Electronic device and information processing method

• US 10,545,601 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gao, Yan, Xia, Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US14/854,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• 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 1/1652 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• 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 3/04886 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: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/04 Structural and physical details of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

An electronic device and an information processing method include a first body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a connecting body; and a second body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, with the second body connected to the first body through the connecting body. A first display is arranged on at least the first surface of the first body. A first input unit is arranged on at least the second surface of the second body; wherein, the electronic device has a first outer surface that includes the first surface of the first body and the first surface of the second body, and a second outer surface that includes the second surface of the first body and the second surface of the second body.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first body comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;

a connecting body;

a second body comprising-a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, with the second body being connected to the first body through the connecting body;

a first display arranged on at least the first surface of the first body;

an input unit arranged on the second surface of the second body;

a processor;

wherein, the electronic device further comprises;

a first outer surface comprising the first surface of the first body and the first surface of the second body, and

a second outer surface comprising the second surface of the first body and the second surface of the second body,

wherein the processor can respond to an input signal to the input unit with an instruction in a first instruction set in a first mode and can respond to an input to the-input unit with an instruction in a second instruction set in a second mode;

the first instruction set is at least partially different from the second instruction set,

wherein in the first mode, the processor changes display content on the display in response to a slide input operation on the input unit, and a first area of a first uncovered section of the display in the first mode is smaller in magnitude than a second area of a second uncovered section of the display in the second mode,

wherein a first portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the first mode is partially same as a second portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the second mode, and

wherein modes/sets of instructions are changed due to a relative movement between the first body and the second body.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device has at least the first mode in which the first body has a first location relative to the second body and the second mode in which the first body has a second location relative to the second body.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor operative to sense a parameter indicating a mode of the electronic device to generate a corresponding trigger signal wherein the processor responds to the input to the input unit with the instruction in the second instruction set in response to a first trigger signal indicating that the electronic device is changed from the first mode to the second mode, and responds to the input to the input unit with the instruction in the first instruction set in response to a second trigger signal indicating that the electronic device is changed from the second mode to the first mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to control display content of the display to be changed in response to the input to the input unit.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device has at least the first mode in which the first body has a first location relative to the second body and the second mode in which the first body has a second location relative to the second body;

the processor changes the display content of the display in response to a slide input operation on the input unit, in the first mode; and

the processor determines a corresponding character in response to a click input operation on the input unit and displays the character on the display, in the second mode.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a second display arranged on at least the second surface of the second body, wherein the input unit and the second display arranged on the second surface of the second body are arranged in lamination.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a second input unit arranged on at least the first surface of the first body, wherein the second input unit and the display arranged on the first surface of the first body are arranged in lamination.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first body comprises a first end and a second end, the connecting body comprises a third end and a fourth end, the third end being connected with the second end, the second body comprises a fifth end and a sixth end, the fifth end being connected with the fourth end, the second body can rotate relative to the connecting body based on the connecting body.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the connecting body comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and the display is also arranged on the first surface of the connecting body.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises at least the first mode in which the first surface of the first body is covered by the connecting body and the second body, and the second mode in which a surface composed by the first surface of the first body and the first surface of the connecting body is covered by the second body.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein a direction of a first uncovered section of the display and a direction of the input unit are consistent with each other in the first mode;

a direction of a second uncovered section of the display and a direction of the input unit are consistent with each other in the second mode, the area of the first uncovered section and the area of the second uncovered section are different.

12. An information processing method, comprising:

receiving an input signal;

determining whether a current mode of an electronic device is a first mode or a second mode; and

responding to the input signal with an instruction in a first instruction set when a current mode of the electronic device is the first mode, and responding to the input signal with an instruction in a second instruction set when the current mode of the electronic device is the second mode, the first instruction set being at least partially different from the second instruction set,

wherein in the first mode, the processor changes display content on the display in response to a slide input operation on the input unit, and a first area of a first uncovered section of the display in the first mode is smaller in magnitude than a second area of a second uncovered section of the display in the second mode;

wherein the electronic device comprises;

a first body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;

a connecting body;

a second body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, which is connected to the first body through the connecting body;

a display arranged on at least the first surface of the first body;

an input unit arranged only on the second surface of the second body;

wherein, the electronic device further comprises;

a first outer surface comprising the first surface of the first body and the first surface of the second body, and

a second outer surface comprising the second surface of the first body and the second surface of the second body;

the electronic device has at least a first mode in which the first body has a first location relative to the second body and a second mode in which the first body has a second location relative to the second body,

wherein a first portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the first mode is partially same as a second portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the second mode, and

wherein modes/sets of instructions are changed due to a relative movement between the first body and the second body.

13. The information processing method of claim 12, the responding to the input signal with an instruction in a first instruction set when the current mode of the electronic device is the first mode, and responding to the input signal with an instruction in a second instruction set when the current mode of the electronic device is the second mode comprising:

changing display content of the display in response to the input signal indicating a slide input operation in the first mode;

determining a corresponding character and displaying the character on the display in response to the input signal indicating a click input operation in the second mode.

14. The information processing method of claim 12, further comprising:

sensing a parameter indicating a mode of the electronic device to generate a corresponding trigger signal, when the current mode of the electronic device is the first mode; and

responding to the input signal with the instruction in the second instruction set in response to a first trigger signal indicating that the electronic device is switched from the first mode to the second mode.

15. The information processing method of claim 12, further comprising:

sensing a parameter indicating a mode of the electronic device to generate a corresponding trigger signal, when the current mode of the electronic device is the second mode; and

responding to the input signal with the instruction in the first instruction set in response to a second trigger signal indicating that the electronic device is switched from the second mode to the first mode.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein computer program instructions which, when being executed by a processor of an electronic device, performs the method of:

receiving an input signal;

determining whether a current mode of an electronic device is a first mode or a second mode; and

responding to the input signal with an instruction in a first instruction set when a current mode of the electronic device is the first mode, and responding to the input signal with an instruction in a second instruction set when the current mode of the electronic device is the second mode, the first instruction set being at least partially different from the second instruction set, wherein in the first mode, the processor changes display content on the display in response to a slide input operation on the input unit, and a first area of a first uncovered section of the display in the first mode is smaller in magnitude than a second area of a second uncovered section of the display in the second mode;

wherein the electronic device comprises;

a first body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;

a connecting body;

a second body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, which is connected to the first body through the connecting body;

a display arranged on at least the first surface of the first body;

an input unit arranged only on the second surface of the second body;

wherein, the electronic device further comprises;

a first outer surface comprising the first surface of the first body and the first surface of the second body, and

a second outer surface comprising the second surface of the first body and the second surface of the second body;

the electronic device has at least a first mode in which the first body has a first location relative to the second body and a second mode in which the first body has a second location relative to the second body, wherein a first portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the first mode is partially same as a second portion of the input unit used to receive an input in the second mode, and,

wherein modes/sets of instructions are changed due to a relative movement between the first body and the second body.