Granted Patent B2

US 12,360,577 · App. 17/993,270 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Inventor: Juyeol Park (Suwon-si, KR)

Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

G06F1/1686G06F1/1641G06F1/1643G06F1/1652G06F1/1681G06F3/04842

Abstract

Claims (60)

1. A flexible electronic device comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

a hinge structure disposed between the first housing and the second housing;

a flexible display;

at least one sensor;

memory storing one or more computer programs; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the flexible display, and the at least one sensor, and the memory,

wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to:

based on an image capture input being detected in at least one area of the flexible display:

detect a folding angle of the electronic device based on information obtained using the at least one sensor, and

determine a form of the flexible electronic device based on the detected folding angle,

determine whether different functions are executed in a first area and a second area of the flexible display divided around the hinge structure when the form of the flexible electronic device is determined to be a first form,

capture an image displayed on at least a portion of an area in which the image capture input is detected among the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that the different functions are being executed in the first area and the second area, and

capture an image displayed on the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that a same function is being executed in the first area and the second area.

2. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the flexible electronic device is greater than a specified value, and

wherein a second form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the flexible electronic device is less than or equal to the specified value.

3. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to determine the form of the flexible electronic device using a folding angle of the flexible electronic device obtained using the at least one sensor or direction information of surfaces which the first area and the second area face.

4. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the memory stores a specified condition of the image capture input that causes the flexible electronic device to execute a capture function, and

wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to capture at least a portion of an area on which the image capture input is detected, when the image capture input satisfies the specified condition.

5. The flexible electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the specified condition is associated with at least one of a swipe direction of the image capture input, a touch area of an external input, or a touch distance of the external input.

6. The flexible electronic device of claim 4 ,

wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor or foreign object detection (FOD), and

wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to:

obtain information associated with a detection start time and a detection end time of the image capture input detected in the one area of the flexible display using the proximity sensor or the FOD, and

capture at least a portion of the area on which the image capture input is detected when information, associated with the image capture input obtained during the detection start time and the detection end time, satisfies the specified condition.

7. The flexible electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to:

detect a change in an operation form of the flexible electronic device using a folding angle of the flexible electronic device or direction information of surfaces which the first area and the second area face, obtained using at least a part of the at least one sensor; and

change the specified condition when a change in the operation form of the flexible electronic device is detected.

8. The flexible electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the flexible electronic device to change the specified condition, and determine whether to execute the capture function by detecting the image capture input based on the changed specified condition.

9. The flexible electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the change in the specified condition according to the change in the operation form of the flexible electronic device includes a change in a ratio of an area corresponding to a touch area of the image capture input.

10. The flexible electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the change in the specified condition according to the change in the operation form of the flexible electronic device includes a change in an area value of an area corresponding to a touch area of the image capture input.

11. A method performed by an electronic device for providing a function of capturing one area of a flexible display in the electronic device, the method comprising:

based on an image capture input being detected in at least one area of the flexible display:

detecting, by the electronic device, a folding angle of the electronic device based on information obtained using at least one sensor, and

determining, by the electronic device, a form of the electronic device based on the detected folding angle;

determining, by the electronic device, whether different functions are executed in a first area and a second area of the flexible display divided around a hinge structure when the form of the electronic device is determined to be a first form;

capturing, by the electronic device, an image displayed on at least a portion of an area in which the image capture input is detected among the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that the different functions are being executed in the first area and the second area; and

capturing, by the electronic device, an image displayed on the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that a same function is being executed in the first area and the second area.

12. The method of claim 11 ,

wherein the first form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the electronic device exceeds a specified value, and

wherein a second form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the flexible display is less than or equal to the specified value.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining the form of the electronic device using a folding angle of the electronic device obtained using the at least one sensor or direction information of surfaces which the first area and the second area face.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the capturing of the at least a portion of the area in which the image capture input is detected among the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that the different functions are being executed in the first area and the second area further includes capturing at least a portion of an area on which the image capture input is detected, when the image capture input satisfies a specified condition.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the specified condition is associated with at least one of a swipe direction of the image capture input, a touch area of an external input, or a touch distance of the external input.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

based on an image capture input being detected in at least one area of a flexible display of the electronic device:

detecting, by the electronic device, a folding angle of the electronic device based on information obtained using at least one sensor, and

determining, by the electronic device, a form of the electronic device based on the detected folding angle;

determining, by the electronic device, whether different functions are executed in a first area and a second area of the flexible display divided around a hinge structure when the form of the electronic device is determined to be a first form;

capturing, by the electronic device, an image displayed on at least a portion of an area in which the image capture input is detected among the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that the different functions are being executed in the first area and the second area; and

capturing, by the electronic device, an image displayed on the first area and the second area of the flexible display when it is determined that a same function is being executed in the first area and the second area.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprising:

wherein the first form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the electronic device exceeds a specified value, and

wherein a second form is an operation form in which the folding angle of the flexible display is less than or equal to the specified value.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprising:

determining the form of the electronic device using a folding angle of the electronic device obtained using the at least one sensor or direction information of surfaces which the first area and the second area face.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (27)