Wearable electronic device and method for operating thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025369774-A1
Application number	US-202519280460-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 25, 2025
Priority date	May 29, 2024
Publication date	Dec 4, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an electronic device including a first housing having a ring shape, a second housing having a ring shape, the first housing and the second housing being connected and rotatable relative to each other, a plurality of magnet members, at least some of the plurality of magnet members being at different intervals in the second housing, a sensor in the first housing and configured to detect a magnetic force generated from the plurality of magnet members, a memory configured to store instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to control the sensor to detect a change in the magnetic force that is generated from the plurality of magnet members based on the second housing rotating relative to the first housing, and detect a rotation attribute of the second housing relative to the first housing based on an attribute of the detected change in the magnetic force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing having a ring shape; a second housing having a ring shape, the first housing and the second housing being coupled to be rotatable relative to each other; a plurality of magnet members, at least some of the plurality of magnet members being at different intervals in the second housing; a sensor in the first housing and configured to detect a magnetic force generated from the plurality of magnet members; a memory configured to store instructions; and wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the electronic device to:
control the sensor to detect a change in the magnetic force that is generated from the plurality of magnet members based on the second housing rotating relative to the first housing; and
detect a rotation attribute of the second housing relative to the first housing based on an attribute of the detected change in the magnetic force.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the rotation attribute comprises at least one of a speed at which the second housing rotates relative to the first housing, a direction in which the second housing rotates relative to the first housing, and a position of the sensor relative to the first housing.

3 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing having a ring shape; a second housing having a ring shape, the first housing and the second housing being coupled to be rotatable relative to each other; a plurality of magnet members comprising a first magnet member and a second magnet member, a portion of the first magnet member that has a first magnetic property and a portion of the second magnet member that has a second magnetic property being in the second housing adjacent to the first housing; a sensor in the first housing and configured to detect a magnetic force generated from the plurality of magnet members; a memory configured to store instructions; and wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the electronic device to:
control the sensor to detect a change in the magnetic force generated from the plurality of magnet members based on the second housing rotating relative to the first housing; and
detect a rotation attribute of the second housing relative to the first housing based on an attribute of the detected change in the magnetic force,
wherein the first magnetic property and the second magnet property are different from each other.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a polarity of the first magnetic property is opposite to a polarity of the second magnetic property.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a magnitude of the first magnetic property is different from a magnitude of the second magnetic property.

6 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of magnet members comprise a plurality of magnet member sets, and
wherein a first magnet member set of the plurality of magnet member sets comprises the first magnet member and the second magnet member.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of magnet member sets comprise the first magnet member set and a second magnet member set, and
wherein a gap between the first magnet member and the second magnet member in the first magnet member set is less than a gap between the first magnet member set and the second magnet member set.

8 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of magnet members further comprise a third magnet member having a third magnetic property, and
wherein a magnitude of a magnetic property of the first magnet member is greater than a magnitude of a magnetic property of the second magnet member, the magnitude of the magnetic property of the second magnet member is greater than a magnitude of a magnetic property of third magnet member.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein gaps between adjacent magnet members of the plurality of magnet members are different.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein gaps between adjacent magnet members of the plurality of magnet members gradually increase.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit a signal corresponding to the identified rotation attribute to a first external electronic device.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first external electronic device is configured to detect a second external electronic device to be controlled by the electronic device based on the signal corresponding to the identified rotation attribute.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second external electronic device is in a direction that a rotation axis of the first housing or a rotation axis of the second housing faces.

14 . A method for detecting a rotation attribute of a housing by an electronic device, the method comprising:
controlling a sensor in a first housing to detect a change in a magnetic force generated from a plurality of magnet members based on the second housing rotating relative to the first housing; and detecting a rotation attribute of the second housing relative to the first housing based on an attribute of the detected change in the magnetic force, wherein at least some of the plurality of magnet members are in the second housing at different intervals.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the rotation attribute comprises at least one of a speed at which the second housing rotates relative to the first housing, a direction in which the second housing rotates relative to the first housing, and a position of the sensor relative to the first housing that is displaced based on the rotation.

16 . A method for detecting a rotation attribute of a housing by an electronic device, the method comprising:
controlling a sensor in a first housing to detect a change in a magnetic force generated from a plurality of magnet members based on the second housing rotating relative to the first housing; and detect a rotation attribute of the second housing relative to the first housing based on an attribute of the detected change in the magnetic force, wherein the plurality of magnet members comprise a first magnet member and a second magnet member, and wherein a portion of the first magnet member that has a first magnetic property and a portion of the second magnet member that has a second magnetic property are in the second housing and adjacent to the first housing.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a polarity of the first magnetic property is opposite to a polarity of the second magnetic property.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a magnitude of the first magnetic property is different from a magnitude of the second magnetic property.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting a signal corresponding to the identified rotation attribute to a first external electronic device; and
detecting, by the first external electronic device, a second external electronic device to be controlled by the electronic device based on the signal corresponding to the identified rotation attribute.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second external electronic device is in a direction that a rotation axis of the first housing or a rotation axis of the second housing faces.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jinwook
• Kim Sunglak
• Kim Jihoon
• Ryu Jooyeol
• Yoon Yeonggyu
• Choi Sunyong
• Lee Jungwoo

Classifications

• G01D5/2454

  Encoders incorporating incremental and absolute signals · CPC title

• G01P3/487

  delivered by rotating magnets · CPC title

• G06F3/0362 Primary

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G01D5/142 Primary

  using Hall-effect devices (measuring magnetic variables using Hall-effect or other galvanomagnetic devices G01R33/06) · CPC title