Electronic device comprising expandable display, and method for controlling screen of electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12326757-B2
Application number	US-202218146836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2022
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a flexible display comprising a first housing, a second housing and a third housing movably coupled with respect to the first housing, a first region disposed in the first housing to form a first surface exposed to the outside of the electronic device, a second region which extends from the first region and is located inside the second housing, and a third region which extends from the first region and is located inside the second housing, and a processor that may display a first screen in the first region, determine a direction and a distance in which the flexible display is extended based on a value obtained by a sensor, and display a screen different from the first screen in the second region or the third region based on the determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing at least partially disposed in the first housing and coupled to the first housing so as to be movable in a first direction;
a third housing at least partially disposed in the first housing and coupled to the first housing so as to be movable in a second direction;
a flexible display extendable in at least one of the first direction or the second direction as the second housing and the third housing move,
wherein the flexible display includes:
a first region disposed in the first housing and configured to form a first surface exposed outside the electronic device,
a second region configured to extend from the first region and at least partially located in the second housing or configured to form the first surface together with the first region as the second housing moves, and
a third region configured to extend from the first region and at least partially located in the third housing or configured to form the first surface together with the first region as the third housing moves,

at least one sensor,
memory storing one or more computer programs; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor,
wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display a first screen on the first region,
determine a direction in which the flexible display is extended and a distance by which the flexible display is extended, based on a value obtained by the at least one sensor measuring movement of the second housing to form the second region and movement of the third housing to form the third region,
determine reallocation of a portion of a plurality of objects displayed in the first region into available display areas of the second region and the third region based on the value obtained by the at least one sensor,
redisplay unreallocated objects of the plurality of objects on the first region, and
display the reallocated objects of the plurality of objects on at least one of the second region or the third region, based on the determination of the reallocation.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one camera communicatively coupled with the one or more processors,
wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display an execution screen of a camera application including a plurality of objects for control of the at least one camera on the first region as the first screen, and
identify that at least one of the second housing or the third housing is gripped by a user, based on a value obtained by the at least one sensor, and
wherein when the second housing is gripped by the user and the flexible display is extended in the second direction, the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display a second screen including remaining objects other than at least a portion of the plurality of objects on the third region and a partial region of the first region configured to extend from the third region, and
display the at least the portion of the plurality of objects on a remaining region of the first region.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of objects included in the first screen include a first group of objects and a second group of objects, and
wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to display the first group of objects on the second region and the second group of objects on the third region, when the second housing and the third housing are gripped by the user and the flexible display is extended in the first direction and the second direction.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
a first camera, a second camera, and a third camera communicatively coupled with the one or more processors,
wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display, on the first region, the first screen including a first preview image based on an image obtained from the first camera,
display, on the second region, a second preview image based on an image obtained from the second camera, when the flexible display is extended in the first direction, and
display, on the third region, a third preview image based on an image obtained from the third camera, when the flexible display is extended in the second direction.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one camera communicatively coupled with the or more processors,
wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display, on the first region, the first screen including a first preview image based on at least a portion of images obtained through the at least one camera,
identify at least one subject included in the first preview image,
obtain at least one image corresponding to the at least one subject, based on the identification, and
display the at least one image on at least one of the second region or the third region, when the flexible display is not extended.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display, on the first region, the first screen representing first content among contents stored in the electronic device,
display, on the second region, a first user interface (UI) representing first information related to the content, when the flexible display is extended in the first direction, and
display, on the third region, a second UI representing second information related to the first content and different from the first information, when the flexible display is extended in the second direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
magnify the first screen displayed on the first region and display the magnified first screen on the first region, the second region, and the third region, when the flexible display is simultaneously extended in the first direction and the second direction,
maintain the first screen displayed on the first region and display a second screen different from the first screen on the second region, when the flexible display is extended in the first direction, and
maintain the first screen displayed on the first region and the second screen displayed on the second region and display a third screen different from the first screen and the second screen on the third region, when the flexible display is extended in the second direction after extended in the first direction.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectiv

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Yangsoo
• Kim Youngseong
• Hong Sungmin
• Kim Junhyuk
• Kang Jooyoung
• Kim Yangwook
• Park Gyeongtae
• Hong Hyunju

Classifications

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F1/3265

  Power saving in display device · CPC title

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title