identify that the confirmed second key operation data value corresponds to a second key setting data value stored in the memory (e.g., preset). For example, the second key operation data value may be determined differently depending on the swipe direction of the user, and the second key setting data value may also be set differently to correspond thereto. Then, according to operation 1009c, the second key operation (e.g., action button) corresponding to the confirmed second key setting data value and stored in the memory may be performed. The second key operation of the wearable electronic device (200) can be variously defined by the user in advance, and can be, for example, at least one of measuring a biosignal, turning off the power, finding another electronic device, performing an SOS function, or performing a specific operation of another electronic device.

[0312] Referring to FIG. 36, a key detection structure performed during key operations of FIG. 34, FIG. 35a and FIG. 35b is disclosed in a graph.

[0313] According to one embodiment, the transmission waveform of the light emitting unit (e.g., IR) over time can be confirmed in the first graph. The wearable electronic device (200) includes an IC (e.g., a processor) that controls the light emitting unit (320), such as an analog front-end integrated circuit (AFE IC), and the AFE IC can periodically turn on the light emitting unit (320) and use a designated waveform for noise immunity. The periodic turn-on method of the light emitting unit (320) can be variably set in various ways depending on the system, such as the first cycle (t1) of operation 1002 or the second cycle (t2) of operation 1004.

[0314] According to one embodiment, the reception waveform of the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., PD) over time can be checked in the second graph. As in operation 1003 or operation 1005, the processor (120) receives (or receives) light input (or received) through the light receiving unit (330) per hour V th It can be judged based on the value. For example, the optical module (300) can detect a specific pattern through the light receiving unit (330) when a user touches a certain area (e.g., a light-transmitting area of ​​the optical module (300)) with a finger and touches it for a certain period of time. Thereafter, the processor (120) can convert an analog signal of the waveform of the specific pattern into a digital signal.

[0315] According to one embodiment, in the third graph, as in operations 1006 and 1007, the processor (120) may convert an analog signal of a waveform of a specific pattern into a digital signal of a specific combination pattern (e.g., a combination pattern such as (1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0…1), (101101…101)) to accurately determine whether the key operation data value acquired by the light receiving unit (330) is a set key number (e.g., key 1) (e.g., to prevent errors due to ambient light or user misrecognition).

[0316] According to one embodiment, the change from an analog signal to a digital signal in the third graph may be performed based on a judgment based on a pre-trained artificial intelligence (AI) model. For example, the processor (120) may preprocess signal data based on a received waveform of the light receiving unit (330) (e.g., PD) to generate an input data value for the trained AI model. When the generated input data value is transmitted to the trained AI model, the trained AI model (e.g., a prompt inference AI model) utilizes pre-trained information to obtain an output data value, and the processor (120) may perform a key execution mode using the output data value.

[0317] According to one embodiment, the pre-trained AI model may include a detection data information component, a prompt inference AI model component, and / or a command execution AI model component.

[0318] According to one embodiment, a pre-learned AI model may be formed by linking a "detection data information component" and a "prompt inference AI model component" based on a dataset detected by a sensor such as an optical module. The detection data information component may store information such as temperature, time, and a user's bio-signal as second metadata, along with potential, acceleration, and optical sensor information input from a light-receiving unit (e.g., PD). The prompt inference AI model component is a prompt for an electrical signal value of the light-receiving unit (e.g., PD), and the prompt may reference data values ​​of various sensors (e.g., acceleration sensor, gyro sensor).

[0319] In one embodiment, the prompt inference AI model component may be used to generate prompts suitable for inputting the dataset-related information input into a large language model (LLM) or a large multimodal model (LMM). The prompt inference AI model component may be an AI component that uses a machine learning algorithm or a neural network to develop better prompts over time. The prompt inference AI model component may access a knowledge component including user preference data, a prompt library, and prompt examples based on user input to generate prompts, and pass the generated prompts to the LLM or LMM.

[0320] According to one embodiment, the "command execution AI model component" can recognize a command based on the input prompt and second metadata, and store the final generated prompt as first metadata. The command execution AI model component can fine-tune the output of the generative model. For example, the generative AI model (160b) can generally refer to an artificial intelligence neural network that creates new types of data based on user input information. The command execution AI model component can verify whether the content generated through the LLM and / or LMM is not intended by the user or is a result of a malfunction. In addition, the command execution AI model component can determine to what extent it matches the result desired by the user, and can proceed with additional processing if necessary. The command execution AI model component can additionally configure hints to avoid unwanted outputs and provide them to the wearable electronic device or the user.

[0321] According to one embodiment, in the fourth graph, as in operations 1008 and 1009, the processor (120) may distinguish and execute a key execution mode through the key operation data value converted into the digital signal or the pre-learned AI model. For example, the processor (120) may determine whether the acquired key operation data value or the value derived from the pre-learned AI model is “key 1”, and based on the determination that it is “key 1”, may execute the “first operation mode” stored in the memory. The first operation mode may be a key touch mode.

[0322] Typically, wearable electronic devices (e.g., smart rings) lack separate keys (e.g., buttons), or utilize physical keys (e.g., dome keys) or keys employing pressure sensors. These physical keys or keys employing pressure sensors have significant mounting space limitations and can only provide limited functionality based on simple pressurization.

[0323] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an optical module, and the optical module can provide various user experiences (e.g., touch, swipe, double tap, gesture functions) that cannot be implemented by physical keys or pressure sensor keys.

[0324] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an optical module, which may require relatively less mounting space compared to a physical key or pressure sensor key. Accordingly, the optical module may be advantageous for a wearable electronic device having a small form factor.

[0325] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can accurately transmit information desired by a user and provide a function accordingly through an arrangement of a plurality of optical modules and interaction of the plurality of optical modules.

[0326] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0327] A wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an outer portion (211) defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device, an inner portion (213) including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device, and a side wall extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer portion, a circuit board (240) positioned between the outer portion and the inner portion, and an optical module (300) disposed on the circuit board. The above optical module may include a substrate (310), a light emitting part (320) disposed adjacent to the side wall and formed to emit light toward the outside of the side wall, a light receiving part (330) disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the light emitting part, a cover part (340) formed to at least partially surround the light emitting part and the light receiving part, the cover part including a reflective surface (343) formed so that light incident on the inside of the cover part is directed toward the light receiving part, and a light-transmitting molding part (350) filling a space between at least one of the light emitting part or the light receiving part and the cover part.

[0328] According to one embodiment, the cover portion may have one side facing the side wall open.

[0329] According to one embodiment, the side wall may include a transparent window that is positioned facing the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit and is formed to guide light emitted from the light-emitting unit to the outside.

[0330] In one embodiment, the transparent window may include a protruding lens (L).

[0331] According to one embodiment, a portion of the side wall and the cover portion may be formed to surround the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.

[0332] According to one embodiment, the reflective surface (343) of the cover portion may include a flat surface (343a) parallel to the substrate, and a surface (343b) adjacent to the light-emitting portion and inclined with respect to the flat surface. A portion of the inclined surface may be arranged to face the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving portion.

[0333] In one embodiment, the outer portion may include a first material (e.g., a conductive material), and the inner portion may include a second material (e.g., a non-conductive material) that is different from the first material.

[0334] According to one embodiment, the substrate may include a plurality of rigid substrates (244), and a flexible substrate (245) electrically connecting the plurality of rigid substrates and having at least a portion of the flexible substrate bent. The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion may be arranged in parallel on at least one surface of the rigid substrates.

[0335] In one embodiment, the substrate may be disposed on the circuit board.

[0336] According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit is disposed on the circuit board, and the light receiving unit is disposed on the substrate, so that the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be disposed facing each other with the substrate or the circuit board interposed therebetween.

[0337] According to one embodiment, the optical module may include a blocking member (360) formed so that at least a portion thereof faces the reflective surface. The blocking member may be formed of an opaque material to separate light emitted from the light emitting portion and light reflected from an external object.

[0338] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device may further include a battery arranged parallel to the substrate. The battery and the light-emitting portion of the optical module may be arranged to face each other.

[0339] According to one embodiment, the light-transmitting molding portion and the side wall of the inner portion may be formed of substantially the same material.

[0340] According to one embodiment, a plurality of optical modules may be arranged at specified intervals along the curved circuit board.

[0341] According to one embodiment, the outer portion and the inner portion may be combined to form a ring-shaped housing (210).

[0342] According to one embodiment, the rigid substrate among the circuit boards may be positioned within the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing (210), and the size of the first space (P1) on the upper side of the rigid substrate may be formed to be smaller than the size of the second space (P2) on the lower side of the rigid substrate. The optical module may be positioned within the second space on the lower side of the rigid substrate.

[0343] According to one embodiment, the rigid substrate among the circuit boards is positioned inside the curved portion (P) of the ring-shaped housing, and the space below the rigid substrate may be formed to increase from the center toward the edge.

[0344] According to one embodiment, the light emitting portion of the optical module may be disposed near the center of the lower side of the rigid substrate, and the light receiving portion of the optical module, which has a thickness greater than the light emitting portion, may be disposed near the edge of the lower side of the rigid substrate.

[0345] A wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment may include an outer portion defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device, an inner portion including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device and a side wall extending from the inner surface to the outer portion, a circuit board positioned between the outer portion and the inner portion, and an optical module (300) disposed on the circuit board. The optical module may include a substrate (310) disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board, a light emitting part (320) disposed on the substrate and formed adjacent to the side wall to emit light toward the outside of the side wall, a light receiving part (330) disposed on the substrate and arranged parallel to the light emitting part, and a cover part (340) formed to at least partially surround the light emitting part and the light receiving part, the cover part having one side opened. The above opening may include a cover part (340) that is arranged to face the side wall and includes a reflective surface (343) formed so that light incident on the inside of the cover part is directed toward the light receiving part.

[0346] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device may further include a light-transmitting molding portion (350) that fills a space between at least one of the light-emitting portion or the light-receiving portion and the cover portion.

[0347] According to one embodiment, the side wall may include a transparent window that is positioned facing the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit and is formed to guide light emitted from the light-emitting unit to the outside.

[0348] According to one embodiment, the reflective surface (343) of the cover portion may include a flat surface (343a) parallel to the substrate, and a surface (343b) adjacent to the light-emitting portion and inclined with respect to the flat surface. A portion of the inclined surface may be arranged to face the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving portion.

[0349] According to one embodiment, the outer portion may include a first material formed of a conductive material, and the inner portion may include a second material formed of a non-conductive material.

[0350] A key recognition method of a wearable electronic device (200) including an optical module according to one embodiment may include an operation in which a light emitting unit (320) of the optical module (300) emits light in a first cycle (t1), an operation in which, when light is incident primarily from a light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300), the light emitting unit emits light in a second cycle (t2) shorter than the first cycle, when light is incident primarily from a light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300), an operation in which, when light is incident primarily from a light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300), a processor confirms a key operation data value detected from the light receiving unit, and an operation in which, based on the acquired key operation data value, the processor distinguishes a preset key execution mode and performs a key operation.

[0351] According to one embodiment, the operation of distinguishing the preset key execution mode and performing a key operation may include an operation of the processor confirming an acquired key operation data value and identifying that the confirmed key operation data value corresponds to a key setting data value stored in a memory, and an operation of the electronic device performing a key operation corresponding to the key setting data value.

[0352] According to one embodiment, when the incident light is secondarily detected from the light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300), the operation of the processor to confirm the key operation data value detected from the light receiving unit may include an operation in which, when an external object comes into contact with the optical module, the light receiving unit (330) detects a specific pattern corresponding to the contact of the external object, and an operation in which the light receiving unit converts an analog signal of a waveform of the specific pattern into a digital signal.

[0353] According to one embodiment, when the incidence of light is secondarily detected from the light receiving unit (330) of the optical module (300), the operation of the processor to check the key operation data value detected from the light receiving unit may include an operation of the light receiving unit (330) detecting a specific pattern corresponding to the contact of the external object when an external object comes into contact with the optical module, and an operation of judging a signal of the waveform of the specific pattern detected by the light receiving unit through a pre-learned AI (artificial intelligence) model.

[0354] According to one embodiment, when signal data based on the received waveform of the light receiving unit is preprocessed and transmitted to a pre-learned AI model, the pre-learned AI model may include an operation in which a prompt inference AI model component generates a prompt suitable for inputting information related to the dataset into an LLM (large language model) or an LMM (large multimodal model) based on a dataset detected by a sensor in the electronic device, an operation in which the prompt inference AI model component transmits the generated prompt to the LLM or LMM, and the LLM or LMM generates a natural language processing result based on the prompt, and an operation in which a command execution AI model component generates a final prompt corresponding to a key operation data value corresponding to a preset key operation based on the result.

Claims

1. In a wearable electronic device (200), An outer portion (211) defining an outer circumferential surface of the electronic device; An inner portion (213) including an inner circumferential surface of the electronic device and a side wall extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer portion; A circuit board (240) located between the outer portion and the inner portion; and It includes an optical module (300) arranged on the circuit board, and the optical module, substrate (310); A light emitting part (320) disposed adjacent to the side wall and formed to emit light toward the outside of the side wall; A light receiving part (330) disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the light emitting part; A cover part (340) formed to at least partially surround the light emitting part and the light receiving part, and including a reflective surface (343) formed so that light incident on the inside of the cover part is directed toward the light receiving part; and A wearable electronic device comprising a light-transmitting molding part (350) that fills a space between at least one of the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part and the cover part.

2. In paragraph 1, A wearable electronic device, wherein the cover portion has one side facing the side wall open.

3. In paragraph 1 or 2, A wearable electronic device, wherein the side wall includes a transparent window that is positioned facing the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit and is formed to guide light emitted from the light-emitting unit to the outside.

4. In paragraph 3, A wearable electronic device, wherein the transparent window includes a protruding lens (L).

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, A wearable electronic device, wherein a portion of the side wall and the cover portion are formed to surround the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The reflective surface (343) of the above cover part is A flat surface (343a) parallel to the above substrate; and It includes a surface (343b) adjacent to the light emitting portion and inclined with respect to the flat surface, A wearable electronic device, wherein a portion of the inclined surface is positioned facing the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The above outer portion comprises a first material, A wearable electronic device, wherein the inner portion includes a second material different from the first material.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, The substrate comprises a plurality of rigid substrates (244), and a flexible substrate (245) electrically connecting the plurality of rigid substrates and having at least a portion of the flexible substrate bent, A wearable electronic device, wherein the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged in parallel on at least one surface of the rigid substrates.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, The above substrate is placed on the circuit board, A wearable electronic device wherein the light-emitting unit is disposed on the circuit board, the light-receiving unit is disposed on the substrate, and the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are disposed facing each other with the substrate or the circuit board interposed therebetween.

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, The above optical module includes a blocking member (360) formed so that at least a portion thereof faces the reflective surface, A wearable electronic device, wherein the blocking member is formed of an opaque material to separate light emitted from the light emitting portion and light reflected from an external object.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, Further comprising a battery arranged parallel to the above substrate, A wearable electronic device, wherein the battery and the light-emitting portion of the optical module are arranged to face each other.

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, A wearable electronic device wherein the light-transmitting molding portion and the side wall of the inner portion are formed of substantially the same material.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, A wearable electronic device, wherein a plurality of optical modules are arranged at specified intervals along the curved circuit board.

14. In a key recognition method of a wearable electronic device (200) including an optical module, An operation in which the light emitting part (320) of the above optical module (300) emits light in a first cycle (t1); When the incident light is primarily detected from the light receiving portion (330) of the above optical module (300), the light emitting portion emits light in a second cycle (t2) shorter than the first cycle; When the incident light is secondarily detected from the light receiving unit (330) of the above optical module (300), the processor performs an operation of checking the key operation data value detected from the light receiving unit; and A key recognition method of an electronic device, wherein the processor includes an operation of performing a key operation by distinguishing a preset key execution mode based on the acquired key operation data value.

15. In paragraph 14, The operation of distinguishing the above-mentioned preset key execution mode and performing the key operation is as follows: An operation of confirming the acquired key operation data value by the above processor and identifying that the confirmed key operation data value corresponds to the key setting data value stored in the memory, and A key recognition method of an electronic device, comprising an operation in which the electronic device performs a key operation corresponding to a key setting data value.

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