Device equipped with flexible display and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9589529-B2
Application number	US-201313801237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A device enabling for a user to control a flexible display more convenient and precise and a controlling method therefor, are discussed. According to one embodiment disclosed for this, the device includes a flexible display, a length measuring unit configured to measure an expanded length of the flexible display expanded from the device, a speed measuring unit configured to measure a speed of which the flexible display expanded from the device and a processor configured to control the flexible display, the length measuring unit, and the speed measuring unit, wherein if the flexible display is expanded to a unit length, the processor displays an application execution screen corresponding to the unit length in the flexible display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a flexible display;
a length measuring sensor configured to measure a length of the flexible display expanded from the device;
a speed measuring sensor configured to measure a speed at which the flexible display expands from the device; and
a processor configured to:
if the flexible display expands from a state of storing in the device to less than a first unit length,
display a first application execution screen on the flexible display when a first expansion speed is slower than a designated speed, and
display a second application execution screen on the flexible display when the first expansion speed is faster than the designated speed,

wherein the first expansion speed is a speed of a beginning moment of expansion when the flexible display expands from a state of storing in the device to less than the first unit length.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein if the flexible display stops expanding for more than a prescribed time in the first unit length, the processor displays the first application execution screen corresponding to the first unit length or wherein if the flexible display stops expanding for more than the prescribed time in the second unit length, the processor displays the second application execution screen corresponding to the second unit length.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein if the flexible display expands more than the first unit length and less than the second unit length, the processor controls the first application execution screen or the second application execution screen according to a second expansion speed of the flexible display.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein if the first application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, the processor displays an enlarged first application execution screen on the flexible display when the second expansion speed is slower than the designated speed and the processor displays the second application execution screen on the flexible display when the second expansion speed is faster than the designated speed.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein if the flexible display expands more than the second unit length and less than a third unit length, the processor controls the first application execution screen, the second application execution screen or a third application execution screen corresponding to the third unit length according to a third expansion speed of the flexible display.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein if an enlarged first application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, the processor displays the enlarged first application execution screen on the flexible display when the third expansion speed of the flexible display is slower than the designated speed and the processor displays the third application execution screen on the flexible display when the third expansion speed of the flexible display is faster than the designated speed.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein if the second application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, the processor displays an enlarged second application execution screen on the flexible display when the third expansion speed is slower than the designated speed and the processor displays the third application execution screen on the flexible display when the third expansion speed is faster than the designated speed.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a touch sensor capable of sensing a touch input.

9. A method of controlling a device containing a main display, a flexible display, and a housing unit for storing the flexible display, the method comprising:
expanding the flexible display from a state of storing in the device to less than a first unit length;
measuring a first expansion speed of the flexible display;
displaying a first application execution screen on the flexible display when the first expansion speed is slower than a designated speed; and
displaying a second application execution screen on the flexible display when the first expansion speed is faster than the designated speed,
wherein the first expansion speed is a speed of a beginning moment of expansion when the flexible display expands from a state of storing in the device to less than the first unit length.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises, if the flexible display expands to the first unit length and stops expanding for more than a prescribed time, displaying the first application execution screen corresponding to the first unit length or if the flexible display stops expanding for more than the prescribed time in the second unit length, displaying the second application execution screen corresponding to the second unit length.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises, if the flexible display expands more than the first unit length and less than the second unit length, controlling the first application execution screen or the second application execution screen according to the second expansion speed of the flexible display.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises, if an enlarged first application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, displaying the first application execution screen on the flexible display when the second expansion speed is slower than the designated speed and displaying the second application execution screen on the flexible when the second expansion speed is faster than the designated speed.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises, if the flexible display expands more than the second unit length and less than a third unit length, controlling the first application execution screen, the second application execution screen or a third application execution screen corresponding to the third unit length according to a third expansion speed of the flexible display.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises, if an enlarged first application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, displaying the enlarged first application execution screen when the third expansion speed is slower than the designated speed and displaying the third application execution screen when the third expansion speed is faster than the designated speed.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises, if the second application execution screen is displayed on the flexible display, displaying an enlarged second application execution screen when the third expansion speed is slower than the designated speed and displaying the third application execution when the third expansion speed is faster than the designated speed.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yongsin

Classifications

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G09G2380/02

  Flexible displays · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G09G5/00 Primary

  Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators (image data processing or generation, in general G06T) · CPC title