Flexible apparatus and method for controlling operation thereof

1. A flexible apparatus comprising:

a flexible display;

a touch sensor configured to sense whether a portion of the flexible display is touched;

a plurality of motion sensors disposed in a plurality of locations of the flexible display and configured to sense a change in motion in at least one position where each of the plurality of motion sensors is disposed;

a memory configured to store operation information corresponding to a bending shape of the flexible apparatus; and

a processor configured to:

determine a bending shape of the flexible apparatus based on the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors while a touch on a portion of the flexible display is sensed by the touch sensor,

ignore the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors while a touch on a portion of the flexible display is not being sensed by the touch sensor, and

perform an operation corresponding to the determined bending shape based on the operation information stored in the memory.

2. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the bending shape comprises a degree of bending and a bending direction.

3. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors are sensors that sense a change in a position with reference to at least one of 3D space axes.

4. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors are disposed on corner areas of the flexible apparatus.

5. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors comprise:

a first motion sensor disposed on a center of a first edge area from among edge areas of the flexible apparatus; and

a second motion sensor disposed on a center of a second edge area which is opposite the first edge area from among the edge areas of the flexible apparatus.

6. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a touch sensor configured to sense a user touch,

wherein the processor activates the plurality of motion sensors according to the user touch.

7. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a bend sensor configured to sense a bending state of the flexible apparatus,

wherein the processor determines the bending shape based on an output value of the bend sensor and the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors.

8. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein, when a predetermined calibration shape is sensed, the processor calculates a compensation value based on the output value output from the bend sensor while the calibration shape is sensed, and compensates for the output value of the bend sensor based on the compensation value.

9. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors comprise at least one of an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a gyro sensor.

10. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the processor determines at least one of general bending, folding, multi-bending, bending and move, bending and flat, bending and hold, bending and twist, twist, swing, shaking, and rolling based on a change in at least one of a pitch angle, a roll angle, and a yaw angle which are sensed by the plurality of motion sensors.

11. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display a screen corresponding to the bending shape.

12. The flexible apparatus as claimed in claim 11 ,

wherein, when bending occurs while a plurality of menus are displayed on the display, the processor performs a menu navigation operation on the plurality of menus according to the bending shape, and

wherein the menu navigation operation comprises at least one of an operation of moving a menu, an operation of selecting a menu, an operation of changing a menu page, an operation of scrolling a menu, an operation of displaying a main menu and a sub menu, and an operation of switching between a main menu and a sub menu.

13. A method for controlling an operation of a flexible apparatus comprising a flexible display, the method comprising:

sensing a change in motion in at least one position where each of a plurality of motion sensors is disposed using the plurality of motion sensors disposed in the plurality of locations of the flexible display, and whether a portion of the flexible display is touched using a touch sensor;

determining a bending shape of the bent flexible apparatus based on the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors while a touch on a portion of the flexible display is sensed by the touch sensor;

ignoring the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors while a touch on a portion of the flexible display is not being sensed by the touch sensor; and

performing an operation corresponding to the bending shape.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 ,

wherein the bending shape comprises a degree of bending and a bending direction.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 ,

wherein the plurality of motion sensors are sensors that sense a change in a position with reference to at least one of 3D space axes, and

wherein the determining of the bending shape comprises determining at least one of a bending direction, a degree of bending, a bending area, and a bending shape by comparing results of sensing changes in positions by the plurality of motion sensors.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors are disposed on corner areas of the flexible apparatus.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors comprise:

a first motion sensor disposed on a center of a first edge area from among edge areas of the flexible apparatus; and

a second motion sensor disposed on a center of a second edge area which is opposite the first edge area from among the edge areas of the flexible apparatus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:

when a user touch is sensed by a touch sensor, activating the plurality of motion sensors.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13 ,

wherein the flexible apparatus comprises a bend sensor configured to sense a bending state of the flexible apparatus, and

wherein the determining of the bending shape comprises determining the bending shape based on the bending state of the flexible apparatus and the change in motion sensed by at least one of the plurality of motion sensors.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising:

when a predetermined calibration shape is sensed, calculating a compensation value based on a sensing value output from the bend sensor while the calibration shape is sensed; and

compensating for the sensing value of the bend sensor based on the compensation value.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors comprise at least one of an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a gyro sensor.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the bending comprises at least one of general bending, folding, multi-bending, bending and move, bending and flat, bending and hold, bending and twist, twist, swing, shaking, and rolling.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising displaying a screen corresponding to the bending shape.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:

displaying a plurality of menus; and

when bending to perform a menu navigation operation occurs, performing a menu navigation operation on the plurality of menus according to the bending shape,

wherein the menu navigation operation comprises at least one of an operation of moving a menu, an operation of selecting a menu, an operation of changing a menu page, an operation of scrolling a menu, an operation of displaying a main menu and a sub menu, and an operation of switching between a main menu and a sub menu.