Method for controlling display and electronic device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11914916-B2
Application number	US-202217974419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	Apr 27, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

According to various embodiments, disclosed is an electronic device comprising: a first housing, a second housing, a hinge structure comprising a hinge, at least one display, a sensing circuit, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: control the display to display, on a first display area, a first execution screen according to execution of a first application; monitor whether an event related to a second application has occurred, while the first execution screen is displayed on the first display area; and control the display to display, in response to at least one of a folding operation sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event or a rotating operation of the electronic device, identified from a physical movement based on occurrence of the event, a second execution screen related to the event on the second display area while the first application is being executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing comprising a first surface and a second surface facing an opposite direction of the first surface;
a second housing comprising a third surface disposed to face the first surface based on a rotational direction and a fourth surface facing an opposite direction of the third surface;
a hinge structure comprising a hinge configured to rotatably connect the first housing and the second housing;
at least one display comprising a first display area disposed on at least one of the first surface and the third surface, and a second display area disposed on at least one of the second surface and the fourth surface;
a sensing circuit configured to sense at least one of a folding operation between the first housing and the second housing and a physical movement of the electronic device; and
a processor electrically connected to the display and the sensing circuit,
wherein the processor is configured to:
control the display to display a first execution screen according to execution of a first application on the first display area;
monitor whether an event related to a second application occurs while the first execution screen is displayed on the first display area;
based on the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to a first rotational direction, control the display to display a second execution screen according to the execution of the second application related to the event on the second display area while the first application is being executed; and
based on the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to a second rotational direction different from the first rotational direction, control the display to display a third execution screen according to execution of a third application related to the event on the second display area while the first application is being executed,
the third application being different from the second application, and
the second execution screen and the third execution screen comprising information related to the event.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises:
a first display comprising the first display area and controlled by a first display driver IC (DDI); and
a second display comprising the second display area and controlled by a second DDI.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one display comprises a touch sensor configured to detect a touch input, and
the processor is configured to, based on the second execution screen being displayed on the second display area while the first application is being executed in response to at least one of the folding operation and the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event, deactivate a touch sensor corresponding to the first display area.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, based on the first application being a program related to playback of a video, control the display to display the second execution screen on the second display area while pausing playback of a video by the first application in response to at least one of the folding operation and the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on the event occurring.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, in response to an input for receiving the event based on occurrence of the event, control the display to display at least a portion of the second execution screen on the first display area while the first application is being executed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to the first rotational direction or the second rotation direction is sensed while the first housing and the second housing are in an unfolded state.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the event is a message notification, the second application is a message service program, and the third application is a phone program.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, in response to the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event, a direction for displaying the second execution screen on the second display area while the first application is being executed.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display, in response to at least one of the folding operation and the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event, a second execution screen related to the event on the first display area while the first application is being executed.

10. A method of controlling a display of an electronic device comprising a first housing, a second housing, a hinge structure comprising a hinge configured to rotatably connect the first housing and the second housing, and a sensing circuit configured to sense at least one of a folding operation between the first housing and the second housing and a physical movement of the electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying a first execution screen according to execution of a first application on a first display area of the display;
monitoring whether an event related to a second application occurs while the first execution screen is being displayed on the first display area; and
based on a physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to a first rotational direction of the electronic device, displaying a second execution screen according to the execution of the second application related to the event on a second display area of the display while the first application is being executed; and
based on the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to a second rotational direction different from the first rotational direction, displaying a third execution screen according to execution of a third application related to the event on the second display area while the first application is being executed,
the third application being different from the second application, and

the second execution screen and the third execution screen comprising information related to the event.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the displaying of the second execution screen on the second display area comprises deactivating a touch sensor corresponding to the first display area.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the displaying of the second execution screen on the second display area comprises, based on the first application being a program related to playback of a video, displaying the second execution screen on the second display area while pausing playback of a video by the first application in response to at least one of the folding operation and the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on the event occurring.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the physical movement sensed through the sensing circuit based on occurrence of the event corresponding to the first rotational direction or the second rotation direction is sensed while the first housing and the second housing are in an unfolded state.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event is a message notification, the second application is a message service program, and the third application is a phone program.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein th

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seungeun
• Seo Hyewon
• Kang Minseok
• Kim Nanhee
• Kim Seungnyun
• Yun Yongsang
• Cho Youngchan

Classifications

• G06F3/1431 Primary

  using a single graphics controller · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title