WO2020096324A1

WO2020096324A1 - Flexible electronic device and method for operating same

Info

Publication number: WO2020096324A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/014918
Authority: WO
Inventors: 한종현; 오영학
Original assignee: 삼성전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2018-11-07
Filing date: 2019-11-05
Publication date: 2020-05-14
Also published as: KR20200052679A; KR102588525B1

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a flexible electronic device for sensing folding and a method for operating same. The electronic device may comprise: a hinge; a first housing comprising a first surface facing in a first direction and a third surface facing in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction; a second housing comprising a second surface facing in the first direction and a fourth surface facing in the second direction, the second housing being folded on the first housing around the hinge; a flexible display extending from the first surface to the third surface; at least one sensor circuit for sensing the angle between the first housing and the second housing; and a processor operatively connected to the flexible display and the sensor circuit. In addition, the processor may sense folding of the electronic device on the basis of the angle sensed through the sensor circuit, may determine, on the basis of the folding history of the electronic device, the possibility that the durability of the folding area will degrade and may control output of a durability notification in response to determining that there is a possibility that the durability of the folding area will degrade.

Description

Flexible electronic device and method of operation

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a flexible electronic device for sensing folding and a method of operating the same.

The electronic device is equipped with complex functions such as taking a picture or a video, playing a music file or a video file, receiving a game, broadcasting, and supporting wireless Internet, and is implemented in the form of a comprehensive multimedia player. Accordingly, in order to enhance the portability and convenience while satisfying the needs of the user, the electronic device is evolving into a new form in terms of hardware and software. As an example of such development, the electronic device may be implemented in a flexible type.

In the flexible type electronic device, a mechanical state may be changed by a user gesture. For example, the flexible type of electronic device may be changed from a folded state to a folded state (eg, a folding state), and may be changed from a folded state to a folded state.

However, as the mechanical state change is repeated, a problem may occur in that the durability of the display or other components (eg, a printed circuit board, a processor, a sensor, a memory, a battery, etc.) of the electronic device is deteriorated. For example, when a mechanical state change is repeated in any part of the electronic device, damage to at least a portion of the display where the state change is repeated may occur.

Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention are to provide a method and apparatus for preventing a decrease in durability due to a change in a mechanical state of an electronic device.

The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. There will be.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a hinge, a first housing including a first surface facing the first direction, and a third housing facing the second direction opposite to the first direction, and the first direction. A second housing facing the second surface and a fourth surface facing the second direction, a second housing folding with the first housing around the hinge, a flexible display extending from the first surface to the third surface, the first And at least one sensor circuit sensing the angle formed by the first housing and the second housing, the flexible display, and a processor operatively connected to the sensor circuit, wherein the processor is based on an angle sensed through the sensor circuit To detect the folding of the electronic device and, based on the folding history of the electronic device, to detect the possibility of durability deterioration in the folding area. However, and in response to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration occurs in the folded region it can be controlled to output a notification durability.

An operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation of sensing folding of an electronic device based on an angle sensed through at least one sensor circuit, and corresponding to detecting folding of the electronic device, the electronic Outputting a durability notification in response to an operation of checking a folding history of a device, an operation of determining a possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration in a folding area based on the folding history, and determining that there is a possibility of durability deterioration in the folding area It may include the operation.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a durability notification may be prevented by providing a durability notification based on a history of mechanical state change in a flexible type electronic device.

The effects obtained in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment, according to various embodiments.

2 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

3 is a diagram illustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

4 is a diagram illustrating another form of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

5 is a flowchart for detecting folding in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

6A to 6C are diagrams for describing an output state of a folding state and durability notification of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

7 is a flowchart for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

8A and 8B are diagrams for describing durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

9 is a flowchart for outputting a durability notification in a state in which a second type of folding is detected in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

10 is a diagram for explaining durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

11 is a flowchart for outputting a durability notification in a state in which a first type of folding is detected in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

12A to 12C are diagrams for describing durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

13 is a flowchart for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

14 is a view for explaining durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

15 is another flowchart for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

16A and 16B are diagrams for describing durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in describing embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, which may vary according to a user's or operator's intention or practice. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment 100, the electronic device 101 communicates with the electronic device 102 through the first network 198 (eg, a short-range wireless communication network), or the second network 199. It may communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 through (eg, a remote wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 through the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, an audio output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module ( 176), interface 177, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, subscriber identification module 196, or antenna module 197 ). In some embodiments, at least one (for example, the display device 160 or the camera module 180) of the components may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of these components may be implemented as one integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented while being embedded in the display device 160 (eg, a display).

The processor 120, for example, executes software (eg, the program 140) to execute at least one other component (eg, hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120. It can be controlled and can perform various data processing or operations. According to an embodiment, as at least a part of data processing or operation, the processor 120 may receive instructions or data received from other components (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190) in the volatile memory 132. Loaded into, process instructions or data stored in volatile memory 132, and store result data in non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor), and an auxiliary processor 123 (eg, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor) that can be operated independently or together. , Sensor hub processor, or communication processor). Additionally or alternatively, the coprocessor 123 may be set to use less power than the main processor 121, or to be specialized for a designated function. The coprocessor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 or as part of it.

The coprocessor 123 may replace, for example, the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or the main processor 121 may be active (eg, execute an application) ) With the main processor 121 while in the state, at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (for example, the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) It can control at least some of the functions or states associated with. According to an embodiment, the coprocessor 123 (eg, an image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of other functionally related components (eg, the camera module 180 or the communication module 190). have.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (eg, the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The data may include, for example, software (eg, the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130, and may include, for example, an operating system 142, middleware 144, or an application 146.

The input device 150 may receive commands or data to be used for components (eg, the processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101. The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, mouse, keyboard, or digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The audio output device 155 may output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The audio output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver can be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker, or as part thereof.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (eg, a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuitry configured to sense a touch, or a sensor circuit (eg, a pressure sensor) configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by the touch. have.

The audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio module 170 acquires sound through the input device 150 or directly or wirelessly connects to the sound output device 155 or the electronic device 101 (for example, an external electronic device) Sound may be output through the electronic device 102 (eg, speakers or headphones).

The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state can do. According to one embodiment, the sensor module 176 includes, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biological sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more designated protocols that can be used for the electronic device 101 to directly or wirelessly connect to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 178 may include a connector through which the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (eg, vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that the user can perceive through tactile or motor sensations. According to one embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module 180 may capture still images and videos. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 388 may be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 is a direct (eg, wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108). It can support establishing and performing communication through the established communication channel. The communication module 190 operates independently of the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) and may include one or more communication processors supporting direct (eg, wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg : Local area network (LAN) communication module, or power line communication module. Corresponding communication module among these communication modules includes a first network 198 (for example, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (for example, a cellular network, the Internet, or It may communicate with external electronic devices through a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (eg, a single chip), or may be implemented as a plurality of separate components (eg, multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 uses a subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 196 within a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199. The electronic device 101 can be identified and authenticated.

The antenna module 197 may transmit a signal or power to the outside (eg, an external electronic device) or receive it from the outside. According to an embodiment, the antenna module may include a single antenna including a conductor formed on a substrate (eg, a PCB) or a radiator made of a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, is transmitted from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190. Can be selected. The signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and an external electronic device through the at least one selected antenna. According to some embodiments, other components (eg, RFIC) other than the radiator may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 197.

At least some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method between peripheral devices (for example, a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)). Ex: command or data) can be exchanged with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 through the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be the same or a different type of device from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations performed on the electronic device 101 may be performed on one or more external devices of the external

electronic devices

102, 104, or 108. For example, when the electronic device 101 needs to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 can execute the function or service itself. In addition or in addition, one or more external electronic devices may be requested to perform at least a portion of the function or the service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and deliver the result of the execution to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may process the result, as it is or additionally, and provide it as at least part of a response to the request. To this end, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology can be used, for example.

An electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present document is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

It should be understood that various embodiments of the document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the corresponding embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. A singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "A Each of the phrases such as "at least one of,, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" can be used to simply distinguish the component from other components, and to separate the components from other aspects (eg, importance or Order). Any (eg, first) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (eg, second) component, with or without the term “functionally” or “communically” When mentioned, it means that any of the above components can be connected directly to the other components (eg, by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

As used herein, the term "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic blocks, components, or circuits. The module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of the component or a part thereof performing one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (eg, electronic device 101). It may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) that includes. For example, a processor (eg, processor 120) of a device (eg, electronic device 101) may call and execute at least one of one or more commands stored from a storage medium. This enables the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one command called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the device may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (eg, electromagnetic waves), and this term is used when data is stored semi-permanently in a storage medium. It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as being included in a computer program product. Computer program products are commodities that can be traded between sellers and buyers. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store ^TM ) or two user devices ( For example, it can be distributed directly (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) between smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored at least temporarily in a storage medium readable by a device such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server, or may be temporarily generated.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, module or program) of the above-described components may include a singular or a plurality of entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg, modules or programs) may be integrated into one component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each component of the plurality of components the same or similar to that performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. . According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, or omitted. , Or one or more other actions can be added.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 120 may detect folding of a region of the electronic device 101. The folding may include a state in which the electronic device 101 is physically deformed, rather than in a substantially flat state (eg, an unfolding state). For example, folding of the electronic device 101 may be expressed by folding, bending, curling, bending, or the like.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a first housing (or first housing structure 310) and a second housing (or second housing structure 320) as described later through FIG. 2. Foldable type. In addition, at least one sensor may be disposed in each of the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320. For example, a first sensor may be disposed in the first housing structure 310, and a second sensor may be disposed in the second housing structure 320. The first sensor and the second sensor may be sensors for acquiring information about an angle between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320. The first sensor and the second sensor may include, for example, at least one of a gyro sensor, a distance sensor, or a strain sensor. For example, the processor 120 may use a first housing structure 310 and a second housing structure (eg, a first sensor, a second sensor, or a sensor module 176) of the electronic device 101 using a sensor (eg, a first sensor, a second sensor, or a sensor module 176). 320) and calculate folding of the electronic device 101 based on the calculated angle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 120 may include an agent in which an angle between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 is included in a predetermined first angle range (eg, about 5 ° to 175 °). One type of folding (eg, in-folding) can be detected. In addition, the processor 120 includes the angle between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 of the electronic device 101 is included in a predetermined second angle range (eg, 185 ° ~ 355 °) The second type of folding (eg, out-folding) may be detected. The above-described examples of the specified angular ranges are examples for ease of understanding, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to another embodiment, as described later with reference to FIG. 4, the electronic device 101 may be of a flexible type including a display 160 implemented as a flexible display that can be bent. Also, the flexible display may be combined with at least one sensor (eg, sensor module 176), or at least one sensor (eg, sensor module 176) may be mounted inside the flexible display. For example, the at least one sensor (eg, the sensor module 176) may include at least one of a gyro sensor, a distance sensor, or a strain sensor, as described above. The processor 120 determines the curvature of the curved region of the electronic device 101 using at least one sensor (eg, the sensor module 176), and based on the determined curvature and a preset threshold curvature, the electronic device ( 101) can be detected. As another example, at least one sensor (eg, sensor module 176) may include a pressure sensor. The processor 120 determines a pressure on a curved region of the electronic device 101 using at least one sensor (eg, the sensor module 176), and based on the determined pressure and a preset threshold pressure, the electronic device ( 101) can be detected. The above-described method for sensing folding of the electronic device 101 is one embodiment, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Specifically, folding of the electronic device 101 may be sensed by various known methods. Also, the electronic device 101 according to various embodiments may be configured as a combination of the above-described foldable type and the above-mentioned flexible type.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the folding of the electronic device 101 is sensed, the processor 120 may determine whether durability deterioration is likely to occur in an area in which folding is detected (eg, a folding area). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 120 may determine the possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration based on the number of foldings (eg, the cumulative number of foldings) of the electronic device 101. For example, when the processor 120 detects folding below a predetermined folding threshold (for example, 10,000 times), the processor 120 may determine that it is less likely that durability deterioration occurs in the corresponding area. In addition, when detecting a folding over a predetermined folding threshold (for example, 10,000 times), the processor 120 may determine that there is a high possibility of durability deterioration in the corresponding area. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the possibility of durability deterioration for the folding area may be determined based on a folding retention time (eg, cumulative folding time) for the folding area. For example, when the folding holding time for the folding area exceeds a predetermined threshold time, the processor 120 may determine that there is a high possibility of durability deterioration in the folding area.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that durability deterioration is likely to occur in an area where folding is detected (eg, a folding area), the processor 120 may output a durability notification. According to an embodiment, the durability notification may include a first durability notification indicating that durability deterioration is generated for a portion (eg, a folding area) of the electronic device 101 and a region of the electronic device 101 where durability degradation has occurred. And a second durability notification. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may determine an output method for the durability notification based on the folding type of the electronic device 101. The folding type includes a first type of folding (eg, in-folding) in which a part of the electronic device 101 is folded in a first direction and a second type of folding in which a part of the electronic device 101 is folded in a second direction ( Example: out-folding). For example, the folding area of the electronic device 101 may not be exposed due to the folding surface (eg, the rear surface of the electronic device 101) due to the first type of folding. In this case, the processor 120 may output un-folding guide information so that the folding area is exposed. Also, the processor 120 may output a durability notification while the folding area is exposed. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the processor 120 may output a durability notification even when the folding area is not exposed. As another example, the folding area of the electronic device 101 may be exposed by the folding of the second type by not covering the folding surface. In this case, the processor 120 may output a durability notification while the electronic device 101 is folded.

2 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 3 is a diagram illustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the electronic device of FIGS. 2 and 3 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

2 and 3, in one embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a foldable housing 300, a hinge cover 330 covering a foldable portion of the foldable housing 300, and a foldable It may include a flexible (foldable) or foldable (foldable) display 200 (hereinafter, abbreviated, "display" 200) disposed in the space formed by the housing 300. In this document, the surface on which the display 200 is disposed is defined as the first surface or the front surface of the electronic device 101. And, the opposite side of the front side is defined as the second side or the rear side of the electronic device 101. In addition, a surface surrounding the space between the front and rear surfaces is defined as a third surface or a side surface of the electronic device 101.

In one embodiment, the foldable housing 300 includes a first housing structure 310, a second housing structure 320 including a sensor area 324, a first back cover 380, and a second back cover 390. The foldable housing 300 of the electronic device 101 is not limited to the shapes and combinations shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and may be implemented by combination and / or combination of other shapes or parts. For example, in another embodiment, the first housing structure 310 and the first rear cover 380 may be integrally formed, and the second housing structure 320 and the second rear cover 390 may be integrally formed. Can be formed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first housing structure 310 (eg, the first plate) and the second housing structure 320 (eg, the second plate) are disposed on both sides about the folding axis (A axis), It may have an overall symmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis A. As described later, the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 have different angles or distances depending on whether the state of the electronic device 101 is in an expanded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state. Can be. In the illustrated embodiment, the second housing structure 320, unlike the first housing structure 310, further includes a sensor region 324 in which various sensors are disposed, but in other regions, has a symmetrical shape. Can have

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may form a recess accommodating the display 200 together. In the illustrated embodiment, due to the sensor area 324, the recess may have two or more widths that are different in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A.

For example, the recess may include (1) a first portion 310a parallel to the folding axis A of the first housing structure 310 and an agent formed at the edge of the sensor area 324 of the second housing structure 320. If the first width (w1) between the first portion (320a), and (2) the second portion (310b) of the first housing structure (310) and the second housing structure (320) of the sensor area 324 does not correspond Therefore, it may have a second width w2 formed by the second portion 320b parallel to the folding axis A. In this case, the second width w2 may be formed longer than the first width w1. In other words, the first portion 310a of the first housing structure 310 having a mutually asymmetric shape and the first portion 320a of the second housing structure 320 form a first width w1 of the recess and , The second portion 310b of the first housing structure 310 having a mutually symmetrical shape and the second portion 320b of the second housing structure 320 may form a second width w2 of the recess. . In one embodiment, the distances from the folding axis A of the first portion 320a and the second portion 320b of the second housing structure 320 may be different from each other. The width of the recess is not limited to the illustrated example. In various embodiments, the recess may have a plurality of widths by a portion of the sensor region 324 or an asymmetric shape of the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may be formed of a metal material or a non-metal material having a stiffness of a size selected to support the display 200.

In one embodiment, the sensor area 324 may be formed to have a predetermined area adjacent to a corner of the second housing structure 320. However, the arrangement, shape, and size of the sensor area 324 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, in other embodiments, the sensor area 324 may be provided in another corner of the second housing structure 320 or in any area between the top and bottom corners. In one embodiment, components for performing various functions embedded in the electronic device 101 are electronically provided through the sensor area 324 or through one or more openings provided in the sensor area 324. It may be exposed on the front of the device 101. In various embodiments, the components can include various types of sensors. The sensor may include at least one of a front camera, a receiver, or a proximity sensor, for example.

The first rear cover 380 is disposed on one side of the folding shaft at the rear of the electronic device 101, and may have, for example, a substantially rectangular edge, and is edged by the first housing structure 310. Can be wrapped. Similarly, the second rear cover 390 is disposed on the other side of the folding axis of the rear side of the electronic device 101, and its edge may be wrapped by the second housing structure 320.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first rear cover 380 and the second rear cover 390 may have a substantially symmetrical shape around the folding axis (A axis). However, the first rear cover 380 and the second rear cover 390 do not necessarily have mutually symmetric shapes, and in another embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a first rear cover 380 having various shapes and A second rear cover 390 may be included. In another embodiment, the first rear cover 380 may be integrally formed with the first housing structure 310, and the second rear cover 390 may be integrally formed with the second housing structure 320. have.

In one embodiment, the first back cover 380, the second back cover 390, the first housing structure 310, and the second housing structure 320 are various components of the electronic device 101 (eg, A printed circuit board or a battery) may be formed. In one embodiment, one or more components may be disposed on the rear surface of the electronic device 101 or may be visually exposed. For example, at least a portion of the sub display 290 may be visually exposed through the first rear area 382 of the first rear cover 380. In other embodiments, one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through the second rear area 392 of the second rear cover 390. In various embodiments, the sensor may include a proximity sensor and / or a rear camera.

Referring to FIG. 3, the hinge cover 330 is disposed between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 to be configured to cover an internal component (eg, a hinge structure). have. In one embodiment, the hinge cover 330, the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320, depending on the state (flat state or folded state) of the electronic device 101 ), Or may be exposed to the outside.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the electronic device 101 is in an unfolded state, the hinge cover 330 may not be exposed because it is covered by the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320. . As an example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the electronic device 101 is in a folded state (eg, a fully folded state), the hinge cover 330 includes the first housing structure 310 and the second housing The structure 320 may be exposed to the outside. For example, when the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 are in an intermediate state that is folded with a certain angle, the hinge cover 330 includes the first housing structure. It may be partially exposed to the outside between the 310 and the second housing structure (320). However, in this case, the exposed area may be less than the fully folded state. In one embodiment, the hinge cover 330 may include a curved surface.

The display 200 may be disposed on a space formed by the foldable housing 300. For example, the display 200 is mounted on a recess formed by the foldable housing 300 and may constitute most of the front surface of the electronic device 101.

Accordingly, the front surface of the electronic device 101 may include a display 200 and a portion of the first housing structure 310 adjacent to the display 200 and a portion of the second housing structure 320. In addition, the rear surface of the electronic device 101 includes a first rear cover 380, a partial area of the first housing structure 310 adjacent to the first rear cover 380, a second rear cover 390, and a second rear cover A portion of the second housing structure 320 adjacent to 390 may be included.

The display 200 may mean a display in which at least some areas may be transformed into a flat surface or a curved surface. In one embodiment, the display 200 includes a folding area 203, a first area 201 and the other side disposed on one side (the left side of the folding area 203 shown in FIG. 2) based on the folding area 203. It may include a second region (202) disposed in (right side of the folding region 203 shown in FIG. 2).

The region division of the display 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is exemplary, and the display 200 may be divided into a plurality of regions (eg, four or more or two) according to a structure or function. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, an area of the display 200 may be divided by a folding area 203 or a folding axis (A-axis) extending parallel to the y-axis, but the display ( The region may be divided based on another folding area (eg, a folding area parallel to the x axis) or another folding axis (eg, a folding axis parallel to the x axis).

The first region 201 and the second region 202 may have an overall symmetrical shape around the folding region 203. However, unlike the first region 201, the second region 202 may include a notch cut according to the presence of the sensor region 324, but in other regions, the first region 202 It may have a symmetrical shape with (201). In other words, the first region 201 and the second region 202 may include portions having symmetrical shapes with each other and portions having asymmetrical shapes with each other.

Hereinafter, the operation and display 200 of the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 according to the state of the electronic device 101 (eg, a flat state and a folded state) Let's explain each area.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 101 is in a flat state (eg, FIG. 2), the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 form an angle of 180 degrees and have the same direction. It can be arranged to face. The surface of the first area 201 of the display 200 and the surface of the second area 202 form 180 degrees with each other, and may face the same direction (eg, the front direction of the electronic device 101). The folding region 203 may form the same plane as the first region 201 and the second region 202.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 101 is in a folded state (eg, FIG. 3), the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may be disposed to face each other. The surface of the first region 201 of the display 200 and the surface of the second region 202 form a narrow angle with each other (for example, between 0 and 10 degrees), and may face each other. The folding region 203 may be formed of a curved surface at least partially having a predetermined curvature.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 101 is in a folded state (for example, FIG. 3), the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 have a predetermined angle with each other. ). The surface of the first region 201 and the surface of the second region 202 of the display 200 may form an angle greater than the folded state and smaller than the expanded state. The folding region 203 may be formed of a curved surface having at least a predetermined curvature, and the curvature at this time may be smaller than that in a folded state.

In one embodiment, at least one of the first housing structure 310 or the second housing structure 320 may include at least one receiving coil for receiving power from the transmitting coil of the wireless power transmission device.

Referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, a housing forming the exterior of the electronic device 101 may include a front cover 101a and a back cover 101b. According to one embodiment, the interior space formed by the front cover (101a) and the rear cover (101b), at least one of the components described above with reference to Figure 1 (eg, processor 120, memory 130, input device 150, sound output device 155, display device 160, audio module 170, sensor module 176, interface 177, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module ( 188), a battery 189, a communication module 190, a subscriber identification module 196, or an antenna module 197) may be embedded. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may be disposed on the front cover 101a. The display device 160 is formed of a flexible display and can be bent. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the display device 160 formed of a flexible display may be disposed on the rear cover 101b of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101) includes a hinge, a first surface including a first surface facing the first direction, and a third surface facing the second direction opposite to the first direction. A housing (eg, a first housing structure 310), a second housing including a second surface facing the first direction and a fourth surface facing the second direction, and folding with the first housing about the hinge (Eg, second housing structure 320), a flexible display (eg, display device 160) extending from the first surface to the third surface, sensing an angle between the first housing and the second housing It may include at least one sensor circuit (eg, sensor module 176), the flexible display, and a processor (eg, processor 120) operatively connected to the sensor circuit. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor senses folding of the electronic device based on an angle sensed through the sensor circuit, and determines a possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration in the folding area based on the folding history of the electronic device. And, in response to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, it may be controlled to output a durability notification.

According to an embodiment, the durability notification may include a first durability notification indicating that durability deterioration has occurred with respect to the folding area, and a second durability notification indicating a folding area where the durability degradation has occurred.

According to an embodiment, the processor may control to determine a display method of the durability notification based on the folding type of the electronic device. For example, the folding type of the electronic device includes a first type of folding in which a portion of the electronic device is folded in a first direction, and a folding in a second direction in which a portion of the electronic device is opposite to the first direction. It may include a second type of folding.

According to one embodiment, the processor may control to display the first durability notification and the second durability notification in a first area different from the second area of the flexible display based on the first type of folding. . For example, the second area may include a part of the entire area of the flexible display corresponding to the position of the hinge.

According to an embodiment, a sub display (eg, a sub display 290) may be included on the rear surface of at least one of the first housing and the second housing. For example, the processor may control to output the first durability notification through the sub-display in response to the sub-display being exposed by folding of the electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor outputs guide information for inducing an unfolding state with respect to the electronic device folded to the first type, and in response to detecting the unfolding state of the electronic device, the second durability It can be controlled to change the display position of the notification to the second area of the flexible display.

According to an embodiment, the processor may control to output the guide information based on at least one of vibration, light emission, or sound.

According to one embodiment, the processor, based on the second type of folding, displays the first durability notification on the first area of the flexible display, and the second durability notification on the second area of the flexible display It can be controlled to display. For example, the first area may include a partial area corresponding to the position of the hinge among the entire areas of the flexible display, and the second area may be a different area from the first area.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, the processor acquires additional information about the folding area and outputs the durability notification based on the additional information. Can be controlled. For example, the additional information may include pressure applied to the folding area.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, the processor checks the folding state of the electronic device and outputs the durability notification based on the checked folding state. Can be controlled. For example, in the folding state, a weak folding state in which an angle between the first housing and the second housing is included in a first state range and an angle between the first housing and the second housing are in a second state range. It may include at least one of the strong folding state included in.

5 is a flowchart 500 for detecting folding in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 6A to 6C are diagrams 600, 610, and 640 for explaining an output state of a folding state and durability notification of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 5 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 5, according to various embodiments, an electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may determine whether folding of an area of the electronic device 101 is detected in operation 510. . For example, the processor 120 may include at least one sensor (eg, a pressure sensor) mounted inside the display unit 160 implemented as a flexible display, or at least one sensor (eg, a product) provided in the electronic device 101. Folding may be determined based on information output from the first sensor, the second sensor, or the sensor module 176.

The information used for determining whether folding is used is related to an angle (eg, a folding angle) between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 of the electronic device 101 described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Can be. For example, the processor 120 may determine that folding of the electronic device 101 is sensed in response to detecting a folding angle included in a predetermined angle range. As another example, the processor 120 may determine that folding of the electronic device 101 is sensed in response to the folding angle included in the predetermined angle range being maintained for a predetermined time. As another example, the processor 120 may determine that folding of the electronic device 101 is sensed in response to detecting an increase or decrease in the folding angle corresponding to a predetermined change amount range. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, information used for folding or not, pressure, curvature, etc. on at least a portion generated by bending of the electronic device 101 or the display (eg, the display device 160) It may be determined based on.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may check folding history information about the folding area in operation 520. The folding history information may refer to a folding history generated in the folding area. For example, the folding history information may include at least one of the accumulated number of foldings and the accumulated folding time for the folding area. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may update folding history information in response to detecting folding of the electronic device 101. The folding history information may be stored in the electronic device 101 (eg, the memory 130) or an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108).

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may determine whether the durability notification condition is satisfied based on the identified history information in operation 530. As described above, the durability notification condition may be associated with a situation where durability deterioration occurs in an area where folding is detected. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may determine whether the durability notification condition is satisfied using the verified history information and the threshold condition. For example, when the cumulative number of foldings over a threshold condition (eg, a folding threshold) is confirmed, the processor 120 may determine that the durability notification condition for the folding region is satisfied. In addition, when the accumulated folding count less than a threshold condition (eg: folding threshold value) is confirmed, the processor 120 may determine that the durability notification condition for the folding region is not satisfied. As another example, the processor 120 may determine that the durability notification condition for the folding area is satisfied when the cumulative folding time is checked when a threshold condition (eg, a folding threshold time) or more is confirmed. In addition, when the accumulated folding time less than a threshold condition (eg, a folding threshold time) is confirmed, the processor 120 may determine that the durability notification condition for the folding area is not satisfied.

The electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may perform an operation related to folding in response to determining that the durability notification condition is not satisfied. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may display a user interface related to a running application in response to a folding state. For example, the processor 120 may change and display the first user interface displayed in the unfolding state (or the expanded state) as a second user interface corresponding to the folding state. According to another embodiment, the processor 120 may update the stored folding history information by monitoring the folding state. For example, the processor 120 may increase the accumulated number of folding times or the folding holding time.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may output the durability notification in operation 540 in response to determining that the durability notification condition is satisfied. The durability notification may include a graphic notification indicating an area of the electronic device 101 in which durability degradation has occurred.

According to an embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, the electronic device 101 may include a first housing structure 310 and a second housing structure 320. In addition, the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may be disposed on both sides of the folded portion (eg, hinge structure). In this case, a portion of the display (eg, the display device 160) corresponding to the folded portion may be a folding area. As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 6A, the processor 120 detects that the durability notification for the folding area 602 is displayed when the durability notification condition is not satisfied even if the electronic device 101 detects folding. Can be limited. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 6A (b), the processor 120 may output the durability notification 604 overlapping the folding area 602 when the durability notification condition is satisfied. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the durability notification may be output without overlapping the folding area.

According to another embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a first housing structure 620, a second housing structure 630, and a third housing structure 640, as shown in FIG. 6B (a). Can be. In addition, although the first housing structure 620 and the second housing structure 630 are not illustrated, they may be disposed on both sides of the first fold (eg, the first hinge structure), and the second housing structure 630 and the second 3 The housing structure 640 is not shown, but may be disposed on both sides of the second folded portion (eg, the second hinge structure). In this case, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 6B, the electronic device 101 may be folded based on the first folded portion and the second folded portion, and a display corresponding to the first folded portion (eg, a display device) The first area of (160) and the second area of the display (eg, the display device 160) corresponding to the second folded portion may be a folding area. The processor 120 may output the

durability notifications

632 and 634 based on the first folding region and the second folding region when the durability notification condition is satisfied, as illustrated in FIG. 6B (c). .

According to another embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a flexible display, as shown in (a) of FIG. 6C. The electronic device 101 may be bent or curled so that at least a portion of the electronic device 101 has a curvature, and a part of the display (eg, the display device 160) corresponding to an area having a curvature in a specified range may be It may be a folding area. The processor 120 may output the durability notification 642 based on the folding area when the durability notification condition is satisfied, as illustrated in FIG. 6C (b).

7 is a flowchart 700 for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 8A and 8B are diagrams 800 and 840 for explaining durability notification according to various embodiments. The operations of FIG. 7 described below illustrate various embodiments of operation 530 of FIG. 5. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 7 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may determine a folding type of the electronic device 101 in operation 710. The folding type of the electronic device 101 includes a first type of folding (eg, in-folding) in which a part of the electronic device 101 is folded in a first direction (eg, a front direction) and an electronic device ( A portion of 101) may include a second type of folding (eg, out-folding) that is folded in a second direction (eg, a rear direction) that is opposite to the first direction. For example, the processor 120 may have a first angle range in which an angle between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 of the electronic device 101 is predetermined (eg, about 5 ° to 175 °). It is possible to detect the folding of the first type included in. As another example, the processor 120 includes an angle between the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 of the electronic device 101 in a predetermined second angle range (eg, 185 ° to 355 °). The second type of folding can be detected.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to detecting the first type of folding, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) exposes whether the area (eg, the folding area) where folding is detected in operation 720 is exposed. Can determine whether According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may determine whether the folding area is exposed based on the curvature of the folding area and a predetermined threshold curvature. For example, when the curvature of the folding area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold curvature, the processor 120 may determine that the folding area is not exposed due to the folding surface (eg, the back surface of the electronic device 101). In addition, when the curvature of the folding area is less than a predetermined threshold curvature, the processor 120 may determine that the folding area is exposed because it is not covered by the folding surface (eg, the rear surface of the electronic device 101). However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the exposure of the folding area may be sensed by various known methods. For example, the processor 120 may determine whether the folding area is exposed by comparing the folding angle of the electronic device 101 with a predetermined threshold angle.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) operates 730 for outputting the first durability notification and the second durability notification in response to determining a situation where the folding area is exposed, and An operation related to operation 740 may be performed.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may output a first durability notification to at least a portion of the first area of the display (eg, the display device 160) in operation 730. The first area may be an area other than the folding area among the entire areas of the display (eg, the display device 160). Also, the first durability notification may be information indicating that durability deterioration may occur with respect to at least a portion of the electronic device 101 or the display (eg, the display device 160) due to frequent folding. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 8A, the first durability notification 812 may include text information (eg, pay attention to a folding area on the left side of the display) and display (eg, a display device) It may be output in a pop-up form on at least a portion of the first area of (160). However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may output the first durability notification based on at least one of vibration, light emission, and sound. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the text information of the first durability notification includes information indicating the folding area (for example, the left side of the display) as illustrated in FIG. 8A (a). As an example, the text information of the first durability notification may include only information indicating the occurrence of durability deterioration (eg, pay attention to the folding area).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 740, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification to at least a portion of the second area of the display (eg, the display device 160). The second area may be a folding area in which folding is detected among all areas of the display (eg, the display device 160). For example, the second durability notification may be output to at least a portion of the folding area. Also, the second durability notification may indicate an area of the electronic device 101 or the display (eg, the display device 160) where the deterioration has occurred. According to an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8A (a), the second durability notification 814 may display an area in a hatched shape. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8B, the processor 120 adjusts the color stepwise based on the folding area (eg, a Gradation effect) (a), and adjusts the brightness of a certain area based on the folding area. Effects (e.g. white dim effect) (b), effects that blur a certain area based on the folding area (e.g. Blur effect) (c) or shapes assigned to a certain area based on the folding area (e.g. lines) A second durability notification to which at least one of the effects (d) displaying 842 is applied may be output.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may determine whether the folding area is continuously or periodically stopped while outputting the first durability notification and the second durability notification. have. For example, the processor 120 may perform an operation associated with at least one of operations 720 to 740.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) displays a display position of the second durability notification in operation 750 in response to determining a situation in which the folding area is not exposed (eg: It can be changed to at least a part of the first area of the display device 160. For example, in a situation where the folding area is hidden by the folding surface and is not exposed, the user cannot recognize the folding area where durability deterioration may occur. In this case, the processor 120 may change the display position of the second durability notification to the first area of the display (eg, the display device 160) exposed to the user so that the user can recognize the folding area. For example, the second durability notification displayed at the changed position may include information 824 indicating the direction of the folding area, as illustrated in FIG. 8A (b).

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) operates 760 and outputs a first durability notification and a second durability notification in response to detecting a second type of folding. Operation related to 770 may be performed.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may output a first durability notification to at least a portion of the first area of the display (eg, the display device 160) in operation 760. Also, in operation 770, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification to at least a portion of the second area of the display (eg, the display device 160). For example, as illustrated in (c) of FIG. 8A, each of the first durability notification 832 and the second durability notification 834 is the first of the display (eg, the display device 160) exposed to the user. It may be displayed on at least part of the region and the second region.

9 is a flowchart 900 for outputting a durability notification in a state in which a second type of folding is sensed in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 10 is a diagram 1000 illustrating a durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of FIG. 9 described below illustrate various embodiments of operation 750 of FIG. 7. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 9 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 9, according to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) outputs unfolding guide information in operation 910 in response to determining a situation where the folding area is not exposed. can do. The unfolding guide may guide the unfolding of the electronic device 101 so that at least the folding area is exposed. For example, the processor 120 may output 1002 un-folding guide information in the form of vibration, as shown in FIG. 10A. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may output unfolding guide information based on at least one of light emission and sound.

The electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may determine whether the state of the electronic device 101 is changed to an unfolding state in operation 920. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may determine whether the electronic device 101 is in an unfolded state such that at least the folding area is exposed. For example, the processor 120 may determine the unfolding state based on the change amount of the folding angle of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) corresponds to checking the state of the folded electronic device 101, so that the state of the electronic device 101 is unfolded. The operation of determining whether or not it is changed may be repeatedly performed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) displays a display (eg, the display device 160) in operation 930 in response to checking the state of the unfolded electronic device 101. )) May output a second durability notification to at least a portion of the second area. For example, the processor 120 may output the second durability notification 1004 to at least a portion of the folding area exposed by the unfolding of the electronic device 101, as shown in FIG. 10B. have.

11 is a flowchart 1100 for outputting a durability notification in a state in which a first type of folding is detected in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 12A to 12C are diagrams 1200, 1220, and 1230 for explaining durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of FIG. 11 described below illustrate various embodiments of operation 730 of FIG. 7. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 11 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 11, according to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may determine an available area of the main display that is not covered by the folding surface in operation 1110. The main display may be disposed on a first surface (eg, front) of the electronic device 101. For example, the processor 120 may determine whether the size of the available area of the main display is greater than or equal to the critical area.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, if the size of the available area of the main display is greater than or equal to the critical area, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may display a first durability notification in the main display area in operation 1120. . As described above, the first durability notification may be information indicating that durability degradation may occur in at least a portion of the electronic device 101 or the display (eg, the display device 160) due to frequent folding. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 12A, when the size 1212 of the available area of the main display is secured to display the first durability notification, the processor 120 displays the data in FIG. 12A (b). As illustrated, a first durability notification (eg, text information informing the attention of the folded area) 1214 may be output through the main display area.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, if the size of an available area of the display is less than a threshold area, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may determine whether a sub-display exists on the folding surface in operation 1130. . According to an embodiment, the presence of the sub display on the folding surface may include a situation in which the sub display is exposed by folding. The sub display may be disposed on a second surface (eg, a rear surface) that is opposite to the first surface of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when a sub-display exists on a folding surface, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may display the first durability notification through the sub-display in operation 1140. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 12C, if the size of the available area of the main display is not secured enough to display the first durability notification (1242) or the sub display 1244 is present on the folding surface, As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 12C, the processor 120 may output a first durability notification (eg, text information informing a caution of the folded area) through the sub display area (1250).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may output an un-folding guide in operation 1150 when there is no sub-display on the folding surface. The unfolding guide may guide the main display or sub-display to be exposed to the extent that the durability notification is displayed. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 12B, if the size of an available area of the main display is not secured enough to display the first durability notification (1222) or a sub display does not exist on the folding surface, the processor ( As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 12B, 120) may output an unfolding guide in the form of vibration (1220). As described above, the unfolding guide may be generated by at least one of light emission and sound. Also, the processor 120 may display the first durability notification through at least a part of the exposed main display or sub-display in response to detecting the unfolding state of the electronic device 101.

13 is a flowchart 1300 for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 14 is a diagram 1400 for explaining a durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of FIG. 13 described below illustrate various embodiments of operation 540 of FIG. 5, 740, 750, 770 of FIG. 7, and 930 of FIG. 9. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 13 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 13, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) determines whether additional information is acquired in operation 1310 in a state in which folding of the electronic device 101 is detected. can do. Additional information may be related to the pressure exerted on the folding area.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) may output a second durability notification based on the additional information in operation 1320 in response to obtaining additional information. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 14, a user may have a third section from a first section (eg, point P1 to point P2) of the folding surface of the electronic device 101 (eg, after point P3) When the pressure is pressed while changing the magnitude of the pressure, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification to correspond to the detected magnitude of pressure for each section. For example, the processor 120, as shown in (b) of FIG. 14, the second endurance of the first section (eg, point P1 to point P2) in which the pressure of the first magnitude is sensed as the first level A second level smaller than the first level for a second section (eg, point P2 to point P3) in which a second magnitude of pressure smaller than the first magnitude pressure is displayed (eg, a large area) is displayed. As a result, the second durability notification may be displayed (eg, displayed in an intermediate area). In addition, the processor 120 displays a second durability notification at a third level smaller than the second level for a third section (for example, after the point P3) in which a third magnitude pressure less than the second magnitude pressure is detected. (Eg, marked with a thin area).

15 is another flowchart 1500 for outputting a durability notification in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 16A and 16B are diagrams 1600 for describing durability notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of FIG. 13 described below illustrate various embodiments of operation 540 of FIG. 5, 740, 750, 770 of FIG. 7, and 930 of FIG. 9. In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. The electronic device of FIG. 15 may be the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 15, an electronic device (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may determine a folding state of the electronic device 101 in operation 1510. The folding state can be related to the degree of folding. For example, in the folding state, the weak folding state in which the folding angle of the electronic device 101 is included in the first state range (eg, 5 ° to 45 °) and the folding angle of the electronic device 101 is in the second state range (Eg, 70 ° to 90 °) may include a strong folding state. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the folding state may include an intermediate folding state, which means an intermediate state between a strong folding state and a weak folding state.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) determines whether the folding state of the electronic device 101 satisfies the first criterion or the folding state satisfies the second criterion in operation 1520. can do. The first criterion may be associated with a weak folding state, and the second criterion may be associated with a strong folding state.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the folding state of the electronic device 101 satisfies the first criterion, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) has a second durability corresponding to the first criterion in operation 1520. You can output a notification. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification indicating a weak folding state. For example, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification having a first area, as shown in FIG. 16A (a). However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may notify the weak folding state by outputting the second durability notification having the first color.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the folding state of the electronic device 101 satisfies the second criterion, the electronic device (eg, the processor 102 of FIG. 1) has a second durability corresponding to the second criterion in operation 1520. You can output a notification. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification indicating a strong folding state. For example, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification having an area larger than the first area, as illustrated in FIG. 16A (b). However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may have a second endurance notification corresponding to the first criterion, and the processor 120 may have a second criterion distinguished from the second endurance notification corresponding to the first criterion using various known output methods. A corresponding second durability notification can be output. For example, the processor 120 may output a second durability notification formed in a pattern different from the second durability notification corresponding to the first criterion, as shown in FIG. 16A (c).

In the above-described FIG. 15, an embodiment in which the electronic device 101 displays a durability notification for a single folding area has been described. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device 101 may display a durability notification for a plurality of folding areas. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16B, the processor 120 may sense folding of a plurality of regions of the electronic device 101. Also, the processor 120 may display a second durability notification based on a folding state for each folding area. For example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 16B, the processor 120 may include a second durability corresponding to the first criterion in the first folding area in which a folding state (eg, weak folding) that satisfies the first criterion is confirmed. The notification may be displayed, and a second durability notification corresponding to the second criterion may be displayed in the second folding area where the folding state (eg, strong folding) that satisfies the second criterion is confirmed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of operating an electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101) detects folding of the electronic device based on an angle detected through at least one sensor circuit (eg, the sensor module 176). Operation, in response to detecting the folding of the electronic device, checking the folding history of the electronic device, determining the possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration in the folding area based on the folding history, and the folding area In response to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration may occur, an operation of outputting a durability notification may be included.

According to an embodiment, the durability notification may include at least one of a first durability notification indicating that durability deterioration is generated with respect to the folding area and a second durability notification indicating a folding area where the durability degradation has occurred.

According to an embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification may include an operation of determining a display method of the durability notification based on the folding type of the electronic device. For example, the folding type of the electronic device includes a first type of folding in which a portion of the electronic device is folded in a first direction, and a folding in a second direction in which a portion of the electronic device is opposite to the first direction. It may include a second type of folding.

According to an embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification may include the first operation in a first area different from the second area of the flexible display (eg, the display device 160) based on the first type of folding. And displaying the durability notification and the second durability notification. For example, the second area may include a part of the entire area of the flexible display corresponding to the position of the hinge.

According to an embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification may correspond to the sub-display (eg, the sub-display 290) being exposed by folding of the electronic device, so that the first durability notification is displayed on the sub-display. It may include an operation to output through.

According to an embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification corresponds to an operation of outputting guide information for inducing an unfolding state for the electronic device folded to the first type and detecting an unfolding state of the electronic device Thus, an operation of changing the display position of the second durability notification to the second area of the flexible display may be included.

According to one embodiment, the guide information may be output based on at least one of vibration, light emission, or sound.

According to an embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification may include displaying the first durability notification on the first region of the flexible display and the second region of the flexible display based on the second type of folding. And displaying the second durability notification. For example, the first area includes a partial area corresponding to the position of the hinge among the entire areas of the flexible display, and the second area may be a different area from the first area.

According to one embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification corresponds to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration occurs in the folding area, and obtaining the additional information about the folding area based on the additional information And outputting the durability notification. For example, the additional information may include pressure applied to the folding area.

According to one embodiment, the operation of outputting the durability notification is based on determining the folding state of the electronic device and determining the folding state in response to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration occurs in the folding area. The operation may include outputting the durability notification. For example, in the folding state, a weak folding state in which an angle between the first housing and the second housing is included in a first state range and an angle between the first housing and the second housing are in a second state range. It may include at least one of the strong folding state included in.

Meanwhile, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the claims to be described later, but also by the scope and equivalents of the claims.

Claims

In the electronic device,

Hinge;

A first housing comprising a first surface facing the first direction and a third surface facing the second direction opposite to the first direction;

A second housing including a second surface facing the first direction and a fourth surface facing the second direction and folding with the first housing about the hinge;

A flexible display extending from the first surface to the third surface;

At least one sensor circuit sensing an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing; And

And a processor operatively connected to the flexible display and the sensor circuit,

The processor,

Detecting folding of the electronic device based on the angle detected through the sensor circuit,

Based on the folding history of the electronic device, it is determined the possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration in the folding area,

An electronic device that controls to output a durability notification in response to determining that there is a possibility that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area.
According to claim 1,

The processor,

Based on the folding type of the electronic device, control to determine the display method of the durability notification,

The folding type of the electronic device,

A first type of folding in which a part of the electronic device is folded in a first direction, and

And a second type of folding in which a part of the electronic device is folded in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
According to claim 2,

The processor,

Based on the first type of folding, control to display a first durability notification and a second durability notification in a first area different from the second area of the flexible display,

The second area includes a part of the entire area of the flexible display corresponding to the position of the hinge,

The first durability notification indicates that durability deterioration occurs with respect to the folding area,

The second durability notification is an electronic device characterized by indicating the folding area where the durability deterioration has occurred.
The method of claim 3,

A sub display is included in a rear surface of at least one of the first housing and the second housing,

The processor,

In response to the sub-display being exposed by folding of the electronic device, the electronic device controlling to output the first durability notification through the sub-display.
The method of claim 3,

The processor,

Output guide information for inducing an unfolding state with respect to the electronic device folded to the first type,

In response to detecting the unfolding state of the electronic device, the electronic device controlling to change the display position of the second durability notification to the second area of the flexible display.
According to claim 2,

The processor,

Based on the second type of folding, the first durability notification is displayed on a first area of the flexible display,

Control to display the second durability notification in the second area of the flexible display,

The first area includes a partial area corresponding to the position of the hinge among all areas of the flexible display,

The second area is an electronic device that is different from the first area.
According to claim 1,

The processor,

In response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, additional information about the folding area is acquired,

Control to output the durability notification based on the additional information,

The additional information includes an electronic device applied to the folding area.
According to claim 1,

The processor,

In response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, the folding state of the electronic device is checked,

Control to output the durability notification based on the checked folding state,

In the folding state, the weak folding state in which the angle formed by the first housing and the second housing is included in the first state range and the strong angle in which the angle formed by the first housing and the second housing are included in the second state range An electronic device comprising at least one of a folding state.
In the operation method of the electronic device,

Sensing folding of the electronic device based on an angle sensed through at least one sensor circuit;

In response to detecting folding of the electronic device, checking a folding history of the electronic device;

Determining a possibility of occurrence of durability deterioration with respect to the folding region based on the folding history; And

And in response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, outputting a durability notification.
The method of claim 9,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

And determining a display method of the durability notification based on the folding type of the electronic device.

The folding type of the electronic device,

A first type of folding in which a part of the electronic device is folded in a first direction, and

And a second type of folding in which a part of the electronic device is folded in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
The method of claim 10,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

And displaying a first durability notification and a second durability notification in a first area different from the second area of the flexible display of the electronic device based on the first type of folding.

The second area includes a part of the entire area of the flexible display corresponding to the position of the hinge,

The first durability notification indicates that durability deterioration occurs with respect to the folding area,

The method of claim 2, wherein the second durability notification indicates a folding area in which the durability deterioration has occurred.
The method of claim 11,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

And outputting the first durability notification through the sub-display in response to exposure of the sub-display disposed on the rear of the electronic device by folding of the electronic device.
The method of claim 11,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

Outputting guide information for inducing an unfolding state with respect to the electronic device folded to the first type; And

And in response to detecting the unfolding state of the electronic device, changing a display position of the second durability notification to a second area of the flexible display.
The method of claim 10,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

Displaying the first durability notification on a first area of the flexible display based on the second type of folding; And

And displaying the second durability notification on a second area of the flexible display,

The first area includes a partial area corresponding to the position of the hinge among all areas of the flexible display,

The second area is a different area from the first area.
The method of claim 9,

The operation of outputting the durability notification,

In response to determining that durability deterioration may occur in the folding area, obtaining additional information about the folding area; And

And outputting the durability notification based on the additional information,

The additional information includes a pressure applied to the folding area.