Foldable electronic device for controlling screen rotation, and operating method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12014104-B2
Application number	US-202318105084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2023
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device includes a hinge structure, a first housing, second housing foldably connected to the hinge structure and configured to be foldable with respect to the first housing, a first display disposed from at least a part of a first surface to at least a part of a third surface, a second display, a first sensor configured to collect sensor data related to movement of the first housing, a second sensor configured to collect sensor data related to movement of the second housing, and a processor operatively connected with the first display, the second display, the first sensor, and the second sensor. The processor is configured to identify a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing by using the first sensor and the second sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a second housing comprising a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface;
a hinge structure foldably connecting the first housing and the second housing to each other such that the first surface and the third surface face a same direction when the first housing and the second housing are in an unfolded state;
a first display disposed from at least a part of the first surface to at least a part of the third surface;
a second display disposed in the second housing so as to be visible from an outside through at least a part of the fourth surface;
a first sensor disposed at least partly in the first housing and configured to obtain sensor data related to movement of the first housing;
a second sensor disposed at least partly in the second housing and configured to obtain sensor data related to movement of the second housing;
a processor operatively connected with the first display, the second display, the first sensor, and the second sensor, and
memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
identify a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing by using the first sensor and the second sensor,
select the second display based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing being in a first range,
obtain the sensor data of the second sensor among the first sensor and the second sensor based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing being in the first range,
determine a display direction of a content, based on the obtained sensor data of the second sensor, and
display the content via the second display, based on the display direction of the content.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic detection sensor disposed in the first housing or the second housing,
wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
based on at least one of the first display and the second display being in an active state, identify the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing by using the first sensor, the second sensor, and the magnetic detection sensor; and
based on the first display and the second display being in an inactive state, identify the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing by using at least one of a part of the first sensor and a part of the second sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and
wherein the at least one of the part of the first sensor or the part of the second sensor comprises the acceleration sensor.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by processor, cause the electronic device to:
identify the first housing and the second housing being in a folded state based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing;
based on the first housing and the second housing being in the folded state, select the second display;
determine the display direction of the content, based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor; and
display the content via the second display, based on the display direction of the content.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
identify the first housing and the second housing being in the unfolded state based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing;
based on the first housing and the second housing being in the unfolded state, select the first display;
determine the display direction of the content, based on at least one the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor; and
display the content via the first display, based on the display direction of the content.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
based on the first display being in an active state and the first housing and the second housing being in the unfolded state, determine the display direction of the content based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor; and
based on the first display being in an inactive state and the first housing and the second housing being in the unfolded state, determine the display direction of the content based on at least one the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
select the first display based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing being in a second range different from the first range;
determine the display direction of the content, based on at least one of the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor; and
display the content via the first display, based on the display direction of the content.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor satisfying a first condition, determine the display direction of the content based on the sensor data obtained by the second sensor; and
based on the sensor data obtained by the second sensor satisfying the first condition, determine the display direction of the content based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to, based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor not satisfying the first condition, determine the display direction of the content, based on the sensor data obtained by the first sensor and the sensor data obtained by the second sensor.

10. An operation method of an electronic device comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge structure foldably connecting the first housing and the second housing, the operation method comprising:
identifying, by a first sensor and a second sensor, a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing, the first sensor being disposed in the first housing which comprises a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface, the second sensor being disposed in the second housing which comprises a third surface facing a same direction as the first surface when the first housing and the second housing are in an unfolded state and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface;
based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing satisfying a first range, selecting a second display from among a first display disposed from at least a part of the first surface to at least a part of the third surface, and the second display disposed in the second housing so as to be visible from an outside through at least a part of the fourth surface;
obtaining sensor data of the second sensor among the first sensor and the second sensor based on the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing being in the first range;
determining a display direction of a cont

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jin Seoyoung
• KWON Oheon
• Sung Changhuyn
• Kang Seongsig
• Lee Wonhee
• Park Jeongmin

Classifications

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• H04M1/72454

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title