Portable device and control method thereof

• US 9,152,180 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jihwan
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US13/797,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form

Abstract

A portable device and a control method thereof are disclosed that enable a user to more conveniently and accurately control a flexible display. The portable device includes a main display, a flexible display, a measurement unit configured to measure a first length of the flexible display, the first length being a measurement of the flexible display that is extended from the housing unit, when the flexible display is extended from the housing unit, and a control unit configured to obtain a second length of the flexible display, compare the second length with the width of the main display, and to display an indicator configured to indicate the second length on the main display according to the comparison result. The second length is a measurement of the flexible display that is not extended from the housing unit using the first length when the flexible display is extended from the housing unit.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a main display;

a flexible display;

a housing unit configured to contain at least a portion of the flexible display;

a measurement unit configured to measure a first length of the flexible display, the first length being a measurement of the flexible display that is extended from the housing unit; and

a control unit configured to;

obtain a second length of the flexible display, the second length being a measurement of the flexible display that is not extended from the housing unit using the first length when the flexible display is extended from the housing unit,

compare the second length with a width of the main display to obtain a comparison result, and

display an indicator configured to indicate the second length on the main display according to the comparison result,

wherein the indicator is displayed to move according to a change of the second length in a direction in which the flexible display is extended or reduced when the second length is equal to or less than the width of the main display.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the second length is obtained by subtracting the first length from a total width of the flexible display.

3. The portable device according to claim 2, wherein the indicator is displayed as a virtual contour line of the flexible display in correspondence to the second length while the flexible display is extended from the housing unit when the second length is equal to or less than the width of the main display.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein, when at least one application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, the second length is obtained by subtracting the first length from a total width of the application execution screen.

5. The portable device according to claim 4, wherein the indicator is displayed as a virtual contour line of the application execution screen in correspondence to the second length while the flexible display is extended from the housing unit when the second length is equal to or less than the width of the main display.

6. The portable device according to claim 4, wherein the flexible display comprises a touch sensor configured to sense a touch input.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein

when the touch sensor senses the touch input on the flexible display, and the application execution screen displayed on the flexible display is changed to another application execution screen according to the touch sensing result,

the control unit displays the indicator configured to indicate the second length of the changed application execution screen on the main display.

8. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is displayed as an image while the flexible display is extended from the housing unit.

9. The portable device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit applies an animation effect to the image in correspondence to the second length.

10. The portable device according to claim 8, wherein the image is related to an execution screen image of an application execution screen which is displayed on the flexible display.

11. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs a notice vibration or a notice sound while the flexible display is extended from the housing unit to inform a user of the second length.

12. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit adjusts intensity of the notice vibration or volume of the notice sound in correspondence to the second length.

13. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein the notice vibration or the notice sound is not output while extension of the flexible display is stopped.

14. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is not displayed while extension of the flexible display is stopped.

15. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs a warning notice when the first length is equal to or greater than a total width of the flexible display.

16. A portable device comprising:

a main display;

a flexible display;

a housing unit configured to contain at least a portion of the flexible display;

a measurement unit configured to measure a length of the flexible display not extended from the housing unit when the flexible display is extended from the housing unit; and

a control unit configured to display an indicator configured to indicate the measured length on the main display when the measured length is equal to or less than a width of the main display,

wherein the indicator is displayed to move according to a change of the second length in a direction in which the flexible display is extended or reduced.

17. A portable device comprising:

a main display;

a flexible display;

a housing unit configured to contain at least a portion of the flexible display;

a measurement unit configured to sense that the flexible display has been extended from the housing unit to a predetermined length or more; and

a control unit configured to display an indicator configured to indicate an additional extension length of the flexible display on the main display upon sensing that the flexible display has been extended to the predetermined length or more,

wherein the indicator is displayed to move according to a change of an additional extension length in a direction in which the flexible display is extended or reduced when the flexible display has been extended to the predetermined length or more.

18. A control method of a portable device comprising a main display, a flexible display, and a housing unit containing at least a portion of the flexible display, the control method comprising:

extending the flexible display from the housing unit;

measuring a first length of the flexible display, the first length being a length of the flexible display that is extended from the housing unit;

acquiring a second length of the flexible display, the second length being a length of the flexible display that is not extended from the housing unit, using the first length;

comparing the second length with a width of the main display to obtain a comparison result; and

displaying an indicator configured to indicate the second length on the main display according to the comparison result,

wherein the indicator is displayed to move according to a change of the second length in a direction in which the flexible display is extended or reduced when the second length is equal to or less than the width of the main display.

19. A control method of a portable device comprising a main display, a flexible display, and a housing unit containing at least a portion of the flexible display, the control method comprising:

extending the flexible display from the housing unit;

measuring a length of the flexible display not extended from the housing unit;

comparing the measured length with a width of the main display; and

displaying an indicator configured to indicate the measured length on the main display when the measured length is equal to or less than the width of the main display,

wherein the indicator is displayed to move according to a change of the measured length in a direction in which the flexible display is extended reduced.