# US 11,907,600 B2 · Foldable electronic device and method for displaying information in foldable electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,600 B2 - Document ID: US11907600B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/105,448 - Filed: 2023-02-03 - Published: 2023-06-15 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-04 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Seungeun Lee; Seonghoon Choi; Minseok Kang; Oheon Kwon; Seungnyun Kim; Chakyum Kim; Taihoon Kim; Yongsang Yun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907600B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1423: {controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display} - G06F 1/1641: {the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence)} - 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 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A fordable electronic device may include a first display, a second display, and a processor. The processor is configured to: based on the electronic device being in a folded state and a screen being displayed through the second display, detect that unfolding of the electronic device has started; based on and angle exceeding a first angle, control the second display to be in an off state and display at least a portion of a screen displayed through the second display on a first area of the first display and a menu for controlling the screen displayed through the first area on a second area of the first display; and based on the angle exceeding a second angle greater than the first angle, display at least a portion of the screen displayed through the first area and the second area on the entire area of the first display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a first housing comprising a first surface oriented in a first direction and a second surface oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a second housing comprising a third surface oriented in a third direction and a fourth surface oriented in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction; a hinge disposed between the first housing and the second housing; a first display positioned as visible via the first surface and the third surface; a second display positioned as visible via the fourth surface; a sensor module, comprising at least one sensor, configured to detect an angle between the first housing and the second housing; and a processor operatively connected to the first display, the second display, and the sensor module, wherein the processor is configured to: detect that unfolding of the electronic device starts based on the electronic device being in a folded state and a screen being displayed on the second display; based on the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeding a first threshold angle during the unfolding of the electronic device: control the second display to an off-state, and control the first display to simultaneously display at least a part of the screen displayed on the second display on a first area of the first display positioned as visible via the first surface and a menu for controlling the screen displayed on the first area on a second area of the first display positioned as visible via the third surface; and based on the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeding a second threshold angle during the unfolding of the electronic device: control the first display to simultaneously display at least a part of the screen displayed on the first area on at least a portion of the first area of the first display and at least a portion of the second area of the first display, wherein the second threshold angle is greater than the first threshold angle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect that unfolding of the electronic device starts in an off-state of the first display and the second display in the folded state of the electronic device; and control the first display to an on-state based on the angle exceeding a third threshold angle less than the first threshold angle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: set the first threshold angle to an acute angle; and set the second threshold angle to an obtuse angle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect whether the angle exceeds the first threshold angle based on the screen displayed on the second display being controlled to be displayed in a lengthwise direction of the second display in the folded state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: detect whether the angle exceeds a third threshold angle less than the first threshold angle based on the screen not being controlled to be displayed in the lengthwise direction of the second display; control the first display to an on-state and control the second display to an off-state based on the angle exceeding the third threshold angle; and control the first display to an off-state and control the second display to an off-state based on the angle being less than or equal to the third threshold angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to maintain a state of displaying the screen on the second display based on the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeding the first threshold angle based on an angular speed, at which the angle changes, decreasing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to: display a screen change button on the second display based on the angle exceeding the first threshold angle based on an angular speed decreasing; and control the second display to the off-state and display at least a part of the screen displayed on the second display on at least a partial area of the first display, based on an input for the screen change button being received. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to maintain a state where the screen is displayed on the second display based on the angle exceeding the first threshold angle and based on a part of a side surface of the first housing and a part of a side surface of the second housing being placed on a surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to: display a screen change button on the second display based on the angle exceeding the first threshold angle and based on the screen being displayed on the second display and a part of a side surface of the first housing and a part of a side surface of the second housing being placed on the surface; and control the second display to an off-state and display at least a part of the screen displayed on the second display on at least a partial area of the first display, based on input for the screen change button being received. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect that folding of the electronic device starts based on the electronic device being in an unfolded state and the screen being displayed on at least the portion of the first area of the first display and at least the portion of the second area of the first display; and control the first display to display at least a part of the screen displayed on the first area of the first display positioned on the first surface and to display a menu for controlling the screen on a second area of the first display positioned on the third surface, based on the angle being less than a third threshold angle, and wherein the third threshold angle is less than the second threshold angle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect that folding of the electronic device starts based on the electronic device being in an unfolded state and the screen being displayed on at least the portion of the first area of the first display and at least the portion of the second area of the first display; and control the first display to an off-state and to display the screen on the second display, based on the angle being less than a third threshold angle, and wherein the third threshold angle is less than the first threshold angle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect that folding of the electronic device starts based on the electronic device being in an unfolded state and the screen being displayed on at least the portion of the first area of the first display and at least the portion of the second area of the first display; control the first display to an off-state and display the screen on the second display, based on the angle being less than the second threshold angle and a specified setting being activated; and control the first display and the second display to an off-state based on the angle being less than the second threshold angle and the specified setting being deactivated. ### Claim 13 A method for driving an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a first housing comprising a first surface oriented in a first direction and a second surface oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a second housing comprising a third surface oriented in a third direction and a fourth surface oriented in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, a hinge coupled to the first housing and the second housing and to which at least one of the first housing and the second housing is rotatably connected, a first display positioned as visible via the first surface and the third surface, and a second display positioned as visible via the fourth surface, the method comprising: detecting that unfolding of the electronic device starts based on the electronic device being in a folded state and a screen being displayed on the second display; based on an angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeding a first threshold angle during the unfolding of the electronic device: controlling the second display to an off-state, simultaneously displaying at least a part of the screen displayed on the second display on a first area of the first display positioned as visible via the first surface and a menu for controlling the screen displayed on the first area on a second area of the first display positioned as visible via the third surface; and based on the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeding a second threshold angle during the unfolding of the electronic device: simultaneously displaying at least a part of the screen displayed on the first area on at least a portion of the first area of the first display and at least a portion of the second area of the first display, wherein the second threshold angle is greater than the first threshold angle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting that unfolding of the electronic device starts in an off-state of the first display and the second display in the folded state of the electronic device; and controlling the first display to an on-state based on the angle exceeding a third threshold angle less than the first threshold angle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting whether the angle exceeds the first threshold angle based on the screen displayed on the second display being controlled to be displayed in a lengthwise direction of the second display in the folded state of the electronic device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: detecting whether an angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds a third threshold angle smaller than the first threshold angle, in case that the screen is not controlled to be displayed in the lengthwise direction of the second display; controlling the first display to an on-state and controlling the second display to an off-state, in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds the third threshold angle; and controlling the first display to an off-state and controlling the second display to an off-state, in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing is less than or equal to the third threshold angle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining a state of displaying on the screen the second display even in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds the first threshold angle, in case that an angular speed, at which the angle between the first housing and the second housing changes, decreases. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: displaying on the screen the second display, and displaying a screen change button on the second display in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds the first threshold angle, in a state where an angular speed, at which the angle between the first housing and the second housing increases, decreases; and in case that a user input for the screen change button is received, controlling the second display to an off-state and displaying the screen on at least a partial area of the first display. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining a state of displaying on the screen the second display even in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds the first threshold angle, in case that a part of a side surface of the first housing and a part of a side surface of the second housing are placed on a floor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: displaying on the screen the second display, and displaying a screen change button on the second display in case that the angle between the first housing and the second housing exceeds the first threshold angle, in a state where a part of the side surface of the first housing and a part of the side surface of the second housing are placed on a floor; and in case that a user input for the screen change button is received, controlling the second display to an off-state and displaying the screen on at least a partial area of the first display.