Foldable electronic apparatus for processing sensor data on basis of change in angle, and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12050834-B2
Application number	US-202217700689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a foldable electronic device for processing data based on an angle change. The electronic device includes: a first housing in which first sensor is disposed; a second housing in which second sensor is disposed; a first display disposed in the first housing; a second display disposed in a space formed by the first housing and the second housing; and at least one sensor which detects the angle formed by the first housing and the second housing. The processor is configured to: detect a change in the angle between the first housing and the second housing; in response to the angle change, initiate an activation of the second sensor; use data collected from the first sensor until the activation of the second sensor is completed; and use data collected from the second sensor when the activation of the second sensor is completed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing in which at least one first sensor is disposed;
a second housing in which at least one second sensor is disposed;
a connecting part for foldably coupling the first housing and the second housing;
a first display disposed in the first housing;
a second display disposed in the second housing, the second display extending to the first housing over to a folding part defined by the connecting part;
at least one sensor configured to detect an angle formed by the first housing and the second housing; and
a processor operatively connected to the first display, the second display, the at least one sensor, the first sensor, and the second sensor, wherein the processor is configured to:
use data collected from the first sensor for displaying on the first display;
detect a change in the angle, via the at least one sensor, between the first housing and the second housing,
in response to the angle change, initiate an activation of the second sensor,
use data collected from the first sensor for displaying on the second display until the activation of the second sensor is completed, and
use data collected from the second sensor for displaying when the activation of the second sensor is completed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data collected from the first sensor includes at least one of data collected from the first sensor when the angle change is sensed, data collected from the first sensor before the angle change is sensed, or data collected from the first sensor and stored before the angle change is sensed.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: when the activation of the second sensor is sensed, use the data collected from the first sensor to display an image representative of a particular application until the angle between the first housing and the second housing is within a designated angle range.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine, when the activation of the second sensor is sensed, whether an object detected by the first sensor is detected by the second sensor,
when the object is not sensed by the second sensor, use the data collected from the first sensor to display an image representative of a particular application until the object is sensed by the second sensor, and
use the data collected from the second sensor to display an image representative of the particular application when the object is sensed by the second sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
before the angle change is detected, control a first image generated using the data collected from the first sensor for displaying on the first display, and
after the angle change is detected, control a second image generated using the first image to be displayed on the second display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
process the data collected from the first sensor, based on at least one of specification information of the first sensor, specification information of the second sensor, specification information of the first display, or specification information of the second display, and
control the processed data to be displayed on the second display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising
a communication module,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the data collected from the first sensor or the second sensor or other data generated using the data collected from the first sensor to at least one other electronic device through the communication module.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication module,
wherein the processor is configured to:
when the angle change is a designated first angle, transmit the data collected from the first sensor or data generated by using the data collected from the first sensor to at least one other electronic device through the communication module, and
when the angle change is a designated second angle, transmit the data collected from the second sensor to the at least one other electronic device through the communication module.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the first sensor to be deactivated in response to the angle change.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
when the activation of the second sensor is completed, compare the data collected from the first sensor with data collected from the activated second sensor, and
perform at least one function based on the comparison outcome.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a first display;
a second display having a folding area;
a first camera positioned to capture images in a direction in which the first display faces;
a second camera positioned to capture images in a direction in which at least a portion of the second display faces; and
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
in case a camera application is executed while a folding state associated with the electronic device corresponds to a first state, control the first display to display preview images generated based on image information acquired through the first camera,
in case the folding state changes from the first state toward a second state while the camera application is being executed, start activation of the second camera,
before the activation of the second camera is completed, control the second display to display at least one of the preview images generated based on image information acquired through the first camera, and
based on the activation of the second camera being completed, control the second display to display preview images generated based on image information acquired through the second camera.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to, when the activation of the second camera is completed, control the second display to display the at least one of the preview images generated based on image information acquired through the first camera until the folding state satisfies a designated third state.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to, when the activation of the second camera is completed, control the second display to display the at least one of the preview images generated based on image information acquired through the first camera until an object sensed by the first camera is sensed by the second camera.

14. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:
activating a first sensor to be activated;
sensing an angle change between a first housing and a second housing of the electronic device;
activating a second sensor in response to the angle change;
using data collected from the first sensor to display an image representative of a particular application until the activation of the second sensor is completed; and
using data collected from the second sensor to display the image representative of the particular application when the activation of the second sensor is completed.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the data collected from the first sensor includes at least one of data collected from the first sensor when the angle change is sensed, data collected from the first sensor before the angle change is sensed, or data collected from the first sensor and stored before the angle change is sensed.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the activation of the second sensor is completed when the first housing a

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Seungnyun
• Yun Yongsang
• Lee Jungeun

Classifications

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• G06F1/1686

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

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

• G06F3/1454

  involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay · CPC title