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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12411645-B2
Application number	US-202418745465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2024
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

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. A portable communication device comprising:
a first housing comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;
a second housing comprising a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other;
a hinge structure foldably connected to the first housing and the second housing such that the first surface and the third surface face a same direction when the portable communication device is unfolded;
a flexible display accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, and capable of bending when the portable communication device is at least partially folded;
one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data corresponding to a movement of at least one of the first housing or the second housing;
a processor operatively coupled with the flexible display and the one or more sensors, and
memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
while the portable communication device is in an unfolded state, display, via the flexible display, content in a first display direction; and
based on the portable communication device being partially folded from the unfolded state:
identify, based at least in part on the sensor data, an angle between the first housing and the second housing while the content is displayed;
display, via the flexible display, the content in a second display direction different from the first display direction based on the portable communication device being in a first configuration in which the angle is within a first range and the first housing is in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of gravity; and
display, via the flexible display, the content in a third display direction different from each of the first display direction and the second display direction based on the portable communication device being rotated to a second configuration from the first configuration in which the angle remains in the first range and the second housing is in the plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to the first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to the third surface of the second housing, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
perform the displaying of the content in the second display direction such that at least portion of the content is displayed via the second portion of the flexible display.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
display, via the first portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to the first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to the third surface of the second housing, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
perform the displaying of the content in the third display direction such that at least portion of the content is displayed via the first portion of the flexible display.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
display, via the second portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
perform the displaying of the content in the second display direction such that a upper side of the content is aligned with the second edge of the flexible display.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
perform the displaying of the content in the third display direction such that the upper side of the content is aligned with the first edge of the flexible display.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a first sensor disposed in the first housing and a second sensor disposed in the second housing, and
wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:
determine the second display direction using the second sensor; and
determine the third display direction using the first sensor.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor.

10. An operation method of a portable communication 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:
while the portable communication device is in an unfolded state, displaying, via a flexible display of the portable communication device, content in a first display direction; and
based on the portable communication device being partially folded from the unfolded state:
identifying an angle between the first housing and the second housing while the content is displayed;
displaying, via the flexible display, the content in a second display direction different from the first display direction based on the portable communication device being in a first configuration in which the angle is within a first range and the first housing is in a plane that is substantial perpendicular to a direction of gravity; and
displaying, via the flexible display, the content in a third display direction different from each of the first display direction and the second display direction based on the portable communication device being rotated to a second configuration from the first configuration in which the angle remains in the first range and the second housing is in the plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

11. The operation method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to a first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to a third surface of the second housing, and
wherein the displaying of the content in the second display direction comprises displaying, via the second portion of the flexible display, at least portion of the content.

12. The operation method of claim 11 , further comprising;
displaying, via the first portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

13. The operation method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to a first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to a third surface of the second housing, and
wherein the displaying of the content in the third display direction comprises displaying, via the first port

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