Electronic device comprising flexible display and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474740-B2
Application number	US-202318312854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2023
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An example electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing connected with the first housing and configured to perform a sliding operation, a driving device that adjusts the sliding operation, a flexible display, at least one sensor, and at least one processor. The processor is configured to control the electronic device to display content via at least a portion of a first area of the flexible display, identify an aspect ratio of the content, obtain orientation information of the electronic device using the sensor, and identify size information of a second area of the flexible display capable of maximally displaying the content with the identified aspect ratio of the content based on the obtained orientation information, the first area and the second area being one surface of an exposed area of the flexible display, and the second area being an area extended or reduced from the first area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing; a second housing connected with the first housing and configured to perform a sliding operation; a driving device, comprising a motor, configured to adjust the sliding operation; a flexible display comprising a visually exposed area on a front surface of the electronic device that changes in size in response to the sliding operation of the second housing; at least one sensor; memory storing instructions; and at least one processor comprising processing circuitry configured, individually or collectively, to execute the instructions and to control the electronic device to:
obtain orientation information of the electronic device using the at least one sensor;
in a state in which the exposed area of the flexible display corresponds to a first area, display content and a letter box on the first area;
based on identifying a full screen event based on a user input, determine whether an orientation of the content and an orientation of the electronic device are the same;
based on determining that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are not the same,
change the orientation of the content so that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are aligned;
identify a size of a second area, which is a display area corresponding to a size of content enlarged while maintaining an aspect ratio of the content until the letter box is removed;
change, using the driving device, the exposed area of the flexible display to the second area; and
display, on the second area, the enlarged content.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor comprising processing circuitry is configured individually or collectively to control the electronic device to determine that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are not the same when the aspect ratio of the content does not correspond to an aspect ratio of the electronic device.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the content corresponds to one of a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the electronic device corresponds to one of a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor comprising processing circuitry is configured individually or collectively to control the electronic device to provide a user interface (UI) for requesting rotation of the electronic device when the orientation of the content is changed.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor comprising processing circuitry is configured individually or collectively to control the electronic device to provide a UI for requesting release of a contact when an external object identified via the at least one sensor is in contact with a changeable area of the flexible display.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor comprising processing circuitry is configured individually or collectively to control the electronic device to adjust the orientation of the content and a size of the content while adjusting a size of the first area, and
wherein the adjusted size of the content corresponds to a size of the second area.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor comprising processing circuitry is configured individually or collectively to control the electronic device to display at least one object for displaying the content in a maximum size.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one object includes an object indicating an extension or reduction direction of the first area.

10 . A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
obtaining orientation information of the electronic device; in a state in which an exposed area of a flexible display of the electronic device corresponds to a first area, displaying content and a letter box on the first area; based on identifying a full screen event based on a user input, determining whether an orientation of the content and an orientation of the electronic device are the same; based on determining that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are not the same,
changing the orientation of the content so that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are aligned;
identifying a size of a second area, which is a display area corresponding to a size of content enlarged while maintaining an aspect ratio of the content until the letter box is removed;
changing the exposed area of the flexible display to the second area; and
displaying, on the second area, the enlarged content.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining that the orientation of the content and the orientation of the electronic device are not the same when the aspect ratio of the content does not correspond to an aspect ratio of the electronic device.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the aspect ratio of the content corresponds to one of a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the aspect ratio of the electronic device corresponds to one of a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing a user interface (UI) for requesting rotation of the electronic device when the orientation of the content is changed.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying a contact of an external object with a changeable area of the flexible display; and providing a UI for requesting release of the contact.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting of a size of the first area includes adjusting the orientation of the content and a size of the content, and
wherein the adjusted size of the content corresponds to a size of the second area.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying at least one object for displaying the content in a maximum size.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one object includes an object indicating an extension or reduction direction of the first area.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Yongjin
• Song Taeyang
• Ahn Sungho
• Lee Wonho
• Lee Jonghwa
• Choi Nakhyun
• Choi Junyoung
• Kim Yangwook
• Hong Hyunju

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0239

  Sliding mechanism with two degree of freedom, e.g. translation in two different directions · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

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

• H04M1/72454

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title