Electronic device for controlling application according to folding angle and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020128116-A1
Application number	US-201916448244-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Oct 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a foldable housing including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first display arranged on the first surface and configured to be flexible, a second display arranged in at least a partial area of the second surface, and a processor arranged inside the foldable housing. The processor detects that the foldable housing is unfolded to a first angle from a fully folded state, displays a first GUI associated with a first application on at least a partial area of the display, detects that the foldable housing is unfolded to a second angle greater than the first angle, displays a second GUI associated with a second application, and executes the second application when the foldable housing is folded back into the fully folded state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a foldable housing including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a first display disposed on the first surface and configured to be flexible; a second display disposed on at least a partial area of the second surface; and a processor disposed inside the foldable housing, wherein the processor is configured to:
detect that the foldable housing is unfolded to a first angle from a fully folded state,
display a first graphic user interface (GUI) associated with a first application on at least a partial area of the first display,
detect that the foldable housing is unfolded to a second angle greater than the first angle,
display a second GUI associated with a second application, and
execute the second application when the foldable housing is folded back into the fully folded state.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fingerprint recognition sensor arranged outside the foldable housing, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a first user input while the second GUI is displayed when the foldable housing is unfolded at the second angle, the first user input including at least one of a touch input received on at least a partial area of the second GUI, a touch input received on the second display, or an input received on the fingerprint recognition sensor.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a visual effect to remove the second GUI from the first display when the foldable housing is unfolded to more than a specified threshold angle.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second application is a payment application,
wherein the second GUI includes card images corresponding a plurality of cards registered in the payment application, and wherein the processor is further configured to display, on the second display, at least a portion of a card image selected by the first user input from the card images when the foldable housing is folded into the fully folded state.

5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second application is a music application,
wherein the second GUI displays information associated with a music file, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
play back the music file when the second application is executed, and
display, on the second display, at least part of the information associated with the music file when the foldable housing is folded into the fully folded state.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect that the foldable housing is unfolded to the first angle from the fully folded state while the music file is playing back; display, on at least the partial area of the first display, a third GUI showing a list of a plurality of music files including the music file; detect that the foldable housing is unfolded to the second angle; and scroll the list displayed in the third GUI.

7 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second application is a contact application, and
wherein the second GUI displays information about a plurality of contacts registered in the contact application.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a call with a contact selected by the first user input from the plurality of contacts when the second application is executed.

9 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
display information about the plurality of contacts on the second display when the second application is executed; receive a second user input for selecting a contact from the plurality of contacts whose information is displayed on the second display; and initiate a call with the selected contact in response to the second user input.

10 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second application is a voice recording application,
wherein the second GUI includes a GUI object representing a voice recording state, and wherein the processor is further configured to start voice recording when the second application is executed.

11 . A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting that the electronic device is unfolded to a first angle from a fully folded state; displaying a first graphic user interface (GUI) associated with a first application on at least a partial area of a first display of the electronic device; detecting that the electronic device is unfolded to a second angle greater than the first angle; displaying a second GUI associated with a second application; and executing the second application when the electronic device is folded back into the fully folded state.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a first user input while the second GUI is displayed when the electronic device is unfolded at the second angle, wherein the first user input is a touch input on a second display of the electronic device.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing a visual effect to remove the second GUI from the first display when the electronic device is unfolded to more than a specified threshold angle.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second application is a payment application,
wherein the second GUI includes card images corresponding a plurality of cards registered in the payment application, and wherein the method further comprises displaying, on the second display, at least a portion of a card image selected by the first user input from the card images when the electronic device is folded into the fully folded state.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second application is a music application,
wherein the second GUI displays information associated with a music file, and wherein the method further comprises:
playing back the music file when the second application is executed, and
displaying, on the second display, at least part of the information associated with the music file.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting that the electronic device is unfolded to the first angle from the fully folded state while the music file is playing back; displaying, on at least the partial area of the first display, a third GUI showing a list of a plurality of music files including the music file; sensing that the electronic device is unfolded to the second angle; and scrolling the list displayed in the third GUI.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second application is a contact application, and
wherein the second GUI displays information about a plurality of contacts registered in the contact application.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
initiating a call with a contact selected by the first user input from the plurality of contacts when the second application is executed.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
displaying information about the plurality of contacts on the second display when the second application is executed; receiving a second user input for selecting a contact from the plurality of contacts whose information is displayed on the second display; and initiating a call with the selected contact in response to the second user input.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second application is a voice recording application,
wherein the second GUI includes a GUI object representing a voice r

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Minsuk
• Bae Donghwan
• Park Youngseok
• Park Sooyoun
• Choi Kyuok

Classifications

• H04M1/0214

  Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · CPC title

• H04M1/0243 Primary

  using the relative angle between housings · CPC title

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• H04M1/0241 Primary

  using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call · CPC title

• H04M1/72558

  Electricity · mapped topic