Foldable device and method of controlling the same

• US 10,635,136 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: La, Jin, Bae, Yu-dong, Kim, Yong-ho, Ryu, Jong-hyun, Park, Yong-gook, Lim, Ae-young, Jeong, Kyung-ho, Choi, Youn-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/864,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• 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: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A foldable device and a method of controlling the same are provided. The foldable device includes: a flexible display which includes a main display area and an edge display area; and a controller which is configured to determine, based on an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded, a range of a partial activation area of the main display area, wherein the range of the partial activation area is partially bounded by a boundary between the edge display area and the main display area.

Claims

1. A foldable device comprising:

a flexible display comprising a main display area and an edge display area; and

a controller configured to;

control the flexible display to display content in a display area within the edge display area, and

based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, expand a range of the display area on which the content is displayed to include at least part of the main display area together with the edge display area,

wherein the main display area is positioned so as not to be exposed to an outside when the foldable device is completely folded, and the edge display area is positioned so as to be exposed to the outside and oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the main display area when the foldable device is folded such that the main display area is not exposed.

2. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display the content on the edge display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being greater than or equal to a predetermined first angle with respect to a state of being folded.

3. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display the content on a portion of the main display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being greater than or equal to a predetermined second angle.

4. The foldable device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to expand the portion of the main display area on which the content is displayed in response to the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being increased.

5. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display first content on the edge display area and to display detailed content, the detailed content being related to the first content, on an activated portion of the main display area.

6. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one from among a type, an amount, and an attribute of content that is to be displayed on the display area, based on the range of the display area on which the content is displayed.

7. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display the content on an entirety of the main display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded is greater than or equal to a predetermined third angle.

8. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and

the controller is further configured to determine a location from which a portion of the main display area on which the content starts to be displayed, based on a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

9. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and

the controller is further configured to determine at least one edge display area on which the content starts to be displayed from among the plurality of edge display areas, based on an angle at which the foldable device is inclined while in a state of being folded and a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

10. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display content with respect to an event on the edge display area in response to the event, the event comprising at least one of a message reception, a call reception, and an alarm being generated.

11. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein, based on an angle of the unfolding being greater than a predetermined angle, the controller is further configured to activate a first portion of the main display area and expand the display area to include the edge display area and the first portion of the main display area.

12. The foldable device of claim 11, wherein a second portion of the main display area remains deactivated when the first portion is activated.

13. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the non-zero angle is a perpendicular angle.

14. The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the edge display area is positioned so as to maintain the non-zero angle with respect to the main display area during the unfolding.

15. A method for controlling a foldable device that comprises a flexible display comprising a main display area and an edge display area, the method comprising:

displaying content in a display area within the edge display area;

based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, expanding a range of the display area on which the content is displayed to include at least part of the main display area together with the edge display area,

wherein the main display area is positioned so as not to be exposed to an outside when the foldable device is completely folded, and the edge display area is positioned so as to be exposed to the outside and oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the main display area when the foldable device is folded such that the main display area is not exposed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the content on the edge display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being greater than or equal to a predetermined first angle with respect to a state of being folded.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the content on a portion of the main display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being greater than or equal to a predetermined second angle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising expanding the portion of the main display area on which the content is displayed in response to the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being increased.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying first content on the edge display area; and

displaying detailed content, the detailed content being related to the first content, on an activated portion of the main display area.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting at least one from among a type, an amount, and an attribute of content that is to be displayed on the display area, based on the range of the display area on which the content is displayed.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising display the content on an entirety of the main display area in response to an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being greater than or equal to a predetermined third angle.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and further comprising determining a location from which a portion of the main display area on which the content starts to be displayed, based on a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and

further comprising determining at least one edge display area on which the content starts to be displayed from among the plurality of edge display areas, based on an angle at which the foldable device is inclined while in a state of being folded and a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program, wherein the program, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of claim 15.