IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,431,050
Granted Patent B2
US 12,431,050 · App. 18/789,719 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Electronic device comprising expandable display, and user interface provision method

Inventors: Youngrog Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jihea Park (Suwon-si, KR); Junghyeob Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G09G3/035G06F3/02G09G2354/00H04M1/0237H04M1/0268
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,431,050
App. No.
18/789,719
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of this document may include a first housing, a second housing coupled to slide relative to the first housing, a rollable display in which a display area is reduced or extended based on sliding-in or sliding-out of the second housing, and a processor operatively coupled to the rollable display, wherein the processor may be configured to display a screen of a running application on the rollable display when the rollable display is in a first state, detect an input for switching the rollable display from the first state to the second state, in response to the input, and determine whether or not a screen state of the running application is able to be maintained when switching the state of the rollable display.

Claims (45)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing coupled to slide relative to the first housing;

a display in which a display area exposed outside is reduced or extended based on sliding-in or sliding-out of the second housing;

memory, including one or more storage media, storing instructions; and

at least one processor including processing circuitry,

wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

display an executed screen of an application on the display when the display is in a first state;

detect an input for changing the display from the first state to a second state in which a size of the display area exposed outside is different from the first state;

determine whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area exposed outside; and

in case it is determined that the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area, display a graphic element on the display that indicates a change in the executed screen.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a display switch trigger button disposed on the outside of the first housing or the second housing,

wherein the instructions cause the electronic to detect, in case that an input to the display switch trigger button is received in case that the display is in the first state, an input for change from the first state to the second state.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to determine, based on attribute information of an activity constituting the executed screen of the application, whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to determine, in case that the activity is configured not to be reset in the case of changing a screen layout, changing an available screen size, and changing a physical screen size in the attribute information of the activity, that the application is not re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to identify whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area, based on attribute information of the application.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

display the graphic element on the display in the first state; and

in case that a user input to the graphic element is received, change the display in the first state to the second state.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to change the display in the first state to the second state in case that an input to the display switch trigger button is re-received while the graphic element is being displayed.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

display the graphic element on the display in the first state; and

in case that a specified time elapses after displaying the graphic element, change the display in the first state to the second state.

9. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to maintain, in case that an input to the display switch trigger button or an input to the graphic element is not received for a specified time after displaying the graphic element, the display remaining in the first state.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions use the electronic device to change, in case that the application is not re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area, the display to the second state and display the application on the display in the second state.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to display, based on determination that the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area, an icon related to change of the state of the display on at least a portion of the display.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the display comprises:

a first part configured to be exposed to the outside through a front surface of the electronic device; and

a second part integrally coupled to the first part and configured to not exposed to the outside in the slide-in state and exposed to the outside in the slide-out state.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first state is a slide-in state in which the first part is exposed to the outside and in which the second part is not exposed to the outside, and

wherein the second state is a slide-out state in which the first part and the second part are exposed to the outside.

14. A method of providing a user interface of an electronic device comprising a first housing, a second housing coupled to slide relative to the first housing, and a display in which a display area exposed outside is reduced or extended based on sliding-in or sliding-out of the second housing, the method comprising:

displaying an executed screen of an application on the display when the display is in a first state;

detecting an input for changing the display from the first state to a second state in which size of the display area exposed outside is different from the first state;

determining whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area exposed outside; and

in case it is determined that the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area, displaying a graphic element that indicates a change in the executed screen.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area comprises

determining, based on attribute information of an activity constituting an executed screen of the application, whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining whether or not the application is re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area comprises

determining, in case that the activity is configured not to be reset in the case of changing a screen layout, changing an available screen size, and changing a physical screen size in the attribute information of the activity, that the application is not re-executed based on the change in the size of the display area.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displaying of the graphic element comprises displaying the graphic element on the display in the first state, and

the method further comprises, in case that a user input to the graphic element is received, changing the display in the first state to the second state.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising changing the display in the first state to the second state in case that an input to a display switch trigger button is re-received while the graphic element is being displayed.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, in case that a specified time elapses after displaying the graphic element, changing the display in the first state to the second state.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, in case that an input to a display switch trigger button or an input to the graphic element is not received for a specified time after displaying the graphic element, maintaining the display remaining in the first state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2024
From: KIM, YOUNGROG; PARK, JIHEA; LEE, JUNGHYEOB
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 068146/0894 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0035615 · Mar 22, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0086093 · Jul 13, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023002700 · Feb 27, 2023
Related Publication 20240386822A1 · Nov 21, 2024
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