Electronic device comprising flexible display module and method for operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12099708-B2
Application number	US-202318102919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2023
Priority date	Jul 30, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device may include: a foldable housing including at least one hinge structure; a flexible display module of which at least a partial area is exposed through the foldable housing; and at least one processor provided inside the foldable housing. The display module may include: a plurality of areas; and at least one foldable area which is disposed between at least the plurality of areas so as to correspond to the at least one hinge structure and can be folded according to the state of the at least one hinge structure. The at least one processor may be configured to: when the state of the at least one hinge structure is a first state, display a first execution screen of a first application on the display module, wherein in the first state, a first foldable area of the at least one foldable area is in a folded state; while the first foldable area of the at least one foldable area is in the folded state, detect a touch and drag input into the first foldable area from an object included in the first execution screen; and after detecting the touch and drag input, on the basis of the state of the at least one hinge structure changing from the first state to a second state, display, on the display module, a second execution screen of a second application which is obtained by using at least a part of the object and is different from the first application.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a foldable housing including at least one hinge structure, the hinge structure comprising at least one hinge;
a flexible display module comprising at least one display, at least a partial area of the flexible display module configured to be viewable through the foldable housing, the display module including a plurality of areas and at least one foldable area disposed between at least the plurality of areas corresponding to the at least one hinge structure to be foldable according to a state of the at least one hinge structure;
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display a first execution screen of a first application on the display module when a state of the at least one hinge structure is a first state, in the first state a first foldable area among the at least one foldable area being in a folded state;
detect a touch drag input to the first foldable area from an object included in the first execution screen when the first foldable area among the at least one foldable area is in the folded state; and
display, on the display module when the first foldable area among the at least one foldable area is in an unfolded state, a second execution screen of a second application different from the first application, obtained using at least a portion of the object included in the first execution screen, based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the first state to a second state after detection of the touch drag input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display the first execution screen in an area adjacent to the first foldable area, and the second execution screen is displayed in areas adjacent to two opposite sides of the foldable area not folded while the state of the at least one hinge structure is the second state and the non-folded foldable area, and
wherein the foldable area not folded while being in the second state is the first foldable area and/or another foldable area.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to display, in the first foldable area, a list including an icon corresponding to the object, based on detecting the folded state of the first foldable area and detecting the touch drag input to the first foldable area from the object.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device processor is configured to control not to display the list displayed in the first foldable area based on maintaining the state of the hinge structure as the first state during a preset time after detecting the touch drag input.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to display the first execution screen of the first application on the display module based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the second state to the first state after displaying the second execution screen.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to display, on the display module, a third execution screen of a third application different from the first application, obtained using at least a portion of the object, based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the second state to the first state after displaying the second execution screen.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine the second application providing the second execution screen based on an attribute of the touch drag input.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine the second application providing the second execution screen based on an end point of the touch drag input.

9. An electronic device, comprising:
a foldable housing including at least one hinge structure, the hinge structure comprising at least one hinge;
a flexible display module comprising at least one display, at least a partial area of the flexible display module configured to be viewable through the foldable housing, the display module including a plurality of areas and at least one foldable area disposed between at least the plurality of areas corresponding to the at least one hinge structure to be foldable according to a state of the at least one hinge structure; and
at least one processor configured to:
display a first execution screen of a first application on the display module when a state of the at least one hinge structure is a first state, in the first state, a first foldable area among the at least one foldable area being in a folded state;
identify at least one object included in the first execution screen in response to a first user input in the first state;
display a second execution screen of a second application obtained using at least a portion of the identified at least one object, in at least one area set corresponding to a second state, based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the first state to the second state after identifying the at least one object included in the first execution screen in response to the first user input; and
display a third execution screen of a third application different from the second application, obtained using at least a portion of the identified at least one object, in at least one area set corresponding to a third state, based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the first state to the third state after identifying the at least one object included in the first execution screen in response to the first user input.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to display the third execution screen of the third application different from the second application, obtained using at least a portion of the identified at least one object, in the at least one area set corresponding to the third state, based on a change in the state of the at least one hinge structure from the second state to the third state after displaying the second execution screen.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to recognize at least one additional object other than the at least one object from an execution screen of an application other than the first application and/or the first execution screen of the first application, wherein the second execution screen and/or the third execution screen is obtained using at least a portion of the at least one additional object and the at least one object.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a layout of the second execution screen and/or the third execution screen based on a number of the identified at least one object.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to, when the identified at least one object is two or more objects, in response to a second user input, display an execution screen of an application obtained using at least a portion of a merged object of the two or more objects, and/or display a plurality of s

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chung Jinkyo
• Oh Younghak
• Lee Won

Classifications

• G06F3/0488 Primary

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

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F1/1616

  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