Electronic device comprising side key

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise: a first housing; a second housing configured to move with respect to the first housing between a slide-in state and a slide-out state of the electronic device; a side key disposed on the side wall of the second housing and configured to press the side wall of the first housing when pressed; a first pressure sensor disposed in the first area of the first housing; and a second pressure sensor disposed in the second area of the first housing. The position of the side key corresponds to the first area of the first housing in the slide-in state and corresponds to the second area of the first housing in the slide-out state. The first housing may be configured such that the amount of deformation of the first area when the side key is pressed in the slide-in state is substantially identical to the amount of deformation of the second area when the side key is pressed in the slide-out state. Various other embodiments may be possible.

Description

Electronic device including a side key

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a key input device, and more specifically, to an electronic device including a side key.

[0002] Electronic devices are becoming increasingly slimmer and are being developed to enhance design aspects while simultaneously differentiating their functional elements. Electronic devices are moving away from uniform rectangular shapes and are gradually transforming into various shapes. Electronic devices can have a deformable structure that allows for convenient portability and the use of a large-screen display. For example, electronic devices can have a structure (e.g., a sliderable structure) that can vary the display area of ​​a flexible display (e.g., the display area visible on the front of the electronic device) by supporting housings that operate to slide in and out relative to each other.

[0003] An electronic device (e.g., a slideable structure) may include various means for receiving input from a user. For example, the electronic device may include a touchscreen. Additionally, for convenience, the electronic device may include a key switch assigned a function to perform actions such as power, screen on / off, volume control, and / or a camera shutter. To secure the display area of ​​the electronic device, the key switch may take the form of a side key.

[0004] When the structure of the electronic device is deformed by a sliding motion (e.g., between the slide-in and slide-out states), the position of the side key placed on the housing may shift due to the movement of the housing. Depending on the shift in the position of the side key, the user experience when using the side key may change, and user convenience may be reduced.

[0005] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an electronic device in which the usability of the side key is improved as the structure of the housing is variable. For example, a sliding motion may change the structure of the electronic device (thus changing the position of the housing), which may make it difficult for the user to conveniently and easily access the side key.

[0006] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing and a second housing configured to move relative to the first housing between a slide-in state and a slide-out state of the electronic device. The electronic device may include a side key disposed on a side wall of the second housing and configured to press the side wall of the first housing when pressed. The electronic device may include a first pressure sensor disposed in a first area of ​​the first housing. The electronic device may include a second pressure sensor disposed in a second area of ​​the first housing. The position of the side key may correspond to the first area of ​​the first housing in the slide-in state and to the second area of ​​the first housing in the slide-out state. The first housing may be configured such that the amount of deformation of the first region when the side key is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation of the second region when the side key is pressed in the slide-out state are substantially the same.

[0007] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing and a second housing configured to move between the slide-in state and the slide-out state with respect to the first housing. The electronic device may include a side key disposed on the side wall of the second housing and configured to press the side wall of the first housing when pressed. The electronic device may include a first pressure sensor disposed in a first region of the first housing and a second pressure sensor disposed in a second region of the first housing. The electronic device may include a non-transient memory for storing computer-executable instructions and a processor operatively connected to the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor and the non-transient memory. When the above computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the electronic device determines that the detection value of the first pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and performs a first operation, determines that the detection value of the second pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a second threshold value and performs a first operation, and the position of the side key may correspond to the first area of ​​the first housing in the slide-in state. In the slide-out state, it corresponds to the second area of ​​the first housing, and the first threshold value may be smaller than the second threshold value.

[0008] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the first housing is slid in with respect to the second housing, the side key acts on a first pressure sensor placed in a first area of ​​the first housing, and when the first housing is slid out from the second housing, the side key acts on a first pressure sensor placed in a second area of ​​the first housing, so that a key switch can be placed at a certain position in the second housing, and thus the user can operate the side key at the same position regardless of the slid-in and slid-out states of the first housing.

[0009] In addition, various effects that can be identified directly or indirectly through this document may be provided.

[0010] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIGS. 2a and 2b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIGS. 3a and 3b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5a is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 5b is a perspective view of a first housing according to various embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 5c is a cross-sectional view showing the slide-out state of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 5d is a cross-sectional view showing the slide-in state of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 6a is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 6b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 6c is a front view of a side key according to various embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 6d is a side view of a side key according to various embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 6e is a rear view of a side key according to various embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 7a is a perspective view showing a first housing of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 7b is a diagram showing the distribution of deformation amount of a first region of a first housing according to various embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 7c is a diagram showing the distribution of deformation amount of the second region of the first housing according to various embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 7d is a front view showing a first housing according to various embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 7e is a perspective view showing a first housing according to various embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 8a is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 8b is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 8c is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 8d is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 9a is an internal plan view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 9b is a schematic diagram illustrating the sliding input operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 9c is a graph showing the operation of pressure sensors during sliding input operation in various embodiments.

[0036] Various embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic device (100) capable of performing the operations described in this document.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device (100) may be one of various forms of electronic devices, such as a notebook (190), smartphones (191) having various form factors (e.g., a bar-type smartphone (191-1), a foldable-type smartphone (191-2), or a sliderable (or rollable)-type smartphone (191-3)), a tablet (192), a cellular phone (not shown), and other similar computing devices (not shown). The components, their relationships, and their functions illustrated in FIG. 1 are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the implementations described or claimed herein. The electronic device (100) may be referred to as a mobile device, a user device, a multifunction device, a portable device, or a server.

[0039] The electronic device (100) may include components comprising at least one processor (110) (hereinafter referred to as processor (110)), at least one memory (120) (hereinafter referred to as memory (120)), at least one display (140) (hereinafter referred to as display (140)), at least one image sensor (150) (hereinafter referred to as image sensor (150)), at least one communication circuit (160) (hereinafter referred to as communication circuit (160)), and / or at least one sensor (170) (hereinafter referred to as sensor (170)). The components are merely exemplary. For example, the electronic device (100) may include other components (e.g., power management integrated circuitry (PMIC), audio processing circuit, antenna, rechargeable battery, or input / output interface). For example, some components may be omitted from the electronic device (100). For example, some components may be integrated into a single component.

[0040] The processor (110) may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (or circuitry) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (110) may include at least one electrical circuit and may process instructions (or programs, data) stored in memory (120) individually or collectively in a distributed manner. The processor (110) may include a processor assembly comprising one or more processing circuits. The processor (110) may include any processing circuit that is operative to control the performance and operations of one or more components of the electronic device (100) (e.g., memory (120), display (140), image sensor (150), communication circuit (160), and / or sensor (170)). For example, the processor (110) (e.g., application processor (AP)) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) (e.g., a single chip or chipset). For example, the processor (110) may be implemented with a plurality of cores (or at least one core circuit), a plurality of chips, or a plurality of chipsets. For example, the processor (110) may include one or more processing circuits. For example, the processor (110) may include one or more processing circuits configured to perform the various functions of the present disclosure individually and / or collectively. As an example without limitation, at least a portion of the processor (110) may be included in a first chip of the electronic device (100), and at least another portion of the processor (110) may be included in a second chip of the electronic device (100) different from the first chip of the electronic device (100).

[0041] For example, the processor (110) may include a central processing unit (111), a graphics processing unit (112), a neural processing unit (113), an image signal processor (114), a display controller (115), a memory controller (116), a storage controller (117), a communication processor (118), and / or a sensor interface (119). These components of the processor (110) are merely exemplary. For example, the processor (110) may include other components. For example, some components of the processor (110) may be omitted from the processor (110). For example, some components of the processor (110) may be included as separate components of the electronic device (100) outside of the processor (110). For example, some components of the processor (110) (e.g., memory controller (116)) may be included in other components (e.g., at least part of memory (120), an interface (e.g. available for connection to at least one component of the electronic device (100)), a display (140) and / or an image sensor (150)).

[0042] The processor (110) may cause other components of the electronic device (100) to perform various operations by executing instructions stored in memory (120). The CPU (111) (or central processing circuit) may be configured to control the components of the processor (110) based on the execution of instructions stored in memory (120) (e.g., volatile memory (121) and / or non-volatile memory (122)). The GPU (112) (or graphics processing circuit) may be configured to execute parallel operations (e.g., rendering). The NPU (113) (or neural processing circuit, or AI (artificial intelligence) chip) may be configured to execute operations for an artificial intelligence model (e.g., convolution computation). An ISP (114) (or image signal processing circuit) may be configured to process a raw image acquired through an image sensor (150) into a format suitable for a component within the electronic device (100) or a component of the processor (110). A display controller (115) (or display control circuit, or DPU (display processing unit)) may be configured to process an image acquired from a CPU (111), GPU (112), ISP (114), or memory (120) (e.g., volatile memory (121)) into a format suitable for a display (140). A memory controller (116) (or memory control circuit) may be configured to control reading data from the volatile memory (121) and writing data to the volatile memory (121). A storage controller (117) (or storage control circuit) may be configured to control reading data from the non-volatile memory (122) and writing data to the non-volatile memory (122).The CP (118) (communication processing circuit) may be configured to process data obtained from a component of the processor (110) into a format suitable for transmitting to another electronic device via the communication circuit (160), or to process data obtained from another electronic device via the communication circuit (160) into a format suitable for processing by the component of the processor (110). For example, the communication circuit (160) may include one or more communication circuits. The sensor interface (119) (or sensing data processing circuit, sensor hub) may be configured to process data regarding the state of the electronic device (100) and / or the state around the electronic device (100), obtained through the sensor (170), into a format suitable for the component of the processor (110).

[0043] Memory (120) may include one or more storage media (or one or more storage devices). For example, memory (120) may include a memory assembly comprising one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include a hard drive, a permanent memory such as flash memory, read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., non-volatile memory (122)), a semi-permanent memory such as random access memory (RAM) (e.g., volatile memory (121)), any other suitable type of storage (or storage assembly), or any combination thereof. Memory (120) may include a cache memory, which is one or more different types of memory used to temporarily store data for a function or feature of the electronic device (100). As an example not limited to, the cache memory may be included within the processor (110). The memory (120) may be fixedly embedded within the electronic device (100) or incorporated into one or more suitable types of components (e.g., a SIM (subscriber identity module) card and / or an SD (secure digital) card) that can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the electronic device (100).

[0044] For example, memory (120) may store one or more software applications, such as operating system (or system) software applications, firmware software applications, driver software applications, plugin (e.g., add-in, add-on, and / or applet) software applications, and / or any other suitable software applications. For example, the one or more software applications may include instructions executable by the processor (110). For example, memory (120) may store instructions that can be called by an application programming interface (API). For example, memory (120) may store instructions within a library.

[0045] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0046] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. 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" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0047] The term “module” as used in the 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, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof 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).

[0048] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (100)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (110)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (100)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0050] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components 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.

[0051] In the following description, the Cartesian coordinate system (xyz coordinate system) of the drawings may be referenced to describe various directions. The directions in the Cartesian coordinate system of the drawings referenced in the following description are exemplary, and it should be understood that descriptions such as ‘first direction’ and ‘second direction’ of the embodiments of the present disclosure may include not only specific directions in the drawings but also other directions. Additionally, in the following description, terms such as ‘x-axis direction’ may include both directions of the corresponding coordinate axis, for example, the +x direction and the -x direction.

[0052] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate the front and rear views of an electronic device in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate the front and rear views of an electronic device in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] The electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2a to 3b may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (100) of FIG. 1, or may further include other embodiments of the electronic device (100).

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 2a through 3b, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) (e.g., a first housing structure and / or a slide housing), a second housing (220) (e.g., a second housing structure and / or a base housing) slidably coupled to the first housing (210) in a designated direction (e.g., direction ① or direction ②) (e.g., the y-axis direction), and a flexible display (230) (e.g., an expandable display or a stretchable display) positioned to be supported through at least a portion of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). Please note that the first housing may be slidably coupled to the second housing according to one embodiment, such as “according to one embodiment, the first housing may be movable by means of a motor or a rack structure.” Alternatively, the first housing and the second housing can initially be slidably coupled relative to each other. For example, please include an expression such as, "The first housing may slide relative to the second housing, and the second housing may slide relative to the first housing."

[0055] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be positioned such that, with respect to the second housing (220) held by the user, the first housing (210) moves in a first direction (① direction) (e.g., slide-out) or moves in a second direction (② direction) opposite to the first direction (① direction) (e.g., slide-in). According to another embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be positioned such that, with respect to the first housing (210) held by the user, the second housing (220) moves in a first direction (① direction) (slide-out) or moves in a second direction (② direction) opposite to the first direction (① direction). According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the first housing (210) including the first space (2101) may be accommodated in the second space (2201) of the second housing (220) so as to be changed to a slide-in state. The slide-in state may be expressed as a retracted state or a reduced state. The slide-out state may be expressed as an extended or extended state. Additionally, the slide-in state may be expressed as a first state in which the distance between the center of the first housing and the center of the second housing is substantially closest, and the slide-out state may be expressed as a second state in which the distance between the center of the first housing and the center of the second housing is substantially farthest. In the slide-in state, the display area visible on the front of the electronic device is the smallest, and in the slide-out state, the display area visible on the front of the electronic device is the largest.

[0056] According to some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a bendable member (or bendable support member) (e.g., the bendable member (240) of FIG. 4) (e.g., a multi-joint hinge module or a multi-bar assembly) that, in a slide-out state, forms at least partially in the same plane as at least a part of the first housing (210) and, in a slide-in state, is received at least partially into the second space (2201) of the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, at least a part of the flexible display (230) may be positioned out of sight from the outside by being received into the internal space (2201) of the second housing (220) while being supported by the bendable member (e.g., the bendable member (240) of FIG. 4) in a slide-in state. According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be positioned to be visible from the outside while being supported by a bendable member (e.g., bendable member (240) of FIG. 4) that forms at least partially the same plane as the first housing (210) in a slide-out state.

[0057] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) comprising a first side member (211) and a second housing (220) comprising a second side member (221). According to one embodiment, the first side member (211) may include a first side (2111) having a first length along a first direction (e.g., y-axis direction), a second side (2112) extended to have a second length shorter than the first length along a direction substantially perpendicular from the first side (2111) (e.g., x-axis direction), and a third side (2113) extended from the second side (2112) substantially parallel to the first side (2111) and having a first length. According to one embodiment, the first side member (211) may be formed of at least partially conductive material (e.g., metal). In some embodiments, the first side member (211) may be formed by combining a conductive material and a non-conductive material (e.g., a polymer). According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first support member (212) extending from at least a portion of the first side member (211) to at least a portion of the first space (2101). According to one embodiment, the first support member (212) may be formed integrally with the first side member (211). In some embodiments, the first support member (212) may be formed separately from the first side member (211) and may be structurally coupled to the first side member (211).

[0058] According to various embodiments, the second side member (221) may include a fourth side (2211) having a third length that corresponds at least partially to the first side (2111), a fifth side (2212) having a fourth length shorter than the third length that extends from the fourth side (2211) in a direction substantially parallel to the second side (2112), and a sixth side (2213) having a third length that extends from the fifth side (2212) to correspond to the third side (2113). According to one embodiment, the second side member (221) may be formed at least partially from a conductive material (e.g., metal). In some embodiments, the second side member (221) may be formed by a combination of a conductive material and a non-conductive material (e.g., polymer). According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the second side member (221) may include a second support member (222) that extends to at least a portion of the second space (2201) of the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the second support member (222) may be formed integrally with the second side member (221). In some embodiments, the second support member (222) may be formed separately from the second side member (221) and may be structurally coupled to the second side member (221).

[0059] According to various embodiments, the first side (2111) and the fourth side (2211) may be slidably coupled to each other. According to one embodiment, the third side (2113) and the sixth side (2213) may be slidably coupled to each other. According to one embodiment, in a slide-in state, the first side (2111) may be positioned so as not to be substantially visible from the outside by overlapping with the fourth side (2211). According to one embodiment, in a slide-in state, the third side (2113) may be positioned so as not to be substantially visible from the outside by overlapping with the sixth side (2213). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first side (2111) and the third side (2113) may be positioned so as to be at least partially visible from the outside in a slide-in state. According to one embodiment, in a slide-in state, the first support member (212) may be positioned so as not to be substantially visible from the outside by overlapping with the second support member (222). In some embodiments, a portion of the first support member (212) may be positioned so as not to be visible from the outside by overlapping with the second support member (222) in a slide-in state, and the remaining portion of the first support member (212) may be positioned so as to be visible from the outside.

[0060] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a first rear cover (213) coupled to the first housing (210) at the rear. According to one embodiment, the first rear cover (213) may be positioned through at least a portion of the first support member (212). In some embodiments, the first rear cover (213) may be formed integrally with the first side member (211). According to one embodiment, the first rear cover (213) may be formed by a polymer, coated or colored glass, ceramic, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these materials. In some embodiments, the first rear cover (213) may extend to at least a portion of the first side member (211). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first support member (212) may be replaced by the first rear cover (213).

[0061] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a second rear cover (223) coupled to the second housing (220) at the rear. According to one embodiment, the second rear cover (223) may be positioned through at least a portion of the second support member (222). In some embodiments, the second rear cover (223) may be formed integrally with the second side member (221). According to one embodiment, the second rear cover (223) may be formed by a polymer, coated or colored glass, ceramic, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these materials. In some embodiments, the second rear cover (223) may extend to at least a portion of the second side member (221). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the second support member (222) may be replaced by the second rear cover (223).

[0062] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a flexible display (230) positioned to be supported by at least a portion of a first housing (210) and a second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a first portion (230a) (e.g., a flat portion) that is always visible from the outside, and a second portion (230b) (e.g., a bendable portion) that extends from the first portion (230a) and is at least partially received into a second space (2201) of the second housing (220) so that at least a portion is not visible from the outside in a slide-in state. According to one embodiment, the first portion (230a) may be positioned to be supported by the first housing (210), and the second portion (230b) may be positioned to be at least partially supported by a bendable member (e.g., a bendable member (240) of FIG. 4). According to one embodiment, a second portion (230b) of the flexible display (230) may be extended from the first portion (230a) while being supported by a bendable member (e.g., bendable member (240) of FIG. 4) when the first housing (210) is slid out along the first direction (direction ①), and may be positioned to form substantially the same plane as the first portion (230a) and be visible from the outside. According to one embodiment, the second portion (230b) of the flexible display (230) may be received into a second space (2201) of the second housing (220) when the second housing (220) is slid in along the second direction (direction ②) and may be positioned so as not to be visible from the outside. Accordingly, the electronic device (200) can induce the display area of ​​the flexible display (230) to vary as the first housing (210) moves in a sliding manner along a designated direction (e.g., y-axis direction) from the second housing (220).

[0063] According to various embodiments, the length of the flexible display (230) in a first direction (direction ①) may be varied according to the sliding movement of the first housing (210) which is moved relative to the second housing (220). For example, the flexible display (230) may have a first display area corresponding to the first length (L1) (e.g., an area corresponding to the first part (230a)) in a slide-in state. According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) can be extended to have a third display area (e.g., a first part (230a) and a second part (230b)) that is larger than the first display area, corresponding to a third length (L3) that is longer than the first length (L1) and according to the sliding movement of the first housing (210) which is additionally moved by a second length (L2) relative to the second housing (220) in a slide-out state.

[0064] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one of an input device (e.g., a microphone (203-1)), an acoustic output device (e.g., a call receiver (206) or a speaker (207)), a sensor module (204, 217), a camera module (e.g., a first camera module (205) or a second camera module (216)), a connector port (208), a key input device (219), a side key input device (2191), or an indicator (not shown) disposed in a first space (2101) of a first housing (210). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include another input device (e.g., a microphone (203)) disposed in a second housing. In another embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be configured such that at least one of the above-described components is omitted or other components are additionally included. In another embodiment, at least one of the above-described components may be placed in the second space (2201) of the second housing (220).

[0065] According to various embodiments, the input device may include a microphone (203-1). In some embodiments, the input device (e.g., microphone (203-1)) may include a plurality of microphones positioned to detect the direction of sound. The acoustic output device may include, for example, a call receiver (206) and a speaker (207). According to one embodiment, the speaker (207) may correspond to the outside through at least one speaker hole formed in the first housing (210) at a position that is always exposed to the outside (e.g., second side (2112)) regardless of the slide-in / slide-out state. According to one embodiment, the connector port (208) may correspond to the outside through a connector port hole formed in the first housing (210) in the slide-out state. In some embodiments, the connector port (208) may correspond to the outside through an opening formed in the second housing and formed to correspond to the connector port hole in the slide-in state. In some embodiments, the call receiver (206) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that operates without a separate speaker hole.

[0066] According to various embodiments, the sensor module (204, 217) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (200) or an external environmental state. The sensor module (204, 217) may include, for example, a first sensor module (204) (e.g., a proximity sensor or an illuminance sensor) placed on the front of the electronic device (200) and / or a second sensor module (217) (e.g., a heart rate monitoring (HRM) sensor) placed on the rear of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the first sensor module (204) may be placed on the front of the electronic device (200), below the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the first sensor module (204) and / or the second sensor module (217) may include at least one of a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a time of flight (TOF) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor.

[0067] According to various embodiments, the camera module may include a first camera module (205) positioned on the front of the electronic device (200) and a second camera module (216) positioned on the rear of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a flash (not shown) positioned near the second camera module (216). According to one embodiment, the camera modules (205, 216) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (205) may be positioned below the flexible display (230) and configured to capture a subject through a portion of the active area (e.g., display area) of the flexible display (230).

[0068] According to various embodiments, among the camera modules, a first camera module (205) and some sensor modules (204, 217) may be positioned to detect the external environment through a flexible display (230). For example, the first camera module (205) or some sensor modules (204) may be positioned in a first space (2201) of a first housing (210) to come into contact with the external environment through a transparent area or a perforated opening formed in the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the area of ​​the flexible display (230) facing the first camera module (205) may be formed as a transparent area having a specified transmittance as part of a display area for displaying content. According to one embodiment, the transparent area may be formed to have a transmittance in the range of about 5% to about 20%. These transparent areas may include an area that overlaps with the effective area (e.g., field of view area) of the first camera module (205) through which light passes to form an image with an image sensor to generate an image. For example, the transparent area of ​​the flexible display (230) may include an area where the pixel placement density and / or wiring density is lower than the surrounding area. For example, the transparent area may replace the opening described above. For example, some camera modules (205) may include an under-display camera (UDC). In some embodiments, some sensor modules (204) may be positioned to perform their function without being visually exposed through the flexible display (230) within the internal space of the electronic device (200).

[0069] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one antenna (e.g., antenna (214b) of FIG. 10) electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., communication circuit (160) of FIG. 1) disposed in the second housing (210). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a bezel antenna (A) disposed through a conductive second side member (221) of the second housing (210). For example, the bezel antenna (A) may include a conductive portion (227) disposed on at least a portion of the fifth side (2212) and the sixth side (2213) of the second side member (221) and electrically segmented through at least one segment (2271, 2272) formed of a non-conductive material (e.g., polymer). According to one embodiment, a wireless communication circuit (e.g., communication circuit (160) of FIG. 1) may be configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in at least one designated frequency band (e.g., about 800 MHz to 6000 MHz) (e.g., legacy band) through a conductive portion (227). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a side cover (2212a) disposed on a fifth side (2212) to cover at least a portion of at least one segment (2271). In some embodiments, a bezel antenna (A) may be disposed on at least one of the second side (2112), the fourth side (2211), the fifth side (2212), and the sixth side (2213). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may further include at least one antenna module (e.g., a 5G antenna module or an antenna structure) disposed in an internal space (e.g., a first space (2101) or a second space (2201)) and disposed to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a frequency band ranging from about 3 GHz to 100 GHz through another wireless communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (160) of FIG. 1).

[0070] According to various embodiments, the slide-in / slide-out operation of the electronic device (200) can be performed under set conditions (e.g., set direction of movement and / or set distance of movement) by driving a drive module (e.g., drive motor). For example, the slide-in / slide-out operation of the electronic device (200) can be performed through the gearing operation of a drive motor (e.g., drive motor (260) of FIG. 4) comprising a pinion gear (261) disposed in a first space (2101) of a first housing (210), and a rack gear (e.g., rack gear (2251) of FIG. 4) disposed in a second space (2201) of a second housing (220) and engaged with the pinion gear (261). For example, a processor of an electronic device (200) (e.g., processor 110 of FIG. 1)) may operate a drive motor (e.g., drive motor (260) of FIG. 4) placed inside the electronic device (200) when it detects a triggering action to change from a slide-in state to a slide-out state or from a slide-out state to a slide-in state. According to one embodiment, the triggering action may include selecting (e.g., touching) an object displayed on a flexible display (230) or operating a physical button (e.g., a key button) included in the electronic device (200).

[0071] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0072] In describing the electronic device (200) of FIG. 4, the same reference numerals have been assigned to components that are substantially identical to the electronic device (200) of FIG. 2a to FIG. 3b, and a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) comprising a first space (2101), a second housing (220) slidably coupled to the first housing (210) and comprising a second space (e.g., the second space (2201) of FIG. 3a), a bendable member (240) positioned to be at least partially rotatable in the second space (2201), a flexible display (230) positioned to be supported by at least a part of the bendable member (240) and the first housing (210), and a driving module that drives the first housing (210) in a direction (e.g., -y-axis direction) to be drawn into the second housing (220) and / or in a direction (e.g., y-axis direction) to be drawn out of the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the drive module may include a drive motor (260) comprising a pinion gear (261) disposed in a first space (2101) and a rack gear (2251) disposed in a second space (2201) to mesh with the pinion gear (261). According to one embodiment, the drive module may further include a reduction module disposed to reduce the rotational speed and increase the driving force by being coupled with the drive motor (260). According to one embodiment, the drive motor (260) may be disposed in the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) to be supported through at least a portion of the first support member (212). According to one embodiment, the drive motor (260) may be fixed to an end (e.g., edge) of the first support member (212) in the first space (2101) in the inlet direction (e.g., -y-axis direction).

[0074] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a plurality of electronic components disposed in a first space (2101). According to one embodiment, the plurality of electronic components may include a first substrate (251) (e.g., main board), a camera module (216) disposed around the first substrate (251), a socket module (218) (e.g., SIM tray), a speaker (207), a connector port (208), and a battery (B). According to one embodiment, efficient electrical connection may be possible because the plurality of electronic components are disposed around the first substrate (251) in the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) together with a drive motor (260).

[0075] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a rear bracket (214) positioned to cover at least some of a plurality of electronic components between a first support member (212) of a first housing (210) and a first rear cover (213). According to one embodiment, this bracket (214) may be structurally coupled to at least some of the first support member (212). In some embodiments, the rear bracket (214) may be omitted. According to one embodiment, the rear bracket (214) may be positioned to cover a plurality of electronic components and support the first rear cover (213). According to one embodiment, the rear bracket (214) may include a notch area (214a) or an opening (214a) (e.g., a through hole) formed in an area corresponding to a camera module (216) and / or a sensor module (e.g., a sensor module (217) in FIG. 3b). According to one embodiment, the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) may be positioned to detect the external environment through a notch area (214a) or an opening (214a). According to one embodiment, the first rear cover (213) may be transparent in an area corresponding to at least the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217). In some embodiments, the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) may be configured to operate only when the electronic device (200) is in a slide-out state.

[0076] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a plate-type support bracket (225) (e.g., DSB, display support bar) that is disposed in a second space (2201) of a second housing (220) and is slidably coupled to at least a portion of a first support member (212). According to one embodiment, the support bracket (225) may include an opening (225a) of a specified size. According to one embodiment, the support bracket (225) may include a support portion (2252) that is disposed at one end and has a curved outer surface to support the back surface of a bendable member (240) that bends during a sliding motion. According to one embodiment, the support bracket (225) may include a support plate (2253) formed to support the back surface of the bendable member (240) in a slide-out state by extending from at least a portion of the support portion (2252) to at least a portion of the opening (225a). According to one embodiment, the support bracket (225) may include a fixed rack gear (2251) that spans the opening (225a) and has a length along a direction parallel to the sliding direction. In some embodiments, the rack gear (2251) may be formed integrally with the support bracket (225). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a pair of guide rails (226) for guiding both ends of the bendable member (240) in the sliding direction by being positioned on both sides of the support bracket (225).

[0077] According to various embodiments, the second housing (220) may include an opening (222a) (e.g., a through hole) located in the second support member (222) in an area corresponding to the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) located in the first housing (210) when the electronic device (200) is in a slide-in state. According to one embodiment, the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) may detect the external environment through the opening (222a) formed in the second housing (220) when the electronic device (200) is in a slide-in state. In this case, at least the area of ​​the second rear cover (223) corresponding to the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) may be made transparent.

[0078] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a second substrate (252) and an antenna member (253) disposed in the space between the second support member (222) of the second housing (220) and the second rear cover (223). According to one embodiment, the second substrate (252) and the antenna member (253) may be electrically connected to the first substrate (251) through at least one electrical connection member (e.g., FPCB, flexible printed circuit board or FRC, flexible RF cable). In some embodiments, the antenna member (253) may be electrically connected to the second substrate (252) so as to be electrically connected to the first substrate (251) through the second substrate (252).

[0079] FIG. 5a is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0080] FIG. 5b is a perspective view of a first housing (310) according to various embodiments.

[0081] FIG. 5c is a cross-sectional view showing the slide-out state of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0082] FIG. 5d is a cross-sectional view showing the slide-in state of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0083] Referring to FIGS. 5a through 5d, an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments (e.g., the electronic device (100) of FIG. 1, the electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2a through 4) may include a first housing (310) (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIGS. 2a through 4) and a second housing (320) (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIGS. 2a through 4). The first housing (310) may be a housing having an internal space provided for internal components such as a circuit board (305) of the electronic device (300) (e.g., the first substrate (251) of FIG. 2a). The second housing (320) may be configured to at least partially accommodate the first housing (310) so that the first housing (310) can slide in and slide out inward.

[0084] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a side key (330) (e.g., a side button). The side key (330) may be positioned on a side of the second housing (320) (e.g., an outer or outer side wall, an outer surface, e.g., side (2211), side (2213) of FIGS. 2 to 3B) and configured to be operated (e.g., pressed) by a user. For example, a user may provide an input (press input) to operate the side key (330). When the side key (330) is pressed, the side wall (side) (e.g., side (2111), (2113)) of the first housing (310) may be pressed according to the press input. In various embodiments, the side key (330) may, when operated by a user, trigger the operation of a switch (e.g., the first pressure sensor (311) and / or the second pressure sensor (312) described below) so that the electronic device (300) may perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330). The operation performed by the electronic device (300) by the operation of the side key (330) may include, for example, power on / off, display on / off, camera shooting, volume adjustment and / or specific applications that the user can set (non-limiting examples include an artificial intelligence assistant, recording, screen recording and / or payment).

[0085] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a first pressure sensor (311) and a second pressure sensor (312). The first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may be placed in a first housing (310). The first pressure sensor (311) may be placed in a first area (310a), which is a location of the first housing (310) corresponding to the side key (330) in a slide-in state (the first housing (310) may be inserted into the second housing (320). The first pressure sensor (311) may be placed in a second area (310b), which is a location of the first housing (310) corresponding to the side key (330) in a slide-out state (the first housing (310) may be withdrawn from the second housing (320).

[0086] In one embodiment, the side key (330) may be positioned on the outer surface (side wall) of the second housing (320). Since the second housing (320) is configured to move relative to the first housing (310) (or conversely, for the first housing (310) to move relative to the second housing (320)), the areas of the first housing (310) corresponding to (e.g., adjacent to) the position of the side key (330) (first area (310a) and second area (310b)) may differ from each other between the slide-in state and the slide-out state. In the slide-out state, the first housing (310) may be in a state where it is slid outward (extended) from the state in which it is received within the second housing (320) and protrudes. Accordingly, the area of ​​the first housing (310) corresponding to (or adjacent to) the position of the side key (330) may correspond to the second area (310b). Meanwhile, in the slide-in state, the first housing (310) is slid and received into the second housing (320), so the area of ​​the first housing (310) corresponding to the position of the side key (330) may correspond to the first area (310a). Accordingly, the first area (310a) is an area that is higher (e.g., closer to the upper surface (2112)) than the second area (310b) among the side areas (e.g., side (2111)) of the first housing (310), and the second area (310b) may correspond to a side area located further away from the upper surface than the first area (310a).

[0087] Consequently, the distance or length between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) (and thus the distance between the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312)) can be configured to correspond to the length that the device extends between the slide-in state and the slide-out state. That is, the first and second regions can be formed to correspond to the position of the side key (330) in the slide-in state and the slide-out state, respectively, according to the length (amount of extension) that the first housing (310) extends outward from the second housing (320) in the slide-out state.

[0088] The first pressure sensor (311) is positioned in the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) so that when the electronic device (300) is in a slide-in state, the first pressure sensor (311) is positioned to correspond to an adjacent position of the side key (330). The second pressure sensor (312) is positioned in the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) so that when the electronic device (300) is in a slide-out state, the second pressure sensor (312) is positioned to correspond to a position of the side key (330).

[0089] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a switch circuit board (306) disposed within a first housing (310). The switch circuit board (306) may be a member electrically connected to a first pressure sensor (311) and a second pressure sensor (312), and electrically connected to a circuit board (305). For example, the switch circuit board (306) may extend along (e.g., adjacent to) an inner side of the first housing (310) (e.g., an inner side of a corresponding side (2111)), and the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may be connected to or disposed on the switch circuit board (306).

[0090] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may be located on the inner surface of the first housing (310). For example, the first pressure sensor (311) may be located on the inner surface of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310), and the second pressure sensor (312) may be located on the inner surface of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310).

[0091] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the first area (310a) and the second area (310b) of the first housing (310). For example, when the side key (330) is operated in a slide-in state (the first housing (310) is retracted relative to the second housing (320), the side key (330) applies pressure to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310), and the first pressure sensor (311) may detect the pressure applied to the first area (310a). Additionally, for example, when the side key (330) is operated in a slide-out state (a state in which the first housing (310) is withdrawn from the second housing (320), the side key (330) applies pressure to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310), and the second pressure sensor (312) can detect the pressure applied to the second area (310b).

[0092] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may include a pressure transducer such as a piezo element. In some embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may include a strain gauge. The strain gauge can indirectly detect the magnitude of the external pressure by measuring the amount of deformation when the first housing (310) is deformed by the external pressure.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may include a Hall sensor and / or a capacitive effect sensor. When the first housing (310) is made of a non-metallic material, the pressing of the side key (330) can be detected through a sensor that detects magnetic and / or electrical signals, such as a Hall sensor and / or a capacitive effect sensor.

[0094] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may perform a predetermined operation when the detection value of the pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. For example, the electronic device (300) may be configured to perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330) when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. Additionally, for example, the electronic device (300) may be configured to perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330) when the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0095] FIG. 6a is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0096] FIG. 6b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0097] FIG. 6c is a front view of a side key (330) according to various embodiments.

[0098] FIG. 6d is a side view of a side key (330) according to various embodiments.

[0099] FIG. 6e is a rear view of a side key (330) according to various embodiments.

[0100] With respect to FIGS. 6A to 6E, reference may be made to the preceding drawings and their descriptions.

[0101] Figure 6a is an enlarged view of the W region of Figure 5d.

[0102] Fig. 6b is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 6a in the UU direction.

[0103] Referring to FIGS. 6a and 6b, a key hole (321) is formed in the second housing (320) so that a side key (330) is placed therein, and the side key (330) may face the first housing (310) through the key hole (321). For example, the key hole (321) may be formed or placed on the side of the second housing (320) at a position corresponding to the side key (330). To reduce physical interference between the first housing (310) and the second housing (320) and physical interference between the side key (330) and the first housing (310), a gap (G) may be formed between the first housing (310) and the second housing (320).

[0104] In various embodiments, a sensor groove is formed on the inner surface of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310), and the first pressure sensor (311) may be located inside the sensor groove. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the above-described configuration is also applicable to the second pressure sensor (312) and the second region (310b).

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 6c through 6e, the side key (330) may include a main body portion (331), a pressure portion (332), an elastic member (333), and a limiting member (334). The main body portion (331) may be a portion that is exposed to the surface of the second housing (320) and is touched by the user when the user operates the side key (330). The pressure portion (332) may be a portion protruding from the main body portion (331) to press the surface of the housing in the first area (310a) or the second area (310b). The elastic member (333) may be a member configured to return the side key (330) when the side key (330) is released from being pressed. In various embodiments, the elastic member (333) may include an elastic structure such as a spring, a leaf spring, and / or a clip. In some embodiments, the elastic member (333) may include an elastic structure configured to provide tactile feedback by clicking, such as a metal dome or a rubber dome. In some embodiments, the limiting member (334) may be a portion protruding laterally from the side key (330) to be caught inside the second housing (320) to limit the return movement of the side key (330) by the elastic member (333).

[0106] FIG. 7a is a perspective view showing a first housing (310) of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0107] FIG. 7b is a diagram showing the distribution of deformation amount of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310) according to various embodiments.

[0108] FIG. 7c is a diagram showing the distribution of deformation amount of the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) according to various embodiments.

[0109] FIG. 7d is a front view showing a first housing (310) according to various embodiments.

[0110] FIG. 7e is a perspective view and an enlarged view showing a first housing (310) according to various embodiments.

[0111] The enlarged view of Fig. 7e is an enlarged view of area (C).

[0112] With respect to FIGS. 7A to 7E, reference may be made to the preceding drawings and their descriptions.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 7a, the first housing (310) may have different rigidities in the first region (310a) and the second region (310b). For example, the first region (310a) of the first housing (310) may have higher rigidity than the second region (310b) because members (e.g., a support structure (316) for a circuit board (305)) for mounting other components of the electronic device (300) are placed around it. For example, the side corresponding to the first region (310a) (e.g., side 2111) may correspond to the area pressed by the side key (330) and may have higher rigidity than the side corresponding to the second region (310b).

[0114] Referring to FIGS. 7b and 7c, due to the structural characteristics described above, the first region (310a) of the first housing (310) may have less deformation when pressed by the side key (330) compared to the second region (310b). Referring to FIG. 7b, the deformation caused by the pressure applied to the first region (310a) is distributed over a relatively wider range of the first housing (310), so the amount of deformation in the first region (310a) may be relatively smaller. Also, referring to FIG. 7c, the deformation caused by the pressure applied to the second region (310b) is distributed over a relatively narrower range of the first housing (310), so the amount of deformation in the second region (310b) may be relatively larger compared to the first region (310a).

[0115] That is, one or more components (e.g., a circuit board 305 and its support structure 316) may be disposed within the first housing (310) in the internal space formed by the first housing (310). These one or more components (e.g., a circuit board 305) may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310). That is, for example, a portion (e.g., a side) of the circuit board 305 (or support member 316) may be disposed adjacent to the first region (310a).

[0116] Accordingly, when the electronic device is in a slide-in state (the first housing 310 is placed within the second housing 320), if the side key (330) is pressed to press the first area (310a), which is the corresponding area of ​​the first housing (310) (e.g., the side wall within the first area 310a), the surrounding structural components provide additional rigidity to the first area (310a), thereby reducing the amount of deformation (e.g., the x-direction displacement caused by the side key 330 acting in the direction of the internal space of the first housing).

[0117] Conversely, since the second region (310b) does not have the same structural arrangement, the second region (310b) has relatively lower rigidity and may experience a larger amount of deformation (e.g., displacement in the x-direction) for the same pressure input. Therefore, the same pressure input applied by the user may be detected differently by each pressure sensor (e.g., first pressure sensor 311 and second pressure sensor 312).

[0118] Due to the difference in deformation amount between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) for the same pressure, when the user operates the side key (330), the pressure transmitted to the first pressure sensor (311) may be smaller than the pressure transmitted to the second pressure sensor (312). Therefore, when the user operates the side key (330), the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) may be smaller than the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312). Therefore, the first threshold value for determining the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) may be smaller than the second threshold value for determining the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312).

[0119] Referring to FIG. 7d and FIG. 7e, in various embodiments, the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may be configured to deform by substantially the same amount of deformation when pressed by the side key (330). In some embodiments, the substantially the same amount of deformation described above may include a difference in the amount of deformation such that it is impossible to perceive a difference in the tactilely pressed depth when the side key (330) is pressed in a slide-in state (when the first housing (310) is inserted into the second housing (320)) and when the side key (330) is pressed in a slide-out state (when the first housing (310) is withdrawn from the second housing (320)). In some embodiments, the substantially identical deformation amount described above may include a difference in the detection values ​​of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) that is within the error limit of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312). Also, in some embodiments, the substantially identical deformation amount described above may mean that even if the first threshold value and the second threshold value of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) are set identically, the operation of the electronic device assigned to the side key (330) can be executed identically when the side key (330) is pressed while the first housing (310) is slid in and slid out of the second housing (320).

[0120] For example, the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may include structural reinforcement compared to the first region (310a). With this configuration, when a press input is applied to the side key (330), the amount of deformation in the first region (310a) where the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation in the second region (310b) where the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state may be substantially the same.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 7d, in various embodiments, the thickness (T2) of the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may be greater than the thickness (T2) of the first region (310a). That is, structural reinforcement may include configuring or forming the thickness of the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) to be larger (e.g., increasing the wall thickness of the first housing (310) in the second region (310b). By making the second region (310b) thicker than the first region (310a), the difference in stiffness between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) may be reduced. The thickness difference between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) can be configured so that the difference in stiffness between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) is within a predetermined value. For example, the thickness difference between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) can be set so that when the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) are pressed by the side key (330), the magnitude of the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) is within the detection range (dynamic range) of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312).

[0122] Referring to FIG. 7e, a first housing (310) according to various embodiments may include a stiffness reinforcing member (317). For example, structural reinforcement may include a stiffness reinforcing member (317). The stiffness reinforcing member (317) may be a member that reinforces stiffness by being located in the first housing (310) within an area including a first region (310a) and its periphery and / or within an area including a second region (310b) and its periphery, thereby reducing the difference in stiffness between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b). That is, the stiffness reinforcing member (317) may be placed or located in an area of ​​low structural stiffness (e.g., the first region 310a and the second region 310b). For example, if the stiffness of the second region (310b) is lower than that of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310), the stiffness reinforcing member (317) may be located on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the second region (310b) and / or its periphery. The stiffness reinforcing member (317) may include a stiffener, buttress, and / or beam having a triangular cross-section, for example, as shown in (C1), (C3), and (C4) of FIG. 7e. In some embodiments, the stiffness reinforcing member (317) may have a rectangular cross-section, for example, as shown in (C2) of FIG. 7e. The shape of the stiffness reinforcing member (317) in the drawings is exemplary, and the spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to the specific shapes in the drawings.

[0123] FIG. 8a is a block diagram of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0124] FIG. 8b is a flowchart showing the operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0125] FIG. 8c is a flowchart showing the operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0126] FIG. 8d is a flowchart showing the operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0127] The steps described in FIG. 8 may be additionally performed in the examples related to FIG. 1 through 7 as previously described.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 8a, the electronic device (300) may include a processor (801) (e.g., the processor (110) of FIG. 1). The processor (801) may be operatively connected to a memory (802) (e.g., the non-volatile memory (122) of FIG. 1), a first pressure sensor (311), and a second pressure sensor (312).

[0129] In various embodiments, the processor (801) may perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330) (e.g., system shutdown, display on / off, camera shooting, volume adjustment and / or execution of a set application) based on the detection values ​​of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312). The memory (802) may store instructions that cause the processor (801) to perform the said operation.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 8b, the processor (801) determines (811) whether the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and if it is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, it can perform (812) a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330). Additionally, the processor (801) determines (813) whether the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and if it is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, it can perform (812) the predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330). The memory (802) can store instructions that cause the processor (801) to perform the above operations. Additionally, the memory (802) can store the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

[0131] Referring again to FIG. 8a, the electronic device (300) may include a slide sensor (803) operatively connected to a processor (801). The slide sensor (803) may be a sensor that detects the slide-in or slide-out state of the first housing (310) relative to the second housing (320). The slide sensor (803) may include, for example, an encoder.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 8c, the processor (801) may perform a calibration operation (820). The calibration operation (820) may be an operation for setting a first threshold and / or a second threshold for a first pressure sensor (311) and a second pressure sensor (312). In various embodiments, the calibration operation (820) may include an operation (821) for setting a first threshold based on the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) is pressed in a slide-in state (a state in which the first housing (310) is inserted into the second housing (320)), and an operation (822) for setting a first threshold based on the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) is pressed in a slide-in state. The first threshold and the second threshold may be set to a value lower by a predetermined ratio compared to, for example, the first pressure sensor (311) detection value and the second pressure sensor (312) detection value. In some embodiments, the calibration operation (820) may include an operation (823) to determine whether the first threshold and / or the second threshold is missing, and to reset the first threshold and / or the second threshold if it is missing.

[0133] By having the processor (801) perform a calibration operation (820), the difference in responsiveness between the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) caused by the difference in stiffness between the first region (310a) and the second region (310b) of the first housing (310), for example as in the embodiment of FIG. 7a, can be reduced. In various embodiments, the calibration operation may be performed during the manufacture of the electronic device (300). In some embodiments, the user may recalibrate the first threshold and the second threshold according to changes in the user's usage environment.

[0134] In some examples, calibration may be performed in addition to structural reinforcement (e.g., as described in FIG. 7D-7E).

[0135] Referring to FIG. 8d, the processor (801) can determine (831) the slide state of the electronic device (300) (e.g., slide-in state or slide-out state) based on the detection value of the slide sensor (803). The processor (801) can determine (832) whether the electronic device (300) is in a slide-in state, that is, whether the first housing (310) is inserted into the second housing (320), and if it is in a slide-in state, block the signal of the second pressure sensor (312) (833). The processor (801) can determine (834) whether the electronic device (300) is in a slide-out state, that is, whether the first housing (310) is withdrawn from the second housing (320), and if it is in a slide-out state, block the signal of the first pressure sensor (311) (835).

[0136] In the slide-in state, the pressure sensor located at a position corresponding to the side key (330) is the first pressure sensor (311), so the processor (801) can perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330) based on the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311). Additionally, in the slide-in state, the second pressure sensor (312) is not located at a position corresponding to the side key (330), so the input signal generated from the second pressure sensor (312) may be due to an error in the sensor, noise, or unintentional impact or pressure applied to the first housing (310). Therefore, by blocking or ignoring the signal of the second switch in the slide-in state, malfunction of the electronic device (300) can be prevented.

[0137] In addition, in the slide-out state, the pressure sensor located at a position corresponding to the side key (330) is the second pressure sensor (312), so the processor (801) can perform a predetermined operation assigned to the side key (330) based on the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312). Also, in the slide-in state, the first pressure sensor (311) is not located at a position corresponding to the side key (330), so the processor (801) can prevent malfunction of the electronic device (300) by blocking or ignoring the signal of the first switch.

[0138] In some embodiments, when the processor (801) determines that the slide state of the electronic device (300) is not a slide-in state and a slide-out state (e.g., an intermediate state in which the first housing (310) is partially withdrawn into the second housing (320)), the processor (801) can prevent the electronic device (300) from malfunctioning by blocking (836) the signals of the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312).

[0139] FIG. 9a is an internal plan view of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0140] FIG. 9b is a schematic diagram showing the sliding input operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0141] FIG. 9c is a graph showing the operation of pressure sensors during sliding input operation in various embodiments.

[0142] Referring to FIG. 9a, in various embodiments, the first housing (310) may include a plurality of pressure sensors arranged adjacent to each other. For example, the electronic device (300) may include a third pressure sensor arranged adjacent to the first pressure sensor (311) in the first area (310a). The side key (330) may be configured to pressurize the location where the first pressure sensor (311) and the third pressure sensor are placed when pressed. In this embodiment, the side key (330) may be used as a volume rocker. For example, the processor (801) may increase the volume when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than the detection value of the third pressure sensor, and decrease the volume when the detection value of the third pressure sensor is greater than the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311). It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that in the second area (310b), the second pressure sensor (312) and the fourth pressure sensor are placed adjacent to each other and can perform the same function as the configuration described above.

[0143] Referring to FIGS. 9b and 9c, the electronic device (300) may be configured to receive a sliding input from a user. For example, when a user performs a sliding input by sweeping the side key (330) in a certain direction (e.g., from the first pressure sensor (311) toward the third pressure sensor), the first pressure sensor (311) may increase its detection value before the third pressure sensor in time, and the third pressure sensor may increase its detection value after the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) has decreased. For example, in the slide-in state, the first housing (310) may be partially accommodated within the second housing. In the slide-out state, at least a portion of the first housing (310) may be positioned protruding (sliding out) from the second housing (320). In this case, the processor (801) may be configured to determine that the user has performed an input of swiping down the side key (330) and to perform an action assigned to that input (e.g., volume adjustment). For example, the side key (330) may be configured to press the side wall (or side) of the first housing, so that an area of ​​the first housing (310) corresponding to the position of the side key receives a force (or deformation) caused by the pressing input. An electronic device (300) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing (310) and a second housing (320) configured to move relative to the first housing (310) between a slide-in state and a slide-out state of the electronic device. The electronic device (300) may include a side key (330) disposed on a side wall (e.g., a side surface) of the second housing (320) and configured to press the side wall of the first housing (310) when pressed. The electronic device (300) may include a first pressure sensor (311) disposed in a first area (310a) of the first housing (310).The electronic device (300) may include a second pressure sensor (312) placed in a second area (310b) of the first housing (310). The position of the side key (330) may correspond to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) in the slide-in state and to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) in the slide-out state. For example, the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) is an area of ​​the first housing (310) (e.g., an area corresponding to a side wall) that is pressed by the side key (330) when the electronic device (300) is in the slide-in state, and the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) may be an (other) area of ​​the first housing that is pressed by the side key (330) when the electronic device is in the slide-out state. The first housing (310) may be configured such that the amount of deformation of the first region (310a) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation of the second region (310b) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state are substantially the same.

[0144] For example, the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may include structural reinforcement compared to the first region (310a), so that when a press input is applied to the side key (330), the amount of deformation in the first region (310a) where the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation in the second region (310b) where the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state may be substantially the same.

[0145] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) may be disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the first region (310a). The second pressure sensor (312) may be disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the second region (310b).

[0146] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330). The second pressure sensor (312) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330).

[0147] In various embodiments, the housing may be configured such that the difference between a first pressure value detected by a first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) presses the first area (310a) to a predetermined pressure and a second pressure value detected by a second pressure sensor (312) when the side key (330) presses the second area (310b) to the predetermined pressure is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0148] In various embodiments, the thickness of the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may be greater than the thickness of the first region (310a).

[0149] In various embodiments, the housing may include a rigid reinforcing member (317) located within the area including the first region (310a) and its periphery or within the area including the second region (310b) and its periphery.

[0150] In various embodiments, a processor (801) operatively connected to the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) may be further included. The processor (801) may be configured to perform a first operation when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and may perform the first operation when the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0151] In various embodiments, a slide sensor (803) configured to detect the slide-in state and the slide-out state of the second housing (320) of the first housing (310) and dynamically connected to the processor (801) may be further included. The processor (801) may be configured to block the signal of the second pressure sensor (312) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-in state, and to block the signal of the first pressure sensor (311) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-out state.

[0152] In various embodiments, the processor (801) may be configured to perform a calibration operation. The calibration operation may include setting the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) to the first threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state, and setting the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) to the second threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state.

[0153] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) further includes a haptic motor (804), and the processor (801) may be configured to operate the haptic motor (804) when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, or when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0154] An electronic device (300) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing (310) and a second housing (320) configured to move between the slide-in state and the slide-out state with respect to the first housing (310). (For example, the electronic device 300 may be configured to switch between the slide-in state and the slide-out state.) For example, in the slide-in state, at least a portion of the first housing (310) may be received within the second housing. In the slide-out state, at least a portion of the first housing (310) may protrude (slide out) from the second housing (320) in a first direction (e.g., outward direction of the second housing (320). The electronic device (300) may include a side key (330) disposed on the side wall of the second housing (320) and configured to press the side wall of the first housing (310) when pressed. The electronic device (300) may include a first pressure sensor (311) disposed in a first area (310a) of the first housing (310) and a second pressure sensor (312) disposed in a second area (310b) of the first housing (310). The electronic device (300) may include a non-transient memory (802) that stores computer-executable instructions and a processor (801) operatively connected to the first pressure sensor (311), the second pressure sensor (312) and the non-transient memory (802). When the above computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor (801), the electronic device (300) determines that the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and performs a first operation, determines that the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value and performs a first operation, and the position of the side key (330) may correspond to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) in the slide-in state.In the above slide-out state, it corresponds to the second region (310b) of the first housing (310), and the first threshold value may be smaller than the second threshold value.

[0155] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) may be disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the first area (310a), and the second pressure sensor (312) may be disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the second area (310b).

[0156] In various embodiments, the first pressure sensor (311) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330), and the second pressure sensor (312) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330).

[0157] In various embodiments, the housing may be configured such that the difference between a first pressure value detected by a first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) presses the first area (310a) to a predetermined pressure and a second pressure value detected by a second pressure sensor (312) when the side key (330) presses the second area (310b) to the predetermined pressure is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0158] In various embodiments, the first housing (310) may be configured such that the difference between the stiffness of the first region (310a) and the stiffness of the second region (310b) is within a predetermined value.

[0159] In various embodiments, the thickness of the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may be greater than the thickness of the first region (310a).

[0160] In various embodiments, the housing may include a rigid reinforcing member (317) located within the area including the first region (310a) and its periphery or within the area including the second region (310b) and its periphery.

[0161] In various embodiments, a slide sensor (803) configured to detect the inlet and slide-out states of the second housing (320) of the first housing (310) and dynamically connected to the processor (801) may be further included. The processor (801) may be configured to block the signal of the second pressure sensor (312) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-in state, and to block the signal of the first pressure sensor (311) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-out state.

[0162] In various embodiments, the processor (801) may be configured to perform a calibration operation. The calibration operation may include setting the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) to the first threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state, and setting the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) to the second threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state.

[0163] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) further includes a haptic motor (804), and the processor (801) may be configured to operate the haptic motor (804) when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, or when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0164] In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 comprises a first housing; a second housing configured to be movable relative to the first housing to switch the electronic device into a slide-in state and a slide-out state, wherein in the slide-in state, the first housing is at least partially accommodated within the second housing; a side key disposed on the side wall of the second housing and configured to press an area of ​​the first housing (e.g., a side wall) according to a press input; a first pressure sensor disposed in a first area of ​​the first housing; and a second pressure sensor disposed in a second area of ​​the first housing, wherein the first area of ​​the first housing is an area of ​​the first housing (e.g., an area surrounding the side wall) that the side key presses when the electronic device is in the slide-in state, and the second area of ​​the first housing may be an area of ​​the first housing (e.g., corresponding to or surrounding the side wall) that the side key presses when the electronic device is in the slide-out state.

[0165] In one embodiment, in addition to the first example, a first pressure sensor (311) may be placed on the inner surface of a first region (310a) of a first housing (310), and a second pressure sensor (312) may be placed on the inner surface of a second region (310b) of a first housing (310).

[0166] In one embodiment, in addition to the first or second example, the first pressure sensor (311) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330), and the second pressure sensor (312) may be configured to detect pressure applied to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330).

[0167] In one embodiment, in addition to the electronic device of the second or third example, the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) in which the first pressure sensor (311) is placed may be located closer to the upper side (2112) of the first housing (310) than the second area (310b) in which the second pressure sensor (312) is placed.

[0168] In one embodiment, in addition to the electronic device of the prior examples, the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) may include structural reinforcement compared to the first region (310a) so that the amount of deformation of the first region (310a) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation of the second region (310b) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state are substantially the same.

[0169] In addition to the electronic device of the fifth example in one embodiment, structural reinforcement may include causing the second region (310b) of the first housing (310) to have a greater thickness than the first region (310a).

[0170] In addition to the electronic device of the fifth example in one embodiment, the structural reinforcement may include a rigid reinforcing member (317) disposed in a second region (310a) of the first housing (310).

[0171] In addition to the electronic device of the fifth to seventh example in one embodiment, based on structural reinforcement, the difference between the first pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) presses the first area (310a) with a constant pressure and the second pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor (312) when the side key (330) presses the second area (310b) with the same pressure can be made to be less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0172] In one embodiment, in addition to the electronic device of the prior examples, the electronic device includes a processor (801) operably connected to a first pressure sensor (311) and a second pressure sensor (312), and the processor (801) may be configured to perform a first operation when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and to perform a first operation when the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0173] In one embodiment, in addition to the electronic device of the ninth example, the electronic device includes a slide sensor (803) operably connected to a processor (801) configured to detect the slide-in / slide-out state of the first housing (310), and the processor (801) may be configured to block the signal of the second pressure sensor (312) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-in state and to block the signal of the first pressure sensor (311) when it detects the slide-out state.

[0174] In addition to the electronic device of the ninth or tenth example in one embodiment, the processor (801) is configured to perform a calibration operation, and the calibration operation may include setting the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) to a first threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and setting the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) to a second threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state.

[0175] In addition to the electronic device of the eleventh example in one embodiment, the first threshold value may be set lower than the second threshold value.

[0176] In addition to the electronic device of the ninth to twelfth example in one embodiment, the electronic device includes a haptic motor (804), and the processor (801) may be configured to operate the haptic motor (804) when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value or the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0177] In one embodiment, in addition to the electronic device of the prior examples, the first housing (310) includes a circuit board (305) disposed in an internal space formed by the first housing (310), and the circuit board (305) may be disposed to surround (e.g., adjacently) at least a portion of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310).

[0178] In one embodiment, the electronic device includes a switch circuit board (306) electrically connected to a circuit board (305), the switch circuit board (306) is positioned along the inner side of a first housing (310), and a first pressure sensor (311) and a second pressure sensor (312) may be connected to the switch circuit board (306). Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in the specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate the explanation of the technical content according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and to aid in understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be interpreted as including all modifications or variations derived based on the technical concept of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (300), First housing (310); A second housing (320) configured to move relative to the first housing (310) between the slide-in state and the slide-out state of the electronic device; In the above slide-in state, at least a portion of the first housing (310) is received within the second housing (320), and a side key (330) is positioned on the side wall of the second housing (320) and configured to press the side wall of the first housing (310) when pressed; A first pressure sensor (311) disposed in a first region (310a) of the first housing (310); and It includes a second pressure sensor (312) disposed in a second region (310b) of the first housing (310), and The first region (310a) of the first housing (310) is a region that is pressed by the side key (330) when the electronic device (300) is in a slide-in state, and The second region (310b) of the first housing (310) is an electronic device, which is a region pressed by the side key (330) when the electronic device (300) is in a slide-out state.

2. In Paragraph 1, The first pressure sensor (311) is disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the first area (310a), and The second pressure sensor (312) is an electronic device disposed on the inner surface of the first housing (310) in the second area (310b).

3. In Paragraph 1, The first pressure sensor (311) is configured to detect pressure applied to the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330), and The second pressure sensor (312) is an electronic device configured to detect pressure applied to the second area (310b) of the first housing (310) by the side key (330).

4. In Paragraph 2 or 3, An electronic device in which the first area (310a) of the first housing (310) in which the first pressure sensor (311) is placed is located closer to the upper side (2112) of the first housing (310) than the second area (310b) in which the second pressure sensor (312) is placed.

5. In Paragraph 1, The second region (310b) of the first housing (310) includes structural reinforcement compared to the first region (310a), and The first housing (310) is an electronic device configured such that the amount of deformation of the first region (310a) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state and the amount of deformation of the second region (310b) when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state are substantially the same.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above structural reinforcement is an electronic device having a greater thickness in the second region (310b) than in the first region (310a) of the first housing (310).

7. In Paragraph 5, The above structural reinforcement is an electronic device comprising a rigid reinforcing member (317) disposed in the second region (310a) of the first housing (310).

8. In paragraphs 5 through 7, The first housing (310) is an electronic device configured such that the difference between a first pressure value detected by a first pressure sensor (311) when the side key (330) presses the first area (310a) to a predetermined pressure based on the structural reinforcement and a second pressure value detected by a second pressure sensor (312) when the side key (330) presses the second area (310b) to the predetermined pressure is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

9. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a processor (801) operatively connected to the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312), and The above processor (801) is, The first operation is configured to be performed when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, and An electronic device that performs the first operation when the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) is greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

10. In Paragraph 9, It further includes a slide sensor (803) configured to detect the slide-in state and the slide-out state for the second housing (320) of the first housing (310) and operatively connected to the processor (801), and The above processor (801) is, When the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-in state, it blocks the signal of the second pressure sensor (312), and An electronic device configured to block the signal of the first pressure sensor (311) when the slide sensor (803) detects the slide-out state.

11. In Paragraph 9 or 10, The above processor (801) is configured to perform a calibration operation, and The above calibration operation is, An operation of setting the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) to the first threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-in state; and An electronic device comprising an operation of setting the detection value of the second pressure sensor (312) to the second threshold value when the side key (330) is pressed in the slide-out state.

12. In Paragraph 11, An electronic device in which the first threshold is lower than the second threshold.

13. In Paragraphs 9 through 12, It further includes a haptic motor (804), The above processor (801) is an electronic device configured to operate the haptic motor (804) when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, or when the detection value of the first pressure sensor (311) is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

14. In Paragraph 1, The first housing (310) includes a circuit board (305) disposed in an internal space formed by the first housing (310), and The above circuit board (305) is an electronic device arranged to surround at least a portion of the first region (310a) of the first housing (310).

15. In Paragraph 14, It further includes a switch circuit board (306) electrically connected to the circuit board (305), and The above switch circuit board (306) is arranged along the inner side of the first housing (310), and the first pressure sensor (311) and the second pressure sensor (312) are connected to the switch circuit board (306) in an electronic device.

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