IP Library Granted Patent US 12,411,645
Granted Patent B2
US 12,411,645 · App. 18/745,465 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Foldable electronic device for controlling screen rotation, and operating method therefor

Inventors: Seoyoung Jin (Suwon-si, KR); Oheon Kwon (Suwon-si, KR); Changhuyn Sung (Suwon-si, KR); Seongsig Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Wonhee Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jeongmin Park (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F3/1446G06F3/0346H04M1/0216H04M1/0268H04M1/72454H04M2250/12
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,411,645
App. No.
18/745,465
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a hinge structure, a first housing, second housing foldably connected to the hinge structure and configured to be foldable with respect to the first housing, a first display disposed from at least a part of a first surface to at least a part of a third surface, a second display, a first sensor configured to collect sensor data related to movement of the first housing, a second sensor configured to collect sensor data related to movement of the second housing, and a processor operatively connected with the first display, the second display, the first sensor, and the second sensor. The processor is configured to identify a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing by using the first sensor and the second sensor.

Claims (59)

1. A portable communication device comprising:

a first housing comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;

a second housing comprising a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other;

a hinge structure foldably connected to the first housing and the second housing such that the first surface and the third surface face a same direction when the portable communication device is unfolded;

a flexible display accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, and capable of bending when the portable communication device is at least partially folded;

one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data corresponding to a movement of at least one of the first housing or the second housing;

a processor operatively coupled with the flexible display and the one or more sensors, and

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

while the portable communication device is in an unfolded state, display, via the flexible display, content in a first display direction; and

based on the portable communication device being partially folded from the unfolded state:

identify, based at least in part on the sensor data, an angle between the first housing and the second housing while the content is displayed;

display, via the flexible display, the content in a second display direction different from the first display direction based on the portable communication device being in a first configuration in which the angle is within a first range and the first housing is in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of gravity; and

display, via the flexible display, the content in a third display direction different from each of the first display direction and the second display direction based on the portable communication device being rotated to a second configuration from the first configuration in which the angle remains in the first range and the second housing is in the plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to the first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to the third surface of the second housing, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

perform the displaying of the content in the second display direction such that at least portion of the content is displayed via the second portion of the flexible display.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

display, via the first portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to the first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to the third surface of the second housing, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

perform the displaying of the content in the third display direction such that at least portion of the content is displayed via the first portion of the flexible display.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

display, via the second portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

perform the displaying of the content in the second display direction such that a upper side of the content is aligned with the second edge of the flexible display.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and wherein the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

perform the displaying of the content in the third display direction such that the upper side of the content is aligned with the first edge of the flexible display.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a first sensor disposed in the first housing and a second sensor disposed in the second housing, and

wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the portable communication device to:

determine the second display direction using the second sensor; and

determine the third display direction using the first sensor.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor.

10. An operation method of a portable communication device comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge structure foldably connecting the first housing and the second housing, the operation method comprising:

while the portable communication device is in an unfolded state, displaying, via a flexible display of the portable communication device, content in a first display direction; and

based on the portable communication device being partially folded from the unfolded state:

identifying an angle between the first housing and the second housing while the content is displayed;

displaying, via the flexible display, the content in a second display direction different from the first display direction based on the portable communication device being in a first configuration in which the angle is within a first range and the first housing is in a plane that is substantial perpendicular to a direction of gravity; and

displaying, via the flexible display, the content in a third display direction different from each of the first display direction and the second display direction based on the portable communication device being rotated to a second configuration from the first configuration in which the angle remains in the first range and the second housing is in the plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

11. The operation method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to a first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to a third surface of the second housing, and

wherein the displaying of the content in the second display direction comprises displaying, via the second portion of the flexible display, at least portion of the content.

12. The operation method of claim 11 , further comprising;

displaying, via the first portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

13. The operation method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion corresponding to a first surface of the first housing and a second portion corresponding to a third surface of the second housing, and

wherein the displaying of the content in the third display direction comprises displaying, via the first portion of the flexible display, at least portion of the content.

14. The operation method of claim 13 , further comprising;

displaying, via the second portion of the flexible display, a control interface corresponding to the content.

15. The operation method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and

wherein the displaying of the content in the second display direction comprises displaying the content in the second display direction such that a upper side of the content is aligned with the second edge of the flexible display.

16. The operation method of claim 10 wherein the flexible display comprises a first edge and a second edge each substantially parallel with a length direction of the hinge structure, and accommodated in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and

wherein the displaying of the content in the third display direction comprises displaying the content in the third display direction such that the upper side of the content is aligned with the first edge of the flexible display.

17. The operation method of claim 10 , further comprising;

determining the second display direction using a second sensor among a first sensor disposed in the first housing and the second sensor disposed in the second housing.

18. The operation method of claim 10 , further comprising;

determining the third display direction using a first sensor among the first sensor disposed in the first housing and a second sensor disposed in the second housing.

19. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a first sensor disposed in the first housing and a second sensor disposed in the second housing, and

wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the portable communication device to:

determine whether the first housing is in the plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity using the first sensor, and

determine whether the second housing is in the plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity using the second sensor.

20. The operation method of claim 10 , further comprising;

determining whether the first housing is in the plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity using a first sensor among the first sensor disposed in the first housing and a second sensor disposed in the second housing, and

determining whether the second housing is in the plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity using the second sensor.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0097145 · Aug 4, 2020 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18105084 · Feb 2, 2023
Continuation PCTKR2021009244 · Jul 19, 2021
Related Publication 20240338164A1 · Oct 10, 2024
References Cited (42)
US 9348504B2 · Kwak et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9412341B2 · Lin · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9430184B2 · Cho et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9558709B2 · Zhou · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10394371B2 · Kim et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10403241B2 · Kim et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20040084578A1 · Cho et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20080253073A1 · Kee et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20100060664A1 · Kilpatrick, II et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20130321340A1 · Seo · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20160026381A1 · Kim et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160132074A1 · Kim et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170075640A1 · Chun et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170206049A1 · Choi et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170221456A1 · Kim · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20190018454A1 · Jung et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190138179A1 · Xia · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200225706A1 · Jung et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200249898A1 · Ko et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210398465A1 · Kim et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220269314A1 · Chen · 2022 [cited by examiner]
CN 108027650A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020040040000A · 2004 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020070041224A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020080093340A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020110066165A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160012779A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160055646A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170085317A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020180089229A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020180132847A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200026654A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200045241A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200086830A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Communication dated Sep. 11, 2024, issued by the Korean Intellectual Property Office in Korean Application No. 10-2020-0097145. [cited by applicant]
Communication issued Nov. 10, 2023 by the European Patent Office in European Patent Application No. 201854226.4. [cited by applicant]
Communication dated Oct. 22, 2021, issued by the International Searching Authority in counterpart International Application No. PCT/KR2021/009244 (PCT/ISA/210). [cited by applicant]
Communication dated Oct. 22, 2021, issued by the International Searching Authority in counterpart International Application No. PCT/KR2021/009244 (PCT/ISA/237). [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in U.S. Appl. No. 18/105,084 dated Oct. 12, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received in U.S. Appl. No. 18/105,084 dated Feb. 29, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Communication issued Feb. 7, 2025 by the Korean Intellectual Property Office in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0097145. [cited by applicant]
Communication dated Jul. 29, 2025 issued by the State Intellectual Property Office of People's Republic of China in Chinese Patent Application No. 202180057974.1. [cited by applicant]