Electronic device and method for running function according to transformation of display of electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403241-B2
Application number	US-201715415175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display positioned on at least a surface of a housing of the electronic device, at least one sensor configured to sense a bend of the display and a mount of the electronic device, and a processor configured to control a running of an application, obtain information relating to a shape of the bend of the display and a form of the mount of the electronic device based on information sensed by the at least one sensor, determine a transformation type of the display based on the information relating to the shape of the bend and the form of the mount, when the electronic device is mounted in the determined transformation type, determine at least one display area in the display according to a first function of the application corresponding to the transformation type, and perform control to display an object relating to the first function on the determined display area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a display positioned on at least a surface of a housing of the electronic device;
at least one sensor;
a memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
set a plurality of transformation types of the display based on a bent shape of the display and a mounting form of the electronic device,
in response to identifying that the display is bent, identify a first bent shape based on first information related to the bent shape of the display obtained using the at least one sensor,
in response to identifying that the electronic device is mounted and the display is bent, identify a first mounting form based on second information related to the mounting form of the electronic device obtained using the at least one sensor,
identify a first transformation type from among the plurality of transformation types based on the first bent shape and the first mounting form,
control the display to display at least one object related to a first function of an application on at least one display area from among display areas of the display divided according to the first transformation type,
in response to identifying that the mounting form of the electronic device is changed while the display is bent, identify a second mounting form based on the second information obtained using the at least one sensor,
identify a second transformation type from among the plurality of transformation types based on the second mounting form, and
control the display to display the at least one object on at least one display area from among display areas of the display divided according to the second transformation type.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when no input information is received by a user or the electronic device does not move during a preset time, the at least one processor is further configured to identify that the electronic device is in a state of being mounted in the first transformation type.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
detect feature information for the first transformation type, and
identify the first function of the application based on the detected feature information.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify a main display area among the display areas divided according to the first transformation type, and
display the at least one object related to the first function on the identified main display area.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first information related to the bent shape of the display includes at least one of a direction, a rotation angle, a resistance of the bend of the display, or an inter-gravity sensor distance.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second information related to the mounting form includes at least one of information received from the at least one sensor configured to sense whether there is a contact to a floor or information obtained by sensing a user's view received from a camera.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when an event for another application occurs while the first function of the application runs with the electronic device mounted in the first transformation type, the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display at least one object for a function of the other application on the at least one display area of the first transformation type.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the display is configured to transform from the first transformation type to the second transformation type, the at least one processor is further configured to:
display at least one object for a second function of the application on the at least one display area of the second transformation type while keeping running the application.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the display area of the second transformation type is different from the display area displaying the at least one object for the first function in the first transformation type.

10. A method for running a function on an electronic device, the method comprising:
setting a plurality of transformation types of a display of the electronic device based on a bent shape the display and a mounting form of the electronic device;
in response to identifying that the display is bent, identifying a first bent shape based on first information related to the bent shape of the display obtained using at least one sensor of the electronic device;
in response to identifying that the electronic device is mounted and the display is bent, identifying a first mounting form based on second information related to the mounting form of the electronic device obtained using the at least one sensor;
identifying a first transformation type from among the plurality of transformation types based on the first bent shape and the first mounting form;
controlling the display to display at least one object related to a first function of an application on at least one display area from among display areas of the display divided according to the first transformation type;
in response to identifying that the mounting form of the electronic device is changed while the display is bent, identifying a second mounting form based on the second information obtained using the at least one sensor;
identifying a second transformation type from among the plurality of transformation types based on the second mounting form; and
controlling the display to display the at least one object on at least one display area from among display areas of the display divided according to the second transformation type.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying whether input information is received by a user or the electronic device moves during a preset time; and
when the input information is not received or the electronic device does not move, identifying that the electronic device is mounted in the first transformation type.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying of the first function comprises:
detecting feature information for the first transformation type; and
identifying the first function of the application based on the detected feature information.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling of the display to display at least one the object related to the first function comprises:
when the electronic device is identified to be mounted in the first transformation type during a preset time, running the first function; and
displaying the at least one object related to the first function on the at least one display area of the first transformation type.

14. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the first information related to the bent shape of the display includes at least one of a direction, rotation angle, resistance of the bend of the display, or an inter-gravity sensor distance, and
wherein the second information related to the mounting form includes at least one of information received from the at least one sensor configured to sense whether there is a contact to a floor or information obtained by sensing a user's view received from a camera.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, when an event for another application occurs while the application runs in the electronic device mounted in the first transformation type, displaying an object for a function of the other application on the at least one display area of the first transformation type.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hee-Jin
• Choi Kyu-Ok
• Shin Dong-Jun
• Kim Chul-Woo

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  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 title

• G09G2380/14

  Electronic books and readers · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G09G3/20

  for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix {no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters} · CPC title