Flexible display device and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10379720-B2
Application number	US-201615246341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2016
Priority date	Nov 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A flexible display device is provided. The flexible display device includes a display extendable from the device; a sensor to detect an extended amount of the display; and a controller configured to cause the display to display a home screen on a pre-extension display region, which is a region of the display that is visible prior to extending of the display; cause the display to display a folder including an application icon corresponding to an application, wherein the folder and the application icon are displayed on the pre-extension display region; detect, via the sensor, extension of the display; and cause the display to display the folder enlarged and the application icon enlarged on an extended display region, which is a region of the display that is visible after extending of the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a display extendable from the device;
a sensor configured to detect an extended amount of the display; and
a controller configured to:
display a home screen on an exposed portion of the display, wherein the exposed portion is visible prior to extending of the display;
display a plurality of folders on the home screen each respectively comprising an application icon corresponding to an application, wherein the plurality of folders are displayed on the exposed portion of the display; and
detect, via the sensor, extension of the display to expose an additional portion of the display corresponding to a first extended amount;
compare a total number of times applications included in a first folder of the plurality of folders have been executed during a certain period with a total number of times applications included in a second folder of the plurality of folders have been executed during the certain period,
determine a folder between the first folder and the second folder to be displayed on an extended home screen portion according to the comparison, and
move and enlarge the determined folder including the corresponding application icon among the first folder and the second folder to the extended home screen portion,
wherein the extended home screen portion has a size corresponding to the first extended amount and is displayed on the exposed portion of the display at a side corresponding to a direction in which the display is extended, and
wherein the home screen is displayed on a remainder of the exposed portion and the additional exposed portion.

2. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to cease displaying the determined folder and the corresponding application icon on the home screen when the enlarged folder and the corresponding application icon are displayed on the extended home screen portion.

3. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display an animation effect of moving the folder to the extended home screen portion while enlarging the folder as the display is extended.

4. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the home screen comprises the plurality of folders; and
the controller is further configured to cause the display to:
display the plurality of folders on the extended home screen portion when the display is extended to a third extended amount; and
move one of the plurality of folders to the home screen when the display is further extended to a fourth extended amount from the third extended amount.

5. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display application icons included in one of the plurality of folders as the display is extended to a third extended amount from the second extended amount when only the one of the plurality of folders remains on the extended home screen portion.

6. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to move displayed execution screens of applications that have received notifications to one region of the extended home screen portion where the display is maximally extended.

7. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein
one or more elements of the home screen are displayed to extend across the exposed portion and the extended home screen portion when an input is received to a key input region while the display is being extended.

8. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display:
a widget on the home screen comprising information; and
additional information included in the widget on the extended home screen portion when the display is extended.

9. The flexible display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display:
a status bar comprising information related to an operational state of the flexible display device at a first end of the home screen; and
additional information included in the status bar on the extended home screen region as the display is extended.

10. A method of controlling a flexible display device, the method comprising:
displaying a home screen on an exposed portion of an extendable display of the flexible display device, wherein the exposed portion is a region of the display that is visible prior to extending of the display;
displaying a plurality of folders each respectively comprising an application icon corresponding to an application, wherein the plurality of folders are displayed on the exposed portion of the display; and
detecting extension of the display to expose an additional portion of the display corresponding to a first extended amount;
comparing a total number of times applications included in a first folder of the plurality of folders have been executed during a certain period with a total number of times applications included in a second folder of the plurality of folders have been executed during the certain period,
determining a folder between the first folder and the second folder to be displayed on an extended home screen portion according to the comparison, and
moving and enlarging the determined folder including the corresponding application icon among the first folder and the second folder to the extended home screen portion,
wherein the extended home screen portion has a size corresponding to the first extended amount and is displayed on the exposed portion of the display at a side corresponding to a direction in which the display is extended, and
wherein the home screen is displayed on a remainder of the exposed portion and the additional exposed portion.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the home screen comprises the first folder and the second folder arranged in a first row and a third folder arranged in a second row; and
the method further comprises displaying:
a first extended folder comprising an application icon corresponding to an application most frequently executed during a particular time period among the applications of the first and second folders, wherein the first extended folder is displayed in a first row of the extended home screen portion;
a second extended folder and an application icon corresponding to an application most frequently executed during the particular time period among applications of the third folder, wherein the second extended folder is displayed in a second row of the extended home screen portion.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising ceasing display of the determined folder and the corresponding application icon on the home screen when the enlarged folder and the corresponding application icon are displayed on the extended home screen portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ryu Eunjeong
• Jeon Hyunjoo
• Kim Youngjun
• Park Wonjoo

Classifications

• G06F1/1677

  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 title

• G09G5/373

  for modifying the size of the graphic pattern · CPC title

• G09G2340/045

  Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/04845 Primary

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title