Method of displaying content and electronic device for processing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785232-B2
Application number	US-201314098047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A method in an electronic device comprises when a display unit is deformed, determining a display area visible to a user, and displaying content on the confirmed display area. An apparatus for displaying content on an electronic device comprises a processing circuit configured to detect that a flexible display unit is bended, recognize at least a part of a user's body, determine which display area is visible to the user based on the user position; and move at least part of content on the visible display area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:
displaying two or more objects on a display unit;
detecting that a display unit is folded into two portions; and
displaying a first object among the two or more objects on a first portion of the two portions of the display unit, and a second different object among the two or more objects on a second portion of the two portions of the display unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing a location of at least a part of a user's body;
detecting a visible display area on the folded display unit based on the recognition; and
displaying content on the visible display area,
wherein the visible display area comprises at least one portion of the folded display unit that is visible to the user,
wherein displaying the content on the visible display area comprises:
distinguishing at least one content watched by a user among a displayed plurality of contents; and
displaying the distinguished at least one content on the visible display area.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the visible display area comprises:
obtaining information regarding a user's eye direction or a user's position; and
detecting the visible display area corresponding to a user's eye direction or a user's position.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein displaying the content on the visible display area comprises:
displaying respective different contents on a plurality of visible display areas for different users based on each user's eye direction or each user's position.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein displaying the content on the visible display area comprises adjusting at least one of a size, a resolution, a direction of the displayed content and displaying the adjusted content.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
stopping the display of the at least one content that the user does not watch among the displayed plurality of contents.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a display unit being deformable and configured to display content; and
at least one processor configured to:
cause the display unit to display two or more objects;
detect that the display unit is folded into two portions; and
cause the display unit to display a first object among the two or more objects on a first portion of the two portions of the display unit, and a second different object among the two or more objects on a second portion of the two portions of the display unit.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
recognize a location of at least a part of a user's body; and
detect a visible display area on the deformed display unit based on the recognition; and
display content on the visible display area,
wherein the visible display area comprises at least one portion of the folded display unit, the at least one portion being visible to the user,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
distinguish at least one content watched by a user among a displayed plurality of contents, and
cause the display unit to display the distinguished at least one content watched by the user on the visible display area.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain information regarding a user's eye direction or a user's position, and detect the visible display area corresponding to a user's eye direction or a user's position.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the display unit to display respective different contents on a plurality of visible display areas for different users based on each user's eye direction or each user's position.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust at least any one of a size, resolution, a direction of the displayed content and displays the adjusted content.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to stop the display of the at least one content that the user does not watch among the displayed plurality of contents.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program recorded thereon, which, when executed by a computer, performs a method of displaying contents, the method comprising:
displaying two or more objects on a display unit;
detecting that a display unit is folded into two portions; and
displaying a first object among the two or more objects on a first portion of the two portions of the display unit, and a second different object among the two or more objects on a second portion of the two portions of the display unit.

14. A method for an electronic device, comprising:
displaying a plurality of objects on a flexible display unit;
detecting that the flexible display unit is folded into two portions and at least two objects are displayed over a fold line; and
displaying a first object among the at least two objects on a first portion of the two portions of the flexible display unit, and a second different object among the at least two objects on a second portion of the two portions of the flexible display unit.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
recognizing a part of user's body; and
detecting which display area is visible to the user based on the recognition; and moving at least part of content on the visible display area,
wherein the part of user's body is user's eye and the visible display area is determined based on a recognition of user's eye.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
distinguishing at least one element on content watched by a user among displayed elements; and
displaying a distinguished element on the visible display area.

17. An apparatus for displaying content on an electronic device, comprising:
a flexible display unit; and
a processing circuit configured to:
cause the flexible display unit to display a plurality of objects;
detect that the flexible display unit is folded into two portions and at least two objects are displayed over a fold line; and
cause the flexible display unit to display a first object among the at least two objects on a first portion of the two portions of the flexible display unit, and a second different object among the at least two objects on a second portion of the two portions of the flexible display unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to recognize at least a part of a body of a user, wherein the part of user's body is a user's eye and a visible display area is determined based on the recognition of the user's eye.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
distinguish at least one element in the content watched by the user; and
display the distinguished at least one element on the visible display area.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , where the processing circuit is configured to divide the folded display unit into a plurality of substantially flat areas and display content on one of the plurality of substantially flat areas.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cha Soon-Hyun
• Kang Myung-Su
• Lee Jung-Woo
• Cho Jae-Wan
• Hwang Sun-Min

Classifications

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title