IP Library Granted Patent US 12,621,670
Granted Patent B2
US 12,621,670 · App. 18/326,276 · Granted May 5, 2026

Electronic device and method for operating electronic device

Inventors: Bona Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Eunjung Huh (Suwon-si, KR); Jonghyun Han (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04W12/45H04W12/72
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,621,670
App. No.
18/326,276
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device may include: a first subscriber identity module (SIM); a second SIM; a flexible display having at least a portion which can be folded or unfolded, and including an area corresponding to the first SIM and an area corresponding to the second SIM; a communication circuit; a memory; and a processor operatively coupled, directly or indirectly, to the first SIM, the second SIM, the flexible display, the communication circuit, and the memory. The processor(s) may be configured to: receive, through the communication circuit, a notification related to the first SIM from the outside; provide the notification related to the first SIM to a designated area on the basis of a state of the flexible display when at least a portion of the area corresponding to the first SIM in the flexible display is in a folded state; and display an execution screen of an application corresponding to the notification related to the first SIM on the flexible display when the area corresponding to the first SIM is changed to an unfolded state while the notification related to the first SIM is provided.

Claims (63)

1 . An electronic device comprising:

a first subscriber identity module (SIM);

a second SIM;

a flexible display including a first SIM area configured to display a screen corresponding to the first SIM, a second SIM area configured to display a screen corresponding to the second SIM, and a common use area configured to display a screen corresponding to the first SIM and/or the second SIM, wherein the first SIM area and the second SIM area are capable of being at least partially folded and/or unfolded;

a communication circuit;

at least one processor including processing circuitry and operatively connected to the first SIM, the second SIM, the flexible display, and the communication circuit; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

receive a notification message related to the first SIM from an external device through at least the communication circuit;

display to a user the notification message related to the first SIM in a specified area related to the first SIM based on a state of the flexible display where at least part of the first SIM area is folded in the flexible display, wherein the specified area is an area formed along a folded portion of the flexible display; and

display an execution screen of an application corresponding to the notification related to the first SIM on the first SIM area and the common use area of the flexible display in response to the first SIM area being changed from folded to unfolded while the notification message related to the first SIM is provided,

wherein the first SIM and the second SIM are simultaneously active in the electronic device.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

change a form of providing the notification message, based on receiving, within a specified time after providing the notification and without a change in a form of the flexible display, a specified user input in the specified area related to the first SIM.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

control to display a pop-up window indicating the notification message in the first SIM area, based on the first SIM area being unfolded when the notification message related to the first SIM is received.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

remove the notification message from the flexible display, based on a specified time having elapsed after the notification message is provided.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

control to display a home screen in the second SIM area, based on at least part of the second SIM area changing from a folded state to an unfolded state while the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM is displayed on the first SIM area and the common use area.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

while the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM is displayed, receive a notification message related to the second SIM from an external device through the communication circuit;

when at least part of the second SIM area is folded in the flexible display, provide the notification message related to the second SIM in a specified area related to the second SIM; and

in response to the second SIM area being changed from folded to unfolded while the notification message related to the second SIM is provided, display the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM in the first SIM area and a first portion of the common use area, and display the execution screen of an application corresponding to the notification message related to the second SIM in the second SIM area and a second portion of the common use area.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

provide a user interface configured to display the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM and/or the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the second SIM through a full screen of the flexible display in at least a portion of the flexible display.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

while the flexible display is fully unfolded, execute a first application in at least the first SIM area based on the first SIM and execute a second application in at least the second SIM area based on the second SIM;

when failing to perform a function related to the first application by using the first SIM, determine whether the function related to the first application is capable of being performed by using the second SIM;

when being capable of performing the function related to the first application by using the second SIM, provide a user interface for determining whether to use the second SIM; and

perform the function related to the first application by using the second SIM based on a user input received by using the user interface.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

control to output information related to only the first SIM to the first SIM area, output information related to only the second SIM to the second SIM area, and output information related to both the first SIM and the second SIM to the common use area.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

provide a user interface for setting an area corresponding to each SIM included in the electronic device; and

set at least one of the first SIM area, the second SIM area, or the common use area based on a user input received through the user interface.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, controls the electronic device to:

when a new SIM is added to the electronic device or at least one SIM is removed from the electronic device, provide the user interface.

12 . An operating method of an electronic device including a flexible display, of which at least part is capable of being folded and/or unfolded and which includes a first SIM area configured to display a screen corresponding to a first SIM, a second SIM area configured to display a screen corresponding to a second SIM, and a common use area configured to display a screen corresponding to the first SIM and/or the second SIM, the method comprising:

receiving a notification message related to the first SIM from an external device;

when at least part of the first SIM area is folded in the flexible display, providing the notification message related to the first SIM in a specified area related to the first SIM based on a state of the flexible display, wherein the specified area is an area formed along a folded portion of the flexible display; and

in response to the first SIM area being changed from folded to unfolded while the notification message related to the first SIM is provided, displaying an execution screen of an application corresponding to the notification related to the first SIM on the first SIM area and the common use area of the flexible display,

wherein the first SIM and the second SIM are simultaneously active in the electronic device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

when a specified time elapses after the notification message is provided, removing the notification message from the flexible display.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

when at least part of the second SIM area changes from a folded state to an unfolded state while the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM is displayed on the first SIM area and the common use area, displaying a home screen in the second SIM area, which is unfolded and which corresponds to the second SIM.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

while the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM is displayed, receiving a notification message related to the second SIM from an external device;

when at least part of the second SIM area is folded in the flexible display, providing the notification related to the second SIM in a specified area related to the second SIM; and

in response to the second SIM area being changed from folded to unfolded while the notification message related to the second SIM is provided, displaying the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification related to the first SIM in the first SIM area and a first portion of the common use area and displaying the execution screen of an application corresponding to the notification message related to the second SIM in the second SIM area and a second portion of the common use area.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing a user interface configured to display the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the first SIM and/or the execution screen of the application corresponding to the notification message related to the second SIM through a full screen of the flexible display in at least a portion of the flexible display.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

while the flexible display is fully unfolded, executing a first application in at least the first SIM area based on the first SIM and executing a second application in at least the second SIM area based on the second SIM;

when failing to perform a function related to the first application at least by using the first SIM, determining whether the function related to the first application is capable of being performed at least by using the second SIM;

when being capable of performing the function related to the first application at least by using the second SIM, providing a user interface for determining whether to use the second SIM; and

performing the function related to the first application at least by using the second SIM based on a user input received at least by using the user interface.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

outputting information related to only the first SIM to the first SIM area, outputting information related to only the second SIM to the second SIM area, and outputting information related to both the first SIM and the second SIM to the common use area.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing a user interface for setting an area corresponding to each SIM included in the electronic device; and

setting at least one of the first SIM area, the second SIM area, or the common use area based on a user input received through the user interface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2023
From: LEE, BONA; HUH, EUNJUNG; HAN, JONGHYUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063808/0165 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0167648 · Dec 3, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021017331 · Nov 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230308880A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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