Foldable device and method of controlling the same

• US 10,263,982 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dae-myung
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Angela R
• Application Number:
  US15/243,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 726 7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A foldable device includes: a display; a touch panel configured to detect a touch input; a sensing interface configured to detect an angle of the foldable device; and a controller configured to activate the display unit when the angle detected by the sensing unit as the foldable device is unfolded is equal to or greater than a first angle, and activate the touch panel when the angle detected by the sensing unit is equal to or greater than a second angle.

Claims

1. An electronic device, the device comprising:

a flexible display;

a first sensor configured to detect bending of the electronic device;

a second sensor configured to detect biometric information of a user; and

a processor configured to determine that the bending corresponds to unfolding of the electronic device, authenticate the user based on the biometric information while the electronic device is unfolding, and control the electronic device to provide an unlocked screen on the flexible display in response to authenticating the user when the electronic device is unfolded.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the electronic device is unfolded if an unfolded angle of the electronic device is greater than or equal to a predetermined first angle based on the bending sensed by the first sensor.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second sensor is positioned on a bezel of the electronic device.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second sensor comprises at least one of a fingerprint recognition sensor configured to sense fingerprint information of the user and an iris recognition sensor configured to sense iris information of the user.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the unfolded angle sensed being a second angle which is predetermined and less than the first angle, and to control the flexible display to provide a screen that indicates user authentication is in progress while the electronic device is unfolding, in response to determining the unfolded angle being the second angle.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the screen indicating that the user authentication is in progress comprises an image which changes in accordance with increase in the unfolded angle of the electronic device based on the bending sensed by the first sensor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the screen indicating that the user authentication is in progress comprises an image corresponding to the biometric information required to authenticate the user.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unlocked screen comprises a background, and

wherein processor is further configured to control the flexible display to provide a locked screen if the user is not authenticated, and the locked screen is one of a screen indicating that the authenticating is unsuccessful, a screen re-requesting user authentication, and a screen requesting input of a prestored password.

9. A method of unlocking an electronic device including a flexible display, the method comprising:

detecting bending of the electronic device;

detecting biometric information of a user;

determining that the bending corresponds to unfolding of the electronic device;

authenticating the user based on the biometric information while the electronic device is unfolding; and

providing an unlocked screen on the flexible display in response to authenticating the user when the electronic device is unfolded.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the determining that the bending corresponds to unfolding of the electronic device comprises, determining that the device is unfolded if an unfolded angle of the electronic device is greater than or equal to a predetermined first angle based on the bending.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detecting biometric information comprises sensing the biometric information through a sensor positioned on a bezel of the electronic device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detecting biometric information comprises sensing the biometric information through at least one of a fingerprint recognition sensor configured to sense fingerprint information of the user and an iris recognition sensor configured to sense iris information of the user.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

determining the unfolded angle being a second angle which is predetermined and less than the first angle; and

providing a screen that indicates user authentication is in progress while the electronic device is unfolding, in response to determining the unfolded angle being the second angle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the screen indicating that the user authentication is in progress comprises an image which changes in accordance with increase in the unfolded angle of the electronic device based on the bending.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the screen indicating that the user authentication is in progress comprises an image corresponding to the biometric information required to authenticate the user.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the unlock screen comprises a background, and

wherein the method further comprises providing a locked screen if the user is not authenticated by the authenticating, and the locked screen is one of a screen indicating that the authenticating is unsuccessful, a screen re-requesting user authentication, and a screen requesting input of a prestored password.