IP Library Granted Patent US 12,340,236
Granted Patent B2
US 12,340,236 · App. 18/316,523 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Electronic device for providing execution screen of application and method for operating the same

Inventors: Byungwoo Min (Suwon-si, KR); Nawoong Han (Suwon-si, KR); Seonghoon Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Sangheon Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jinwan An (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G06F9/451G06F1/1652G06F3/04886G06F9/4843
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,340,236
App. No.
18/316,523
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing foldably connected with the first housing, a flexible display disposed on the first housing and the second housing, at least one sensor, a memory, and at least one processor operatively connected to the flexible display, the at least one sensor, and the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured, when instructions stored in the memory are executed, to control the flexible display to display a first execution screen of a first application, based on an angle between the first housing and the second housing, which is identified using the sensor, falling within a predetermined range, identify whether the first application supports changing of an execution screen according to a change in angle, control the flexible display to display a second execution screen of the first application associated with the predetermined range.

Claims (41)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing foldably connected with the first housing;

a flexible display disposed on the first housing and the second housing;

at least one sensor;

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions, that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:

control the flexible display to display a first execution screen of a first application, which is executing in a foreground of the electronic device while executing a second application in a background of the electronic device, when the first housing and the second housing are in a partially folded state,

identify a user input to execute the second application in the foreground,

wherein the second application is configured to change an execution screen based on an angle between the first housing and the second housing, which is identified using the at least one sensor, falling within a predetermined range of the partially folded state, and

based on identifying the user input, control the flexible display to display a second execution screen of the second application associated with the predetermined range instead of the first execution screen,

wherein the second execution screen is configured to display a preview screen captured by a camera on a first portion of the flexible display corresponding to the first housing and to display, below the preview screen, a plurality of first UI elements and a plurality of second UI elements on a second portion of the flexible display corresponding to the second housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second application includes a camera application.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second execution screen corresponds to a half-folded mode of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:

control the flexible display not to display an executing screen of the second application while executing the second application in the background of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a list of at least one designated application, and the at least one designated application is configured to provide an execution screen associated with the predetermined range.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first UI elements and the second UI elements are classified as elements for providing specific functions while the preview screen is classified as an element for providing a visual view.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 ,

wherein the elements for providing the specific functions comprises a button, preferably a toggle button or a radio button, or an object including one or more of a tool bar, a dial, a slider, an input field, a drop-down menu, and a progress bar.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first area corresponding to the first housing and a second area corresponding to the second housing.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the preview screen of the second execution screen is displayed on the first area, the first UI elements and the second UI elements of the second execution screen are displayed in the second area.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:

based on identifying the user input while in an unfolded state, control the flexible display to display a third execution screen of the second application associated with the unfolded state by displaying the preview screen captured by the camera between the plurality of first UI elements and the plurality of second UI elements.

11. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a flexible display disposed on the first housing and the second housing, the method comprising:

displaying, on the flexible display, a first execution screen of a first application which is executing in a foreground of the electronic device while executing a second application in a background of the electronic device, when the first housing and the second housing are in a partially folded state;

identifying a user input to execute the second application in the foreground;

wherein the second application is configured to change an execution screen based on an angle between the first housing and the second housing, which is identified using at least one sensor of the electronic device, falling within a predetermined range of the partially folded state; and

based on identifying the user input, displaying a second execution screen of the second application associated with the predetermined range instead of the first execution screen on the flexible display,

wherein the second execution screen is configured to display a preview screen captured by a camera on a first portion of the flexible display corresponding to the first housing and to display, below the preview screen, a plurality of first UI elements and a plurality of second UI elements on a second portion of the flexible display corresponding to the second housing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second application includes a camera application.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second execution screen corresponds to a half-folded mode of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 11 ,

wherein a list of at least one designated application is stored in a memory of the electronic device, and

wherein the at least one designated application is configured to provide an execution screen associated with the predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first UI elements and the second UI elements are classified as elements for providing specific functions while the preview screen is classified as an element for providing a visual view.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the elements for providing the specific functions comprises a button, preferably a toggle button or a radio button, or an object including one or more of a tool bar, a dial, a slider, an input field, a drop-down menu, and a progress bar.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first area corresponding to the first housing and a second area corresponding to the second housing.

18. The method of claim 17 ,

wherein the preview screen of the second execution screen is displayed on the first area, and

wherein the first UI elements and the second UI elements of the second execution screen are displayed in the second area.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0015942 · Feb 10, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17167551 · Feb 4, 2021
Related Publication 20230281027A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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