Folding electronic devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a folding electronic device 10, which belongs to the display technical field. Here, the folding electronic device 10 includes a first case 11, a second case 12, and a flexible display module 14, the flexible display module 14 is installed on one surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12, a first region of the flexible display module 14 is a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15, the first region faces a connecting region between the first case 11 and the second case 12, when the electronic device 10 is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 displays on a side away from the first case 11 and the second case 12, and when the electronic device 10 is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 displays on a side toward the first case 11 and the second case 12.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 2021104071167 and entitled "Foldable Electronic Device" filed with the China Patent Office on April 15, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the display technology field, and more particularly to foldable electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0003] Currently, with the maturity of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) flexible electronic screen technology, foldable electronic devices are gradually becoming mainstream products.

[0004] In the prior art, when the folding electronic device is in a folded state, the user cannot continue to see the contents displayed on the folding screen, which is the main display. In order to avoid missing important reminders or the tedious operation of frequently flipping over the main display, it is necessary to additionally design a sub-screen to display information in the folded state in the display area other than the main display on the back side of the folding electronic device, but the above method not only increases the material cost but also weakens the reliability of the entire machine. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The objective of the embodiments of the present application is to provide an inward-folding electronic device that can solve the problems of conventional inward-folding electronic devices, which require the installation of a sub-screen for auxiliary display when in the folded state, increasing material costs and making the overall mechanical reliability relatively poor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application is realized as follows.

[0007] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a folding electronic device, the folding electronic device including a first case, a second case, and a flexible display module; the flexible display module is disposed on one surface of the first case and the second case, and a first region of the flexible display module is a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region, where the first region faces a connecting region between the first case and the second case; When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area displays on the side away from the first case and the second case, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area displays on the side facing the first case and the second case.

[0008] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a display control method for performing display control on the folding electronic device described above, the display control method comprising: When the inward-folding electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area is controlled to display a first display content in a first direction, the first direction being a direction of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area away from the first case and the second case; The method includes controlling the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area to display a second display content in a second direction when the inward-folding electronic device is in a folded state, the second direction being a direction of the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area toward the first case and the second case.

[0009] According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface coupled to the processor, the processor running a program or instructions and used to implement the method according to the second aspect.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a readable storage medium having a program or instructions stored thereon, the program or instructions realizing the steps of the display control method described in the second aspect when executed by a processor.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, the electronic device being the inward-folding electronic device described in the first aspect, the electronic device further including a processor, a memory, and a program or instruction stored on the memory and operable on the processor, the program or instruction realizing the steps of the display control method described in the second aspect when executed by the processor. Effect of the Invention

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, a folding electronic device includes a first case, a second case, and a flexible display module, the flexible display module is installed on one surface of the first case and the second case, and a first region of the flexible display module is a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region, where the first region faces a connecting region between the first case and the second case. Because it is a corresponding area When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area can display facing the side away from the first case and the second case, but when the electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area can display facing the first case and the second case, and the display content can be observed simultaneously on the front and back of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area, thereby solving the problem that inward-folding electronic devices cannot display information using a folding screen in a folded state, and there is no need to add a sub-screen, reducing material costs and enhancing the reliability of the entire machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first angle of an inward-folding electronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an inward-folding electronic device in an unfolded state at a second angle according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a third angle of an inward-folding electronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first angle of a folded state of an inward-folding electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a second angle of a folded state of an inward-folding electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a third angle of a folded state of an inward-folding electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a semi-transmissive, semi-reflective display region according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region in another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The following clearly describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0015] The terms "first," "second," etc. in the specification and claims of this application are intended to distinguish between similar objects and are not intended to describe a particular order or sequence. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application may be performed in other orders than those illustrated or described herein. It is to be noted that "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the objects connected, and the character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the related objects.

[0016] The following provides a detailed description of the foldable electronic device according to the embodiments of the present application through specific embodiments and application scenarios in conjunction with the drawings.

[0017] 1 to 6, the folding electronic device 10 includes a first case 11, a second case 12, and a flexible display module 14. The flexible display module 14 is installed on one surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12. A first region of the flexible display module 14 is a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15, where the first region faces the connecting region between the first case 11 and the second case 12. When the folding electronic device 10 is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 displays on the side away from the first case 11 and the second case 12. When the folding electronic device 10 is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 displays on the side facing the first case 11 and the second case 12.

[0018] According to the inward-folding electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present application, the flexible display module 14 is installed on one surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12, specifically, on the inner surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12. In this way, the flexible display module 14 is interlocked to be folded backward between the first case 11 and the second case 12 by the relative closing between the first case 11 and the second case 12, or the flexible display module 14 is driven to be expanded outward by the relative expansion between the first case 11 and the second case 12, thereby realizing the folding or unfolding of the inward-folding electronic device.

[0019] In the foldable electronic device 10 according to the embodiment of the present application, the display area of ​​the flexible display module 14 in the connecting area between the first case 11 and the second case 12 is set as a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15. When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 can display facing the side away from the first case 11 and the second case 12. When the electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 can display facing the side toward the first case 11 and the second case 12. The display content can be simultaneously observed on the front and back of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15. This solves the problem that the foldable electronic device cannot use a folding screen to present information in the folded state, and eliminates the need for an additional sub-screen, reducing material costs and enhancing the reliability of the entire machine.

[0020] The folding electronic device 10 according to the embodiment of the present application may specifically be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc.

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the first case 11 and the second case 12 form the main body structure of the inward-folding electronic device 10, and optionally, in one embodiment, the first case 11 and the second case 12 are rotatably connected, and the flexible display module 14 is installed on the surface of one side of the first case 11 and the second case 12, so that the first case 11 and the second case 12 can be folded and closed and unfolded by a rotational method between them, and the flexible display module can also be driven to perform folding and unfolding more stably and smoothly.

[0022] Optionally, in one embodiment, the electronic device further includes at least two sets of hinge mechanisms 13, the first case 11 and the second case 12 are rotatably connected via the at least two sets of hinge mechanisms 13, the first case 11 and the second case 12 are hingedly coupled via the at least two sets of hinge mechanisms 13, and the at least two sets of hinge mechanisms 13 and the first case 11 and the second case 12 form a cutout area surrounding the cutout area, and the flexible display module 14 and the first case 11 and the second case 12 are connected, i.e., the flexible display module 14 is laid and fixed to the first case 11 and the second case 12 across the cutout area, and is located on the same side of the first case 11 and the second case 12; thus First case 11 and the second case 12 are relatively rotatable via a hinge mechanism 13, and drive the flexible module to close to the side where the flexible display module 14 is located to realize a folded state, or to unfold away from the side where the flexible display module 14 is located to realize an unfolded state.

[0023] Here, the display area of ​​the flexible display module 14 facing the connecting area between the first case 11 and the second case 12 is set as a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15, and when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 displays on the side away from the first case 11 and the second case 12. Therefore, on the side where the flexible display module 14 of the inward-folding electronic device 10 is installed, it is possible to observe information displayed on the front of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 and information displayed in other display areas except for the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 of the flexible display module 14. However, when the electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 The display is performed on the side facing the first case 11 and the second case 12, and the information displayed in other display areas on the side away from the flexible display module 14 of the inward-folding electronic device 10 is blocked by the first case 11 and the second case 12, so the user cannot observe the information displayed in other display areas. However, since the first area in which the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area 15 is located faces the connecting area between the first case 11 and the second case 12, the information displayed on the back side of the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area 15 can be observed by the connecting area. Therefore, when the inward-folding electronic device 10 is in a folded state, important information can be displayed using the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area 15.

[0024] Optionally, in one specific embodiment, the areas facing the first area in the first case 11 and the second case 12 are set to be transparent or set as cut-out areas, so that when the electronic device is in a folded state, the information displayed on the back surface of the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area 15 can be observed through the area facing the first area.

[0025] Optionally, in a specific embodiment, the hinge mechanism 13 includes a rotating shaft 131, a first connecting hinge 132, and a second connecting hinge 133, a chute is installed in the rotating shaft 131, one end of the first connecting hinge 132 is fixedly connected to the first case 11, and the other end of the first connecting hinge 132 is fitted into the chute 134 to hinge-couple the first case 11 and the rotating shaft 131, and when the first case 11 rotates around the rotating shaft 131, the first connecting hinge 132 can expand and contract along the chute 134, one end of the second connecting hinge 133 is fixedly connected to the second case 12, and the other end of the second connecting hinge 133 is fitted into the chute 134 to hinge-couple the second case 12 and the rotating shaft 131, and Second Case 12 When the rotating shaft 131 rotates around the rotating shaft 131, Second connecting hinge 133 is extendable and slidable along the chute 134, and the cooperative action of at least two of the hinge mechanisms 13 can reliably hinge the first case 11 and the second case 12 together, and further enable the main body structure of the electronic device to be foldable. Since the flexible display module 14 is connected to the first case 11 and the second case 12, when the first case 11 and the second case 12 are folded or unfolded, the flexible display module 14 can be passively folded or unfolded accordingly. However, due to the extendable design of the connecting hinge and the rotating shaft 131, the rotating shaft 131 protrudes beyond the curved surface on which the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 is located, and this can prevent the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 from being damaged due to the folding state being inadvertently dropped.

[0026] Specifically, the rotation axis 131 is designed to cooperate with the connecting hinge, so that when the electronic device 10 is unfolded, the first case 11 and the second case 12 drive the flexible display module 14 to pull along the rotation axis 131, making the entire flexible display module 14 flat, but when the electronic device is folded, the first case 11 and the second case 12 drive the flexible display module 14 to close together along the rotation axis 131, making the entire flexible display module 14 fold.

[0027] Alternatively, in a specific embodiment, the chute 134 is an elliptical chute, and when the first case 11 and the second case 12 are in a folded state, i.e., when the flexible display module 14 is in a folded state, the direction of the long axis of the elliptical chute is perpendicular to the plane on which the first case 11 is located and the plane on which the second case 12 is located, but when the first case 11 and the second case 12 are in an unfolded state, i.e., when the flexible display module 14 is in an unfolded state, the direction of the long axis of the elliptical chute is parallel to the plane on which the first case 11 is located and the plane on which the second case 12 is located. The above installation manner can make the folding radius of the flexible display module 14 relatively large, and is less likely to cause creases.

[0028] In the above specific embodiment, the chute 134 is designed in an elliptical shape, so that in the unfolded state, the connecting hinges are pulled to both ends of the long axis of the elliptical chute, but in the folded state, the connecting hinges return to the short axis of the elliptical chute, and both times the overall length of the machine in the folded state of the inward-folding electronic device 10 are slightly smaller than the length of the long axis of the machine in the unfolded state.

[0029] The inward-folding electronic device 10 according to the embodiment of the present application hinges the first case 11 and the second case 12 together by at least two sets of hinge mechanisms 13. When there are two sets of hinge mechanisms 13, the two sets of hinge mechanisms 13 are installed on both sides of the flexible display module 14, so that the area of ​​the cutout area surrounded by the hinge mechanisms 13 and the first case 11 and the second case 12 not only reaches a maximum value, but also realizes complete support and protection for the area of ​​the flexible display module 14 corresponding to the cutout area, that is, realizes complete support and protection for the transflective display area 15.

[0030] Optionally, in one embodiment, the flexible display module 14 is an OLED display module, and the flexible display module 14 includes an OLED display assembly 141, an upper flexible glass 142, and a lower flexible glass 143, the upper flexible glass 142 being disposed on a surface of the OLED display assembly 141 away from a base layer, and the lower flexible glass 143 being disposed on a surface of the OLED display assembly 141 close to a base layer, which is a contact surface connected to the flexible display module 14 in the first case 11 and the second case 12. The upper flexible glass 142 and the lower flexible glass 143 are used to sandwich the OLED display assembly 141 from above and below to form a sandwich structure, which can provide good support for the OLED display module, and is less likely to be folded or lifted in an unfolded state.

[0031] Optionally, in one specific embodiment, the upper and lower flexible glass 142 and 143 Specifically, the transparent substrate 14 may be made of ultra-thin glass (UTG), which can provide the flexible display module 14 with better bending and wear resistance.

[0032] Alternatively, in a specific embodiment, the shape of the lower flexible glass 143 is the same as that of the transflective display area 15, and the lower flexible glass 143 and the transflective display area 15 overlap, i.e., the lower flexible glass 143 is installed only in the transflective display area 15 of the flexible display module 14, while the other display areas of the flexible display module 14 except the transflective display area 15 are only installed with the upper flexible glass 142, i.e., the other display areas only include the OLED display assembly and the upper flexible glass, and are provided with bottom support by the first case 11 and the second case 12. The above manner in which the lower flexible glass 143 is installed only in the transflective display area 15 can save the usage of the lower flexible glass, thereby further reducing costs.

[0033] Alternatively, in one embodiment, the reflective functional layer of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 is located on the side closer to the first case 11 and the second case 12 in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15, so that when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, when information displayed on the front of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 is observed from the side on which the flexible display module 14 of the electronic device is installed, the background located on the other side of the electronic device is less likely to be displayed through the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15, thereby avoiding interference with the front display of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 and improving the display effect.

[0034] Optionally, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the transflective display region 15 includes a substrate 151, a pixel defining layer 152 and a second electrode 155 which are sequentially stacked on the substrate 151. The pixel defining layer 152 includes a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other, each of which has a light emitting unit 153 disposed therein. A first electrode 154 is disposed between each of the light emitting units 153 and the substrate 151. The light emitting units 153 are luminous by the action of the first electrode 154 and the second electrode 155. The first electrode 154 emits light and at least partially transmits light emitted from the light emitting unit 153 so as to display information toward a side closer to the first case 11 and the second case 12 in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 when the electronic device is in a folded state, and the second electrode 155 transmits light emitted from the light emitting unit 153 so as to display information toward a side farther from the first case 11 and the second case 12 in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region 15 when the electronic device is in an unfolded state. Here, the arrows represent light rays.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the first electrode 154 is one driving electrode of the corresponding light-emitting unit 153, and is conductive or in contact with the corresponding light-emitting unit 153. Each of the light-emitting units 153 is further provided with a second electrode 155 that is conductive or in contact with the light-emitting unit 153. The second electrode 155 is another driving electrode of the light-emitting unit 153. When one of the first electrode 154 and the second electrode 155 is an anode, and the other of the first electrode 154 and the second electrode 155 is a cathode, the corresponding light-emitting unit 153 can be driven to emit light.

[0036] Here, the second electrode 155 of each of the light-emitting units 153 may be installed independently, or a common electrode may be directly used as the second electrode 155. Specifically, the second electrode 155 may be installed using the electrode on the side away from the substrate 151 of a conventional flexible display module 14, and since it can transmit the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153, the information displayed in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 can be observed from the front of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15.

[0037] Here, since the first electrode 154 can at least partially transmit the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153 can be observed on one side of the substrate 151, i.e., the information displayed in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 can be observed on the back surface of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15.

[0038] Here, the light-emitting unit 153 can be an OLED pixel sub-unit, specifically a red light pixel sub-unit, a green light pixel sub-unit or a blue light pixel sub-unit.

[0039] In practical application, the transflective display area 15 further includes an upper flexible glass 142 and a lower flexible glass 143 .

[0040] Alternatively, in a specific embodiment, the first electrode 154 may be a non-transparent electrode that has been processed with an openwork process, thereby enabling at least partial transmission of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153; or the first electrode 154 may be a non-transparent electrode that has been processed to be thinned to the micron order, thereby enabling at least partial transmission of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153; or a transparent electrode may be used as the first electrode 154, thereby enabling all of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153 to be transmitted.

[0041] Optionally, in a specific embodiment, in the inward-folding electronic device 10 according to the embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 8, the transflective display area 15 further includes an optical plating layer 156 disposed on the side of the substrate 151 away from the first electrode 154, and the transmittance and reflectance of the optical plating layer 156 are 50%, respectively, so that the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153 can be partially reflected to the front side of the transflective display area 15, thereby improving the display effect on the front side, and can also ensure that the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 153 is partially transmitted to the rear side of the transflective display area 15, so that the information displayed in the transflective display area 15 can be observed on the rear side, that is, the display effect of a transflective screen can be realized.

[0042] Optionally, in a specific embodiment, the first electrode 154 can be set as an anode, and the second electrode 155 can be set as a cathode, and the second electrode 155 can be a common electrode, which facilitates driving the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 to emit light using the common electrode, which is the cathode, in a conventional display module; In this case, the first electrode 154 may be a patterned anode metal layer, or an anode metal layer with a partial area removed, or an anode metal layer thinned to a semi-transparent state, and the anode metal layer may be made of aluminum. In this case, the first electrode 154 may be an ITO anode, and in this case, a semi-transmissive semi-reflective optical plating layer 156 must be provided on the side of the substrate 151 away from the first electrode 154 .

[0043] The semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 further includes a plurality of film transistors 157, each of which is located between the substrate 151 and the pixel defining layer 152, and each light-emitting unit 153 is electrically connected to one of the film transistors 157 through a corresponding first electrode 154, and the film transistor 157 is used to apply a driving signal to the first electrode 154, and one of the first electrode 154 and the second electrode 155 is an anode, and the other of the first electrode 154 and the second electrode 155 is a cathode, and in combination with the switching function of the film transistor 157, it is possible to control the emission or non-emission of the corresponding light-emitting unit 153.

[0044] The film transistor includes a buffer layer 71, a channel layer 72, an interlayer dielectric layer 73, a gate insulating layer 74, a gate 75, a source (S pole) 76 on the gate insulating layer, a drain (D pole) 77, and a gate 76. Gate 75 , and the first electrode 154 is connected to the drain 77. Here, the channel layer 72 is composed of a P-type doped layer 721 and an N-type doped layer 722.

[0045] The light-emitting unit 153 includes a hole injection layer 31, a hole transport layer 32 and an organic light-emitting functional layer 33 which are stacked in order.

[0046] Optionally, the foldable electronic device 10 according to the embodiment of the present application further includes a motherboard (not shown), which has a display interface installed thereon and is electrically connected to the flexible display module 14. In order for the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application to display information that needs to be displayed using the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area 15 of the flexible display module 14 in a folded state, the display control of the foldable electronic device can be realized by simply installing a display interface on the motherboard and electrically connecting the display interface to the flexible display module 14.

[0047] Optionally, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inward-folding electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present application further includes a light sensor 111, a front camera 112 and an earphone 113 installed on the side of the first case 11 facing the flexible display module 14, and further includes a supplementary light lamp 114 and a rear camera 115 installed on the side of the first case 11 away from the flexible display module 14.

[0048] An embodiment of the present application further provides a display control method for performing display control on the folding electronic device. The method may include steps 100 to 200.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present application, the method is applied to the above-mentioned foldable electronic device, which may be a mobile electronic device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a palmtop computer, an in-vehicle electronic device, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook or a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a non-mobile electronic device, such as a personal computer (PC), a television (TV), a deposit and withdrawal machine or a self-service machine.

[0050] Step 100: When the inward-folding electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area is controlled to display a first display content toward a first direction, the first direction being a direction of the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area away from the first case and the second case.

[0051] In the above step 100, when the inward-folding electronic device is in an unfolded state, i.e., when the first case and the second case are unfolded, the content displayed on the entire flexible display module can be normally observed in the direction in which the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area exhibits a reflective display state, i.e., in the front direction of the flexible display module, and therefore the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area is controlled to display the first display content toward the first direction, making it easy to observe the content displayed on the entire flexible display module from the front.

[0052] Step 200: When the inward-folding electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area is controlled to display a second display content toward a second direction, the second direction being a direction of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area toward the first case and the second case.

[0053] In step 200, when the inward-folding electronic device is in a folded state, i.e., when the first case and the second case are folded, the content displayed on the entire flexible display module cannot be normally observed in the direction in which the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area exhibits a reflective display state, i.e., in the front direction of the flexible display module. However, since the back surface of the flexible display module is entirely blocked by the first case and the second case except for the first area, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area facing the connecting area is controlled to display the second display content in the direction in which it exhibits a transparent display, making it easier to observe the content displayed in the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area from the back surface of the flexible display module.

[0054] The display control method according to the embodiments of the present application controls the semi-transparent, semi-reflective display area to display content in different directions depending on the folded or unfolded state of the foldable electronic device, thereby making it easier for the user to observe the displayed content and preventing a mirror image display.

[0055] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, which is the above-mentioned in-folding electronic device, which further includes a processor, a memory, and a program or instruction stored on the memory and operable on the processor, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor, each process of the embodiment of the above-mentioned display control method can be realized and the same technical effect can be achieved. In order to avoid repetition of the description, no further description will be given here.

[0056] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of the present application include the mobile electronic devices and non-mobile electronic devices described above.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device for implementing an embodiment of the present application.

[0058] The electronic device 900 includes components such as, but not limited to, a radio frequency unit 9001, a network module 9002, an audio output unit 9003, an input unit 9004, a sensor 9005, a display unit 9006, a user input unit 9007, an interface unit 9008, a memory 9009, and a processor 9010.

[0059] As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the electronic device 900 may further include a power source (e.g., a battery) for powering each component, and the power source may be logically connected to the processor 9010 by a power management system, so that the power management system can realize functions such as charge / discharge management and power consumption management. The electronic device structure shown in FIG. 9 does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device, and the electronic device may include more or less components than the number of components shown, or a combination of some components, or a different arrangement of components, which will not be further described here.

[0060] Here, the display unit 9006 includes a display panel 90061, which in the embodiment of the present application includes the above-mentioned flexible display module; The processor 9010 is used to control the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area to display a first display content in a first direction when the folding electronic device is in an unfolded state, the first direction being a direction of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area away from the first case and the second case, and to control the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area to display a second display content in a second direction when the folding electronic device is in a folded state, the second direction being a direction of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area toward the first case and the second case.

[0061] The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application controls the semi-transparent, semi-reflective display area to display content in different directions depending on the folded or unfolded state of the inward-folding electronic device, thereby making it easy for the user to observe the displayed content and preventing a mirror image display.

[0062] The embodiments of the present application further provide a readable storage medium, on which a program or instruction is stored, and when the program or instruction is executed by a processor, each process of the above-mentioned display control method embodiment can be realized and the same technical effect can be achieved. In order to avoid repetition, no further description will be given here.

[0063] Here, the processor is the processor in the electronic device described in the above embodiment. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium, such as a computer read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0064] The embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, the chip includes a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface is coupled to the processor, the processor is used to run a program or instruction to realize each process of the embodiment of the above display control method, and can achieve the same technical effect. In order to avoid repetition, no further description will be given here.

[0065] It should be understood that the chips referred to in the embodiments of the present application may be referred to as system level chips, system chips, chip systems, or systems on chips.

[0066] It should be explained that in this specification, the terms "comprise", "include", or any other variants thereof are intended to cover the non-exclusive "comprise", whereby a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a set of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element limited by the phrase "comprises a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes this element. It should be pointed out that the scope of the method and apparatus in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may include performing functions in an essentially simultaneous manner or in reverse order based on the functions involved, for example, the described method can be performed in a different order than described, and various steps can be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with reference to some examples can be combined in other examples.

[0067] From the above description of the embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the methods of the above embodiments can be realized in the form of software and a necessary general-purpose hardware platform. Of course, they can also be realized in hardware, but in many cases the former is a more preferred embodiment. In light of this understanding, the technical proposal of the present application may be substantially or the part that contributes to the prior art may be embodied in the form of a computer software product, which is stored in a storage medium (e.g., ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes some instructions for causing a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0068] The above describes the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments. The above specific embodiments are merely illustrative and not limiting. Those skilled in the art can take the suggestions of this application and make many forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims of this application, all of which belong to the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A folding electronic device, comprising: a first case, a second case, and a flexible display module; the flexible display module is disposed on one surface of the first case and the second case, and a first region of the flexible display module is a semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region, where the first region faces a connecting region between the first case and the second case; An inward-folding electronic device, wherein when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area displays on a side away from the first case and the second case, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area displays on a side facing the first case and the second case.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the reflective functional layer of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region is located on a side of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region closer to the first case and the second case.

3. The folding electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first case and the second case are rotatably connected to each other.

4. the electronic device further includes at least two sets of hinge mechanisms, the first case and the second case are rotatably connected via the at least two sets of hinge mechanisms, the hinge mechanisms including a rotation shaft, a first connecting hinge, and a second connecting hinge; A chute is provided within the rotating shaft, One end of the first connecting hinge is fixedly connected to the first case, and the other end of the first connecting hinge is fitted into the chute; The inward-folding electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein one end of the second connecting hinge is fixedly connected to the second case, and the other end of the second connecting hinge is fitted into the chute.

5. The inward-folding electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein when there are two sets of hinge mechanisms, the two sets of hinge mechanisms are installed on both sides of the flexible display module, respectively.

6. The inward-folding electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein areas of the first case and the second case facing the first area are set to be transparent or set as cut-out areas.

7. the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display region includes a substrate, a pixel defining layer and a second electrode which are stacked in this order on the substrate; the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of spaced apart openings, each of the openings having a light-emitting unit disposed therein; A first electrode is disposed between each of the light-emitting units and the substrate, and the light-emitting units emit light due to the action of the first electrode and the second electrode; the first electrode at least partially transmits light emitted from the light-emitting unit so as to display information toward a side closer to the first case and the second case in the semi-transmissive / semi-reflective display area when the electronic device is in a folded state; 2. The inward-folding electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode transmits light emitted from the light-emitting unit so as to display information toward a side away from the first case and the second case in the semi-transmissive / semi-reflective display area when the electronic device is in an unfolded state.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising an optical plating layer disposed on a side of the substrate away from the first electrode, the optical plating layer having a transmittance and a reflectance of 50% each.

9. The inward-folding electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the first electrode is a transparent electrode or a non-transparent electrode that is subjected to an openwork process.

10. The folding electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the first electrode is an anode, the second electrode is a cathode, and the second electrode is a common electrode.

11. A display control method for performing display control on the folding electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: When the inward-folding electronic device is in an unfolded state, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area is controlled to display a first display content in a first direction, the first direction being a direction of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective display area away from the first case and the second case; A display control method including controlling the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area to display a second display content in a second direction when the inward-folding electronic device is in a folded state, the second direction being a direction of the semi-transparent semi-reflective display area toward the first case and the second case.

12. A chip including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being coupled to the processor, the processor running a program or instructions and used to implement the method of claim 11.

13. A readable storage medium having a program or instructions stored thereon, the program or instructions implementing the steps of the display control method according to claim 11 when executed by a processor.

14. An electronic device that is an inward-folding electronic device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and operable on the processor, the electronic device realizing the steps of the display control method described in claim 11 when the program or instructions are executed by the processor.

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