Apparatus having a flexible display and method of controlling the same

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;

a flexible display;

at least one sensor configured to sense a flex state of the flexible display; and

a controller configured to:

control the flexible display to display an indicator region at a specific side of the flexible display,

control the at least one sensor to sense the flex state of the flexible display, the flex state including a flex extent of the flexible display, and

control the flexible display to display a graphic indicating the sensed flex extent within the indicator region,

wherein both a battery indicator and the graphic indicating the sensed flex extent are displayed together within the indicator region, and

wherein the graphic indicating the sensed flex extent indicates a degree or an amount of how much the flexible display is flexed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the graphic is displayed as a gauge bar which increases in proportion to the sensed flex extent.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the graphic is colored differently in accordance with the sensed flex extent.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the flex state further includes a flex direction of the flexible display.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the graphic is displayed to indicate the sensed flex direction.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the graphic indicating the sensed flex direction has a different color in accordance with the sensed flex extent.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the sensed flex direction is indicated by bending the graphic in accordance with the sensed flex direction.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the bent graphic is colored with one of at least two different colors which is selected in accordance with the sensed flex extent.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the graphic is displayed as a combination of at least two of a gauge bar increasing in proportion to the sensed flex extent, a diagram indicating the sensed flex direction, a color indicating the sensed flex extent, and a numeral indicating the sensed flex extent.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the graphic is displayed as a numeral.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to display a popup window on the flexible display when the flexed extent reaches a preset limit range.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the flexible display.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to display no user graphic on a first region in the flexible display flexed to exceed a preset reference, and display no user graphic on a second region blocked by the flexed first region in the flexible display, while displaying a user graphic in a portion of the rest region in the flexible display except the first region and second region.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine an available region in the flexible display using the determined flex state,

determine an optimal display layout in accordance with a size and shape of the available region, and

display a function list including at least one function suitable for the determined optimal display layout on the flexible display.

15. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

allowing, via a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal, wireless communication with at least one other terminal;

controlling, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a flexible display of the mobile terminal to display an indicator region at a specific side of the flexible display,

controlling, via the controller, at least one sensor attached to the flexible display to sense a flex state of the flexible display, the flex state including a flex extent of the flexible display, and

controlling, via the controller, the flexible display to display a graphic indicating the sensed flex extent within the indicator region,

wherein both a battery indicator and the graphic indicating the sensed flex extent are displayed together within the indicator region, and

wherein the graphic indicating the sensed flex extent indicates a degree or an amount of how much the flexible display is flexed.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

displaying no user graphic on a first region in the flexible display flexed to exceed a preset reference, and displaying no user graphic on a second region blocked by the flexed first region in the flexible display, while displaying a user graphic in a portion of the rest region in the flexible display except the first region and second region.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining an available region in the flexible display using the determined flex state;

determining an optimal display layout in accordance with a size and shape of the available region; and

displaying a function list including at least one function suitable for the determined optimal display layout on the flexible display.