Display of an electronic device supporting multiple operation modes

• US 9,294,596 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Geon-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan
• Application Number:
  US14/194,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/90.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A method and an apparatus output data from an electronic device. The method includes: identifying at least one display area matched to at least one opening area formed in a part of a cover of the electronic device on a display screen of a display unit of the electronic device; operating the at least one display area in a first mode, and operating at least a partial area of a remaining display area of the display screen in a second mode.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information by using an electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying at least one display area matched to at least one opening area formed in a part of a cover of the electronic device, by determining pixel coordinate values on a display screen of a display unit of the electronic device, which are at least matched to the opening area, from at least one display area displayed on the display screen of the display unit; and

operating the at least one display area matched to the at least one opening area in a first mode, and operating at least a partial area of a remaining display area of the display screen in a second mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one display area comprises determining at least one of an exposed area, a transparent area, and a translucent area, which is formed in the cover, as the opening area.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein operating the at least one display area in the first mode comprises displaying first information in the at least one display area, and operating the at least partial area of the remaining display area of the display screen in the second mode comprises displaying second information in the at least partial area.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein operating the at least one display area in the first mode comprises displaying first information in the at least one display area, and operating the at least partial area of the remaining display area of the display screen in the second mode comprises not displaying the first information in the at least partial area.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein operating the at least one display area in the first mode comprises displaying, in the at least one display area, at least one of position data of the at least one display area, type data which sets a type of information which is to be displayed in the at least one display area, and order data which, when the at least one display area includes a plurality of display areas, sets an order of displaying the plurality of display areas.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein displaying, in the at least one display area, comprises receiving at least one of the position data, the type data and the order data from a tag corresponding to a short-range communication module of the electronic device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tag is included in the cover.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising designating the at least one display area to at least respond to a user input.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising designating the at least one display area using the determined pixel coordinate values.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one display area is performed when the cover is within a predetermined range of distance from the display screen of the display unit.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display unit having a display screen;

a cover in which at least one opening area is formed; and

a controller configured to identify at least one display area matched to the at least one opening area on the display screen, by determining pixel coordinate values on the display screen of the display unit of the electronic device, which are at least matched to the opening area, operate the at least one display area matched to the at least one opening area in a first mode, and operate at least a partial area of a remaining display area of the display screen in a second mode, when the controller determines that the cover is at a predetermined distance from the display screen of the display unit.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one display area, which is matched to the at least one opening area, is exposed through the at least one opening area of the cover on the display screen when the cover is closed.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller uses setting information comprises at least any one of:

position data of a position and a shape of the at least one display area in an entire area of the display screen, with the at least one display area exposed through the at least one opening area when the cover is closed;

type data which sets a type of information which is to be displayed in the at least one display area; and

order data which sets an order of displaying a plurality display areas when the at least one display area includes the plurality of display areas.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least any one of the position data, the type data and the order data of the setting information is stored in a tag matched to a short-range communication module, and the tag is included in the cover.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller performs a control operation so as to receive at least one of the position data, the type data, and the order data, and controls a storage unit so as to store the received at least one of the position data, the type data and the order data as the setting information.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the position data is set by receiving pixel coordinate values of the display area matched to the opening area.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the position data is set by a touch input which is input in an area of the display screen, which is exposed through the at least one opening area.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch input is input in a state in which the cover is closed.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller controls a sensor module to sense that the cover is at a predetermined distance from the display screen of the display unit.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions of a program that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, perform a method, the method comprising:

identifying at least one display area matched to at least one opening area formed in a part of a cover of the electronic device, by determining pixel coordinate values on a display screen of a display unit of the electronic device, which are at least matched to the opening area, from, at least one display area displayed on the display screen of the display unit; and

operating the at least one display area in a first mode matched to the at least one opening area in a first mode, and operating at least a partial area of a remaining display area of the display screen in a second mode.

21. An electronic device comprising:

a cover with at least one opening area;

a display unit comprising a display screen, the display screen comprising;

at least one display area on a display screen of a display unit with pixel coordinate values corresponding the to at least one opening area formed in a part of a cover of the electronic device in a first mode, the at least one display are on the display screen configured to operate in a first mode; and

at least a partial area of a remaining display area in a second mode configured to operate in a second mode.