Electronic device providing user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12445550-B2
Application number	US-202318296638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2023
Priority date	Oct 26, 2020
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a flexible display and at least one processor. The at least one processor can display a first execution screen of a first application in a first area of the flexible display, display a second execution screen of a second application in a second area sharing at least one edge with the first area, obtain a pre-defined event associated with the second application, in response to the pre-defined event, change the second execution screen displayed in the second area to a low power mode while maintaining the first execution screen in the first area, and while the second execution screen is in the low power mode, output some selected content in the second execution screen of the second application in consideration of at least one of a type or the properties of the second application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display; and
at least one processor electrically connected to the flexible display,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
display a first execution screen of a first application in a first area of the flexible display,
display a second execution screen of a second application in a second area sharing at least one periphery with the first area of the flexible display,
obtain a pre-defined event associated with the second application,
change the second execution screen of the second application displayed in the second area to a low-power mode, in response to the pre-defined event, while maintaining the first execution screen of the first application in the first area, and
output partial contents selected from the second execution screen of the second application in consideration of at least one of a type or attribute of the second application while the second execution screen is in the low-power mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined event is defined by a user input.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined event occurs in case that no user input is received for a designated time with regard to the second execution screen of the second application.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic pen and an accommodation groove in which the electronic pen can be mounted,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive an input of the electronic pen associated with the second application,
detect the electronic pen being inserted into the accommodation groove, and
change the second execution screen of the second application displayed in the second area to the low-power mode, in response to detection of the electronic pen being inserted, while maintaining the first execution screen of the first application in the first area.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic pen and an accommodation groove in which the electronic pen can be mounted,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive an input of the electronic pen associated with the second application,
detect the electronic pen being separated from the accommodation groove, and
release the second execution screen of the second application from the low-power mode, in response to detection of the electronic pen being separated.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a user input to the second execution screen; and
release the second execution screen from the low-power mode in response to the user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 ,
wherein the user input comprises a touch input,
wherein the touch input is started at a first point on the second execution screen, and
wherein the touch input is released at a second point on the second execution screen spaced apart from the first point.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output an object indicating the second application together with the partial contents selected from the second execution screen.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the object indicating the second application comprises at least one of an icon, a label, or a name of the second application.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the second execution screen in the low-power mode to have screen brightness or saturation lower than the first execution screen.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the second execution screen in the low-power mode to have a screen scan rate lower than the first execution screen.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein an active area having a first size, exposed to outside of the electronic device, comprises the first area and the second area, and
wherein, in response to reduction of a size of the active area of the flexible display from the first size to a second size, the at least one processor is further configured to:
reduce the second execution screen,
display the reduced second execution screen in the active area having the second size, or
display an object indicating the second application in the active area having the second size without displaying the second execution screen.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein, in response to increase of a size of the active area from the second size to a third size, the at least one processor is further configured to:
expand the second execution screen reduced and displayed in the active area having the second size;
display the expanded second execution screen in the active area having the third size;
change the object indicating the second application to the second execution screen; and
display the second execution screen in the active area having the third size.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein in consideration of at least one of the type and attribute of the second application, the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether a designated user interface exists on the second execution screen of the second application;
determine whether a designated display area exists on the second execution screen of the second application;
determine whether an area that changes within a designated time on the second execution screen of the second application exists; and
output the partial contents selected from the second execution screen.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first housing forming a side surface and a rear surface of the electronic device; and
a second housing connected to the first housing to be slidable within a designated range,
wherein, during a transition from a second state to a first state, the flexible display is moved into the first housing by sliding of the second housing in a first direction, and
wherein, during a transition from the first state to the second state, the flexible display is moved out of the first housing by sliding of the second housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

16. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a flexible display, the method comprising:
displaying a first execution screen of a first application in a first area of the flexible display,
displaying a second execution screen of a second application in a second area sharing at least one periphery with the first area of the flexible display,
obtaining a pre-defined event associated with the second application,
changing the second execution screen of the second application displayed in the second area to a low-power mode, in response to the pre-defined event, while maintaining the first execution screen of the first application in the first area, and
outputting partial contents selected from the second execution screen of the second application in consideration of at least one of a type or attribute of the second application while the second execution screen is in the low-power mode.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pre-defined event is defined by a user input.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pre-defined event occurs in case that no user input is received for a designated time with regard to the second execution screen of the second application.

19. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the electronic device furth

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Baek Jiwon
• Oh Younghak
• Lee Eunah
• Choi Kyuok

Classifications

• H04M2201/38

  Displays · CPC title

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0235 Primary

  Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts · CPC title

• G06F2200/1632

  Pen holder integrated in the computer · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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