# US 12,111,695 B2 · Electronic device and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,695 B2 - Document ID: US12111695B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/736,225 - Filed: 2022-05-04 - Published: 2022-08-18 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-07 - Assignees: Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Xianhe Du; Mingjian Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111695B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable} - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1637: {Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing} - G09F 9/301: {flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED} - H04M 1/0268: {including a flexible display panel} - H04M 1/0269: {mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract An electronic device and a control method thereof are disclosed. The electronic device includes a screen, where the screen includes a bendable flexible screen portion; and a support assembly, where the support assembly is disposed on a back side of the flexible screen portion and configured to support the flexible screen portion, and the support assembly is switchable between a first state and a second state. In a case that the support assembly is in the first state, the flexible screen portion is curved; and in a case that the support assembly is in the second state, the flexible screen portion is flat. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a screen, wherein the screen comprises a bendable flexible screen portion; and a support assembly, wherein the support assembly is disposed on a back side of the flexible screen portion and configured to support the flexible screen portion, and the support assembly is switchable between a first state and a second state; wherein in a case that the support assembly is in the first state, the flexible screen portion is curved; and in a case that the support assembly is in the second state, the flexible screen portion is flat; wherein the flexible screen portion is connected to a back connector, and the back connector is a cover plate or a back screen; wherein the electronic device further comprises: a folding member, wherein the folding member is connected between the flexible screen portion and the back connector; wherein in a case that the support assembly is in the first state, the folding member is folded inward, so that the flexible screen portion is curved; and in a case that the support assembly is in the second state, the folding member is unfolded, so that the flexible screen portion is flat. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible screen portion is located at an edge of the screen, and in a case that the support assembly is in the first state, a cross-section of the flexible screen portion is an arc projecting out from a front side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the support assembly comprises: at least two support members, wherein each of the support members is attached to a back side of the flexible screen portion, and two adjacent support members are rotatably connected; and driving structure(s), wherein one driving structure is provided between two adjacent support members, and the driving structure is configured to drive two adjacent support members to rotate relative to each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the driving structure comprises: an adjusting member, wherein the adjusting member is disposed between two adjacent support members, and the adjusting member is connected to each of the two adjacent support members; and a driving member, wherein the driving member is connected to the adjusting member and configured to power the adjusting member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the adjusting member is a shape memory material member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein two adjacent support members are connected to each other by a rotating shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the folding member comprises: a first folding page, wherein one end of the first folding page is flexibly connected to an edge of the flexible screen portion; and a second folding page, wherein one end of the second folding page is rotatably connected to the other end of the first folding page, and the other end of the second folding page is flexibly connected to an edge of the back connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible screen portion is provided in plurality, with each of the flexible screen portions located at an edge of the screen and each of the flexible screen portions supported by one support assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An electronic device control method applied to the electronic device according to claim 1, comprising: receiving a screen adjustment instruction; and controlling, according to the screen adjustment instruction, the support assembly to switch between the first state and the second state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the controlling, according to the screen adjustment instruction, the support assembly to switch between the first state and the second state comprises: comparing the screen adjustment instruction with preset adjustment instructions; and in a case that the screen adjustment instruction matches a first preset adjustment instruction, controlling the support assembly to switch from the first state to the second state; or in a case that the screen adjustment instruction matches a second preset adjustment instruction, controlling the support assembly to switch from the second state to the first state; wherein the first preset adjustment instruction is used to switch the support assembly from the first state to the second state, and the second preset adjustment instruction is used to switch the support assembly from the second state to the first state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: providing a preset alert according to the screen adjustment instruction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An electronic device control method applied to the electronic device according to claim 1, comprising: receiving a screen adjustment operation by a user; and controlling, in response to the screen adjustment operation, the support assembly to switch between the first state and the second state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the controlling, in response to the screen adjustment operation, the support assembly to switch between the first state and the second state comprises: in a case that the flexible screen portion is curved, controlling, in response to the screen adjustment operation, the support assembly to switch from the first state to the second state; and in a case that the flexible screen portion is flat, controlling, in response to the screen adjustment operation, the support assembly to switch from the second state to the first state.