Electronic device having multiple displays and method for operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017123748-A1
Application number	US-201615342417-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for operating an electronic device. A method for operating an electronic device may include: determining an angle between a first body and a second body in an electronic device including the first body having a first display and the second body having a second display, the second body being rotatably connected to the first body; determining a movement state of the electronic device; and displaying a first screen on the first display and displaying a second screen on the second display based on the determined movement state of the electronic device and the determined angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating an electronic device including multiple displays, the method comprising:
determining an angle between a first body and a second body of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising the first body including a first display and the second body including a second display, the second body being rotatably connected to the first body; determining a movement state of the electronic device; and displaying a first screen on the first display and displaying a second screen on the second display based on the determined movement state of the electronic device and the determined angle.

2 . An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of displays including a first display and a second display; a first body including the first display; a second body including the second display, the second body being rotatably connected to the first body; a sensor module including sensing circuitry configured to sense a movement state of the electronic device; a memory; and a processor electrically connected to the memory, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining an angle between the first body and the second body and a movement state of the electronic device based on a sensing value sensed by the sensing circuitry; and displaying a first screen on the first display and displaying a second screen on the second display based on the determined movement state of the electronic device and the determined angle.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether the electronic device is in a portable state or in a mounted state based on the movement of the electronic device for a predetermined period of time.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining a function corresponding to at least one of the first screen and the second screen.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
when the electronic device is in a portable state, displaying, on the first screen, a first user interface related to the determined function; and when the electronic device is in a mounted state, displaying, on the first screen, a second user interface related to the determined function.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
displaying an entire function related to the determined function through the first user interface; and displaying some functions related to the determined function through the second user interface.

7 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
when the determined function corresponds to an input function, displaying, on the first screen, a result screen based on the input function, and displaying, on the second screen, an interface corresponding to the input function.

8 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
when the determined function corresponds to a selection function, displaying, on the first screen, a selection screen for selecting one of multiple objects; and displaying, on the second screen, a screen corresponding to the selected object.

9 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: displaying a screen corresponding to the determined angle on at least one of the first screen and the second screen.

10 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether the electronic device is in a horizontal state based on a sensing value sensed by the sensing circuitry.

11 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether an angle between the first body and the second body is within a predetermined range.

12 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising: a connection assembly through which the first body and the second body are rotatably connected to each other.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the connection assembly comprises at least one of a hinge rotatably connecting the first body and the second body, a flexible member, and a stretchable member.

14 . An electronic device comprising:
a display capable of being modified into multiple areas; a sensor module including sensing circuitry configured to sense a movement state of the electronic device; a memory; and a processor electrically connected to the memory, wherein the display comprises a first body including a first display including a plurality of first display areas and a second body including a second display including a plurality of second display areas, wherein the first body and the second body are rotatably connected to each other, and the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining an angle between the first display area and the second display area and a movement state of the electronic device based on a sensing value sensed by the sensor module; and displaying a first screen on the first display area and displaying a second screen on the second display area based on the determined movement state of the electronic device and the determined angle.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether the electronic device is in a portable state or in a mounted state based on the movement of the electronic device for a predetermined period of time.

16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining a function corresponding to at least one of the first screen and the second screen.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
displaying, on the first screen, a first user interface related to the determined function when the electronic device is in a portable state; and displaying, on the first screen, a second user interface related to the determined function when the electronic device is in a mounted state, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: displaying an entire function related to the determined function through the first user interface; and displaying some functions related to the determined function through the second user interface.

18

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Cha Kyum

Classifications

• 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

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/1423 Primary

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title

• G09G2380/02

  Flexible displays · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title