Portable device and method for controlling the same

• US 9,575,708 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Hyorim
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/577,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345 11- 7, 345156-178, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for controlling a portable device including first and second display units at opposing surfaces of the portable device. The method includes detecting one of a first unlock command for switching a state of the first display unit to an active state and maintaining a state of the second display unit in a locked state or a second unlock command for switching the state of the first display unit to the active state and switching the state of the second display unit to a ready-to-activate state; switching the state of the first display unit to the active state and switching the state of the second display unit to the ready-to-activate state when the second unlock command is detected; detecting an unlock trigger for switching the second display unit, which is in the ready-to-activate state, to the active state; and switching the second display unit, which is in the ready-to-activate state, to the active state according to the detected unlock trigger.

Claims

1. A double-sided foldable device comprising:

a first display unit and a second display unit configured to display visual information, wherein when the double-side foldable device is in a folded state, the first display unit faces outside and the second display unit faces inside the double-sided foldable device, and wherein when the double-side foldable device is in a flat state, the first display unit faces in an opposite direction of the second display unit; and

a controller configured to;

detect an unlock command for switching a state of the first display unit from a locked state to an active state and switching a state of the second display unit from the locked state to a ready-to-activate state when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state,

switch the state of the first display unit to the active state and the state of the second display unit to the ready-to-activate state when the unlock command is detected,

detect an unlock trigger for switching the state of the second display unit from the ready-to-activate state to the active state, and

switch the state of the second display unit to the active state according to the detected unlock trigger,

wherein the ready-to-activate state is an intermediate state between the locked state and the active state.

2. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the unlock trigger is generated when the double-sided foldable device is unfolded from the folded state to the flat state.

3. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the unlock trigger is generated when the second display unit faces a user of the double-sided foldable device by unfolding the double-sided foldable device.

4. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the unlock command is detected at the first display unit when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state.

5. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display unit and the second display unit includes a plurality of separate displays, respectively.

6. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the first display unit includes a first display area being positioned at front side of the double-sided foldable device and a second display area being positioned at back side of the double-sided foldable device when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state.

7. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 6, wherein the unlock command is detected at the first display area of the first display unit when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state.

8. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 6, wherein the unlock command switches the state of the first display area to the active state and the state of the second display area to the ready-to-activate state.

9. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 8, wherein the state of the second display area of the first display unit is switched from the ready-to-activate state to the active state by the unlock trigger.

10. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of functions of the double-sided foldable device is restricted when the first display unit is in the locked state.

11. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the second display unit is inactivated in the locked state.

12. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein the unlock trigger is detected through at least one of a touch sensor, a gravity sensor, a motion sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inclination sensor, and a brightness sensor.

13. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein when the controller detects the unlock trigger for the second display unit, the controller is further configured to display visual information on the second display unit associated with the visual information displayed on the first display unit.

14. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state, a first portion of the first display unit faces a user of the double-sided foldable device and a second portion of the first display unit is positioned at opposing surface of the first portion of the first display unit.

15. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 14, wherein when the first and second portions of the first display unit display visual information which are different from each other in the folded state, the controller is further configured to:

display a first visual information in the second display unit in case that the unlock trigger is detected with the first portion of the first display unit facing the user, and

display a second visual information in the second display unit in case that the unlock trigger is detected with the second portion of the first display unit facing the user.

16. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 1, wherein when the second display unit is switched to the active state, the first display unit is switched to the ready-to-activate state.

17. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 16, wherein when the first display unit is in the ready-to-activate state, the controller is further configured to:

detect a lock command for switching the state of the second display unit from the active state to the locked state when the double-sided foldable device is in the flat state,

switch the state of the first and second display units to the locked state according to the detected lock command,

detect folding of the double-sided foldable device, wherein the double-sided foldable device is switched from the flat state to the folding state by the folding, and

maintain the first display unit in the locked state.

18. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 16, wherein when the first display unit is in the ready-to-activate state and the second display unit is in the active state, the controller is further configured to:

detect folding of the double-sided foldable device, wherein the double-sided foldable device is switched from the flat state to the folding state by the folding, and

switch the state of the first display unit to the active state and the state of the second display unit to the ready-to-activate state according to the detected folding.

19. The double-sided foldable device according to claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the state of the first and second display units to the locked state when a user input is not detected in a predetermined time after the folding of the double-sided foldable device.

20. A method for controlling a double-sided foldable device, the method comprising:

detecting an unlock command for the double-sided foldable device, wherein when the double-side foldable device is in a folded state, a first display unit faces outside and a second display unit faces inside the double-sided foldable device, and wherein when the double-side foldable device is in a flat state, the first display unit faces in an opposite direction of the second display unit, and wherein the unlock command switches a state of the first display unit from a locked state to an active state and a state of the second display unit from the locked state to a ready-to-activate state when the double-sided foldable device is in the folded state;

switching the state of the first display unit to the active state and the state of the second display unit to the ready-to-activate state when the unlock command is detected;

detecting an unlock trigger for switching the state of the second display unit from the ready-to-activate state to the active state; and

switching the state of the second display unit to the active state according to the detected unlock trigger,

wherein the ready-to-activate state is an intermediate state between the locked state and the active state.