Portable device and method of controlling therefor

• US 9,746,883 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Doyoung, Chun, Sinae
• Primary Examiner(s): Ge, Jin
• Application Number:
  US14/562,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 345659
• 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 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position

Abstract

The method of a portable device may includes the steps of setting a first mode based on a first folding angle between the first body and the second body and a second folding angle between the first body and the third body, displaying a first application in the first mode, detecting change of the first folding angle and change of the second folding angle in the first mode, detecting the changed first folding angle being equal to or greater than a first threshold angle and the changed second folding angle less than a second threshold angle and if it is detected that a rear side of the second body is in a state of being contacted with a different real object, switching the first mode to a second mode.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising a first body at the center of the portable device, a second body positioned at one side of the first body and a third body positioned at another side of the first body;

a display configured to display visual information on at least one of a first area of the first body, a second area of the second body and a third area of the third body;

a first sensor configured to detect at least one of a first folding angle between the first body and the second body and a second folding angle between the first body and the third body;

a second sensor configured to detect a contact state that a rear side of the second body is contacted with a different real object;

a rotation sensor configured to detect a rotation of the portable device; and

a processor configured to control the display, the first sensor and the second sensor,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

set a first mode based on the first folding angle, the second folding angle, and the contact state,

display a first application on the first area, the second area and the third area in the first mode,

detect a change of the first folding angle and the second folding angle in the first mode,

switch the first mode to a second mode when the changed first folding angle is equal to or greater than a first threshold angle, the changed second angle being less than a second threshold angle and the contact state being a state of contact with the different real object,

display the first application on the first area in the first direction, a second application on the second area in the first direction and a third application on the third area in a second direction, in the second mode,

wherein the second application is related to a first object contained in the first application on the second area in the first direction,

detect the rotation of the portable device in the second mode, and

display the first application on the third area in the first direction, the second application on the second area in the second direction and the third application on the first area in the second direction when the portable device is rotated more than a predetermined angle,

wherein the predetermined angle is such that the first application being viewed by a user before rotation may continue may be viewed by the user after rotation of the portable device,

wherein the second application is related to a second object contained in the third application on the second area in the second direction, and

wherein the first direction is an opposite direction to the second direction.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display the visual information based on one of a portrait mode and a landscape mode, and

wherein the processor is further configured to set the second mode when the landscape mode is further detected.

3. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a control input sensing configured to detect a control input and to deliver the detected control input to the processor.

4. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a fourth application related to the first object on the second area when the control input selecting the first object contained in the first application is detected in the second mode.

5. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect the control input inputted on the second application, and

control the first object or the second object based on the detected control input.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the first application on the third area and the first area by expanding the first application when the first folding angle is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle and less than a third threshold angle, and the second folding angle is changed to being equal to or greater than a fourth threshold angle in the second mode.

7. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the third application on the first area and the third area by expanding the third application when the first folding angle is changed to being equal to or greater than a third threshold angle, and the second folding angle is changed to being equal to or greater than a fourth threshold angle in the second mode.

8. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the third application on the first area and display a fifth application related to the second object contained in the third application on the third area when the first folding angle is changed to being equal to or greater than a third threshold angle, and the second folding angle is changed to being equal to or greater than a fourth threshold angle in the second mode.

9. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the fifth application is displayed on the third area, display the third application on the second area and the first area by expanding the third application.

10. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the second object based on a control input inputted on the second application.

11. The portable device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the second mode is set, display a third object on the first area and the third area, respectively.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the third object corresponds to an object commonly controlled based on the control input inputted on the second application.

13. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

set the first mode when the first folding angle and the second folding angle are equal to or greater than a third threshold angle, and

wherein the first mode corresponds to a mode configured to display the first application on the first area, the second area and the third area.

14. The portable device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the first application on the first area by reducing the first application with a predetermined ratio when the first mode is switched to the second mode.

15. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

set the first mode when the first folding angle and the second folding angle are less than a third threshold angle, and

wherein the first mode corresponds to a mode configured to display the first application on the third area.

16. The portable device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the first application on the first area by moving the first application from the third area when the first mode is switched to the second mode.

18. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor is further configured to detect a horizontal rotation of the portable device, and wherein the processor is further configured to detect the horizontal rotation of the portable device.

17. A method of controlling a portable device including a first body at the center of the portable device, a second body positioned at one side of the first body and a third body positioned at another side of the first body, the method comprising:

detecting, via a first sensor, at least one of a first folding angle between the first body and the second body, a second folding angle between the first body and the third body and, via a second sensor, a contact state of a rear side of the second body;

setting, via a processor, a first mode based on the first folding angle, the second folding angle and the contact state;

displaying, via a display, a first application on the first area, the second area and the third area in the first mode;

detecting, via the processor, a change of the first folding angle and the second folding angle in the first mode;

detecting, via the processor, the changed first folding angle being equal to or greater than a first threshold angle, the changed second folding angle being less than a second threshold angle and the contact state being a state of contact with a different real object;

switching, via the processor, the first mode to a second mode;

displaying, via the display, the first application on the first area in a first direction, a second application on the second area in the first direction and a third application on the third area in a second direction, in the second mode,

wherein the second application is related to a first object contained in the first application on the second area in the first direction;

detecting, via a rotation sensor, a rotation of the portable device in the second mode; and

displaying, via the display, the first application on the third area in the first direction, the second application on the second area in the second direction and the third application on the third area in the second direction when the portable device is rotated more than a predetermined angle,

wherein the predetermined angle is such that the first application being viewed by a user before rotation may continue to be viewed by the user after rotation of the portable device,

wherein the second application is related to a second object contained in the third application on the second area in the second direction, and

wherein the first direction is an opposite direction to the second direction.