ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160291642A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWAK, Woon-Geun, CHA, Do-Hun, KIM, Kyung-Jung, OH, Seung-Won, PARK, Jung-Sik, CHUNG, Jae-Ouk
• Granted Patent: US 10,359,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

An electronic device may include: a foldable body transitionable between an unfolded state and a folded state; a flexible display device disposed on a front face of the body, the flexible display being foldable together with the body; and a cover that enclosing at least a portion of a rear face of the body, the cover being foldable together with the body. The flexible display may include an exposed region that remains visible when the foldable body is in the folded state.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a foldable body transitionable between an unfolded state and a folded state;

a flexible display device disposed on a front face of the body, the flexible display being foldable together with the body; and

a cover that enclosing at least a portion of a rear face of the body, the cover being foldable together with the body,

wherein the flexible display includes an exposed region that remains visible when the foldable body is in the folded state.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second display device disposed on a rear face of the body,

wherein the second display device is concealed by the cover when the foldable body is in the unfolded state and is exposed when the foldable body is in the folded state.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the cover is slidable relative to the body, the cover including a first end, the body including a second end, the first and second ends being fixed to each other.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the cover is slidable relative to the body, and a central portion of the cover and a central portion of the body are fixed to each other.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the cover includes a first guide that protrudes toward the body,

the body includes a first guide hole corresponding to the first guide, and

the first guide is movable along the first guide hole.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second display device is configured to have a size that corresponds to a displacement of the cover relative to the flexible display device, the displacement being proportional to a thickness of the cover.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor that is operatively coupled to at least one of the body and the cover to sense a sliding extent of at least a portion of the cover relative to the body.

8. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second display device changes a displayed icon according to a user'"'"'s touch input.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a foldable body being transitionable between a folded state and an unfolded state; and

a flexible display device coupled to the body and being foldable together with the body,

wherein in the folded state, at least a portion of the flexible display device includes an exposed region that remains visible.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a touch key unit that is provided on an end of the body.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the exposed region conceals the touch key unit when the foldable body is in the folded state.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the touch key unit includes:

a touch window member that is arranged on the body;

a light emitting member that is provided inside the touch window member; and

an insertion groove that is formed between the touch window member and the light emitting member,

wherein the insertion groove accommodates the exposed region when the flexible display device is in the folded state.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the light emitting member is one of turned on and off in response to the exposed region being inserted into the insertion groove.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein one end of the body includes a body hole configured to receive an end of the flexible display device, the one end of the flexible display device being slidable with respect to the body to be selectively accommodated in the body hole.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a second guide extending from the flexible display device and being slidable with respect to the body; and

a second guide recess that is formed in the body to correspond to the second guide,

wherein the second guide is guided by the second guide recess such that at least a portion of the flexible display device is slid on the body.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the body includes:

a first bezel enclosing a side surface of the flexible display device; and

a second bezel that is provided at a lower side of the body.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein, when the flexible display device is slid, the exposed region is selectively accommodated in the second bezel.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the second guide is configured to slide on the second bezel together with the exposed region.

19. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a sliding extent of at least a portion of the flexible display device.