KR20220117579A - Method and electronic device using selective clock synchronization - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronic device according to an embodiment includes a pulse width modulation (pulse) signal from a reference clock signal based on a frequency range required by a main processor configured to request sensing of biometric information from an auxiliary processor and a sensor module selected for sensing of biometric information. width modulation (PWM) block the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator in response to receiving the external clock signal from the coprocessor, and the coprocessor set to provide the external clock signal generated through the selected sensor module, and a sensor module configured to sample a biosignal at a sampling frequency of a signal generated by dividing the external clock signal received from the auxiliary processor.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD USING SELECTIVE CLOCK SYNCHRONIZATION

The following disclosure relates to electronic devices and methods that utilize selective clock synchronization.

Wearable devices that measure a user's bio-signals and provide various bio-information are emerging. The wearable device may measure a biosignal using a sensor module to provide biometric information of a user. Sensors for measuring biosignals include an acceleration sensor for motion determination, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that transmits or reflects light to or reflects the blood vessels of the human body, and senses and detects the light returned by a photodetector as a current, and an electrode. There are electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors and/or body impedance analysis (BIA) sensors that use electrical signals.

The wearable device may acquire biometric information by analyzing the morphology of the biosignal obtained from the user. For example, the wearable device may acquire biometric information about blood pressure (BP) by tracking a change in the shape of a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal. In addition, the wearable device may acquire biometric information regarding the presence of arrhythmia by analyzing the shape of an electrocardiogram signal acquired through an electrode.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device includes: a main processor configured to request sensing of biometric information from an auxiliary processor; Set to provide an external clock signal generated through pulse width modulation (PWM) from a reference clock signal to the selected sensor module based on a frequency range required by the sensor module selected for sensing the biometric information coprocessor; and a sampling frequency of a signal generated by blocking an internal clock signal generated by an internal oscillator in response to receiving the external clock signal from the subprocessor, and dividing the external clock signal received from the subprocessor may include a sensor module configured to sample a biosignal.

The coprocessor comprises: a clock source for generating the reference clock signal; and a pulse width electrically connected to the sensor module and generating the external clock signal having a frequency within the frequency range from the reference clock signal through the pulse width modulation to provide the generated external clock signal to the sensor module It may include a modulation module.

The auxiliary processor may be further configured to initiate pulse width modulation to generate the external clock signal when a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy.

The auxiliary processor includes a timer operating with a reference frequency of the reference clock signal used to generate the external clock signal provided to the sensor module, and the biometric sampled from the buffer of the sensor module according to the timer. It may be further configured to process a signal.

The auxiliary processor may be further configured to stop pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal when a measurement accuracy required for sensing the biometric information is less than or equal to a threshold accuracy.

The sensor module may be configured to sample the biosignal at a sampling frequency of a signal generated by dividing the internal clock signal while the reception of the external clock signal from the auxiliary processor is stopped.

In response to a case in which the degree of movement of the electronic device is less than or equal to a threshold movement, the coprocessor initiates pulse width modulation to generate the external clock signal, and in response when the degree of movement of the electronic device exceeds a threshold movement, The generation of the external clock signal may be terminated by stopping the pulse width modulation.

The auxiliary processor may be further configured to terminate the generation of the external clock signal by stopping the pulse width modulation in response to the end of the biometric measurement by the selected sensor module.

The auxiliary processor may configure the sensor module by loading sensor setting information corresponding to biometric information to be measured among a plurality of sensor setting information.

The coprocessor includes a plurality of pulse width modulation modules for generating a plurality of external clock signals having different frequencies by individually modulating a reference clock signal received from a clock source, and a plurality of sensors for sensing the biometric information. When the modules are selected, the selected plurality of sensor modules are grouped into one or more sensor groups based on a required frequency range, respectively, and among the plurality of external clock signals with respect to a sensor module included in the same sensor group. The same external clock signal can be provided.

In a method performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment, an external clock signal generated through pulse width modulation from a reference clock signal is selected based on a frequency range required by a sensor module selected for sensing of biometric information. providing a sensor module; and blocking the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator in response to the sensor module receiving the external clock signal and dividing the external clock signal, thereby sampling the biosignal at the sampling frequency of the generated signal. can do.

The electronic device according to an embodiment may synchronize clocks by allowing the sensor module and the auxiliary processor to have clock signals generated from the same clock source. The electronic device according to an embodiment may reduce an error of a clock signal between the sensor module and the auxiliary processor by synchronizing the clock signal between the sensor module and the auxiliary processor.

The auxiliary processor of the electronic device according to an embodiment may reduce power consumption required for the electronic device by performing operations of controlling the sensor module and processing data instead of the main processor. The electronic device according to an embodiment may reduce power consumption required for the electronic device by switching the auxiliary processor to the sleep state when the measurement accuracy required for biometric information to be measured is low.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device in a network environment according to example embodiments.
2A and 2B are perspective views of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.
3 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment;
4 is a diagram illustrating clock synchronization between an auxiliary processor and a sensor module of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a coprocessor of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.
7A illustrates an operation in which a sensor module of an electronic device samples a biosignal using an external clock signal, according to an exemplary embodiment.
7B illustrates an operation in which a sensor module of an electronic device samples a biosignal using an internal clock signal according to an exemplary embodiment.
8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining clock synchronization between an auxiliary processor of an electronic device and a plurality of sensor modules according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted.

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

The processor 120, for example, executes software (eg, a program 140) to execute at least one other component (eg, a hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120. It can control and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of data processing or operation, the processor 120 converts commands or data received from other components (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190 ) to the volatile memory 132 . may be stored in , process commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132 , and store the result data in the non-volatile memory 134 . According to an embodiment, the processor 120 is the main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor 123 (eg, a graphic processing unit, a neural network processing unit (eg, a graphic processing unit, a neural network processing unit) a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, when the electronic device 101 includes the main processor 121 and the sub-processor 123 , the sub-processor 123 uses less power than the main processor 121 or is set to be specialized for a specified function. can The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from or as a part of the main processor 121 .

The secondary processor 123 may, for example, act on behalf of the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or when the main processor 121 is active (eg, executing an application). ), together with the main processor 121, at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (eg, the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) It is possible to control at least some of the related functions or states. According to an embodiment, the coprocessor 123 (eg, an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (eg, the camera module 180 or the communication module 190 ). have. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (eg, a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. Artificial intelligence models can be created through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device 101 itself on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (eg, the server 108). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but in the above example not limited The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. Artificial neural networks include deep neural networks (DNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), restricted boltzmann machines (RBMs), deep belief networks (DBNs), bidirectional recurrent deep neural networks (BRDNNs), It may be one of deep Q-networks or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the above example. The artificial intelligence model may include, in addition to, or alternatively, a software structure in addition to the hardware structure.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component (eg, the processor 120 or the sensor module 176 ) of the electronic device 101 . The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (eg, the program 140 ) and instructions related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a 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 may receive a command or data to be used by a component (eg, the processor 120 ) of the electronic device 101 from the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (eg, a button), or a digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The sound output module 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101 . The sound output module 155 may 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. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as part of the speaker.

The display module 160 may visually provide information to the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The display module 160 may include, for example, a control circuit for controlling a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display module 160 may include a touch sensor configured to sense a touch or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electric signal or, conversely, convert an electric signal into a sound. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 acquires a sound through the input module 150 , or an external electronic device (eg, a sound output module 155 ) connected directly or wirelessly with the electronic device 101 . The electronic device 102) (eg, a speaker or headphones) may output a sound.

The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may 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, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols that may be used by the electronic device 101 to directly or wirelessly connect with an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an 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 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (eg, vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

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

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

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101 . According to one embodiment, battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 is a direct (eg, wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108). It can support establishment and communication performance through the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) and support direct (eg, wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, : It may include a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). A corresponding communication module among these communication modules is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (eg, legacy It may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or a WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (eg, multiple chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module 192 uses subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 196 within a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 . The electronic device 101 may be identified or authenticated.

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

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to the outside (eg, an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna including a conductor formed on a substrate (eg, a PCB) or a radiator formed of a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (eg, 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 is connected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 . can be selected. 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. According to some embodiments, other components (eg, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiator 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 comprises a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first side (eg, bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (eg, mmWave band); and a plurality of antennas (eg, an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent to a second side (eg, top or side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the designated high frequency band. can do.

At least some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method between peripheral devices (eg, a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and a signal ( e.g. commands or data) can be exchanged with each other.

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

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B , the electronic device 200 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to an exemplary embodiment has a first surface (or front surface) 210A and a second surface (or rear surface). a housing 210 including a side surface 210C surrounding a space between the first surface 210A and the second surface 210B, and a housing 210 connected to at least a portion of the housing 210 and the electronic It may include fastening members 250 and 260 configured to detachably attach the device 200 to a part of the user's body (eg, wrist, ankle, etc.). In another embodiment (not shown), the housing may refer to a structure that forms part of the first surface 210A, the second surface 210B, and the side surface 210C of FIGS. 2A and 2B . According to an embodiment, the first surface 210A may be formed by the front plate 201 (eg, a glass plate including various coating layers or a polymer plate) at least a portion of which is substantially transparent. The second surface 210B may be formed by a substantially opaque back plate 207 . The back plate 207 is formed by, for example, coated or tinted glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (eg, aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the foregoing. can be The side surface 210C is coupled to the front plate 201 and the rear plate 207 and may be formed by a side bezel structure (or “side member”) 206 including a metal and/or a polymer. In some embodiments, the back plate 207 and the side bezel structure 206 are integrally formed and may include the same material (eg, a metal material such as aluminum). The binding members 250 and 260 may be formed of various materials and shapes. A woven fabric, leather, rubber, urethane, metal, ceramic, or a combination of at least two of the above materials may be used to form an integral and a plurality of unit links to be able to flow with each other.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 includes a display 220 (refer to FIG. 3 ), audio modules 205 and 208 , a sensor module 211 , key input devices 202 , 203 , 204 , and a connector hole ( 209) may include at least one or more of. In some embodiments, the electronic device 200 omits at least one of the components (eg, the key input device 202 , 203 , 204 , the connector hole 209 , or the sensor module 211 ) or other configuration. Additional elements may be included.

The display 220 may be visually exposed, for example, through a substantial portion of the front plate 201 . The shape of the display 220 may be a shape corresponding to the shape of the front plate 201 , and may have various shapes such as a circle, an oval, or a polygon. The display 220 may be coupled to or disposed adjacent to a touch sensing circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and/or a fingerprint sensor.

The audio modules 205 and 208 may include a microphone hole 205 and a speaker hole 208 . In the microphone hole 205, a microphone for acquiring an external sound may be disposed therein, and in some embodiments, a plurality of microphones may be disposed to detect the direction of the sound. The speaker hole 208 can be used as an external speaker and a receiver for calls. In some embodiments, the speaker hole 208 and the microphone hole 205 may be implemented as a single hole, or a speaker may be included without the speaker hole 208 (eg, a piezo speaker).

The sensor module 211 may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device 200 or an external environmental state. The sensor module 211 may include, for example, a biometric sensor module 211 (eg, an HRM sensor) disposed on the second surface 210B of the housing 210 . The electronic device 200 may include a sensor module not shown, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, It may further include at least one of a humidity sensor and an illuminance sensor.

The sensor module 211 may include electrode regions 213 and 214 forming a part of the surface of the electronic device 200 and a biosignal detection circuit (not shown) electrically connected to the electrode regions 213 and 214 . have. For example, the electrode regions 213 and 214 may include a first electrode region 213 and a second electrode region 214 disposed on the second surface 210B of the housing 210 . The sensor module 211 may be configured such that the electrode regions 213 and 214 obtain an electric signal from a part of the user's body, and the biosignal detection circuit detects the user's biometric information based on the electric signal.

The key input device 202 , 203 , 204 includes a wheel key 202 disposed on a first surface 210A of the housing 210 and rotatable in at least one direction, and/or a side surface 210C of the housing 210 . ) may include side key buttons 203 and 204 disposed in the . The wheel key may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the front plate 201 . In other embodiments, the electronic device 200 may not include some or all of the above-mentioned key input devices 202, 203, 204 and the non-included key input devices 202, 203, 204 may display a display. It may be implemented in another form, such as a soft key on 220 . The connector hole 209 may accommodate a connector (eg, a USB connector) for transmitting/receiving power and/or data to and from an external electronic device and may accommodate a connector for transmitting/receiving an audio signal to/from an external electronic device Another connector hole (not shown)) may be included. The electronic device 200 may further include, for example, a connector cover (not shown) that covers at least a portion of the connector hole 209 and blocks the inflow of foreign substances into the connector hole.

The binding members 250 and 260 may be detachably attached to at least a partial region of the housing 210 using the locking members 251 and 261 . The binding members 250 and 260 may include one or more of the fixing member 252 , the fixing member fastening hole 253 , the band guide member 254 , and the band fixing ring 255 .

The fixing member 252 may be configured to fix the housing 210 and the binding members 250 and 260 to a part of the user's body (eg, a wrist, an ankle, etc.). The fixing member fastening hole 253 may correspond to the fixing member 252 to fix the housing 210 and the coupling members 250 and 260 to a part of the user's body. The band guide member 254 is configured to limit the range of motion of the fixing member 252 when the fixing member 252 is fastened with the fixing member fastening hole 253, so that the fixing members 250 and 260 are attached to a part of the user's body. It can be made to adhere and bind. The band fixing ring 255 may limit the range of movement of the fixing members 250 and 260 in a state in which the fixing member 252 and the fixing member coupling hole 253 are fastened.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the electronic device 300 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 or the electronic device 200 of FIG. 2 ) has a side bezel structure 310 , a wheel key 320 , and a front plate 201 . ), a display 220 , a first antenna 350 , a second antenna 355 , a support member 360 (eg, a bracket), a battery 370 , a printed circuit board 380 , a sealing member 390 , It may include a rear plate 393 and binding members 395 and 397 . At least one of the components of the electronic device 300 may be the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 or the electronic device 200 of FIG. 2 , and overlapping descriptions is omitted below. The support member 360 may be disposed inside the electronic device 300 and connected to the side bezel structure 310 , or may be integrally formed with the side bezel structure 310 . The support member 360 may be formed of, for example, a metallic material and/or a non-metallic (eg, polymer) material. The support member 360 may have a display 220 coupled to one surface and a printed circuit board 380 coupled to the other surface. The printed circuit board 380 may be equipped with a processor, memory, and/or an interface. The processor may include, for example, one or more of a central processing unit, a graphic processing unit (GPU), an application processor, a sensor processor, or a communication processor.

Memory may include, for example, volatile memory or non-volatile memory. The interface may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and/or an audio interface. The interface may, for example, electrically or physically connect the electronic device 300 to an external electronic device, and may include a USB connector, an SD card/MMC connector, or an audio connector.

The battery 370 is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device 300 and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. have. At least a portion of the battery 370 may be disposed substantially on the same plane as the printed circuit board 380 . The battery 370 may be integrally disposed inside the electronic device 200 , or may be disposed detachably from the electronic device 200 .

The first antenna 350 may be disposed between the display 220 and the support member 360 . The first antenna 350 may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and/or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The first antenna 350 may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit/receive power required for charging, and may transmit a magnetic-based signal including a short-range communication signal or payment data. . In another embodiment, the antenna structure may be formed by a part of the side bezel structure 310 and/or the support member 360 or a combination thereof.

The second antenna 355 may be disposed between the printed circuit board 380 and the rear plate 393 . The second antenna 355 may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and/or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The second antenna 355 may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit/receive power required for charging, and may transmit a magnetic-based signal including a short-range communication signal or payment data. . In another embodiment, an antenna structure may be formed by a part of the side bezel structure 310 and/or the rear plate 393 or a combination thereof.

The sealing member 390 may be positioned between the side bezel structure 310 and the rear plate 393 . The sealing member 390 may be configured to block moisture and foreign substances from flowing into the space surrounded by the side bezel structure 310 and the rear plate 393 from the outside.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may have various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

The various embodiments of this document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of the noun corresponding to the item may include one or more of the item, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, "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 "A , B, or C," each of which may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may simply be used to distinguish an element from other elements in question, and may refer elements to other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited. It is said that one (eg, first) component is “coupled” or “connected” to another (eg, second) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively”. When referenced, it means that one component can be connected to the other component directly (eg by wire), 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 is interchangeable with terms such as, for example, logic, logic block, component, or circuit. can be used as A module may be an integrally formed part or a minimum unit or a part of the part that performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present document include one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (eg, electronic device 101). may be implemented as software (eg, the program 140) including For example, the processor (eg, the processor 120 ) of the device (eg, the electronic device 101 ) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This makes it possible for the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the called at least one command. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (eg, electromagnetic wave), and this term is used in cases where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided in a computer program product (computer program product). Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly, online between smartphones (eg: smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a singular or a plurality of entities, and some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in other components. have. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg, a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each component 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, operations performed by a module, program, or other component are executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations are executed in a different order, or omitted. , or one or more other operations may be added.

The processor may acquire data from the sensor module through an interrupt method or a polling method. In both schemes, the timing of processing sensor data by the processor may be determined by a clock signal. The clock signal may be received from separate hardware or may be generated by an oscillator inside the processor. The sensor module may sample data using a clock signal generated by an oscillator inside the sensor module.

A period of processing sensor data by the processor may be set according to scheduling of an operating system (OS). The period of processing the sensor data may be determined using an output signal of a timer disposed inside the processor. A timer may operate using a clock signal generated and received from a clock source. The cycle of processing sensor data by the processor differs depending on the case in which the sensor uses a buffer that operates in a first in first out (FIFO) manner (hereinafter, 'FIFO buffer') and when the buffer is not used. can be set. In either case, the frequency of the clock signal for the processor to process the sensor data may have a multiple relationship with the sampling frequency of the sensor.

The electronic device may set a cycle of sampling the biosignal by the sensor module including the FIFO buffer as a multiple of a cycle of processing sensor data by the processor. The electronic device may set a cycle for sampling the biosignal by the sensor module that does not use a buffer to be the same as a cycle for processing sensor data by the processor.

When the clock of the processor and the clock of the sensor module are not synchronized, an error may occur in the processing of sensor data due to a relative difference between the clocks. For example, if the clock rate of the processor is faster than the clock rate of the sensor module, some data may be lost in processing the sensor data by the processor. Also, when the clock speed of the processor is slower than the clock speed of the sensor module, some data may be duplicated in the processing of the sensor data by the processor. As the difference between the clock speed of the processor and the clock speed of the sensor module increases, data loss and duplication may occur more frequently.

The electronic device according to an embodiment precisely synchronizes a clock signal between the processor and the sensor module, so that the processor may more accurately acquire signal data from the sensor module without duplication or omission of signal data.

4 is a diagram for explaining clock synchronization between a sensor module of an electronic device and an auxiliary processor according to an exemplary embodiment.

The electronic device 400 according to an embodiment includes a main processor 410 (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ), an auxiliary processor 420 (eg, the auxiliary processor 123 of FIG. 1 ), and a sensor module ( 430) (eg, the sensor module 176 of FIG. 1 ).

The main processor 410 may be electrically connected to an input module (eg, the input module 150 of FIG. 1 ) to receive an input for biometric information to be measured from a user through the input module. The main processor 410 may be electrically connected to the auxiliary processor 420 to transmit a command to the auxiliary processor 420 . The auxiliary processor 420 may be electrically connected to the sensor module 430 to transmit a command to the sensor module 430 . When receiving a command for sensing the biosignal from the auxiliary processor 420 , the sensor module 430 may sense the biosignal and transmit the biosignal to the coprocessor 420 . The sensor module 430 may generate biometric data information by sampling the biosignal. The auxiliary processor 420 may receive biometric data information sampled from the sensor module 430 and obtain biometric information by processing the received biometric data information. The auxiliary processor 420 may transmit the obtained biometric information to the main processor 410 . The main processor 410 may display the received biometric information on a display module (eg, the display module 160 of FIG. 1 ).

The main processor 410 may request the secondary processor 420 to sense the biometric information. The auxiliary processor 420 may select the sensor module 430 for sensing the corresponding biometric information in response to the sensing request from the main processor 410 . The auxiliary processor 420 may generate and provide an external clock signal to the selected sensor module 430 . As will be described later, the auxiliary processor 420 may not provide the external clock signal to the selected sensor module 430 when the measurement accuracy required for sensing the requested biometric information is less than or equal to the threshold accuracy.

The auxiliary processor 420 may perform operations of controlling the sensor module and processing data instead of the main processor 410 while the main processor 410 enters the first sleep state. Since the auxiliary processor 420 requires less power than the main processor 410 , the auxiliary processor 420 operates instead of the main processor 410 , thereby reducing power consumption. Separately from the first sleep state of the main processor 410 , the auxiliary processor 420 may enter a second sleep state in which the pulse width modulation module 422 is turned off. When the pulse width modulation module 422 is also deactivated, power consumption may be further reduced. The second sleep state of the coprocessor 420 will be described with reference to FIG. 7B . The auxiliary processor 420 may control the setting of the sensor module 430 according to a command received from the main processor 410 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the auxiliary processor 420 may directly control the setting of the sensor module 430 without a command from the main processor 410 as necessary. The coprocessor 420 may include a clock source 421 , a pulse width modulation module 422 , a timer 423 , and/or a core 424 .

The clock source 421 may generate a reference clock signal having a reference frequency. The clock source 421 may transmit the generated reference clock signal to the pulse width modulation module 422 and the timer 423 . For example, the clock source 421 may be, but is not limited to, an oscillator, and may represent a device, circuit, module, and/or device capable of generating a clock signal.

The pulse width modulation module 422 may generate an external clock signal by applying pulse width modulation (PWM) to the reference clock signal received from the clock source 421 , and transmit the generated external clock signal to the sensor module. (430) may be provided. The pulse width modulation module 422 may change the duty ratio by adjusting the pulse width of the reference clock signal, and may change the frequency by adjusting the period of the reference clock signal. The pulse width modulation module 422 may generate an external clock signal for the selected sensor module 430 through pulse width modulation and period modulation. The external clock signal for the selected sensor module 430 may have a frequency range and a duty ratio range receivable by the corresponding sensor module 430 .

The timer 423 may operate by receiving a reference clock signal generated from the clock source 421 . The timer 423 may output an interrupt digital signal to the core 424 at a predetermined time period by adjusting the frequency of the reference clock signal.

The core 424 may receive an interrupt digital signal generated from the timer 423 . The auxiliary processor 420 may process biometric data information sampled by the sensor module 430 based on the output signal of the timer.

The sensor module 430 senses a user's biosignal based on an internal clock signal or an external clock signal, and sends biometric data information generated by sampling the biosignal to the main processor 410 and/or the auxiliary processor 420 . can transmit The sensor module 430 may include an internal oscillator 431 , a divider 432 , a sensing unit 433 , a buffer 434 , and an LED driver 435 . .

The internal oscillator 431 may generate an internal clock signal used by the sensor module 430 itself.

The divider 432 may receive an external clock signal received from the coprocessor 420 or an internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator 431 as an input. The divider 432 may generate a signal having a sampling frequency (hereinafter, referred to as a 'sampling frequency signal') by dividing the received clock signal. The divider 432 may provide the generated sampling frequency signal to the sensing unit 433 and the LED driver 435 .

When the sensor module 430 starts sensing the biosignal, the LED driver 435 may emit an optical signal to the body part of the subject according to the command of the auxiliary processor 420 . The LED driver 435 may operate a light emitting diode (LED) device according to the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 432 . For example, the LED driver 435 may emit light from the LED element at a sampling frequency.

When the sensor module 430 starts sensing the biosignal, the sensing unit 433 may sense the biosignal from the user and transmit it to the buffer 434 . The sensing unit 433 may sample the biosignal based on the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 432 , and transfer the sampled biometric data information to the buffer 434 .

For example, the sensing unit 433 may include a photodiode and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The LED driver 435 may radiate an optical signal to a body part of a subject according to a sampling frequency signal according to a command of the auxiliary processor 420 . The photodiode may integrate photocharges corresponding to the amount of reflected or transmitted light, and transmit a signal in the form of an analog current to the analog-to-digital converter according to the accumulated photocharges. The analog-to-digital converter may convert a signal in the form of an analog current into a digital signal and transmit it to the buffer 434 . The photodiode may measure the analog PPG bio-signal based on the light signal emitted from the LED driver 435 and transmit the measured analog PPG bio-signal to the analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter may convert the analog PPG bio-signal into a digital signal and transmit it to the buffer ( 434 ).

As another example, the sensing unit 433 may include an electrode and an analog-to-digital converter. The electrode may be in direct contact with the human skin. For example, an electrode in contact with the skin may be used to sense or measure electrical resistance or electrical conductivity. The electrode may be used to sense or detect a voltage corresponding to electrical resistance or a voltage corresponding to electrical conductivity. The electrode may measure an analog biosignal (eg, a BIA signal, an ECG signal) and transmit the measured analog signal to an analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter may convert an analog bio-signal into a digital signal and transmit it to the buffer 434 . When the electrode of the sensing unit measures the BIA signal or the ECG signal, the LED driver 435 may not be used.

The buffer 434 may temporarily store biometric data information transmitted by the sensing unit 433 . The buffer 434 may output bio-data information indicating the sampled bio-signal to the main processor 410 and/or the auxiliary processor 420 . The buffer 434 may be, for example, a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer.

When high-accuracy bio-signal sensing is required to measure bio-information, the electronic device 400 according to an embodiment includes a sensor module 430 for sampling bio-signals and an auxiliary processor for processing sampled bio-data information ( Synchronization of the clocks may be performed by allowing the 420 to have a clock signal generated from the same clock source. The electronic device 400 may reduce the clock signal error between the sensor module 430 and the auxiliary processor 420 by synchronizing the clock signal between the sensor module 430 and the auxiliary processor 420 .

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

In operation 510 , the main processor (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ) of the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) performs sensing of the biometric information by the secondary processor (eg, the auxiliary processor of FIG. 1 ) (123)) may be requested. The electronic device may receive biometric information to be measured from the user through an input module (eg, the input module 150 of FIG. 1 ), and the main processor may request the auxiliary processor to sense the biometric information received from the user. have. Biometric information is information indicating the user's biological state, for example, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure (BP), blood oxygen saturation (saturation of percutaneous oxygen, SpO2), or heart rate (heart rate). may be displayed, but not limited thereto, and may include information related to the user's health.

In operation 520 , the auxiliary processor of the electronic device may select a sensor module for sensing biometric information in response to a request for sensing biometric information from the main processor. The coprocessor may provide an external clock signal generated through pulse width modulation from a reference clock signal to the selected sensor module based on a frequency range required by the selected sensor module. When the measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may generate an external clock signal and provide it to the sensor module. When the measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information is less than or equal to the threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may stop generating the external clock signal.

According to an embodiment, the measurement accuracy may indicate a level at which a morphology analysis of a biosignal is required in order to acquire bioinformation corresponding to a corresponding type of biosignal according to the type of the biosignal. For example, the measurement accuracy of the biometric information corresponding to one type among the plurality of types may be a numerical value within a range corresponding to the plurality of types. In the present specification, for example, the measurement accuracy may have a binary value expressed as a value of 0 or a value of 1. The threshold accuracy may indicate a threshold value that is a criterion for whether an external clock signal is generated with respect to the above-described measurement accuracy. Exemplarily in this specification, an example in which the threshold accuracy is a value of 0 will be described. However, the measurement accuracy and the threshold accuracy are not limited to binary values, and the measurement accuracy for one type of biometric information may be determined as a value within a predetermined range (eg, a real range of 0 or more and 1 or less). The accuracy may be preset to a value within the aforementioned predetermined range (eg, 0.5).

Exemplarily, measurement accuracy of biometric information requiring analysis of a morphology of a biosignal among a plurality of types of bioinformation may be set to a value of 1. The measurement accuracy of bio-information that does not require shape analysis of bio-signals may be set to a value of 0. In this case, the threshold accuracy may be set to a value of 0. For example, since shape analysis is required from a biosignal to obtain electrocardiogram (ECG) information and blood pressure (BP) information, measurement accuracy for the electrocardiogram information and blood pressure information may be determined as a value of 1. Blood pressure (BP) information may be obtained by tracking a change in the shape of a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal. The electrocardiogram information interprets the electrical activity of the heart at a predetermined time, and may be obtained by analyzing the shape of the electrical signal. Heart rate (HR) information and oxygen saturation (SpO2) information can be obtained without analyzing the shape of the biosignal. Accordingly, the measurement accuracy of the electrocardiogram information and the blood pressure information may be set to a value of 1, and the measurement accuracy of the heart rate information and the oxygen saturation information may be set to a value of 0.

According to another embodiment, the measurement accuracy for one type of biometric information may be changed in response to a signal received from the user. For example, a default value of measurement accuracy for a corresponding type of biometric information in the electronic device may be determined as a numerical value (eg, 0) less than a threshold accuracy. In response to receiving an input requesting high-accuracy bio-signal sensing for the type of bio-information from the user, the electronic device sets the measurement accuracy of the bio-information to a numerical value exceeding the threshold accuracy (eg, 1 ) can be reset. By synchronizing the clock, the electronic device can sense a bio-signal with respect to bio-information requested by the user with high accuracy, and after the sensing of the bio-signal is finished, the measurement accuracy of the bio-information is lower than the threshold accuracy. It can be changed back to a numerical value. The electronic device changes the measurement accuracy of the bio-information to a default value (eg, 0) after the sensing of the bio-signal is finished, so that the sensor until a high-accuracy bio-signal sensing of the bio-information is requested again from the user. It is possible to measure a biosignal using an internal clock signal. In other words, the electronic device requests relatively high accuracy for biometric information in a predetermined situation (eg, a situation in which an input requesting high-accuracy bio-signal sensing is received from a user), and when the corresponding situation ends, Biometric information can be recovered with relatively low accuracy. For example, a default value of measurement accuracy for blood pressure information in the electronic device may be set to a numerical value (eg, 0) less than a threshold accuracy. The electronic device may reset the measurement accuracy of the blood pressure information to a numerical value (eg, 1) exceeding the threshold accuracy in response to receiving an input requesting high-accuracy bio-signal sensing with respect to the blood pressure information from the user. can After the biosignal sensing for measuring blood pressure information is finished, the electronic device may change the measurement accuracy of the blood pressure information to a numerical value (eg, 0) less than the threshold accuracy.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a numerical value of measurement accuracy for each biometric information may be changed according to a time zone, environment, and situation. For example, the electronic device may calculate the average power usage for each time zone, and may change the measurement accuracy of biometric information to have a numerical value exceeding the threshold accuracy in a time zone when the power usage is low. As another example, the electronic device may change the measurement accuracy value of the biometric information based on the external temperature among the measured environmental information. When the external temperature is too high or too low, the electronic device may determine that the user is in an emergency and may change the measurement accuracy of the biometric information to have a numerical value exceeding the threshold accuracy. As another example, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 7B , when the motion level of the electronic device is less than or equal to a threshold motion, the measurement accuracy may be changed to have a numerical value exceeding the threshold accuracy. Furthermore, the electronic device may dynamically change the measurement accuracy by applying a weight calculated according to time zone, environment, and situation to the measurement accuracy value.

In operation 530 , in response to receiving the external clock signal from the coprocessor, the sensor module of the electronic device blocks the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator and divides the external clock signal received from the coprocessor By doing so, the biosignal can be sampled with the sampling frequency of the generated signal. On the other hand, while the reception of the external clock signal from the auxiliary processor is stopped, the sensor module of the electronic device may sample the biosignal at the sampling frequency of the generated signal by dividing the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator of the electronic device.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a coprocessor of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

In operation 621 , the auxiliary processor may receive a request for sensing biometric information from the main processor.

In operation 622 , the coprocessor may compare a measurement accuracy required for the biometric information for which sensing is requested with a threshold accuracy. The memory may store in advance information on measurement accuracy and threshold accuracy required for each biometric information. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and without comparison between the measurement accuracy and the threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may determine whether to generate the external clock signal based on the measurement accuracy set for each requested biometric information. For example, when the measurement accuracy has a binary value, the coprocessor may determine to generate an external clock signal for biometric information for which measurement accuracy, which is a value of 1, is required. As another example, the coprocessor may determine to exclude generation of an external clock signal for biometric information requiring a measurement accuracy of zero.

In operation 623 , the coprocessor may initiate pulse width modulation to generate an external clock signal in response to a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy. When a measurement accuracy required for sensing of requested biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may turn on the pulse width modulation module to generate an external clock signal.

In operation 624 , the coprocessor may stop pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal in response to a case in which a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information is less than or equal to a threshold accuracy. When the measurement accuracy required for sensing the biometric information is less than or equal to the threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may turn off the pulse width modulation module to end generation of the external clock signal. When the measurement accuracy required for biometric information to be measured is low, the coprocessor may turn off the pulse width modulation module to put the coprocessor into a sleep state and reduce power consumption of the coprocessor.

In operation 625, the auxiliary processor may apply a setting to the sensor module selected as sensor setting information corresponding to the biometric information. The auxiliary processor may set the sensor module by loading sensor setting information corresponding to biometric information to be measured among the plurality of sensor setting information. The memory may store a plurality of sensor setting information libraries corresponding to biometric information. One sensor setting information library exists for each biometric information, and the sensor setting information library may include information of a sensor module to be selected to measure the corresponding biometric information and setting information of the corresponding sensor module.

For example, in response to a request for sensing blood pressure (BP) information, the auxiliary processor may apply a setting to the sensor module as sensor setting information corresponding to blood pressure (BP) information. The setting information of the sensor module may include LED (light emitting diode) setting information and clock setting information. The LED setting information includes information about the wavelength range (eg, Green, Red, IR) emitted by the light emitting diode (LED) in order to obtain biometric information from the corresponding sensor module, information about the blinking frequency of the light emitting diode (LED) Information, information about the pulse width of the light emitting diode, and information about a current applied to the light emitting diode (LED) to obtain a biosignal may be included. The clock setting information may include information on a sampling frequency and information on a division ratio of a frequency divider for sampling a biosignal according to the sampling frequency. For example, the sensor setting information library corresponding to blood pressure (BP) information among biometric information is information about the type of sensor for measuring blood pressure, the type of light emitting diode, and the sampling frequency, and includes a photoplethysmogrpahy (PPG) sensor, and a Green LED. , may include 100 Hz. In response to a request for sensing blood pressure (BP) information, the coprocessor selects a PPG sensor, emits an LED with a green wavelength, and sets the divider ratio so that the divider outputs a signal with a sampling frequency of 100Hz. have.

In another example, in response to a request for sensing of blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) information, the coprocessor selects a PPG sensor through a sensor setting library corresponding to the blood oxygen saturation information, and sets an LED to near infrared (IR) and red ( RED) wavelength, and the division ratio can be set so that the divider outputs a signal having a sampling frequency of 100 Hz.

As another example, in response to a request for sensing of heart rate (HR) information, the coprocessor selects the PPG sensor, emits an LED with a green wavelength, and a divider ratio so that the divider outputs a signal having a sampling frequency of 25 Hz. can be set.

When sensing of biometric information is requested from the main processor, the auxiliary processor may load a sensor setting information library corresponding to the requested biometric information among a plurality of sensor setting information libraries. The auxiliary processor may select a sensor module for measuring the requested biometric information using the loaded sensor setting information library. The auxiliary processor may determine whether a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy, and may turn on or turn off the pulse width modulation module based on the determination result. When the measurement accuracy required for sensing of biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor may turn on the pulse width modulation module to generate an external clock signal and output the external clock signal to the selected sensor module. After starting or stopping pulse width modulation, the coprocessor may configure the sensor module using the loaded sensor configuration information library.

7A illustrates an operation in which a sensor module of an electronic device samples a biosignal using an external clock signal, according to an exemplary embodiment.

The main processor 710 (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ) of the electronic device 700 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment includes the auxiliary processor 720 (eg, FIG. 1 ). Sensing of biometric information may be requested by the auxiliary processor 123 of 1). First, the auxiliary processor 720 loads a sensor setting information library corresponding to the requested biometric information to select a sensor module 730 (eg, the sensor module 176 of FIG. 1 ) capable of obtaining a biosignal related to biometric information. can Hereinafter, operations of the auxiliary processor 720 and the sensor module 730 will be described when the measurement accuracy required for sensing the requested biometric information exceeds the threshold accuracy.

The auxiliary processor 720 may turn on the pulse width modulation module 722 when a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy. The coprocessor 720 may generate an external clock signal through pulse width modulation from the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 721 using the turned-on pulse width modulation module 722 . The pulse width modulation module 722 may generate an external clock signal by adjusting a frequency and a duty ratio of the reference clock signal. As described above, the frequency range and duty ratio range receivable as an external clock signal may be different for each sensor module. The frequency range and duty ratio range of an external signal that each sensor module can receive may be determined according to the specification of the sensor module. The pulse width modulation module 722 may generate an external clock signal based on a frequency range and a duty ratio range required by the sensor module 730 selected from the reference clock signal. The pulse width modulation module 722 may provide an external clock signal output from the pulse width modulation module 722 to the selected sensor module 730 .

The auxiliary processor 720 may set the sensor module 730 by using the sensor setting information library loaded in response to the requested biometric information together with the provision of the external clock signal to the sensor module 730 . The auxiliary processor 720 may enable the biosignal sampling of the sensor module 730 according to the sampling frequency based on the sensor setting information library by setting the division ratio of the divider 732 . The auxiliary processor 720 may set the division ratio of the divider 732 as a ratio of the sampling frequency to the external clock signal. In addition, the auxiliary processor 720 may control the setting related to the LED of the sensor module 730 .

In response to receiving the external clock signal from the auxiliary processor 720 , the sensor module 730 may block the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator 731 and transmit the external clock signal to the divider 732 . have. The divider 732 that has received the external clock signal may output a signal having a sampling frequency according to the previously set division ratio and transmit it to the sensing unit 733 and the LED driver 735 . The LED driver 735 may operate the light emitting diode (LED) according to the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 732 . The sensing unit 733 may obtain a biosignal corresponding to an incident optical signal reflected or transmitted according to the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 732 , and output the obtained biosignal to the buffer 734 . The auxiliary processor 720 may process the biometric data information sampled from the buffer 734 of the sensor module according to the timer 723 operating at the reference frequency of the reference clock signal used to generate the external clock signal. The rate at which the auxiliary processor 720 processes the biometric data information sampled according to the timer 723 may have a multiple relationship with the rate at which the sensor module 730 samples the biosignal. The auxiliary processor 720 may process biometric data information sampled from the buffer 734 of the sensor module with a frequency signal equal to the sampling frequency of the sensor module 730 . The coprocessor 720 processes biometric data information based on the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 721 , and the sensor module 730 also receives the biosignal based on the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 721 . can be sampled. Since the clock signal used by the coprocessor and the clock signal used by the sensor module hardly generate an error, the coprocessor 720 can receive the biometric data information of the sensor module 730 without data loss or omission. .

In response to when the measurement of the biosignal by the sensor module 730 is terminated, the auxiliary processor 720 may stop the pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal. For example, the main processor 710 may receive a biometric measurement end input from the user through the input module, and the main processor 710 sends the biometric measurement end time to the sensor module 730 through the auxiliary processor 720 . can direct For another example, the sensor module 730 may end the measurement of the biosignal according to the indicated biometric measurement end time, and may transmit the sampling end signal to the auxiliary processor 720 . The auxiliary processor 720 may turn off the pulse width modulation module 722 in response to receiving the measurement end signal of the biosignal from the sensor module 730 . When the coprocessor 720 turns off the pulse width modulation module 722, generation of the external clock signal is terminated. Thereafter, when the sensor module 730 receives the measurement start signal of the biosignal from the auxiliary processor 720, the sensor module 730 measures the biosignal using the internal clock signal until the external clock signal is received. can do.

7B illustrates an operation in which a sensor module of an electronic device samples a biosignal using an internal clock signal according to an exemplary embodiment.

When the measurement accuracy required for sensing of the requested biometric information is less than or equal to the threshold accuracy, the auxiliary processor 720 may stop the pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal. When the required measurement accuracy is less than or equal to the threshold accuracy, the coprocessor 720 may turn off the pulse width modulation module 722 to end generation of the external clock signal. Turning off the pulse width modulation module 722 by the coprocessor 720 is described as entering the second sleep state. The auxiliary processor 720 may reduce power consumption by entering the second sleep state when the high measurement accuracy of the biosignal is not required.

After turning off the pulse width modulation module 722 , the auxiliary processor 720 may apply a setting to the selected sensor module 730 . The auxiliary processor 720 may configure the sensor module 730 by loading a sensor setting information library corresponding to the requested biometric information. The auxiliary processor 720 may set the division ratio of the divider 732 so that the sensor module 730 samples the biosignal according to the sampling frequency based on the sensor setting information library. The auxiliary processor 720 may set the division ratio of the divider 732 as a ratio of the sampling frequency to the internal clock signal. In addition, the auxiliary processor 720 may control the setting related to the LED of the sensor module 730 .

The sensor module 730 may sample the biosignal at the sampling frequency of the generated signal by dividing the internal clock signal generated from the internal oscillator 731 while the reception of the external clock signal from the coprocessor 720 is stopped. . The state in which the sensor module 730 stops receiving the external clock signal from the auxiliary processor 720 may include a state before receiving the external clock signal and a state after the reception of the external clock signal is terminated. The sensor module 730 may transfer the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator 431 to the divider 432 while the reception of the external clock signal from the auxiliary processor 720 is stopped. The divider 732 receiving the internal clock signal may output a signal having a sampling frequency according to the previously set division ratio and transmit it to the sensing unit 733 and the LED driver 735 . The LED driver 735 may operate the light emitting diode (LED) according to the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 732 . The sensing unit 733 may obtain a biosignal corresponding to an incident optical signal reflected or transmitted according to the sampling frequency signal provided from the divider 732 , and output the obtained biosignal to the buffer 734 . The auxiliary processor 720 may process biometric data information sampled from the buffer 734 of the sensor module according to the timer 723 operating at the reference frequency of the reference clock signal. When the measurement accuracy required for sensing of biometric information is low, the auxiliary processor 720 may turn off the pulse width modulation module 722 by allowing the sensor module 730 to operate as an internal clock signal, thereby reducing power consumption. do.

According to another embodiment, the auxiliary processor 720 of the electronic device generates an external clock signal or terminates the generation of the external clock signal according to the degree of movement of the electronic device 700 regardless of the measurement accuracy of the requested biometric information. may be In response to a case in which a motion level of the electronic device 700 is equal to or less than a threshold motion, the auxiliary processor 720 may initiate pulse width modulation to generate an external clock signal. In response to the case in which the degree of movement of the electronic device 700 exceeds the threshold movement, the auxiliary processor 720 may stop pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal. The auxiliary processor 720 may measure the degree of movement of the electronic device 700 using the acceleration sensor, and only when the degree of movement of the electronic device 700 is equal to or less than a threshold movement, the auxiliary processor 720 turns on the pulse width modulation module 722 to external A clock signal can be generated. In response to receiving the external clock signal, the sensor module 730 cuts off the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator 731 , and divides the external clock signal received from the auxiliary processor 720 . A biosignal can be sampled with a sampling frequency. When the degree of movement of the electronic device 700 exceeds the threshold movement, the auxiliary processor 720 may turn off the pulse width modulation module 722 to end generation of the external clock signal. The sensor module 730 may sample the biosignal at the sampling frequency of the signal generated by dividing the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator 731 while the reception of the external clock signal is stopped.

8 to 9 are diagrams for explaining clock synchronization between an auxiliary processor of an electronic device and a plurality of sensor modules according to an exemplary embodiment.

In the example of FIG. 8 , the first sensor module 831 , the second sensor module 832 , and the nth sensor module selected by the auxiliary processor 820 (eg, the auxiliary processor 123 of FIG. 1 ) in response to a sensing request Assume that all input frequency ranges and duty ratio ranges exist in (839). A case in which there is no overlapping input possible frequency range and duty ratio range for the plurality of selected sensor modules will be described with reference to FIG. 9 .

8 illustrates clock synchronization in the case where a frequency range and a duty ratio range of an external clock signal to which all of a plurality of sensor modules can be input exist. The main processor (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ) of the electronic device 800 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment requests the auxiliary processor 820 to sense biometric information. can At this time, the auxiliary processor 820 loads the sensor setting information library corresponding to the requested biometric information to obtain a biosignal related to the biometric information by the plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 (eg, the sensor of FIG. 1 ). module 176). For example, when there are a plurality of bio-signals required to measure the requested bio-information, the auxiliary processor 820 may measure the requested bio-information through each bio-signal obtained from a plurality of sensor modules. The auxiliary processor 820 may select the first sensor module 831 , the second sensor module 832 , and the n-th sensor module 839 to measure biometric information requested from the main processor. Here, n represents a natural number of 2 or more. Each sensor module has a frequency range and a duty ratio range that can be received as an external clock signal.

When the electronic device 800 according to an embodiment performs clock synchronization with respect to the auxiliary processor 820 and the plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 , the auxiliary processor 820 performs the pulse width modulation module 822 ) can be turned on. The coprocessor 820 may generate an external clock signal by applying pulse width modulation from the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 821 using the turned-on pulse width modulation module 822 . The auxiliary processor 820 may determine a common frequency range and a common duty ratio range from the frequency range and duty ratio range of each of the selected plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 . The coprocessor 820 may generate an external clock signal with a common frequency range and a common duty ratio range. The pulse width modulation module 822 may generate an external clock signal in a frequency range and a duty ratio range that can be commonly input to the plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 . The pulse width modulation module 822 may provide the same external clock signal generated as described above to each of the plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 . The auxiliary processor 820 may set a division ratio of a divider for each sensor module so that the selected plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 sample a biosignal according to each sampling frequency. The plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 may sample a bio-signal related to bio-information requested according to each sampling frequency. The coprocessor 820 processes each of the biometric data information sampled from the plurality of sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 on the basis of the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 821 , so that the coprocessor 820 and the plurality of Clock synchronization may be performed between the sensor modules 831 , 832 , and 839 . For example, the electronic device 800 may use an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor module and a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor module to measure blood pressure (BP) information among biometric information. In order to measure blood pressure information, an ECG biosignal sampled at a frequency of 500 Hz and a green PPG signal sampled at a frequency of 100 Hz may be used. If both the ECG sensor module and the PPG sensor module can receive an external clock signal, and there is a common input frequency range and duty ratio range, the same external clock signal generated from one pulse width modulation module is transmitted to the ECG sensor module. and a PPG sensor module. The corresponding pulse width modulation module may provide an external clock signal having a common input frequency range and a duty ratio range to the ECG sensor module and the PPG sensor module. The ECG sensor module may sample the ECG biosignal by dividing the received external clock signal with a frequency of 500 Hz. The PPG sensor module can sample the PPG bio-signal by dividing the received external clock signal with a frequency of 100 Hz.

9 illustrates clock synchronization for a case in which a frequency range and a duty ratio range of an external clock signal that all of a plurality of sensor modules can receive in common do not exist. The main processor (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ) of the electronic device 900 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment includes the auxiliary processor 920 (eg, the auxiliary processor of FIG. 1 ). The processor 123 may request sensing of biometric information. The auxiliary processor 920 may select a plurality of sensor modules (eg, the sensor module 176 of FIG. 1 ) for sensing the requested biometric information. Hereinafter, a case in which a frequency range and a duty ratio range of an external clock signal to which all of the plurality of selected sensor modules can be input do not exist will be described.

The coprocessor 920 may include a plurality of pulse width modulation modules 941 and 942 . Each of the plurality of pulse width modulation modules 941 and 942 may generate a plurality of external clock signals having different frequencies by individually modulating a reference clock signal received from the clock source 921 . Each of the plurality of pulse width modulation modules 941 , 942 can generate a single external clock signal, and is generated by one of the plurality of pulse width modulation modules 941 , 942 . The first external clock signal may have a different frequency than the second external clock signal generated by the other pulse width modulation module 942 .

Although only the first pulse width modulation module 941 and the second pulse width modulation module 942 are illustrated in FIG. 9 , the number of pulse width modulation modules is not limited thereto, and the number of the plurality of sensor modules is grouped. can be determined accordingly.

The auxiliary processor 920 may group a plurality of sensor modules to select each group for sensing biometric information. The auxiliary processor 920 may group the selected plurality of sensor modules into one or more sensor groups 951 and 952, respectively, based on a required frequency range. The auxiliary processor 920 may provide the same external clock signal among a plurality of external clock signals to a sensor module included in the same sensor group. The auxiliary processor 920 may group a plurality of sensor modules having a common frequency range and a duty ratio range of an external clock signal that can be input into one sensor group. The auxiliary processor 920 may provide an external clock signal generated through the first pulse width modulation module 941 to each of the sensor modules included in the first sensor group 951 . The first pulse width modulation module 941 may generate an external clock signal having a frequency range and a duty ratio range that can be input to a sensor module included in the first sensor group 951 and provide it to each sensor module. The auxiliary processor 920 may provide an external clock signal generated through the second pulse width modulation module 942 to each of the sensor modules included in the second sensor group 952 . An external clock signal having a frequency range and a duty ratio range that can be input to a sensor module included in the second sensor group 952 may be generated and provided to each sensor module.

The coprocessor 920 processes each of the biometric data information sampled from the plurality of sensor modules based on the reference clock signal generated from the clock source 921 , thereby generating a clock signal between the coprocessor 920 and the plurality of sensor modules. Synchronization can be performed. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 920 may group the selected plurality of sensor modules into a minimum sensor group based on a frequency range and a duty ratio range. Through this, the auxiliary processor 920 may synchronize the clocks and further reduce power consumption by providing an external clock signal to the plurality of sensor modules through the minimum pulse width modulation module.

Claims (20)

In an electronic device,
a main processor configured to request sensing of biometric information from an auxiliary processor;
Set to provide an external clock signal generated through pulse width modulation (PWM) from a reference clock signal to the selected sensor module based on a frequency range required by the sensor module selected for sensing the biometric information coprocessor; and
In response to receiving the external clock signal from the subprocessor, the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator is cut off, and the external clock signal received from the subprocessor is divided by the sampling frequency of the generated signal. A sensor module configured to sample biosignals
An electronic device comprising a.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
a clock source for generating the reference clock signal; and
Pulse width modulation electrically connected to the sensor module and generating the external clock signal having a frequency within the frequency range from the reference clock signal through the pulse width modulation to provide the generated external clock signal to the sensor module module
An electronic device comprising a.
3. The method of claim 2,
The coprocessor is
further configured to initiate pulse width modulation to generate the external clock signal when a measurement accuracy required for sensing of the biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy;
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
A timer operating with a reference frequency of the reference clock signal used to generate the external clock signal provided to the sensor module
including,
Further configured to process the biosignal sampled from the buffer of the sensor module according to the timer,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
further configured to stop pulse width modulation to end generation of the external clock signal when the measurement accuracy required for sensing the biometric information is less than or equal to a threshold accuracy,
electronic device.
6. The method of claim 5,
The sensor module is
configured to sample the biosignal at a sampling frequency of a signal generated by dividing the internal clock signal while reception of the external clock signal from the coprocessor is stopped;
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
in response to a case in which the degree of movement of the electronic device is less than or equal to a threshold movement, initiating pulse width modulation to generate the external clock signal;
In response to the movement degree of the electronic device exceeds a threshold movement, stopping pulse width modulation to end the generation of the external clock signal,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
In response to the end of the biometric measurement by the selected sensor module, further configured to stop the pulse width modulation to end the generation of the external clock signal,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
Setting the sensor module by loading sensor setting information corresponding to biometric information to be measured among a plurality of sensor setting information,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The coprocessor is
A plurality of pulse width modulation modules for generating a plurality of external clock signals having different frequencies by individually modulating a reference clock signal received from a clock source
including,
When a plurality of sensor modules are selected for sensing the biometric information, the selected plurality of sensor modules are grouped into one or more sensor groups based on a required frequency range, respectively, and a sensor module included in the same sensor group providing the same external clock signal among the plurality of external clock signals for
electronic device.
A method performed by an electronic device, comprising:
providing an external clock signal generated through pulse width modulation from a reference clock signal to the selected sensor module based on a frequency range required by the selected sensor module for sensing biometric information; and
Sampling the biosignal at the sampling frequency of the generated signal by blocking the internal clock signal generated by the internal oscillator in response to the sensor module receiving the external clock signal and dividing the external clock signal
How to include.
12. The method of claim 11,
The step of providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module comprises:
generating a reference clock signal;
generating the external clock signal having a frequency within the frequency range from the reference clock signal through the pulse width modulation and providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module;
How to include.
12. The method of claim 11,
The step of providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module comprises:
Initiating pulse width modulation to generate an external clock signal when the measurement accuracy required for sensing the biometric information exceeds a threshold accuracy;
How to include.
12. The method of claim 11,
processing the biosignal sampled from the buffer of the sensor module according to a timer operating at a reference frequency of the reference clock signal;
How to include more.
12. The method of claim 11,
The step of providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module comprises:
If the measurement accuracy required for sensing the biometric information is less than or equal to a threshold accuracy, further setting to stop the pulse width modulation to end the generation of the external clock signal
How to include.
16. The method of claim 15,
The step of sampling the biosignal comprises:
sampling the biosignal at a sampling frequency of a signal generated by dividing the internal clock signal while the reception of the external clock signal is stopped;
How to include.
12. The method of claim 11,
The step of providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module comprises:
generating the external clock signal by initiating pulse width modulation in response to a case in which the degree of movement of the electronic device is less than or equal to a threshold movement; and
In response to the movement degree of the electronic device exceeding a threshold movement, stopping pulse width modulation to end the generation of the external clock signal, and requesting the sensor module to use the internal clock signal.
How to include.
12. The method of claim 11,
terminating the generation of the external clock signal by stopping pulse width modulation in response to the end of the biometric measurement by the selected sensor module;
How to include more.
12. The method of claim 11,
The step of providing the generated external clock signal to the sensor module comprises:
Setting the sensor module by loading sensor setting information corresponding to biometric information to be measured among a plurality of sensor setting information
How to include.
A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer programs comprising instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 11 to 19.

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