Foldable device and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11144095-B2
Application number	US-202016825587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A foldable device and a method of controlling the same are provided. The foldable device includes: a flexible display which includes a main display area and an edge display area; and a controller which is configured to determine, based on an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded, a range of a partial activation area of the main display area, wherein the range of the partial activation area is partially bounded by a boundary between the edge display area and the main display area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable device comprising:
a flexible display comprising a display area;
a sensing unit configured to sense an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded; and
a controller configured to:
based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, control the flexible display to display a first content in a partial area of the display area based on the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded, and
in response to the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being increased, expand the partial area of the display area to display a second content,

wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a type and an amount of the second content to be displayed on the expanded partial area of the display area in accordance with an increase in the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded.

2. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, determine a range of the expanded partial area of the display area on which the second content is displayed.

3. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust an attribute of the second content that is to be displayed on the expanded partial area of the display area.

4. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display further comprises edge display areas, and
wherein the controller is further configured to display first third content on the edge display areas and to display detailed content, the detailed content being related to the first third content, on an activated portion of the display area.

5. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a location from which a portion of the display area on which the content starts to be displayed, based on a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

6. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and
the controller is further configured to determine at least one edge display area on which the content starts to be displayed from among the plurality of edge display areas, based on an angle at which the foldable device is inclined while in a state of being folded and a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

7. The foldable device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display further comprises edge display areas, and
wherein the controller is further configured to display content with respect to an event on the edge display areas in response to the event, the event comprising at least one of a message reception, a call reception, and an alarm being generated.

8. A method for controlling a foldable device that comprises a flexible display comprising a display area, the method comprising:
based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, controlling the flexible display to display a first content in a partial area of the display area based on an angle at which the foldable device is unfolded;
in response to the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded being increased, expanding the partial area of the display area to display a second content; and
adjusting at least one of a type and an amount of the second content that is to be displayed on the expanded partial area of the display area in accordance with an increase in the angle at which the foldable device is unfolded.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, based on detecting an unfolding of the foldable device, determining a range of the expanded partial area of the display area on which the second content is displayed.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting an attribute of the second content that is to be displayed on the expanded partial area of the display area.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible display further comprises edge display areas, and
further comprising displaying third content on the edge display areas and to display detailed content, the detailed content being related to the third content, on an activated portion of the display area.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a location from which a portion of the display area on which the content starts to be displayed, based on a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible display further comprises a plurality of edge display areas, and
further comprising determining at least one edge display area on which the content starts to be displayed from among the plurality of edge display areas, based on an angle at which the foldable device is inclined while in a state of being folded and a direction in which a user views the foldable device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible display further comprises edge display areas, and
further comprising displaying content with respect to an event on the edge display areas in response to the event, the event comprising at least one of a message reception, a call reception, and an alarm being generated.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program, wherein the program, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of claim 8 .

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• La Jin
• Bae Yu-Dong
• Kim Yong-Ho
• Ryu Jong-Hyun
• Park Yong-Gook
• Lim Ae-Young
• Jeong Kyung-Ho
• Choi Youn-Ho

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G09G2340/145

  related to small screens · CPC title

• G09G2340/04

  Changes in size, position or resolution of an image · CPC title

• G09G2330/022

  in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time · CPC title

• G09G5/391

  Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats · CPC title