# US 11,907,024 B2 · Electronic device including haptic actuator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,024 B2 - Document ID: US11907024B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/973,014 - Filed: 2022-10-25 - Published: 2023-02-16 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-14 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Minsoo Kim; Bongsub Kim; Taewon Kim; Sangmin Lee; Jongheon Lee; Jiwoo Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907024B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/1677: {for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment} - G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position} - G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable} - G06F 1/1656: {Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203)} - G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract According to one aspect of the disclosure an electronic device comprises a foldable housing including: a hinge structure, a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure, and including a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure and including a third face and a fourth face opposite the third face, the second housing structure being configured to be rotated about the hinge structure; a flexible display extending over the first face and over the third face; at least one sensor disposed within the foldable housing, and configured to sense an angle formed between the first face and the third face; a first haptic actuator disposed within the first housing structure; a second haptic actuator disposed within the second housing structure; at least one processor disposed within the first housing structure or the second housing structure, and operatively connected to the flexible display, the at least one sensor, the first haptic actuator, and the second haptic actuator. The at least one processor may detect a folding state of the foldable housing using the at least one sensor, and independently control the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator based on at least part of the detected folding state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a foldable housing including: a hinge structure, and a first housing and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure, and the second housing structure being configured to be rotated about the hinge structure; a flexible display extending over the first housing structure and over the second housing structure; at least one sensor disposed within the foldable housing, and configured to sense an angle formed between the first housing structure and the second housing structure; a first haptic actuator disposed within the first housing structure; a second haptic actuator disposed within the second housing structure; and at least one processor disposed within the first housing structure or the second housing structure, and operatively connected to the flexible display, the at least one sensor, the first haptic actuator, and the second haptic actuator, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: detect a folding state of the foldable housing using the at least one sensor, and independently control the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator based on at least part of the detected folding state, wherein the at least one processor controls the second haptic actuator to output a phase-shifted vibration compared with the first haptic actuator in response to an operation in which the foldable housing is changed from the fully folded state to the fully unfolded state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator are spaced apart from each other with the hinge structure between the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator when the foldable housing is in the fully unfolded state, and the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator face each other when the foldable housing is in the fully folded state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the electronic device is fully unfolded, the second haptic actuator is controlled to vibrate in a first phase, such that vibration outputs of the second housing structure is oriented in a first direction on the first housing structure, and wherein when the electronic device is fully folded, the second haptic actuator is controlled to vibrate in a second phase inversed from the first phase, such that the vibration outputs of the second housing structure remain oriented in the first direction on the first housing structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first haptic actuator receives a first haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a first operation and the second haptic actuator receives a second haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a second operation, and when the electronic device is fully folded, the first haptic signal provides a signal having stronger intensity than the second haptic signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first haptic actuator receives a first haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a first operation and the second haptic actuator receives a second haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a second operation, and when the electronic device is fully unfolded, the first haptic signal provides a signal having substantially the same strength as the second haptic signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display includes an active area, which includes a first area corresponding to the first housing structure and a second area corresponding to the second housing structure, and the at least one processor differentially controls the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator depending on presence/absence of a touch input in any one of the first area and the second area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display includes an active area, which includes a first area corresponding to the first housing structure and a second area corresponding to the second housing structure, and the at least one processor differentially controls the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator depending on intensity of a touch input in any one of the first area and the second area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor controls the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator by controlling a frequency, signal intensity, a signal phase, or whether to activate a signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes an angle sensor connected to the hinge structure so as to sense a position of the second housing structure relative to the first housing structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor disposed in the first housing structure or the second housing structure. ### Claim 11 An electronic device, comprising: a foldable housing including a hinge structure, a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure, and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the second housing structure being configured to be rotatable about the hinge structure relative to the first housing structure; a flexible display disposed to extend from the first housing structure to the second housing structure; at least one sensor disposed within the foldable housing and configured to detect rotation of the second housing structure relative to the first housing structure; a first haptic actuator disposed within the first housing structure; a second haptic actuator disposed within the second housing structure; at least one processor disposed within the first housing structure or the second housing structure, and operatively connected to the display, the at least one sensor, the first haptic actuator, and the second haptic actuator; and a memory operatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the processor to perform control such that, in an operation of changing the foldable housing from the fully folded state to the fully unfolded state, the second haptic signal provides a signal phase-shifted with respect to the first haptic signal in response to the rotation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform control such that: when a deviation of an angle formed by the first housing structure and the second housing structure from flat is within a threshold, the first haptic actuator receives a first haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a first operation and the second haptic actuator receives a second haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a second operation, and when the deviation exceeds the threshold, the first haptic actuator receives a third haptic signal from the processor and performs a third operation and the second haptic actuator receives a fourth haptic signal from the processor and performs a fourth operation, and the first haptic signal and the third haptic signal are the same. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal are the same, and the third haptic signal and the fourth haptic signal are opposite each other in phase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform control such that: the third haptic signal provides a signal having stronger intensity than the first haptic signal, and the fourth haptic signal provides a signal having stronger intensity than the second haptic signal, and wherein the third haptic signal and the fourth haptic signal are opposite each other in phase. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein when the detected folding state is fully unfolded, the second haptic actuator is controlled to vibrate in a first phase, such that vibration outputs of the second housing structure is oriented in a first direction on the first housing structure, and wherein when a folding state of the foldable housing indicates that the electronic device is fully folded, the second haptic actuator is controlled to vibrate in a second phase inversed from the first phase, such that the vibration outputs of the second housing structure remain oriented in the first direction on the first housing structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the flexible display includes an active area, which includes a first area corresponding to the first housing structure and a second area corresponding to the second housing structure, and the memory stores instructions that, when executed, are cause the at least one processor to differentially control the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator depending on presence/absence of a touch input in any one of the first area and the second area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the flexible display includes an active area, which includes a first area corresponding to the first housing structure and a second area corresponding to the second housing structure, and the memory stores instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the processor to differentially control the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator depending on a type of an application executed in any one of the first area and the second area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator are configured to be spaced apart from each other with the hinge structure interposed therebetween when the foldable housing is in the fully unfolded state, and the first haptic actuator and the second haptic actuator are disposed to face each other when the foldable housing is in the fully folded state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform control such that: when a deviation of an angle formed by the first housing structure and the second housing structure from flat is within a threshold, the first haptic actuator receives a first haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a first operation and the second haptic actuator receives a second haptic signal from the at least one processor and performs a second operation, and when the deviation exceeds the threshold, the first haptic actuator receives a third haptic signal from the processor and performs a third operation and the second haptic actuator receives a fourth haptic signal from the processor and performs a fourth operation, and wherein the first haptic signal provides a signal having stronger intensity than the third haptic signal, or the second haptic signal provides a signal having stronger intensity than the fourth haptic signal.