WO2026010292A1 - Electronic device for managing communication link with wearable electronic device and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device for managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device and an operating method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device comprises a communication circuit for supporting short-range communication, at least one processor, and a memory for storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device; receive information regarding a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link; obtain information regarding a wearing status of a second external electronic device; and request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device if both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are worn.

Description

Electronic device for managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device and method for operating the same

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device for managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to an electronic device for creating, maintaining, and releasing a communication link with a wearable electronic device based on a wearing state of the wearable electronic device and a method of operating the same.

Recently, interest in wearable electronic devices, which are worn or mounted on the user's body, has been growing. Consequently, various types of wearable electronic devices, such as watches, rings, belts, necklaces, bracelets, VR (virtual reality) headsets, earbuds, and glasses, have emerged. These diverse types of wearable electronic devices offer various functions, making users' daily lives more convenient and smarter. They also collect and analyze diverse data to provide personalized services.

Wearable electronic devices primarily use short-range wireless communication technology to establish communication links with nearby electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.). This allows wearable electronic devices to collect data about the user and their surroundings and transmit this data to the electronic device for use in various applications.

Typically, wearable electronic devices have limited battery capacity and RF (radio frequency) performance. They primarily operate as peripheral devices, communicating with electronic devices operating in a central role. Given these constraints, a communication link management method capable of providing a stable and efficient communication link between wearable electronic devices and other electronic devices is needed.

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

One embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a method for maintaining a stable connection state between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device and for managing an efficient communication link.

The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains.

An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication circuit to support short-range communication, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device, receive information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, obtain information about a wearing status of a second external electronic device, and, when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status, request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device.

A method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of establishing a first communication link with a first external electronic device, an operation of receiving information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, an operation of obtaining information about the wearing status from a second external electronic device, and an operation of requesting the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a stable and efficient communication link between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device can be provided.

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

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection between an electronic device and a plurality of external electronic devices according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 is a block diagram briefly showing the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram briefly illustrating the configuration of an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing and changing a communication link between an electronic device and an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of an electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing a communication link of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing a communication link of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of a second external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of a second external electronic device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a method for displaying a notification instructing to wear multiple external electronic devices on the same body part according to one embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a second external electronic device according to one embodiment advertising an advertising packet including information about a wearing status through a secondary advertising channel.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment to create a communication link through a secondary advertising channel.

An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication circuit to support short-range communication, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device, receive information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, obtain information about a wearing status of a second external electronic device, and, when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status, request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: receive an advertising signal including information about a wearing state.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal when neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, and receive information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device, and receive information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device via the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: request release of one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: receive additional information from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, the additional information including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, configured transmit power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link; and determine to establish the third communication link based on the additional information.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: determine whether one of a wearing state of the first external electronic device and a wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, and, if it determines that one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, change a currently established communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine whether a change of the currently established communication link is required based on at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link of at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: display a notification instructing the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device to be worn on the same body part.

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may include a watch-type wearable device, and the second external electronic device may include a ring-type wearable device.

A method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of establishing a first communication link with a first external electronic device, an operation of receiving information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, an operation of obtaining information about the wearing status from a second external electronic device, and an operation of requesting the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status.

In one embodiment, the act of obtaining information about the wearing state from the second external electronic device may include the act of receiving an advertising signal including information about the wearing state.

In one embodiment, if neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, the method may further include establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal and receiving information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the operation of obtaining information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device may include an operation of establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device and an operation of receiving information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the method may further include an action requesting that one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link be released.

In one embodiment, the method may further include receiving additional information from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link, and determining to establish the third communication link based on the additional information.

In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of determining whether one of a wearing state of the first external electronic device and a wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, and an operation of changing a currently established communication link when it is determined that one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed.

In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of determining whether a change of the currently established communication link is required based on at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link of at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the method may further include displaying a notification instructing the user to wear the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device on the same body part.

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may include a watch-type wearable device, and the second external electronic device may include a ring-type wearable device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in various different forms and are not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description have been omitted in the drawings, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

The terms used in this disclosure are described as currently common terms, taking into account the functions mentioned herein. However, these terms may mean various other terms depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be interpreted solely based on their names, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure.

Additionally, while terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from another.

In this disclosure, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "electrically connected" or "operatively connected" with another element in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not exclude other components, but rather may include other components, unless specifically stated otherwise.

The phrases “in one embodiment” and the like appearing in various places throughout this disclosure do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

In the present disclosure, communication link management includes operations for providing seamless communication by managing the communication link between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device, depending on whether the user is wearing the wearable electronic device. For example, communication link management may include creating, maintaining, releasing, and monitoring the communication link. However, this is merely an example, and communication link management is not limited thereto and may include various operations, such as transmission power adjustment, channel coding, and modulation.

Additionally, the connecting lines or connecting members between components depicted in the drawings are merely exemplary representations of functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections. In an actual device, connections between components may be represented by various functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections that may be replaced or added.

The present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

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

The electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 can perform the operations of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1 to 16.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The electronic device (101) according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be a device of various forms. The electronic device (101) 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 home appliance device. The electronic device (101) according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

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

Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection between an electronic device and a plurality of external electronic devices according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device (e.g., a smart phone) (101) can be directly (210, 220, 230) or indirectly (240) connected to one or more external electronic devices, such as a smart watch (201), a smart ring (203), and wireless earbuds (205), using short-range wireless communication technology. However, the external electronic devices are not limited thereto and may include various electronic devices. In addition, the types and connection forms of the external electronic devices illustrated in FIG. 2 are merely examples, and the external electronic devices are not limited thereto and include various types of external electronic devices, and the electronic device and one or more electronic devices may form various types of topologies.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may perform Bluetooth communication with one or more external electronic devices (201, 203, 205) using a communication circuit (e.g., a communication module (190)) that supports Bluetooth communication technology, for example, Bluetooth legacy or Bluetooth low energy (BLE). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may perform communication with the external electronic devices (201, 203, 205) using various short-range wireless communication technologies, such as near field magnetic induction (NFMI), ANT+, and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi).

An electronic device (101) using Bluetooth communication technology can perform Bluetooth communication with one or more external electronic devices (201, 203, 205) using a connection-oriented communication method that enables immediate data communication or a connectionless communication method such as advertising/scan.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (201) performs a central role having decision-making authority over the communication link, and the external electronic devices (201, 203, 205) can perform a peripheral role that can create a communication link (210, 220, 240) with the electronic device (201) and transmit and receive data.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can create a communication link (210, 220) simultaneously with one or more external electronic devices (201, 203). In addition, the external electronic device (201) can also create a communication link (210, 230, 240) with one or more electronic devices (101, 203, 205), and can also support connection of another external electronic device (205) that is not directly connected to the electronic device (101). At this time, the external electronic device (201) can create a communication link (230, 240) with another external electronic device (203, 205) according to the control of the electronic device (101), or can create a communication link (230, 240) with another external electronic device (203, 205) according to its own judgment. Furthermore, an external electronic device (e.g., 201) may also create a communication link (210, 230, 240) with the electronic device (101) or another external electronic device (e.g., 203, 205) under the control of another external electronic device (e.g., 203, 205) other than the electronic device (101). As described above, the types of external electronic devices illustrated in FIG. 2 are only examples, and the external electronic devices are not limited thereto and may include various types of external electronic devices.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (201) can transmit and receive control information and/or data through at least one short-range communication connection, including a Bluetooth connection, with one or more external electronic devices (201, 203, 205). In addition, the external electronic device (201) can also transmit and receive control information and/or data with the electronic device (201) or other external electronic devices (203, 205). At this time, the electronic device (201) can receive various information (e.g., sensor information, device information, status information) from one or more external electronic devices (201, 203, 205). The electronic device (101) can process the received information according to the purpose of use. For example, the electronic device (101) can receive sensor information from the external electronic device (201) and display necessary information to the user based on the received sensor information, or can further perform additional operations, such as outputting an alert sound.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can receive information (e.g., sensor information, device information, status information) from the external electronic device (205) through a communication link (210) with the external electronic device (201) even without directly establishing a communication link with the external electronic device (205). In this case, the external electronic device (201) can transfer control information and/or data between other external electronic devices (205) that are not directly connected to the electronic device (101). For example, the electronic device (101) can receive and display information such as the connection status and battery status of the external electronic device (205) through the external electronic device (201). In this way, although the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device (205) are not directly connected, they are in a state where communication is possible through another external electronic device (201), so the electronic device (101) can display that it is in a connected state with respect to the external electronic device (205) and can also control the external electronic device (205).

In one embodiment, the external electronic device (201) may transmit control information and/or data in their original form, or may transmit the data after appropriate processing as needed. For example, the external electronic device (201) may process the user's body data sensed by the external electronic device (205) into a form usable by an application running on the electronic device (101) and transmit the processed data to the electronic device (101).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device (101) may be a device that performs a central role for providing a service, and the external electronic device (200) may be a device that performs a peripheral role for receiving a service. The electronic device (101) and/or the external electronic device (200) may be configured to include, for example, one or more of the components of FIG. 1, respectively. In addition, operations 310 to 340 in FIG. 3 are scanning and advertising procedures between the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device (200) in BLE. In addition, although FIG. 3 describes that the electronic device (101) establishes a Bluetooth connection with one external electronic device (200), the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may establish a Bluetooth connection with a plurality of external electronic devices (200) simultaneously or sequentially.

In operation 310, the external electronic device (200) (e.g., a wearable electronic device) may advertise an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_IND packet, an ADV_EXT_IND packet, or an AUX_ADV_IND packet) at a set cycle (e.g., an advertising interval) so that the external electronic device can be discovered by surrounding Bluetooth devices. This operation may be referred to as an advertising operation. The advertising signal may transmit various information related to the external electronic device (200) for Bluetooth connection. For example, the advertising signal may include device information such as the name (e.g., name), address (e.g., part or all of BD_ADDR), manufacturer information of the external electronic device (200), user account information, current connection information, connection and device information of previously connected electronic devices, battery status information, and additional information such as transmission signal strength. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the advertising signal may include wearing state information of the external electronic device (200). For example, an advertising signal may include a 1-bit field indicating the wearing status.

The external electronic device (200) may initiate operation 310, i.e., advertising operation of an advertising signal, according to set criteria such as a user's request, power on, cradle open, cradle removal of the earbuds, abnormal disconnection that is not intended by the user (e.g., Connection Timeout). Furthermore, the external electronic device (200) may advertise the advertising signal for a set time as needed (e.g., until the timer expires), or may advertise the advertising signal before or after connecting with the counterpart device (e.g., electronic device (101)).

The electronic device (101) can start scanning and detect or receive an advertising signal advertised from an external electronic device (200). At this time, the electronic device (101) can provide a menu (e.g., Bluetooth settings) for the purpose of searching for a device to the user, can provide an application (e.g., a wearable application) that can search for a specific external electronic device, and can directly display a specific external electronic device located nearby through a pop-up type UX (user experience)/UI (user interface).

In operation 320, an electronic device (101) that detects or receives an advertising signal through scanning may transmit a scan request signal (e.g., a SCAN_REQ packet) to an external electronic device (200) using address information of the external electronic device (300) included in the advertising signal. The scan request signal may include a scanner address and an advertiser address. Thereafter, in operation 330, the external electronic device (200) may transmit a scan response signal (e.g., a SCAN_RSP packet) to the electronic device (101) for a Bluetooth connection (e.g., a BLE connection) with the electronic device (101). The scan response signal may include at least one piece of information from among a complete local name of the device, a list of universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) of services provided by the device (service UUIDs), manufacturer specific data, a TX power level, a slave connection interval range, service data, appearance information of the device, a public target address of the target device, or a random target address of the target device.

In operation 340, the electronic device (101) may transmit a connection request signal (e.g., a CONNECT_REQ packet or a CONNECT_IND packet) to the external electronic device (200) to establish a Bluetooth connection with the external electronic device (200).

The BLE scan operation can be divided into active scan and passive scan depending on the operation after the electronic device (101) detects or receives an advertising signal. The scan operation in which the electronic device (101) detects or receives an advertising signal transmits a scan request signal to an external electronic device (200) and receives a scan response signal is called BLE active scan, and the scan operation in which advertising data is received through the advertising signal without transmitting a scan request signal is called passive scan. In FIG. 3, operations 320 to 340 correspond to the active scan operation.

In operation 350, the electronic device (101) establishes a Bluetooth connection (e.g., a BLE connection) with an external electronic device (300). A communication link is created between the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the Bluetooth connection may include an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) link. Thereafter, the electronic device (101) may stop scanning. However, the time point at which the electronic device (101) stops scanning is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may stop scanning according to settings or dynamically.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may perform a scanning operation or an advertising operation to communicate with another Bluetooth device while a Bluetooth connection is established. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (200) may also perform a scanning operation or an advertising operation to communicate with another Bluetooth device while a Bluetooth connection is established.

In operation 360, the electronic device (101) may transmit a service request packet (e.g., a GATT (generic attribute profile) service discovery packet) to an external electronic device (200) via a Bluetooth connection to use a desired service (e.g., transmit data packets) via a Bluetooth connection. Thereafter, in operation 370, the electronic device (101) may receive a service response packet (e.g., a GATT service discovery response packet) from the external electronic device (200) and determine to initiate a service via the Bluetooth connection.

In one embodiment, operations 360 and 370 may refer to a procedure for establishing a logical connection (e.g., a service) over a physical connection, following a connection procedure for establishing a physical connection (e.g., a Bluetooth connection).

In operation 380, the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device (200) can exchange data packets for a service via a Bluetooth connection. In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can transmit data packets to the external electronic device (200), and the external electronic device (200) can receive data packets from the electronic device (101).

Figure 4 is a block diagram briefly showing the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic device (400) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a communication circuit (410), an antenna module (412), a memory (420), a display module (430), and a processor (450). However, the configuration of the electronic device (400) is not limited thereto, and may include only some of the above-described components of FIG. 4, or may further include at least one or more other components (e.g., modules of FIG. 1) in addition to the above-described components. Accordingly, the communication circuit (410) may correspond to the communication module (190) or the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1, and the antenna module (412) may correspond to the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1. Additionally, the memory (420), the display module (430), and the processor (450) may correspond to the memory (130), the display module (160), and the processor (120) of FIG. 1, and if the electronic device (400) further includes other components, the other components may also correspond to the components of FIG. 1.

The communication circuit (410) can support wireless communication between the electronic device (400) and an external electronic device (500). For example, the communication circuit (410) can transmit and receive control information and/or data with one or more external electronic devices (500) using a frequency band supported by wireless communication according to a prescribed wireless communication protocol. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (410) may include a short-range communication module for short-range communication as a wireless communication module. More specifically, the communication circuit (410) may include a Bluetooth module (411) for Bluetooth legacy communication and/or BLE communication. The electronic device (400) can establish a Bluetooth connection with the external electronic device (200) using the Bluetooth module (411) and transmit and receive control information and/or data. At this time, the electronic device (400) can create a communication link with one or more external electronic devices (500) and can be directly or indirectly connected to one or more external electronic devices (500).

The communication circuit (410) may operate independently of the processor (450) and may include one or more communication processors that support wireless communication. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (410) may also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication module.

The antenna module (412) may include a plurality of antennas. At least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by the communication circuit (410).

The memory (420) can store various information for the operation of the electronic device (400). The information stored in the memory (420) can include, for example, input data or output data for software and commands related thereto. In one embodiment, the information stored in the memory (420) can include at least one instruction for an operation of managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device. The instruction can correspond to the program (140) of FIG. 1. The instructions stored in the memory (420) can be executed by the processor (450). By executing the instructions by the processor (450), the electronic device (400) can perform operations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The memory (420) can include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

The display module (430) can visually provide information output from the electronic device (400). The display module (430) can include a display device and a control circuit for controlling the device.

The processor (450) may control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (400) and may perform various data processing or calculations. As at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (450) may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., communication circuit (410)) into the memory (420), process the command or data stored in the memory (420), and store the resulting data in the memory (420). In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute at least one instruction for an operation of managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device stored in the memory (420).

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device, receive information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, obtain information about a wearing status of a second external electronic device, and request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may include a watch-type wearable device, and the second external electronic device may include a ring-type wearable device.

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to receive an advertising signal including information about a wearing state. In addition, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal when neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, and to receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. That is, the electronic device (400) may determine not to establish a third communication link when neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, and may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the received advertising signal. Furthermore, the electronic device (400) may receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. Thereafter, the electronic device (400) may again receive information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device through the first communication link and receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link, and when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in the wearing state, may request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to establish a second communication link with a second external electronic device and to receive information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. In addition, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to request that one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link be released.

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to receive additional information from one or more of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, configured transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the previously connected communication link, and to determine to establish a third communication link based on the additional information.

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to determine whether the electronic device (400) needs to change the currently established communication link, and if it determines that the currently established communication link needs to be changed, change the currently established communication link. In addition, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to determine whether the currently established communication link needs to be changed based on at least one of whether the first external electronic device is worn, whether the second external electronic device is worn, type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the previously connected communication link, and may release the third communication link.

In one embodiment, the processor (450) may execute instructions stored in the memory (420) to cause the electronic device (400) to display a notification on the display module (430) instructing the first external electronic device (201) and the second external electronic device (203) to be worn on the same body part.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram briefly illustrating the configuration of an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, an external electronic device (500) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a communication circuit (510), an antenna module (512), a memory (520), a sensor module (530), and a processor (550). However, the configuration of the external electronic device (500) is not limited thereto, and may include only some of the components described above in FIG. 5, or may further include at least one or more other components (e.g., modules of FIG. 1) in addition to the components described above. Accordingly, the communication circuit (510) may correspond to the communication module (190) or the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1, and the antenna module (512) may correspond to the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1. Additionally, the memory (520), the sensor module (530), and the processor (550) may correspond to the memory (130), the sensor module (176), and the processor (120) of FIG. 1, and if the external electronic device (500) further includes other components, the other components may also correspond to the components of FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, the external electronic device (500) may be one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the external electronic device (500) may include a first external electronic device of a watch type (e.g., 201 of FIG. 2) and a second external electronic device of a smart ring type (or ring type) (e.g., 203 of FIG. 2). However, the external electronic device (500) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices, such as belts, necklaces, bracelets, VR (virtual reality) headsets, earbuds, and glasses.

The communication circuit (510) may support wireless communication between the external electronic device (500) and the electronic device (400) and/or other external electronic devices. For example, the communication circuit (510) may transmit and receive control information and/or data with the electronic device (400) and/or other external electronic devices using a frequency band supported by wireless communication according to a prescribed wireless communication protocol. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (510) may include a short-range communication module for short-range communication as a wireless communication module. More specifically, the communication circuit (510) may include a Bluetooth module (511) for Bluetooth legacy communication and/or BLE communication. The external electronic device (500) may establish a Bluetooth connection with the electronic device (400) and/or other external electronic devices using the Bluetooth module (511) and transmit and receive control information and/or data. At this time, the external electronic device (500) can create a communication link with the electronic device (400) and/or other external electronic devices, and can be directly or indirectly connected to one or more electronic devices (400) and/or other external electronic devices.

The communication circuit (510) may operate independently of the processor (550) and may include one or more communication processors that support wireless communication. In one embodiment, the communication circuit (510) may also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication module.

The antenna module (512) may include a plurality of antennas. At least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by the communication circuit (510).

The memory (520) can store various information for the operation of the external electronic device (500). The information stored in the memory (520) can include, for example, input data or output data for software and commands related thereto. In one embodiment, the information stored in the memory (520) can include at least one instruction for an operation of managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device. The instruction can correspond to the program (140) of FIG. 1. The instructions stored in the memory (520) can be executed through the processor (550). By executing the instructions by the processor (550), the external electronic device (500) can perform operations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The memory (520) can include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

The sensor module (530) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the external electronic device (500) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (530) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a PPG (photoplethysmogram) sensor, an ECG (electrocardiography) sensor, an SpO ₂ (saturation of percutaneous oxygen) sensor, and a BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis) sensor. In one embodiment, the sensor module (530) can detect the wearing status of the external electronic device (500). More specifically, the wearing status of the external electronic device (500), which is a wearable electronic device, can be detected using an IR sensor.

The processor (550) may control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the external electronic device (500) and perform various data processing or calculations. As at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (550) may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., communication circuit (510)) into the memory (520), process the command or data stored in the memory (520), and store the resulting data in the memory (520). In one embodiment, the processor (550) may execute at least one instruction for an operation of managing a communication link with a wearable electronic device stored in the memory (520). In addition, the processor (550) may be a low-power processor.

In one embodiment, when the external electronic device (500) is a first external electronic device, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the first external electronic device to establish a first communication link with the electronic device, receive a request for establishing a third communication link with the second external electronic device from the electronic device, and establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device. In addition, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the electronic device (400) to transmit information about a wearing state of the first external electronic device. At this time, the processor (550) may advertise an advertising signal including information about the wearing state or transmit information about the wearing state through the first communication link. The processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the first external electronic device to receive a request for releasing the first communication link from the electronic device (400) and release the first communication link. Furthermore, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the first external electronic device to release the third communication link based on at least one of information related to whether the first external electronic device is worn, whether the second external electronic device is worn, type information, information related to the communication link, and information related to the status. At this time, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the first external electronic device to transmit a notification to the electronic device (400) that the third communication link has been released. In addition, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the first external electronic device to transmit and receive information related to the second external electronic device to and from the electronic device (400) through the first communication link.

In one embodiment, when the external electronic device (500) is a second external electronic device, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to transmit information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device to the electronic device (400) and establish a third communication link with the first external electronic device. In addition, the processor (550) may advertise an advertising signal including information about the wearing state. In one embodiment, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the second external electronic device to establish a second communication link with the electronic device (400) and transmit information about the wearing state through the second communication link. The processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the second external electronic device to receive a request to release the second communication link from the electronic device (400) and release the second communication link. The processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the second external electronic device to release the third communication link based on whether the first external electronic device is worn, whether the second external electronic device is worn, type information, information related to the communication link, and information related to the status. In addition, the processor (550) may execute instructions stored in the memory (520) to cause the second external electronic device to establish a second communication link with the electronic device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing and changing a communication link between an electronic device and an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 610, the electronic device (600) may establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device (601). At this time, the first external electronic device (601) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the first external electronic device (601) may include a watch-type wearable electronic device. However, the first external electronic device (601) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices, such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may establish a first communication link with the first external electronic device (601) using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the electronic device (600) and the first external electronic device (601) may establish the first communication link by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the first communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE). For example, the first external electronic device (601) may perform BLE advertising after enabling Bluetooth. When an electronic device (600) performing a BLE scan receives an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_IND packet, an ADV_EXT_IND packet, or an AUX_ADV_IND packet), the electronic device (600) may perform a direct connection request to establish a first communication link, or may perform paging using Bluetooth legacy, and when a first external electronic device (601) performing a page scan receives this, the first communication link may be established. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (600) and the first external electronic device (601) may establish the first communication link through various methods.

In operation 621, the electronic device (600) may receive information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) from the first external electronic device (601) through the first communication link. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600) periodically or based on the occurrence of an event after the first communication link is established. At this time, when the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) changes, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600). Additionally, the electronic device (600) may obtain information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) by transmitting an inquiry about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the first external electronic device (601) through the first communication link and receiving a response from the first external electronic device (601). Alternatively, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit a notification to the electronic device (101) that the wearing state has changed whenever the wearing state changes without a separate inquiry operation.

In addition, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600) alone, or may transmit it together with other information to the electronic device (600). For example, external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600). In this case, the method of transmitting information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may vary depending on the case. For example, when the first external electronic device (601) periodically transmits external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600), and a specific event occurs, for example, when the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) changes, only information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600).

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state by using a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (530) of FIG. 5). More specifically, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state by detecting whether the user's body is in contact with the first external electronic device (601) by using an IR sensor. In addition, the first external electronic device (601) can also obtain information about the wearing state by using other sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a biometric sensor). The first external electronic device (601) can also advertise by including the obtained information about the wearing state in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet).

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs. The wearable electronic device can be equipped with a sensor module for sensing various user biometric information. The wearable electronic device can sense, by using the sensor module, relatively simple sensing such as blood pressure and heart rate as well as precise medical biometric information such as electrocardiogram and blood oxygen saturation. In general, it is difficult to equip wearable electronic devices with a large capacity battery due to size limitations. Therefore, since wearable electronic devices must be able to be used for a long time with a limited capacity battery, rather than performing sensing continuously, sensing can be performed periodically at a set time or when a specific event occurs. For example, in the case of a wearable electronic device capable of measuring heart rate, heart rate measurement may be performed once every 10 minutes to minimize battery consumption. Similarly, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may obtain external electronic device information including information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (602) in operation 610 for creating a communication link with the first external electronic device (601). For example, the electronic device (600) may obtain external electronic device information including information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) in the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. More specifically, the first external electronic device (601) may advertise by including the first external electronic device information including information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet), and the electronic device (600) may start a scan to detect or receive the advertising signal advertised by the first external electronic device (601), thereby obtaining information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) included in the advertising signal. For example, an ADV_EXT_IND packet may contain a 1-bit field indicating information about the wearing status.

In operation 622, the electronic device (600) may obtain information about the wearing status of the second external electronic device (602) from the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the second external electronic device (602) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the second external electronic device (602) may include a smart ring type (or ring type) wearable electronic device. However, the second external electronic device (602) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may obtain external electronic device information including information on a wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) in an operation for creating a communication link with the second external electronic device (602). For example, the electronic device (600) may obtain external electronic device information including information on a wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) in the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. More specifically, the second external electronic device (602) may advertise by including external electronic device information including information on a wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet), and the electronic device (600) may start a scan to detect or receive the advertising signal advertised by the second external electronic device (602), thereby obtaining information on the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) included in the advertising signal. For example, an ADV_EXT_IND packet may contain a 1-bit field indicating information about the wearing status.

In one embodiment, after establishing a second communication link with a second external electronic device (602), the electronic device (600) may obtain information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link. In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may establish the second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the electronic device (600) and the second external electronic device (602) may establish the second communication link by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the second communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600) periodically or based on the occurrence of an event after the establishment of the second communication link. At this time, when the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) changes, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600). In addition, the electronic device (600) may obtain information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) by transmitting an inquiry about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link and receiving a response from the second external electronic device (602). Alternatively, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit a notification to the electronic device (101) that the wearing state has changed whenever the wearing state changes without a separate inquiry operation.

In addition, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600) alone, or may transmit it together with other information to the electronic device (600). For example, external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600). In this case, the method of transmitting information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may vary depending on the case. For example, when the second external electronic device (602) periodically transmits external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600), and when a specific event occurs, for example, when the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) changes, only information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state using a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (530) of FIG. 5). More specifically, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state by detecting whether the user's body is in contact with the second external electronic device (602) using an IR sensor. In addition, the second external electronic device (602) can also obtain information about the wearing state using other sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a biometric sensor). The second external electronic device (602) can also advertise the obtained information about the wearing state by including it in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs. The wearable electronic device can be equipped with a sensor module for sensing various user biometric information. The wearable electronic device can sense, by using the sensor module, relatively simple sensing such as blood pressure and heart rate as well as precise medical biometric information such as electrocardiogram and blood oxygen saturation. In general, it is difficult to equip wearable electronic devices with a large capacity battery due to size limitations. Therefore, since wearable electronic devices must be able to be used for a long time with a limited capacity battery, rather than performing sensing continuously, sensing can be performed periodically at a set time or when a specific event occurs. For example, in the case of a wearable electronic device capable of measuring heart rate, heart rate measurement may be performed once every 10 minutes to minimize battery consumption. Similarly, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs.

In operation 630, the electronic device (600) may determine whether to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). More specifically, the electronic device (600) may determine to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) when both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a worn state.

Electronic devices that create a communication link based on a wireless network may lose the communication link due to the physical distance between the two connected electronic devices or ambient interference. In particular, mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones, are not used in fixed locations, but rather experience various changes in location depending on the user's usage pattern, such as the user's front/back pocket, inner shirt pocket, or the user's hand grip. Therefore, changes in the wireless environment occur frequently, which easily leads to abnormal connection loss, and battery drain due to attempts to maintain and reconnect the communication link. According to one embodiment, considering the mobility of the electronic device (600) that creates the communication link, when the user wears the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), it may be determined to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). Accordingly, a stable connection of wearable electronic devices worn on the user's body can be maintained and an efficient communication link can be provided.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may obtain additional information from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), including at least one of the type of the external electronic device, the connection status with the electronic device (600) and/or other external electronic devices, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the previously connected communication link. The electronic device (600) may determine whether to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) based on the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) as well as the additional information of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602).

For example, when the RF performance of the second external electronic device (602) is degraded while a first communication link is established with the first external electronic device (601), the electronic device (600) may decide to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) without establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) in consideration of the mobility of the electronic device (600). In addition, for example, when the communication quality of the second communication link is degraded below a certain level while the first communication link and the second communication link are established with the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), the electronic device (600) may decide to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). Additionally, for example, the electronic device (600) may determine to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) if a number of communication links greater than the number of communication links that the electronic device (600) can stably operate are established. However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may determine to establish the third communication link based on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601), the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602), and/or additional information.

In operation 640, the electronic device (600) may request the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). More specifically, the electronic device (600) may request the first electronic device (601) to enable BLE scanning and establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the electronic device (600) may transmit information (e.g., identification information, device information, connection information of the second external electronic device (602)) necessary for the first external electronic device (601) to establish the third communication link with the second external electronic device (602).

In one embodiment, when the second communication link is not connected between the electronic device (600) and the second external electronic device (602), and when neither the first external electronic device (601) nor the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) based on the advertising signal, and receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link. That is, when neither the first external electronic device (601) nor the second external electronic device (603) is in a wearing state, the electronic device (400) may decide not to establish a third communication link, and may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) based on the received advertising signal. Furthermore, the electronic device (400) may receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link. Thereafter, the electronic device (400) may again receive information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (60) through the first communication link and receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link, and when both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in the wearing state, may request the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device (602).

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) after requesting the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link. The electronic device (600) may support multi-connection, which allows it to be connected and operate simultaneously with multiple external electronic devices. More specifically, the electronic device (600) may determine whether a second communication link is required and establish the second communication link. For example, the electronic device (600) may establish the second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) in situations such as when the battery of the second external electronic device (602) is sufficient, when the RF performance of the second external electronic device (602) is capable of maintaining multiple communication links, etc.

In one embodiment, when a first communication link and a second communication link are established, the electronic device (600) may request the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link, and then release one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link. More specifically, the electronic device (600) may determine whether a change in the first communication link and/or the second communication link is required, and may release or maintain the first communication link and/or the second communication link. For example, the electronic device (600) may release one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link when connected to another external electronic device, when the battery of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) is low, or when the RF performance is poor.

However, this is only an example, and the electronic device (101) may establish or release the second communication link based on various judgment criteria. In addition, the electronic device (600) may establish or release the second communication link at any time after requesting the first external electronic device (601) to establish the third communication link. For example, the electronic device (600) may establish or release the second communication link immediately after requesting the first external electronic device (601) to establish the third communication link, or may establish or release the second communication link after the third communication link is established.

In operation 650, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may establish a third communication link. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may establish the third communication link by detecting or receiving an advertising signal from the second external electronic device (602) or by receiving information necessary for establishing the third communication link from the electronic device (600). Alternatively, when the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) use the same user account, the first external electronic device (201) may obtain device information or connection information of the second external electronic device (203) from a server where device information is stored using the user account.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing and changing a communication link of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 710, the electronic device (600) establishes a first communication link with a first external electronic device (601). At this time, the first external electronic device (601) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the first external electronic device (601) may include a watch-type wearable electronic device. However, the first external electronic device (601) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices, such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may establish a first communication link with the first external electronic device (601) using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the electronic device (600) and the first external electronic device (601) may establish the first communication link by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the first communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE). For example, the first external electronic device (601) may perform BLE advertising after enabling Bluetooth. When an electronic device (600) performing a BLE scan receives an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_IND packet, an ADV_EXT_IND packet, or an AUX_ADV_IND packet), the electronic device (600) may perform a direct connection request to establish a first communication link, or may perform paging using Bluetooth legacy, and when a first external electronic device (601) performing a page scan receives this, the first communication link may be established. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (600) and the first external electronic device (601) may establish the first communication link through various methods.

In operation 720, the electronic device (600) may receive information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) from the first external electronic device (601) through a first communication link. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600) periodically or based on an event occurrence after the first communication link is established. In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may also obtain external electronic device information including information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) in an operation for creating a communication link with the first external electronic device (601).

In operation 730, the electronic device (600) may receive an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet) including information about the wearing status of the second external electronic device (602). The electronic device (600) may detect or receive the advertising signal advertised by the second external electronic device (602) through a BLE scan. At this time, the second external electronic device (602) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the second external electronic device (602) may include a smart ring type wearable electronic device. However, the second external electronic device (602) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In operation 730, the electronic device (600) may obtain information on the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) included in the advertising signal. For example, the ADV_EXT_IND packet may include a 1-bit field indicating information on the wearing state, and the electronic device (600) may check this 1-bit field to obtain information on the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602). In addition, in one embodiment, the advertising signal (e.g., the ADV_EXT_IND packet) may further include other information in addition to the information on the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602). For example, the advertising signal may include external electronic device information including information on the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602).

In operation 740, the electronic device (600) may determine whether both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a worn state. If the electronic device (600) determines that both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a worn state, in operation 750, the electronic device (600) may request the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). More specifically, the electronic device (600) may request the first electronic device (601) to enable BLE scanning and establish a third communication link between the first electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the electronic device (600) can transmit information (e.g., identification information, device information, connection information of the second external electronic device (602)) necessary for the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device (602).

Electronic devices that create a communication link based on a wireless network may lose the communication link due to the physical distance between the two connected electronic devices or ambient interference. In particular, mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones, are not used in fixed locations, but rather experience various changes in location depending on the user's usage pattern, such as the user's front/back pocket, inner shirt pocket, or the user's hand grip. Therefore, changes in the wireless environment occur frequently, which easily leads to abnormal connection disconnections, and battery drain due to attempts to maintain and reconnect the communication link. According to one embodiment, considering the mobility of the electronic device (600) that creates the communication link, a third communication link may be requested to be established between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) only when the user wears the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602). Accordingly, a stable connection of wearable electronic devices worn on the user's body can be maintained and an efficient communication link can be provided. In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may obtain additional information from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), including at least one of the type of the external electronic device, the connection status with the electronic device (600) and/or other external electronic devices, resources, battery, configured transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the previously connected communication link. The electronic device (600) may request to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) based on the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), as well as the additional information of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602).

In operation 760, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link with a second external electronic device (602). That is, the electronic device (600) may support multiple connections that can be simultaneously connected and operated with multiple external electronic devices. For example, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) if the battery of the second external electronic device (602) is sufficient and if the RF performance of the second external electronic device (602) is capable of maintaining multiple communication links. However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may establish the second communication link based on various judgment criteria.

If the electronic device (600) determines that neither the first external electronic device (601) nor the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) in operation 770. At this time, the electronic device (600) may establish the second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) based on the advertising signal received in operation 720. For example, if the second external electronic device (602) is an earbud, and the user opens the cradle before putting on the earbuds, the electronic device (600) may determine that the second external electronic device (602) is not in a wearing state and may establish a second communication link with the earbuds.

In operation 780, the electronic device (600) may again receive information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (60) through the first communication link and may again receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link. Thereafter, the electronic device (600) may return to operation 740 and determine whether both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in the wearing state.

For example, when a user wears a second external electronic device (602) and the wearing state changes, the second external electronic device (602) can transmit information about the wearing state of the second electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600) through a second communication link. More specifically, the second external electronic device (602) is an earbud, and when the user opens the cradle and before wearing the earbuds, the electronic device (600) and the earbuds can form a second communication link. At this time, when the user wears the earbuds, the earbuds can transmit information that the earbuds are in a wearing state to the electronic device (600) through the second communication link. When the electronic device (600) receives this and determines that both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state, the electronic device (600) can request the first external electronic device (601) to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602).

Actions 760, 770 and/or 780 may be omitted depending on the implementation. That is, the electronic device (600) may establish a second communication link or may omit the corresponding actions.

After establishing a second communication link, the electronic device (200) can receive information about the wearing status of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link, and can periodically or based on an event check the wearing status of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device and establish a third communication link. The operation of establishing the third communication link in a state where the first communication link and the second communication link are established will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing and changing a communication link of an electronic device according to another embodiment.

In steps 810 and 820, the electronic device (600) establishes a first communication link and a second communication link with a first external electronic device (601) and a second external electronic device (602), respectively. At this time, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the first external electronic device (601) may include a watch-type wearable electronic device, and the second external electronic device (602) may include a smart ring-type wearable electronic device. However, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices such as belts, necklaces, bracelets, VR (virtual reality) headsets, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may establish a first communication link and a second communication link with the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), respectively, using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the electronic device (600) may establish the first communication link and the second communication link with the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), respectively, by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the first communication link and the second communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

In operation 830, the electronic device (600) may obtain information on the wearing status of each of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may receive information on the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) from the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), respectively, periodically or based on an event occurrence after the establishment of the first communication link and the second communication link. At this time, when the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) changes, the electronic device (600) may receive information on the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) from the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602). In addition, the electronic device (600) can obtain information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) by transmitting an inquiry about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) to the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) through the first communication link and the second communication link, respectively, and receiving a response. Alternatively, the electronic device (101) can transmit a notification that the wearing state has changed from the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) whenever the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) changes without a separate inquiry operation.

Additionally, the electronic device (600) may receive information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) alone or together with other information. For example, the electronic device (600) may receive external electronic device information including information about the wearing status of each of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602). In this case, the method of receiving information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may vary depending on the case. For example, the electronic device (600) may periodically receive external electronic device information including information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602), and when a specific event occurs, for example, when the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) changes, the electronic device (600) may receive only information on the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602).

In operation 840, the electronic device (600) can determine whether both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state. More specifically, the electronic device (600) can determine whether both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state based on information about the wearing status acquired from each of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) in operation 830.

If the electronic device (600) determines that both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state, in operation 850, the electronic device (600) may request the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). More specifically, the electronic device (600) may request the first electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) to enable BLE scanning and establish the third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the electronic device (600) can transmit information necessary to establish a third communication link (e.g., identification information of the first electronic device (601), identification information of the second external electronic device (602), device information, connection information).

Electronic devices that create a communication link based on a wireless network may lose the communication link due to the physical distance between the two connected electronic devices or ambient interference. In particular, mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones, are not used in fixed locations, but rather experience various changes in location depending on the user's usage pattern, such as the user's front/back pocket, inner shirt pocket, or hand grip. Therefore, changes in the wireless environment occur frequently, which easily leads to abnormal connection disconnections, and battery drain due to attempts to maintain and reconnect the communication link. According to one embodiment, considering the mobility of the electronic device (600) that creates the communication link, when the user wears the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), a third communication link may be requested to be established between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). Accordingly, a stable connection of wearable electronic devices worn on the user's body can be maintained and an efficient communication link can be provided. In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may obtain additional information from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), including at least one of the type of the external electronic device, the connection status with the electronic device (600) and/or other external electronic devices, resources, battery, configured transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the previously connected communication link. The electronic device (600) may request to establish a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) based on the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), as well as the additional information of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602).

In operation 860, the electronic device (600) may release one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link. More specifically, the electronic device (600) may determine whether a change in the second communication link is necessary and release the second communication link. For example, the electronic device (600) may release one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link in situations such as when connected to another external electronic device, when the battery of the second external electronic device (602) is low, or when RF performance is poor. However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may release one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link based on various judgment criteria.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (400) may transmit and receive information via the other communication link when either the first communication link or the second communication link is released. For example, even if the second communication link is released, the electronic device (400) may transmit and receive information related to the second external electronic device (602) via the first communication link with the first external electronic device (601). That is, the first external electronic device (601) may receive information related to the second external electronic device (602) via the third communication link and transmit the information to the electronic device (600) that has not established a direct communication link with the second external electronic device (602) via the first communication link. Alternatively, the electronic device (600) may transmit information related to the second external electronic device (602) to the first external electronic device (601) via the first communication link, and the first external electronic device (601) may transmit the information to the second external electronic device (602) via the third communication link. When the first communication link is disconnected, information related to the first external electronic device (601) may be transmitted and received through the second communication link to the second external electronic device (602).

If the electronic device (600) determines that neither the first external electronic device (601) nor the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state, in operation 870, the electronic device (600) may again receive information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (60) through the first communication link and may again receive information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) through the second communication link. Thereafter, the electronic device (600) may return to operation 830 and obtain information about the wearing states of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602).

Additionally, if the electronic device (600) determines that neither the first external electronic device (601) nor the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state, the electronic device (600) may indicate to wear the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602). For example, the electronic device (600) may display a notification on the display module (430) indicating to wear the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) on the same body part. In one embodiment, the same body part may include, for example, the same arm and/or leg. When the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part, a more stable connection can be maintained and an efficient communication link can be provided. Operations 860 and/or 870 may be omitted depending on the implementation. That is, the electronic device (600) may indicate to release the second communication link or to wear the first external electronic device and/or the second external electronic device (602), or may omit the corresponding actions.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing a communication link of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 910, the electronic device (600) may determine whether either the wearing state of the first external electronic device or the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed. If either the wearing state of the first external electronic device or the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, the electronic device (600) may determine that a change in the communication link is necessary. That is, the electronic device (600) may determine whether a change in the communication link is necessary based on the wearing state of the external electronic device (200) with which the communication link is created. The wearing states of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) may change at any time depending on the user's activity. For example, the user may take off the wearable electronic device to charge the battery or wear the wearable device to go out. The electronic device (600) can check the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) for which a communication link is created, and determine whether a change in the communication link is required based on the wearing status.

As described above, the electronic device (600) can receive information about the wearing state from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) periodically or when a specific event occurs. Based on the received information about the wearing state, the electronic device (600) can determine that it is necessary to change the communication link if the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) is not in the wearing state.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) can check the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) from the time of detecting or receiving an advertising signal advertised by the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) before creating a communication link with the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) until the time of releasing the communication link after creating the communication link. The electronic device (600) can obtain information about the wearing state included in the advertising signal by detecting or receiving the advertising signal advertised by the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602). In addition, after creating the communication link, the electronic device (600) can inquire about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) through the communication link and check the wearing state by receiving a response. Alternatively, the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) may transmit a notification to the electronic device (600) that the wearing state has changed or may advertise an advertising signal including information that the wearing state has changed whenever the wearing state changes without a separate inquiry action. If the electronic device (600) creates a communication link with a plurality of external electronic devices, the electronic device (600) or the plurality of external electronic devices may share the wearing states of the external electronic devices by communicating them to each other through the created communication link.

If it is determined in operation 910 that either the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) has changed, the electronic device (600) may change the communication link in operation 920. In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may instruct the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) to change the communication link. For example, when a third communication link is established between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602), if the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) changes, the electronic device (600) may instruct to release the third communication link. Furthermore, after the release of the third communication link, the electronic device (600) may establish a first communication link with the first external electronic device (601) and/or establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device (602). Alternatively, after the third communication link is released, the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) may establish a communication link with another external device.

If it is determined that either the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) has not changed in operation 910, the electronic device (600) can maintain the current communication link in operation 930.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) receives additional information from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), including at least one of a type of the external electronic device, a connection status with the electronic device (600) and/or another external electronic device, resources, a battery, a set transmit power, RF performance, and a communication quality of at least one communication link, and may determine whether a change of the communication link is necessary based on the additional information as well as the wearing status of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602). For example, the electronic device (600) may determine that a change of the communication link is necessary when the battery of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) is low or the quality of the communication link is poor.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may receive a request to change a communication link from the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the electronic device (600) may determine that there is a need to change the communication link. The first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) primarily operate in a peripheral role, but may also request the electronic device (600) to change the communication link as needed. For example, the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) may determine whether to change the direct communication link based on additional information including at least one of the types of the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), the connection status with the electronic device (600) and/or other external electronic devices, resources, batteries, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of at least one communication link, and may request the electronic device (600) to change the communication link based on the result. For example, in a situation where both the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are in a wearing state and are connected via a third communication link, if the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) or the second external electronic device (602) changes, i.e., is taken off, the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602) may request the electronic device (600) to release the third communication link.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a stable and efficient communication link between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device can be provided.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 1010, a first external electronic device (601) may establish a first communication link with an electronic device (600). At this time, the first external electronic device (601) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the first external electronic device (601) may include a watch-type wearable electronic device. However, the first external electronic device (601) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices, such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may establish a first communication link with the electronic device (600) using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the first external electronic device (601) and the electronic device (600) may establish the first communication link by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the first communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE). For example, the first external electronic device (601) may perform BLE advertising after enabling Bluetooth. When an electronic device (600) performing a BLE scan receives an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_IND packet, an ADV_EXT_IND packet, or an AUX_ADV_IND packet), the electronic device (600) may perform a direct connection request to establish a first communication link, or may perform paging using Bluetooth legacy, and when a first external electronic device (601) performing a page scan receives this, the first communication link may be established. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first external electronic device (601) and the electronic device (600) may establish the first communication link through various methods.

In operation 1020, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing state to the electronic device (600) through the first communication link. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600) periodically or based on the occurrence of an event. At this time, when the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) changes, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600). In addition, the first external electronic device (601) may receive an inquiry about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) from the electronic device (600) through the first communication link, and transmit a response to the electronic device (600), thereby transmitting information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601). Alternatively, a notification may be sent to the electronic device (101) each time the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) changes.

In addition, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600) alone, or may transmit it together with other information to the electronic device (600). For example, external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600). In this case, the method of transmitting information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may vary depending on the case. For example, when the first external electronic device (601) periodically transmits external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) to the electronic device (600), and a specific event occurs, for example, when the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) changes, only information about the wearing state of the first external electronic device (601) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600).

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state by using a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (530) of FIG. 5). More specifically, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state by detecting whether the user's body is in contact with the first external electronic device (601) by using an IR sensor. In addition, the first external electronic device (601) can also obtain information about the wearing state by using other sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a biometric sensor). The first external electronic device (601) can also advertise by including the obtained information about the wearing state in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet).

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs. The wearable electronic device can be equipped with a sensor module for sensing various user biometric information. The wearable electronic device can sense, by using the sensor module, relatively simple sensing such as blood pressure and heart rate as well as precise medical biometric information such as electrocardiogram and blood oxygen saturation. In general, it is difficult to equip wearable electronic devices with a large capacity battery due to size limitations. Therefore, since wearable electronic devices must be able to be used for a long time with a limited capacity battery, rather than performing sensing continuously, sensing can be performed periodically at a set time or when a specific event occurs. For example, in the case of a wearable electronic device capable of measuring heart rate, heart rate measurement may be performed once every 10 minutes to minimize battery consumption. Similarly, the first external electronic device (601) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs.

In operation 1030, the first external electronic device (601) may receive a request for establishing a third communication link between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) from the electronic device (600). More specifically, the first external electronic device (601) may enable a BLE scan from the electronic device (600) and receive a request for establishing a third communication link between the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the first external electronic device (601) may also receive information (e.g., identification information, device information, connection information of the second external electronic device (602)) necessary for establishing the third communication link with the second external electronic device (602) from the electronic device (600).

In operation 1040, the first external electronic device (601) establishes a third communication link with the second external electronic device (602). In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may establish the third communication link by detecting or receiving an advertising signal from the second external electronic device (602) or by receiving information necessary for establishing the third communication link from the electronic device (600). Alternatively, in one embodiment, when the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) use the same user account, the first external electronic device (601) may obtain device information or connection information of the second external electronic device (601) from a server where device information is stored using the user account. The first external electronic device (601) may also establish the third communication link with the second external electronic device (602) based on the obtained device information or connection information of the second external electronic device (602).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing a communication link of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 1110, the first external electronic device (601) may release the third communication link based on at least one of whether the first external electronic device (601) is worn, whether the second external electronic device (602) is worn, type information, information related to the communication link, and information related to the status. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (601) may release the third communication link directly, or may transmit a request to change the communication link or a request to release the communication link to the electronic device (600).

In operation 1120, the first external electronic device (601) may transmit a notification to the electronic device (600) that the third communication link has been released. When the first external electronic device (601) directly releases the third communication link, in order to maintain a stable connection between the first external electronic device (601) and/or the second external electronic device (602), the electronic device (600) may be notified that the third communication link has been released, and may induce establishment of a first communication link or a second communication link between the electronic device (600) and the first external electronic device (601) or between the electronic device (600) and the second external electronic device (602).

In one embodiment, operations 1110 and 1120 may be implemented as subsequent operations of the operations illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of a second external electronic device according to one embodiment.

In operation 1210, the second external electronic device (602) may advertise an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet) that includes information about a wearing status of the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the second external electronic device (602) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the second external electronic device (602) may include a wearable electronic device of a smart ring type (or ring type). However, the second external electronic device (602) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices such as a belt, a necklace, a bracelet, a VR (virtual reality) headset, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may advertise external electronic device information including information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device (200) in an operation for creating a communication link with the electronic device (600). For example, the second external electronic device (602) may advertise external electronic device information including information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) by including the information in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet) in the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. The ADV_EXT_IND packet may include a 1-bit field indicating information about the wearing state.

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state using a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (530) of FIG. 5). More specifically, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state by detecting whether the user's body is in contact with the second external electronic device (602) using an IR sensor. In addition, the second external electronic device (602) can also obtain information about the wearing state using other sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a biometric sensor). The second external electronic device (602) can also advertise the obtained information about the wearing state by including it in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs. The wearable electronic device can be equipped with a sensor module for sensing various user biometric information. The wearable electronic device can sense, for example, relatively simple sensing such as blood pressure and heart rate, as well as precise medical biometric information such as electrocardiogram and blood oxygen saturation using the sensor module. In general, it is difficult to equip wearable electronic devices with a large capacity battery due to size limitations. Therefore, since wearable electronic devices must be able to be used for a long time with a limited capacity battery, rather than performing sensing continuously, sensing can be performed periodically at a set time or when a specific event occurs. For example, in the case of a wearable electronic device capable of measuring heart rate, heart rate measurement may be performed once every 10 minutes to minimize battery consumption. Similarly, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs.

In operation 1220, the second external electronic device (602) may establish a third communication link with the first external electronic device (601). In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may receive an AUX CONNECT REQ packet from the first electronic device (601) that has detected or received an advertising signal. In response, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit an AUX_CONNECT_RSP packet to the first external electronic device (601) and enter a connection state. Alternatively, in one embodiment, when the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) use the same user account, the second external electronic device (602) may obtain device information or connection information of the first external electronic device (601) from a server where device information is stored using the user account. The second external electronic device (602) may also establish a third communication link with the first external electronic device (601) based on the acquired device information or connection information of the first external electronic device (601).

In operation 1230, the second external electronic device (602) may establish a second communication link with the electronic device (600). For example, if the battery of the second external electronic device (602) is sufficient, or if the RF performance of the second external electronic device (602) can maintain multiple communication links, the second external electronic device (602) may establish a second communication link with the electronic device (600). However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (101) may establish the second communication link based on various judgment criteria. In addition, operation 1230 may be omitted depending on the implementation. That is, the electronic device (600) may establish the second communication link or may omit the operation.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a communication link of a second external electronic device according to another embodiment.

In operation 1310, the second external electronic device (602) establishes a second communication link with the electronic device (600). At this time, the second external electronic device (602) may include one or more wearable electronic devices. For example, the second external electronic device (602) may include a smart ring-type wearable electronic device. However, the second external electronic device (602) is not limited thereto, and may include various types of wearable electronic devices, such as belts, necklaces, bracelets, VR (virtual reality) headsets, earbuds, and glasses.

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may establish a second communication link with the electronic device (600) using the procedure for establishing a Bluetooth connection described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the second external electronic device (602) and the electronic device (600) may establish the first communication link by transmitting a paging signal using Bluetooth legacy and scanning the paging signal. Furthermore, the second communication link may be established using both Bluetooth legacy and Bluetooth low energy (BLE). For example, the second external electronic device (601) may perform BLE advertising after enabling Bluetooth. When an electronic device (600) performing a BLE scan receives an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_IND packet, an ADV_EXT_IND packet, or an AUX_ADV_IND packet), the electronic device (600) may perform a direct connection request to establish a first communication link, or may perform paging using Bluetooth legacy, and when a second external electronic device (602) performing a page scan receives this, the first communication link may be established. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second external electronic device (602) and the electronic device (600) may establish the second communication link through various methods.

In operation 1320, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state to the electronic device (600) through a second communication link in operation 1020. In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600) periodically or based on the occurrence of an event. At this time, when the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) changes, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600). In addition, the second external electronic device (602) may receive an inquiry about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) from the electronic device (600) through the second communication link, and transmit a response to the electronic device (600), thereby transmitting information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602). Alternatively, a notification may be sent to the electronic device (101) each time the wearing status of the second external electronic device (602) changes.

In addition, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600) alone, or may transmit it together with other information to the electronic device (600). For example, external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600). In this case, the method of transmitting information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may vary depending on the case. For example, when the second external electronic device (602) periodically transmits external electronic device information including information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) to the electronic device (600), and when a specific event occurs, for example, when the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) changes, only information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device (602) may be transmitted to the electronic device (600).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state using a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (530) of FIG. 5). More specifically, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state by detecting whether the user's body is in contact with the second external electronic device (602) using an IR sensor. In addition, the second external electronic device (602) can also obtain information about the wearing state using other sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a biometric sensor). The second external electronic device (602) can also advertise the obtained information about the wearing state by including it in an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet).

In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs. The wearable electronic device can be equipped with a sensor module for sensing various user biometric information. The wearable electronic device can sense, for example, relatively simple sensing such as blood pressure and heart rate, as well as precise medical biometric information such as electrocardiogram and blood oxygen saturation using the sensor module. In general, it is difficult to equip wearable electronic devices with a large capacity battery due to size limitations. Therefore, since wearable electronic devices must be able to be used for a long time with a limited capacity battery, rather than performing sensing continuously, sensing can be performed periodically at a set time or when a specific event occurs. For example, in the case of a wearable electronic device capable of measuring heart rate, heart rate measurement may be performed once every 10 minutes to minimize battery consumption. Similarly, the second external electronic device (602) can determine whether the second external electronic device (602) is in a wearing state periodically or when a specific event occurs.

In operation 1330, the second external electronic device (602) establishes a third communication link with the first external electronic device (601). In one embodiment, the second external electronic device (602) may receive an AUX CONNECT REQ packet from the first electronic device (601) that has detected or received an advertising signal. In response, the second external electronic device (602) may transmit an AUX_CONNECT_RSP packet to the first external electronic device (601) and enter a connection state. Alternatively, in one embodiment, when the second external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) use the same user account, the second external electronic device (602) may obtain device information or connection information of the first external electronic device (601) from a server where device information is stored by using the user account. The second external electronic device (602) may also establish a third communication link with the first external electronic device (601) based on the acquired device information or connection information of the first external electronic device (601).

In operation 1340, the second external electronic device (602) may release the second communication link with the electronic device (600). More specifically, for example, the electronic device (600) may release the second communication link with the second external electronic device (602) when it is connected to another external electronic device, when the battery of the second external electronic device (602) is low, or when the RF performance of the second external electronic device (602) is poor. However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (600) may release the second communication link based on various judgment criteria. In addition, operation 1340 may be omitted depending on the implementation. That is, the electronic device (600) may release the second communication link or may omit the operation.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a method for displaying a notification instructing to wear multiple external electronic devices on the same body part according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 14, the electronic device (600) may display a notification on the display module (430) indicating that the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) should be worn on the same body part. In one embodiment, the same body part may include, for example, the same arm and/or leg. When the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part, a more stable connection can be maintained and an efficient communication link can be provided.

In one embodiment, if the electronic device (600) determines that the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on different body parts, the electronic device (600) may display a notification on the display module (430) indicating that the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are to be worn on the same body part.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part based on sensor information received from the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). For example, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) can each include a motion sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor) that detects movement of the corresponding devices. The electronic device (600) can determine location information or attitude information of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) based on information detected through the acceleration sensors or gyro sensors of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). More specifically, the acceleration sensor can obtain information about the speed at which the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) move. In addition, the gyro sensor can obtain information about a change in the direction in which the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) move. The first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) can generate context information including information about the speed at which they move and information about a change in the direction in which they move, and transmit the context information to the electronic device (600). The electronic device (600) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part based on the context information received from the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). For example, the electronic device (600) may determine that the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part if the changes in the moving speed and/or moving direction of the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are the same or similar.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may determine whether the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part based on the distance between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). For example, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may measure the intensity of a signal received from the other device. The first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may calculate or estimate the distance to the other device based on the intensity of the received signal and transmit the result to the electronic device (600). Alternatively, the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) may transmit information related to the intensity of the received signal to the electronic device (600), and the electronic device (601) may calculate or estimate the distance between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). The electronic device (600) can determine whether the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part based on the acquired distance between the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602). For example, the electronic device (600) can determine that the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are worn on the same body part if the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) are within a set distance.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (600) may display a notification on the display module (430) instructing the user to wear the first external electronic device (601) and the second external electronic device (602) on the same body part in operation 860 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a second external electronic device according to one embodiment advertising an advertising packet including information about a wearing status through a secondary advertising channel.

Referring to FIG. 15, the second external electronic device (602) first advertises an advertising signal (e.g., an ADV_EXT_IND packet) on a primary advertising channel (CH. 37, 38, 39). The ADV_EXT_IND packet includes an Auxiliary Pointer (AuxPtr) field that provides information about an AUX_ADV_IND packet to be advertised on a secondary advertising channel. The AuxPtr field may include a channel index indicating a channel number of the secondary advertising channel, clock accuracy (CA) information indicating the clock accuracy of the advertiser, auxiliary offset information indicating a time interval between an ADV_EXT_IND packet sent on the primary advertising channel and an AUX_ADV_IND packet sent on the secondary advertising channel, offset unit information defining a time unit of the auxiliary offset, and information indicating a PHY to be used on the secondary advertising channel.

The second external electronic device (602) advertises an AUX_ADV_IND packet (1520) on a secondary advertising channel based on information included in an AuxPtr (auxiliary pointer) field of the ADV_EXT_IND packet. The AUX_ADV_IND packet (1520) includes actual advertising data. In one embodiment, the AUX_ADV_IND packet (1520) may include external electronic device information including information about a wearing status of the second external electronic device (602). In one embodiment, the external electronic device information may further include at least one of information related to a communication link, information related to a status of the external electronic device, and information related to a type of the external electronic device. For example, the external electronic device information may further include at least one or more of the following information: the name (e.g., name), address (e.g., part or all of BD_ADDR), device information such as manufacturer information, user account information, current connection information, connection and device information of past connected electronic devices, connection status information, status information of the cradle on which the external electronic device is placed, battery status information, transmission signal strength, and type of the external electronic device.

In this way, the operation of advertising an ADV_EXT_IND packet (1510) on a primary advertising channel and advertising an AUX_ADV_IND packet (1520) on a secondary advertising channel based on information included in an AuxPtr (auxiliary pointer) field of the ADV_EXT_IND packet can be performed repeatedly. The second external electronic device (602) may advertise the advertising signal for a set time as needed (e.g., until the expiration of a timer), or may advertise the advertising signal before or after connecting with an opposing device (e.g., electronic device (600)).

In Fig. 15, it is described that the second external electronic device (602) performs the operation, but this is not limited to this, and it is also possible for another external electronic device, for example, the first external electronic device (601) to perform the operation of Fig. 15.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment to create a communication link through a secondary advertising channel.

Referring to FIG. 16, the second external electronic device (602) advertises an ADV_EXT_IND packet (1610) on a primary advertising channel and advertises an AUX_ADV_IND packet (1620) on a secondary advertising channel. The ADV_EXT_IND packet (1610) and the AUX_ADV_IND packet (1620) may correspond to the ADV_EXT_IND packet (710) and the AUX_ADV_IND packet (720) of FIG. 15.

The electronic device (600) detects or receives an ADV_EXT_IND packet (1610) that a second external electronic device (602) advertises on a primary advertising channel. Thereafter, based on information included in an AuxPtr (auxiliary pointer) field of the ADV_EXT_IND packet (1610), the electronic device (600) detects or receives an AUX_ADV_IND packet (1620) on a secondary advertising channel. In one embodiment, the AUX_ADV_IND packet (1620) may include external electronic device information including information on a wearing state of the second external electronic device (602).

In one embodiment, when the electronic device (600) detects or receives an advertising signal advertised from a second external electronic device (602), the electronic device (600) may provide a menu (e.g., Bluetooth settings) for the purpose of searching for a device to the user, may provide an application (e.g., a wearable application) that can search for the second external electronic device (602), and may directly display the second external electronic device (602) located nearby through a pop-up type user experience (UX)/user interface (UI).

If the electronic device (600) determines that the user is wearing the second external electronic device (602) based on the acquired external electronic device information, the electronic device (600) creates at least one communication link with the second external electronic device (602) in the wearing state. More specifically, the electronic device (600) transmits an AUX CONNECT REQ packet (1630) to the second external electronic device (602) to request a connection to the second external electronic device (602). At this time, the AUX CONNECT REQ packet (1630) is transmitted on a secondary advertising channel, and is transmitted on a channel and time specified by the AuxPtr field of the ADV_EXT_IND packet (1610). The AUX CONNECT REQ packet (1630) may include an address of an initiator, i.e., an electronic device (600), and connection-related parameters such as a connection interval, a slave waiting time, and a timeout. At this time, the connection-related parameters may include transmit window delay information indicating the time from the time of completion of transmission of the AUX_CONNECT_RSP packet (1640) to the start of the first connection event, and transmit window offset information indicating the time at which actual data transmission can begin after the transmit window delay.

The second external electronic device (602) receiving the AUX CONNECT REQ packet (1630) accepts the connection request by transmitting an AUX CONNECT RSP packet (1640) to the electronic device (600). The AUX CONNECT RSP packet (1640) is also transmitted on the secondary advertising channel and may include the address of the advertiser, i.e., the second external electronic device (602), whether to accept the connection, and modified connection-related parameters if necessary. The second external electronic device (602) receiving the AUX CONNECT REQ packet (1630) waits for the transmit window delay, waits additionally for the transmit window offset, and then transmits a data packet within the transmit window in the first connection event. At this time, the electronic device (600) and the second external electronic device (602) may transmit and receive Data physical channel PDUs (1650, 1660) through an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) link.

In FIG. 16, it is described that the electronic device (600) performs an operation of creating a communication link with a second external electronic device (602), but this is not limited thereto, and it is also possible for the electronic device (600) and another external electronic device, for example, the first external electronic device (601), to perform the operation of FIG. 16.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a method for maintaining a stable connection state between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device and for managing an efficient communication link.

An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication circuit to support short-range communication, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device, receive information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, obtain information about a wearing status of a second external electronic device, and, when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status, request the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: receive an advertising signal including information about a wearing state.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal when neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, and receive information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: establish a second communication link with the second external electronic device, and receive information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device via the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: request release of one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: receive additional information from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, the additional information including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, configured transmit power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link; and determine to establish the third communication link based on the additional information.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: determine whether one of a wearing state of the first external electronic device and a wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, and, if it determines that one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, change a currently established communication link.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine whether a change of the currently established communication link is required based on at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link of at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to: display a notification instructing the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device to be worn on the same body part.

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may include a watch-type wearable device, and the second external electronic device may include a ring-type wearable device.

A method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of establishing a first communication link with a first external electronic device, an operation of receiving information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, an operation of obtaining information about the wearing status from a second external electronic device, and an operation of requesting the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing status.

In one embodiment, the act of obtaining information about the wearing state from the second external electronic device may include the act of receiving an advertising signal including information about the wearing state.

In one embodiment, if neither the first external electronic device nor the second external electronic device is in a wearing state, the method may further include establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal and receiving information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the operation of obtaining information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device may include an operation of establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device and an operation of receiving information about the wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link.

In one embodiment, the method may further include an action requesting that one or more of the first communication link and the second communication link be released.

In one embodiment, the method may further include receiving additional information from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link, and determining to establish the third communication link based on the additional information.

In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of determining whether one of a wearing state of the first external electronic device and a wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, and an operation of changing a currently established communication link when it is determined that one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed.

In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of determining whether a change of the currently established communication link is required based on at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link of at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device.

In one embodiment, the method may further include displaying a notification instructing the user to wear the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device on the same body part.

In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may include a watch-type wearable device, and the second external electronic device may include a ring-type wearable device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a stable and efficient communication link between a wearable electronic device and an electronic device can be provided.

The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the functions or operations performed by an electronic device may be performed by one or more processors executing one or more instructions stored in a memory. The functions or operations of the electronic device mentioned in the present disclosure may be performed by one processor executing one or more instructions, or may be performed by a combination of multiple processors executing one or more instructions. The processor mentioned in the present disclosure may be understood to include circuitry for performing calculations or controlling other components of the electronic device. For example, the one or more processors may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a system on a chip (SoC), or an integrated circuit (IC) configured to execute one or more instructions. The one or more processors may be configured to perform the operations of the electronic device described above.

In the present disclosure, a program (software module, software) may be stored in a non-volatile memory including a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disc storage device, a compact disc ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage devices, a magnetic cassette. Or, it may be stored in a memory formed by a combination of some or all of these. The memory may be formed by a single storage medium, or may be formed by a combination of a plurality of storage media. The one or more commands may be stored in a single storage medium, or may be distributed and stored in a plurality of storage media.

Additionally, the program may be stored on an attachable storage device that is accessible via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide LAN (WLAN), or a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Additionally, in the present disclosure, terms such as “part”, “module”, etc. may refer to a hardware component such as a processor or circuit, and/or a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor.

A "component" or "module" may be implemented by a program stored in an addressable storage medium and executed by a processor. For example, a "component" or "module" may be implemented by components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

The specific implementations described in this disclosure are merely exemplary and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. For the sake of brevity, descriptions of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted.

While the detailed description of this disclosure has described specific embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims (15)

In electronic devices, Communication circuit to support short-range communication; at least one processor; and Contains memory that stores instructions, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Establish a first communication link with a first external electronic device, Receive information about the wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link, Obtain information about the wearing status from a second external electronic device, and An electronic device that, when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a worn state, requests the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device configured to receive an advertising signal containing information about a wearing state. In claim 2, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: If at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device is not in a wearing state, a second communication link is established with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal, and An electronic device that receives information about the wearing status of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device, and An electronic device that receives information about the wearing status of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Receive additional information from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device, including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link, and An electronic device that determines to establish the third communication link based on the above additional information. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Determine whether at least one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed, and An electronic device that changes a currently established communication link when it is determined that at least one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device that determines whether a change to the currently established communication link is necessary based on at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of the currently connected communication link of at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device. In claim 1, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device that displays a notification instructing the user to wear the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device on the same body part. In a method performed by an electronic device, An act of establishing a first communication link with a first external electronic device; An operation of receiving information about a wearing status of the first external electronic device from the first external electronic device through the first communication link; An operation of obtaining information about the wearing status from a second external electronic device; and A method comprising an action of requesting the first external electronic device to establish a third communication link with the second external electronic device when both the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are in a wearing state. In claim 9, The operation of obtaining information about the wearing status from the second external electronic device is as follows: A method comprising the action of receiving an advertising signal including information about a wearing state. In claim 9, An operation of establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device based on the advertising signal when at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device is not in a wearing state, and A method further comprising the action of receiving information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. In claim 9, The operation of obtaining information on the wearing status of the second external electronic device is as follows: An operation of establishing a second communication link with the second external electronic device; and A method comprising the action of receiving information about a wearing state of the second external electronic device through the second communication link. In claim 9, An operation of receiving additional information including at least one of type information, connection status, resources, battery, set transmission power, RF performance, and communication quality of a previously connected communication link from at least one of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device; and A method further comprising an action of determining to establish the third communication link based on the additional information. In claim 9, An operation for determining whether at least one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed; and A method comprising an action of changing a currently established communication link when it is determined that at least one of the wearing state of the first external electronic device and the wearing state of the second external electronic device has changed. In claim 9, A method further comprising the action of displaying a notification instructing to wear the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device on the same body part.