Display device in which quick screen setting is possible and setting method therefor

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. The display device includes: a housing on which a display is mounted; at least one connecting portion formed on at least one side of the housing; and a processor that, when at least one external display device is connected to the at least one connecting portion through a hinge device, controls operations of each of the at least one external display device and the display, and when the at least one external display device is folded with respect to the display device based on the hinge device, controls at least one of the at least one external display device and the display to display a graphical object for setting a state of the at least one external display device.

Description

Display device capable of quick screen setting and method for setting the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a display device and a control method thereof that can quickly set content to be displayed on multiple displays when connected to an external display device.

[0002] Recently, the use of multiple display devices interconnected has become increasingly common. Users can enjoy immersive viewing of a single content video across multiple display devices, or configure each display device to display different content. However, conventional technology has been inconvenient, requiring users to individually configure the content to be displayed on multiple display devices.

[0003] Therefore, when using multiple display devices connected to each other, the need for a technology that facilitates settings for each display device has arisen.

[0004] A display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a display, at least one connection portion formed on at least one side of the housing, and a processor that controls operations of at least one external display device and the display when at least one external display device is connected to the at least one connection portion through a hinge device, and controls at least one of the at least one external display device and the display to display a graphic object for setting a state of the at least one external display device when the at least one external display device is folded relative to the display device based on the hinge device.

[0005] A method for setting a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: when at least one external display device is connected to the display via a hinge device, and the external display device is folded with respect to the display device based on the hinge device, controlling the external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting a state of the external display; and when one of the at least one graphic object is selected, setting a state of the external display device to correspond to the selected graphic object.

[0006] A computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a method for setting a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the method for setting a display device comprises: when an external display device is connected to the display device through a hinge device and the external display device is folded with respect to the display device based on the hinge device, controlling the external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting a state of the external display device; and when one of the at least one graphic object is selected, setting a state of the external display device to correspond to the selected graphic object.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a connection part of a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a hinge device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a folding operation of a plurality of external display devices connected by a hinge device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining a wheel device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a display device for displaying a graphic object on a folded external display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining a display device displaying a preset menu for quick screen setup of a plurality of display devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings for explaining a display method of a graphic object that changes depending on the folding angle of an external display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 11 and 12 are flowcharts for explaining a method for setting a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0018] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of this disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0019] In this specification, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a feature (e.g., a number, function, operation, or component such as a part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0020] The expression "at least one of A and / or B" should be understood to mean either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0021] As used herein, the expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., may describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0022] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled to the other component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

[0023] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "consist of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0024] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor (not shown), excluding any "modules" or "parts" that need to be implemented as specific hardware.

[0025] In this specification, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

[0026] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] According to FIG. 1, the display device (100) can be physically and electrically connected to external display devices (200-1, 200-2). A hinge device can be used to connect the devices. When connected via the hinge device, the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) can rotate forward or backward with respect to the hinge device. The structure of the hinge device will be described separately in the following section.

[0029] The display device (100) is connected to a source connection device (400) and can obtain inputs of external content sources from the source connection device (400). The display device (100) includes a housing (150) having a display (120) mounted thereon. In FIG. 1, a housing (150) having a bezel formed around the display (120) is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be implemented in a bezel-less form.

[0030] The display (120) can display content under the control of the processor (140). The detailed operation of the display (120) controlled by the processor (140) will be described in detail again in the following section.

[0031] In Fig. 1, a case in which the display device (100) is implemented as a TV is illustrated, but it is not limited thereto and can be applied without limitation to any device having a display function, such as a monitor.

[0032] The external display devices (200-1, 200-2) may be independent devices that can be used in combination with the display device (100) or separately. The external display devices (200-1, 200-2) may display the same content as the display device (100) or different content from the display device (100) depending on a user's input. The content may include various contents such as contents provided from the various external sources described above, contents received from various external devices (e.g., web servers) via the Internet, execution screens of applications installed on the display device (100) and the external display devices (200-1, 200-2), screens for viewing various data stored in these devices, screens provided from external mobile devices according to the mirroring function, etc. In addition, a setting screen for setting various options such as brightness, resolution, and contrast of each display device may also be included.

[0033] External display devices (200-1, 200-2) can also be applied without limitation to devices with display functions such as TVs or monitors.

[0034] Specifically, the display device (100) and external display devices (200-1, 200-2) can be implemented as various types of displays such as LCD (liquid crystal display), OLED (organic light-emitting diode), LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), DLP (Digital Light Processing), QD (quantum dot) display panel, QLED (quantum dot light-emitting diodes), μLED (Micro light-emitting diodes), Mini LED, etc.

[0035] A hinge device may be connected to the first and second connecting portions (160, 260). The display device (100) and the external display device (200-1, 200-2) may be physically and electrically connected by the hinge device. The display device (100) may supply power to the external display device (200-1, 200-2) through the hinge device and provide various signals and data.

[0036] In addition, the folding operation of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) is enabled by the hinge device. The principle of the folding operation of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) by the hinge device will be described in detail again in the following section.

[0037] The source connection device (400) is connected to the display device (100) and can provide data provided from an external source to the display device (100).

[0038] The source connection device (400) may include multiple ports to which various cables such as a power cable, an optical cable, an HDMI cable, an RF cable, a LAN cable, and an HDMI cable can be connected. The source connection device (400) may be connected to various external sources such as a PC, a set-top box, an OTT service (Over-the-top media service) server, a video game console, a Blu-ray player, and a DVD player through each port. The source connection device (400) is separately connected to the display device (100). Accordingly, even if the external sources are not directly connected to the display device (100) through multiple connection lines, the display device (100) can receive contents from various external sources through the source connection device (400). The source connection device (400) may be called by various names such as a one-connect box, a one-connect device, and a source integration device, but is described as a source connection device (400) in the present disclosure.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, when multiple external display devices (200-1, 200-2) are connected to a display device (100), the user can set all display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2) to display one content, or set each device (100, 200-1, 200-2) to display different content.

[0040] Specifically, the user may pull the left edge of a device (e.g., the first external display device 200-1) to be set among the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) toward the user. In this case, the hinge device connected between the first external display device (200-1) and the display device (100) may bend, thereby moving the left edge portion of the first external display device (200-1) toward the user. For convenience of explanation, in the present disclosure, the user action of pulling the side display device in this manner is referred to as a folding interaction.

[0041] When a folding interaction is identified, the display device (100) or the first external display device (200-1) displays a graphic object for setting the status of the first external display device (200-1). Setting the status refers to the task of selecting content to be displayed on the external display device, setting the content source providing such content, or setting various options or self-functions of the external display device, such as brightness, color, contrast, volume, resolution, and screen size. The content source may include not only various external input sources but also applications.

[0042] The graphic object may include various menus related to these settings, and may be expressed in various forms such as icons, thumbnails, and text, without being limited thereto. For example, the graphic object may include various menus, such as a menu for selecting various external sources currently connected to the source connection device (400), a menu for selecting an executable application, and the like. When the user selects one of the graphic objects, the first external display device (200-1) displays content corresponding to the selected graphic object.

[0043] As described above, settings for the second external display device (200-2) connected to the right of the display device (100) can also be performed through folding interaction. Accordingly, the user can easily configure settings for multiple external display devices (200-1, 200-2).

[0044] Meanwhile, the user can also collectively set content sources for the display device (100) and external display devices (200-1, 200-2) using a preset menu. This will be described in detail in the following section.

[0045] As described above, the user connects multiple display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2) to each other and uses them. Therefore, a method for connecting each display device (100, 200-1, 200-2) to each other and a hinge device used therefor will first be described.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is connected to an external display device. Each of the display device (100) and the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) includes a connecting portion (160, 260). The position, shape, and number of the connecting portions (160, 260) may vary. For example, they may be formed on the side surface of the housing (150), or they may be additionally formed not only on both sides of the rear surface of the housing (150), but also on the upper and lower edges. Alternatively, if the display device (100) has a structure to which only one external display device can be connected, only one connecting portion may be formed. FIG. 2 illustrates that two connecting portions (160, 260) are formed on each of the two edges of the rear surface of the housing (150).

[0047] According to FIG. 2, the connecting portion (160) is located on one side of the housing (150) of the display device (100), i.e., near the rear edge. The connecting portion (160) may be formed in the shape of a groove into which an external structure can be docked. The connecting portion (160) may include a docking member (161) on the inside of the groove.

[0048] The docking member (161) has a plurality of permanent magnets and can be coupled by force with the plurality of permanent magnets present in the first coupling member (317) of the first hinge device (300-1).

[0049] The connection part (260) formed on one side of the rear of the first external display device (200-1) can also be provided with the same structure.

[0050] The first hinge device (300-1) can be connected to the docking members (161, 261) of each device (100-200-1) via the connecting parts (160, 260). Through this, the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1) can be physically connected. The display device (100) and the second external display device (200-2) can also be connected in the same manner by the second hinge device (300-2).

[0051] Although FIG. 2 only illustrates external display devices (200-1, 200-2) coupled to both sides of the display device (100), it is not necessarily limited thereto, and two or more external display devices may be coupled in series, and two or more external display devices may also be coupled in series in the upper and lower direction of the housing (150) of the display device (100).

[0052] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a hinge device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] The first hinge device (300-1) not only physically connects the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1), but also enables electrical connection between the display devices and enables folding operation between the display devices. Referring to FIG. 3, the first hinge device (300-1) may include a first cover (311), a bending member (312), an FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) (313), a second cover (316), a first coupling member (317), and a second coupling member (318).

[0054] The first cover (311) is located on the outside of the first hinge device (300-1) and is positioned at the rearmost position when the first hinge device (300-1) is coupled to the rear of the display device (100). The first cover (311) may be made of a flexible material. For example, it may be made of a material such as rubber or synthetic resin.

[0055] The bending member (312) may be attached to the first cover (311). The bending member (312) may be made of a flexible plastic film material. Due to the flexibility of the bending member (312), even when folding occurs between display devices, the first hinge device (300-1) may be flexibly bent without breaking.

[0056] The FPCB (313) enables electrical connection between the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1). A first connector (314) and a second connector (315) may be provided at both ends of the FPCB (313). The first connector (314) and the second connector (314) may each include a plurality of pogo pins (pogo pins: 314a, 315a). The plurality of pogo pins (314a, 315a) are made of a conductive metal and can transmit electrical signals between the plurality of displays through the first hinge device (300-1).

[0057] Specifically, a plurality of pogo pins (314a) included in a first connector (314) provided in an FPCB (313) can be electrically connected to a circuit board present in a first docking member (161) provided on the inside of a connection portion (300-1) of a display device (100). In addition, a plurality of pogo pins (315a) included in a second connector (315) provided in an FPCB (313) can be electrically connected to a circuit board present in a docking member (261) provided on the inside of a first external display device (200-1). Through this, the FPCB (313) of the first hinge device (300-1), the circuit board of the display device (100), and the circuit board of the first external display device (200-1) can be connected in series, and through this, the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1) can be electrically connected through the first hinge device (300-1). Power can be supplied from the display device (100) to the first external display device (200-1) through the electrical connection, and image signals to be displayed on each display device can be distributed.

[0058] At this time, the electrical connection between the display device (100) and the second external display device (200-2) can also be made by the same principle as above.

[0059] The second cover (316) has a plurality of grooves so that the first coupling member (317) and the second coupling member (318) can secure both sides of the FPCB (313) through the plurality of grooves. The second cover may be made of a material having flexibility like the first cover.

[0060] The first coupling member (317) and the second coupling member (318) each have a plurality of permanent magnets, and can be coupled by attraction with the plurality of permanent magnets of the first docking member (161) present on the inside of the connection part (300-1) of the display device (100) or the plurality of permanent magnets of the second docking member (261) present on the inside of the first external display device (200-1). By this coupling, a physical connection between the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1) can be established.

[0061] When an electrical and physical connection between an external display device (200-1, 200-2) and a display device (100) is made as described above, the display device (100) can recognize whether the external display device is connected. This recognition process can be performed through a contact sensor. The contact sensor can be placed on the side or rear portion of at least one of the display device (100) and the external display device (200-1, 200-2) to sense whether there is contact with an external structure.

[0062] For example, the contact sensor can be implemented in various forms such as an infrared sensor (IR sensor), a magnetic sensor, a touch sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. Alternatively, the contact sensor can be implemented in the form of a switch that can be pushed by external pressure. If a switch is provided on the side or back of the display device, the display device can determine that the external display device or the hinge device is connected in that direction when the switch is pushed by an external display device or a hinge device and that state continues for a certain period of time.

[0063] However, the method of detecting whether an external display device (200-1, 200-2) is connected through the contact sensor described above is only one example, and even if one or more external display devices are detected by the contact sensor, the display device (100) can also detect whether an external display device is connected based on the identification result by identifying whether there is a signal received from the external display.

[0064] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a folding operation of a plurality of external display devices connected by a hinge device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 4, the first external display device (200-1) and the second external display device (200-2) can be folded relative to the display device (100) by the first hinge device (300-1) and the second hinge device (300-2), respectively. Folding can be achieved when the user pulls the side portions of the first and second external display devices (200-1, 200-2) toward the user. FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which both display devices (200-1, 200-2) are folded.

[0066] As described above, the first hinge device (300-1) is made of a flexible material such as a bending member (312) and a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (313), so that even when the first external display device (200-1) is folded at a predetermined angle, the first hinge device (300-1) can be flexibly bent according to the folding motion. The second hinge device (300-2) also allows the second external display device (200-2) to be folded at a predetermined angle by the same principle.

[0067] Specifically, referring to FIG. 4, the central portion of the first hinge device (300-1) or the second hinge device (300-2) is bent so as not to interfere with the rotational motion of the first external display device (200-1) or the second external display device (200-2). Meanwhile, in FIG. 1, the sides of the display device (100) and each of the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) are depicted as being attached, but in reality, they may be spaced apart by a necessary distance so as not to interfere with the rotation of the external display devices (200-1, 200-2).

[0068] In addition, since the hinge device is structured to be connected through the back of each display device (100, 200-1, 200-2) in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hinge device between them may not be visible when viewed from the front of the display device (100). However, the structure of the hinge device is not limited to the structure illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and depending on the embodiment, the hinge device may be exposed between each display device (100, 200-1, 200-2).

[0069] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] According to FIG. 5, the display device (100) includes a memory (110), a display (120), an interface (130), and a processor (140).

[0071] The memory (110) is a configuration for storing various data and programs required for the operation of the display device (100). The memory (110) may be implemented as an internal memory such as a ROM (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) or RAM included in the processor (140), or may be implemented as a separate memory from the processor (140). In this case, the memory (110) may be implemented as a memory embedded in the display device (100) or as a memory detachable from the display device (100) depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for driving the display device (100) may be stored in a memory embedded in the display device (100), and data for the expansion function of the display device (100) may be stored in a memory detachable from the display device (100).

[0072] Meanwhile, in the case of the memory embedded in the display device (100), it may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)), and in the case of the memory that can be detachably attached to the display device (100), it may be implemented as a memory card (e.g., compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital (Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), etc.), external memory that can be connected to a USB port (e.g., USB memory), etc. In Fig. 5, one memory (110) is illustrated, but the number of memories (110) can be varied.

[0073] The memory (110) can store data on combinations of content sources to be displayed on each of the display device (100) and a plurality of external display devices connected to the display device (100).

[0074] For example, in a state where a first external display device (200-1) and a second external display device (200-2) are connected to a display device (100), and the first external display device (200-1) is displaying a content signal provided from a PC, the display device (100) is displaying a content signal provided from a mobile phone, and the second external display device (200-2) is displaying a content signal provided from a video game console, when a user's operation to store a combination of content sources is input, a combination of content sources that can distribute signals of the content sources to the three display devices in the order of 'PC / mobile phone / video game console' can be set, and the setting data can be stored in the memory (110). The combined content sources can be varied in various ways depending on the user's selection. In addition, setting data that sets all display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2) to operate as a single large display, setting data that sets only one of the display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2) to display different content, etc. may also be stored in the memory (110).

[0075] In the above example, only the configuration for storing a combination of content sources through a user's operation was described, but the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the above example, and various combinations of content sources may be stored in the memory (110) through various operations, such as an operation for automatically storing a combination of content sources to be displayed on multiple display devices according to the user's taste or situation without manual operation by the user.

[0076] The display (120) can be mounted on the housing (150) of the display device (100).

[0077] The display (120) can be implemented as various types of displays such as LCD (liquid crystal display), OLED (organic light-emitting diode), LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), DLP (Digital Light Processing), QD (quantum dot) display panel, QLED (quantum dot light-emitting diodes), μLED (Micro light-emitting diodes), Mini LED, etc.

[0078] The interface (130) is a component that can be connected to a source connection device or other external devices. When the source connection device (400) is connected to the interface (130), the display device (100) can receive contents of an external source provided through the source connection device (400) through the interface (130). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the interface (130) may include multiple ports that can be directly connected to external sources other than the source connection device. Specifically, the interface (130) may be connected to various external source devices such as a PC, a streaming output device, a set-top box, an over-the-top media service (OTT) server, a video game console, a Blu-ray player, a DVD player, etc. The processor (140) is a component that controls the overall operation of the display device (100).

[0079] The processor (140) may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, or a timing controller (TCON) that processes digital signals. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or may be defined by the relevant terminology. In addition, the processor (140) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or large scale integration (LSI) having a processing algorithm built in, or may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor (140) may perform various functions by executing computer executable instructions stored in a memory.

[0080] When a method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations may be performed by one processor or by multiple processors. The processor (140) may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicores or heterogeneous multicores).

[0081] The processor (140) can process a content video signal received through the interface (130). For example, when video content is received through the interface (130), the processor (140) can decode the video content, scale it, and provide it to the display (120).

[0082] The processor (140) can detect the connection of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) when the external display device (200-1, 200-2) is connected to the display device (100) via a hinge device (300-1, 300-2).

[0083] When the connection of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) is detected, the processor (140) can control the operations of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) and the display device (100), respectively. For example, although the processor (140) exists only in the display device (100), it can provide electrical signals to the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) through the hinge device (300-1, 300-2), so that the processor (140) can control the operations of the external display devices (200-1, 200-2) by electrically providing control signals to the external display devices (200-1, 200-2). The processor (140) can scale the images to different sizes and shapes depending on the setting status of each of the display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2). For example, if one content is set to be viewed through all display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2), the processor (140) can scale the content screen into one screen of the size and shape of the three display devices combined. The processor (140) can divide the scaled entire screen into three partial screens and provide the partial screens to be displayed on the first and second external display devices (200-1, 200-2), respectively. If each of the display devices (100, 200-1, 200-2) is set to display different content, the processor (140) can also provide content to be displayed on the first and second external display devices (200-1, 200-2), respectively.

[0084] The processor (140) of the display device (100) can identify whether the external display device (200-1, 200-2) is folded and control the operation of the external display device (200-1, 200-2) based on the identification result. That is, the processor (140) can identify a folding interaction.

[0085] When a folding interaction is identified, the processor (140) can control the display of a graphic object on the external display device, allowing the user to select content to be displayed on the folded external display device. However, this is not limited to this, and the processor (140) can also display the graphic object on the display device (100) itself, rather than on the folded external display device.

[0086] Additionally, the processor (140) may control a preset menu to be displayed on at least one of the plurality of display devices, which allows the user to collectively set content sources to be displayed on each of the plurality of display devices.

[0087] Meanwhile, various methods for detecting folding interactions can be implemented. For example, a wheel that rotates according to bending can be placed within the hinge device. The processor (140) can identify whether a folding interaction has occurred and the folding angle, etc., based on whether and how much the wheel rotates.

[0088] Alternatively, if a wheel is placed on the lower edge of the external display devices (200-1, 200-2), the processor (140) may identify whether a folding interaction has occurred and the folding angle, etc., based on whether the wheel is rotated and the degree of rotation.

[0089] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining a wheel device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] According to FIG. 6, the wheel device (500) may include a wheel (510) and a rocker (520). The wheel device (500) may be positioned at the bottom of the external display device (200-1, 200-2), and the wheel device (500) enables movement of the external display device (200-1, 200-2).

[0091] The wheel (510) may be composed of multiple locking grooves (511) and multiple protrusions (512). When an external force is applied to the wheel (510), the wheel (510) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. If the wheel device (500) is formed on one edge of the external display device and the other edge is connected to the display device by a hinge device, the external display device can move at a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 4 through the operation of the wheel.

[0092] At this time, when the external force acting on the external display device disappears, the rocker (520) of the wheel device (500) can lock the wheel (510) so that the wheel (510) no longer rotates. The rotation of the wheel (510) can be prevented by the latch (521) of the locker (520) being inserted into the locking groove (511) existing between the multiple protrusions (512) of the wheel (510). However, when an external force is applied to the wheel (510), the latch (521) of the locker (520) is not inserted into the locking groove (511) because it is pushed by the multiple protrusions (512) due to the rotation of the wheel (510), and the wheel (510) continues to rotate in the direction of the external force.

[0093] The wheel device (500) may include a sensor that detects the rotation of the wheel (510). For example, a switch may be attached to a protrusion (512) of the wheel (510), so that the protrusion (512) may contact a latch (521) according to the rotation of the wheel (510), thereby detecting the on / off of the switch. By detecting the number of times the wheel has been turned on / off and the direction of rotation, it is possible to detect how many clicks the wheel (510) has rotated in which direction.

[0094] Detection of rotation through a switch is only one example, and rotation of the wheel (510) can be detected by various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, and an optical sensor.

[0095] Information about the rotation of the wheel (510) detected by the wheel device (510) may be provided as an electrical signal to the processor (140) of the display device (100) connected to the external display device. Through this, the processor (140) may obtain information about whether the wheel (510) is rotated and the angle thereof, and may perform a control operation corresponding to the information. For example, an operation for setting the external display device may be performed as follows.

[0096] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a display device for displaying a graphic object on a folded external display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 7, the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1) are connected by the first hinge device (300-1). As described above, through this connection, the display device (100) and the first external display device (200-1) are electrically and physically connected, and a folding operation of the first external display device (200-1) is enabled.

[0098] When the first external display device (200-1) is folded toward the display device (100) as shown in FIG. 7, the processor (140) can recognize that a folding interaction has occurred if the folding angle of the first external display device (200-1) satisfies a preset condition. The preset condition may be a condition in which the device is folded by exceeding an arbitrarily set threshold angle. When it is identified that a folding interaction has occurred, the processor (140) can send a control signal to the first external display device (200-1) to display graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) on the first external display device (200-1).

[0099] Here, the graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) are objects that are provided on the display to visualize the user so that the user can quickly and easily select the content to be displayed on the folded display device. For example, if a PC and a video game console are connected to the source connection device (400), and the applications built into the first external display device (200-1) are APP1 and APP2, the content that can be displayed on the first external display device (200-1) may include 'content provided from the PC', 'content provided from the video game console', 'APP1', 'APP2', etc. Accordingly, when the processor (140) detects the folding operation of the first external display device (200-1), it displays graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) representing each content to be displayed on the first external display device (200-1).

[0100] When a user selects a first graphic object (610) among a total of four graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640), the processor (140) can set the content provided from the PC through the source connection device (400) to be displayed on the first external display device (200-1) and store the setting status in the memory (110). When the setting is completed, the processor (140) controls each external display device according to the setting status.

[0101] Although FIG. 7 only illustrates four graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) being displayed on the display, the number of graphic objects may vary depending on the number of external source devices input to the source connection device (400) and the number of applications built into the folded display device. Specifically, if there are five external source devices input to the source connection device (400) and four applications built into the first external display device (200-1), the processor (140) may control to display a total of nine graphic objects. Alternatively, when there is a large number of contents that can be provided, the processor (140) may select and display only the contents that the user frequently sets, or may select only some contents according to various other criteria and display graphic objects for the selected contents.

[0102] In the above description, it was explained that one of the four graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) can be controlled to be selected, but the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The user can select one or more graphic objects, and through this, the processor (140) can control to display one or more contents on the display. When multiple graphic objects are selected, the processor (140) can control to split the screen of the corresponding external display device and display each content through the split screen.

[0103] Also, in the above description, four graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) are displayed on the folded first external display device (200-1), but it is to be understood that the processor (140) can control graphic objects to be displayed not only on the folded display device but also on other display devices. For example, even if the first external display device (200-1) is folded, the processor (140) can display four graphic objects (610, 620, 630, 640) on the display device (100) or the second external display device (200-2) to allow the user to select content to be displayed on the first external display device (200-1). Alternatively, when one external display device (200-1) is folded, the processor (140) may set the contents of not only the folded external display device (200-1), but also the display device (100) and another external display device (200-2). In this case, the processor (140) may individually control the display of graphic objects to be set for each device. Alternatively, all graphic objects that can be set for each device may be displayed on one folded external display device (200-1).

[0104] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining a display device displaying a preset menu for quick screen setup of a plurality of display devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 8, the display device (100) is physically and electrically connected to a first external display device (200-1) and a second external display device (200-2). In this state, a user can call up a preset menu (710, 720, 730, 740) by pressing a button on the remote control to collectively set the content source to be displayed on the three display devices.

[0106] Here, the preset menu (710, 720, 730, 740) is a menu that provides a visual representation of a preset combination of contents to be displayed on each of the display device (100) and at least one external display device connected to the display device (100).

[0107] Data for configuring preset menus (710, 720, 730, 740), i.e., preset data, can be stored in the memory (110) of the display device (100). For example, if a user is using the display device (100) by setting APP2 to be displayed on the first external display device (200-1), PC content to be displayed on the display device (100), and a video conference screen to be displayed on the second external display device (200-2), and the user inputs a user operation (third user operation) to save the setting combination state, the processor (140) can store data for the currently set state as one preset menu in the memory (110). The name of the preset menu can be automatically assigned sequentially by the processor (140) or can be assigned based on text input by the user. For example, if a user inputs the name 'Study Meeting' for the above-described combination state, the processor (140) stores the above content combination state as data called 'Study Meeting' in the memory (110).

[0108] The third user operation for setting the preset menu may be defined as pressing a specific button or any button on the remote control for a certain period of time, but is not necessarily limited thereto. It may be implemented in various ways, such as pressing a button with a preset setting function, selecting a menu, user voice input, or motion input.

[0109] When a user operation (first user operation) for checking a preset menu is input, the processor (140) controls the display (120) to display at least one preset menu based on data stored in the memory (110). When a user operation (second user operation) for selecting one of the preset menus is input while the preset menus are displayed, the processor (140) collectively sets at least one external display device and a content source to be displayed on each display according to the selected preset menu.

[0110] The first user operation for checking the preset menu may be implemented as a short press of a specific button or any button, unlike the third user operation for setting the preset menu, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be implemented as a press of a button with a preset menu check function, menu selection, voice input, motion input, etc. The second user operation may also be implemented in a similar manner.

[0111] Referring to Fig. 8, the first preset menu (710) is stored under the name 'Study Meeting'. When the user selects the first preset menu (710), the processor (140) can control the first external display device (200-1) to display the execution screen of APP2, the display device (100) to display content provided from the PC, and the second external display device (200-2) to display a video conferencing application.

[0112] In addition, when the user selects the third preset menu (730) stored as a 'racing game', the processor (140) can control the content video signal provided from the video game console to be divided into three horizontal parts and distributed to the first external display device (200-1), the display device (100), and the second external display device (200-2) so that one content can be displayed on the three display devices.

[0113] In addition, the processor (140) can directly recognize the number and connection positions of external display devices connected to the display device (100) through a contact sensor and whether or not an electric signal is transmitted and received, and display a changed preset menu based on the recognition result. For example, if only one external display device is connected to the display device (100), since there are only two display devices capable of displaying content, only preset menus capable of displaying two contents on the display can be provided to the user, excluding preset menus capable of displaying three contents, such as the first preset menu (710). Alternatively, if it is recognized that only the external display device (200-1) on the left is connected, the processor (130) can change the first preset menu (710) from a content combination of 'APP2 / PC / video conference' to a content combination of 'APP2 / PC' and provide it.

[0114] Although Fig. 8 only illustrates displaying four preset menus on the display, the number of preset menus may vary depending on the user's settings. For example, if the user has seven menus stored in the memory (110), the processor (140) can control displaying seven preset menus on the display.

[0115] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings for explaining a display method of a graphic object that changes depending on the folding angle of an external display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 9, when the user folds the first external display device (200-1) at an angle of θ1, the processor (140) controls the first external display device (200-1) to display a plurality of graphic objects (610 to 640) in a row based on the center of the screen of the first external display device (200-1). In this state, when the user folds the first external display device (200-1) by an angle of θ2 that is greater than θ1, the processor (140) can control the first external display device (200-1) to change and display at least one of the display position, size, and shape of the graphic object. FIG. 9 illustrates a state in which a plurality of graphic objects (610 to 640) are displayed in a vertically aligned manner on the right screen edge of the first external display device (200-1).

[0117] The processor (140) can identify the folding angle based on a value sensed by a wheel sensor provided in the first external display device (200-1).

[0118] The processor (140) gradually moves the display positions of graphic objects (610 to 640) from the center of the screen to the right according to the folding angle, and when a certain angle is exceeded, the objects can be displayed in a vertical alignment on the right edge of the screen as shown in FIG. 9.

[0119] Alternatively, the processor (140) may display the graphic objects (610 to 640) in a horizontally arranged manner based on the center of the screen when the folding angle is less than the critical angle, and then display them in a vertically aligned manner when the folding angle exceeds the critical angle. In this case, when the critical angle is set to multiple values, the processor (140) may change the display state of the graphic objects (610 to 640) in stages each time the critical angle is exceeded.

[0120] Fig. 10 shows a state in which a user folds the first external display device (200-1) further. According to Fig. 10, when a user folds the first external display device (200-1) at an angle of θ3 that is greater than θ2, the processor (140) displays graphic objects (610 to 640) displayed on the first external display device (200-1) on the display (120) of the display device (100). For example, when the folding angle exceeds 60°, graphic objects can be displayed on the display device (100). When a user rotates the first external display device (200-1), if the folding angle becomes large, it may be difficult for a user sitting in front of the display device (100) to see the graphic objects (610 to 640) displayed at the bottom center of the first external display device (200-1). Therefore, the processor (140) gradually moves the graphic objects (610 to 640) toward the display device (100), and when they reach a certain angle or more, they move and display them on the display device (100) as shown in FIG. 10.

[0121] Although FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate cases where the arrangement and display positions of graphic objects have changed, graphic effects such as increasing the size of the graphic objects, changing their shape, or lighting them up can be added so that the user can more easily identify the graphic objects (610 to 640) in a folded state.

[0122] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method for setting a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] According to FIG. 11, when an external display device is connected to the display device via a hinge device (S1110), and a user applies an external force to the external display device, the external display device moves in one direction relative to the hinge device and folds with respect to the display device (S1120).

[0124] When folding is identified, the display device controls the external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting the status of the external display device (S1130). For example, an external source or application that provides content to be displayed on the external display device, or objects for setting various options or functions may be displayed.

[0125] Graphic objects may be displayed differently depending on various folding status information, such as the folding direction or angle of the external display device. This has been specifically described in Figures 9 and 10, so a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0126] The folding of the display device can be identified by detecting the rotation of a wheel installed on the external display device, or by detecting the bending state of the hinge device. This has been specifically explained in the above section, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0127] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for setting a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] According to FIG. 12, when an input of a first user operation for setting a content source is detected (S1210), the display device displays at least one preset menu based on previously stored preset data (S1220).

[0129] For example, when a user operation is input to save a content source setting state while displaying content on an external display device and a display device, a combination of content sources of the content displayed on each device can be saved in the form of preset data.

[0130] When one preset menu is selected by a second user operation while the preset menu is displayed, the display device collectively sets the content source to be displayed on each of the at least one external display device and the display according to the selected preset menu (S1230).

[0131] Using this method, you can conveniently set the status and content sources of all display devices at once.

[0132] The various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied and implemented not only to a display device but also to all types of electronic devices including a display function, and the embodiments can be combined in whole or in part to be applied to a single device.

[0133] In addition, although the processor (140) of the display device (100) has been described above as performing the various control operations described above, the processor (not shown) of the source connection device (400) other than the display device (100) or the processor of another external control device may perform these control operations. Alternatively, if the external display device also includes its own processor, the processor of the external display device itself may directly perform the state setting operation described above.

[0134] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in a computer-readable recording medium or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the processor itself. In a software implementation, embodiments, such as the procedures and functions described herein, may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0135] Meanwhile, computer instructions for performing processing operations of the electronic device (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0136] Specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may store computer instructions or programs that can sequentially perform a step of controlling an external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting a state of the external display device when the external display device is folded with respect to the display device based on the hinge device while the external display device is connected to the display device through a hinge device, and a step of setting a state of the external display device to correspond to the selected graphic object when one of the at least one graphic object is selected.

[0137] Computer instructions stored on such non-transitory computer-readable media, when executed by a processor of a specific device, cause the specific device to perform the setting methods according to the various embodiments described above.

[0138] A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that permanently stores data and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0139] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In the display device, Housing with display; At least one connecting portion formed on at least one side of the housing; and Processor; including; The above processor, When at least one external display device is connected to at least one of the above connecting portions via a hinge device, the operation of the at least one external display device and the display are controlled respectively, A display device, wherein the at least one external display device and at least one of the display devices are controlled to display a graphic object for setting a state of the at least one external display device when the at least one external display device is folded relative to the display device with respect to the hinge device.

2. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a memory storing preset data for combinations of at least one external display device and content sources of each of the displays; The above processor, When a first user operation is input, the display is controlled to display at least one preset menu based on the preset data stored in the memory, A display device that collectively sets the at least one external display device and the content source to be displayed on each of the displays according to the selected preset menu when one of the at least one preset menus is selected by a second user operation.

3. In paragraph 2, The above processor, A display device, wherein when a user operation for saving a content source setting state is input while at least one external display device and each of the displays are displaying content, a combination of content sources matching each of the at least one external display device and each of the displays is stored in the memory.

4. In paragraph 1, further comprising an interface connectable to a source connection device that is connected to at least one external source; The above graphic object is, A display device comprising at least one menu for selecting at least one of the at least one external source connected via the source connection device and at least one application installed on the at least one external display device.

5. In paragraph 1 or 2, The above processor, detecting the rotation of a wheel installed on at least one external display device and rotating according to the movement of the at least one external display device; Identifying folding of said at least one external display device based on said detected rotation, A display device that controls at least one of the at least one external display device and the display to display the graphic object when the folding angle of the at least one external display device satisfies a preset condition.

6. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Controlling the at least one external display device to display the graphic object when the at least one external display device is folded; A display device that controls the display to display the graphic object when at least one external display device is folded beyond a preset angle.

7. In paragraph 1, The above processor, When the at least one external display device is folded, controlling the at least one external display device to display the graphic objects by arranging them based on the center of the at least one external display device; A display device that controls the at least one external display device to change and display at least one of the display position, size, and shape of the graphic object when the at least one external display device is folded beyond a preset rotation angle.

8. In the method of setting the display device, A step of controlling the external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting a state of the external display device when the external display device is folded relative to the display device with respect to the hinge device while the external display device is connected to the display device through a hinge device; A setting method comprising: setting a state of the external display device to correspond to the selected graphic object when at least one of the graphic objects is selected.

9. In paragraph 8, When a first user operation is input, a step of displaying at least one preset menu based on previously stored preset data; A setting method further comprising: a step of collectively setting the at least one external display device and the content source to be displayed on each of the displays according to the selected preset menu, when one of the at least one preset menu is selected by a second user operation; 10. In paragraph 9, A setting method further comprising: a step of storing a combination of content sources of the at least one external display device and each of the displays when a third user operation is input while the at least one external display device and each of the display devices are displaying content; 11. In paragraph 8, The above display device is connected to a source connection device, At least one of the above graphic objects, A setup method comprising a menu for selecting at least one external source connected to the source connection device and at least one application installed on the at least one external display device.

12. In paragraph 8 or 9, A step for detecting the rotation of a wheel installed on at least one external display device and rotating according to the movement of the at least one external display device; A setting method further comprising: a step of identifying a folding state of the at least one external display device based on the detected rotation; 13. In paragraph 8, A setting method further comprising: a step of moving and displaying the graphic object displayed on the at least one external display device to the display device when the folding angle of the external display device exceeds a preset threshold angle.

14. In paragraph 8, The step of controlling the external display device to display at least one graphic object comprises: A step of controlling the external display device to display the graphic objects by arranging them based on the center of the at least one external display device when the at least one external display device is folded; A setting method, comprising: a step of controlling the external display device to change and display at least one of the position, size, and shape of the graphic object when the at least one external display device is folded beyond a preset threshold angle; 15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of a display device, cause the display device to perform an operation, wherein the operation is: A step of controlling the external display device to display at least one graphic object for setting a state of the external display device when the external display device is folded relative to the display device with respect to the hinge device while the external display device is connected to the display device through a hinge device; and A computer-readable recording medium comprising: a step of setting a state of the external display device to correspond to the selected graphic object when at least one of the graphic objects is selected;

Images