Multi-foldable electronic device, and notification providing method of multi-foldable electronic device

Abstract

A multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention comprises: a first housing; a second housing; a third housing; a first hinge coupled between the first housing and the second housing; a second hinge coupled between the first housing and the third housing; a first sensor that detects a first angle between the first housing and the second housing; a second sensor that detects a second angle between the first housing and the third housing; a flexible display including a first display area disposed in the first housing, a second display area disposed in the second housing, and a third display area disposed in the third housing; at least one processor; and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the multi-foldable electronic device to, by using the second sensor, detect that the third housing is first folded on the first housing, to identify whether the third housing is folded on the first housing within a first angle range, and if the third housing is folded on the first housing within the first angle range, to provide at least one first notification.

Description

Multifoldable electronic device and method of providing notification of said multifoldable electronic device

[0001] Various embodiments of the present invention disclose a multi-foldable electronic device and a method for providing a notification of the multi-foldable electronic device.

[0002] The use of foldable electronic devices that fold and unfold horizontally or vertically is increasing.

[0003] The above-described foldable electronic device can operate the first housing and the second housing in a folded state or an unfolded state centered on the hinge.

[0004] The foldable electronic device may include a flexible display disposed at least partially across a first housing, a hinge, and a second housing.

[0005] The above-described foldable electronic device can provide various information to the user, such as text, images, and / or videos, using a flexible display.

[0006] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art in relation to the present disclosure.

[0007] User demand for expanded displays in foldable electronic devices is increasing.

[0008] For example, the foldable electronic device may be implemented in the form of a multi-foldable electronic device including a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing.

[0009] The above multi-foldable electronic device may include a flexible display disposed at least partially across a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing.

[0010] The above multi-foldable electronic device can operate in an in-folding manner and / or an out-folding manner by using a first hinge and a second hinge, so that the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing operate in an in-folding manner and / or an out-folding manner.

[0011] The above multi-foldable electronic device may be at risk of damage if, for example, the second housing and the third housing are folded in an abnormal order relative to the first housing placed in the middle.

[0012] The above multi-foldable electronic device may be configured in a sequence in which the second housing is folded first to the first housing using the first hinge, and later the third housing is folded to the first housing using the second hinge. For example, if the multi-foldable electronic device is configured such that the third housing is folded first to the first housing using the second hinge, and the second housing is folded later to the first housing using the first hinge, at least some of the first hinge, the second hinge, and the flexible display may be damaged.

[0013] In the above multi-foldable electronic device, when the second housing and the third housing are folded toward the first housing positioned in the middle and at least a portion of the edges of the second housing and the third housing come into contact with each other, the flexible display placed on the second housing and the third housing may be damaged.

[0014] Various embodiments of the present invention may provide a multi-foldable electronic device and method capable of providing at least one notification when the second housing and the third housing are folded in an abnormal order relative to the first housing and / or when the second housing and the third housing are folded into an angle range in which contact is possible.

[0015] The technical problems to be solved in this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0016] A multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first housing, a second housing and a third housing, a first hinge coupled between the first housing and the second housing, a second hinge coupled between the first housing and the third housing, a first sensor for detecting a first angle between the first housing and the second housing, a second sensor for detecting a second angle between the first housing and the third housing, a flexible display including a first display area disposed in the first housing, a second display area disposed in the second housing, and a third display area disposed in the third housing, at least one processor, and a memory for storing instructions. According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the multi-foldable electronic device may detect that the third housing is first folded onto the first housing using the second sensor, check whether the third housing is folded onto the first housing by a first angle range, and provide at least one first notification if the third housing is folded onto the first housing by the first angle range.

[0017] A method for providing notifications of a multi-foldable electronic device comprising a first housing, a second housing, a third housing, a first hinge, a second hinge, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an operation of detecting that the third housing is first folded onto the first housing using the second sensor. According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of checking whether the third housing is folded onto the first housing by a first angle range. According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of providing at least one first notification when the third housing is folded onto the first housing by the first angle range.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the method for providing a notification of the multi-foldable electronic device may be performed using a non-transient computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more programs. The one or more programs according to one embodiment may include instructions and / or at least one instruction that perform an operation included in the method described above when executed by a processor of the multi-foldable electronic device.

[0019] According to various embodiments of the present invention, damage to a multi-foldable electronic device can be reduced by providing at least one notification in the case where the second housing and the third housing are folded in an abnormal order with respect to the first housing placed in the middle, and / or in the case where the second housing and the third housing are likely to come into contact within an angle range.

[0020] In addition, various effects that can be identified directly or indirectly through this document may be provided.

[0021] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0022] FIG. 1a is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 1b is a block diagram of a display module according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2a is a schematic diagram of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state viewed from the front according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state viewed from the rear according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the first housing and the second housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded, and the first housing and the third housing are unfolded.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention in a folded state.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a part of the configuration of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram showing the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range.

[0030] FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram showing the execution screen of an application provided on a flexible display when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range.

[0031] FIG. 7a is a schematic diagram showing the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a first angle range.

[0032] FIG. 7b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one first notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a first angle range.

[0033] FIG. 8a is a schematic diagram showing the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a second angle range.

[0034] FIG. 8b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one second notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a second angle range.

[0035] FIG. 9a is a schematic diagram showing the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a third angle range.

[0036] FIG. 9b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one third notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a third angle range.

[0037] FIG. 10a is a diagram schematically showing the execution screen of a specific application when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range.

[0038] FIG. 10b is a schematic diagram illustrating a user interface provided to a flexible display when a first housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded to a first angle range.

[0039] FIG. 11a is a schematic diagram illustrating a case in which a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded with respect to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance.

[0040] FIG. 11b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one first notification provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded with respect to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance.

[0041] FIG. 11c is a diagram schematically illustrating a first warning graphic provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance.

[0042] FIG. 12a is a schematic diagram illustrating a case in which a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded with respect to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a second distance.

[0043] FIG. 12b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one second notification provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded with respect to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a second distance.

[0044] FIG. 12c is a diagram schematically illustrating a second warning graphic provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a second distance.

[0045] FIG. 13 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method in which a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention provides at least one notification.

[0046] FIG. 14 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method in which a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention provides at least one notification.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0048] FIG. 1a is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 1a, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0050] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., a program (140)), and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0051] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0052] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0053] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0054] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0055] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0056] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0057] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0058] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0059] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0060] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0061] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be perceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0062] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0063] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0064] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0065] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0066] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for URLLC realization.

[0067] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0068] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0069] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0070] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within a second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0071] FIG. 1b is a block diagram (105) of a display module (160) according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 1b, the display module (160) may include a display (161) and a display driver IC (DDI) (165) for controlling the display. The DDI (165) may include an interface module (165a), a memory (165b) (e.g., buffer memory), an image processing module (165c), or a mapping module (165d). The DDI (165) may receive image information, for example, image data or an image control signal corresponding to a command for controlling the image data, from another component of the electronic device (101) through the interface module (165a). According to one embodiment, the image information may be received from a processor (120) (e.g., a main processor (121) (e.g., an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit) that operates independently of the function of the main processor (121). The DDI (165) can communicate with the touch circuit (168) or sensor module (176) through the interface module (165a). Additionally, the DDI (165) can store at least a portion of the received image information in memory (165b), for example, in frame units. The image processing module (165c) can perform preprocessing or postprocessing (e.g., resolution, brightness, or size adjustment) on at least a portion of the image data based at least on the characteristics of the image data or the characteristics of the display (161), for example. The mapping module (165d) can generate voltage values ​​or current values ​​corresponding to the image data preprocessed or postprocessed through the image processing module (165c). According to one embodiment, the generation of voltage values ​​or current values ​​can be performed based at least partially on the attributes of the pixels of the display (161), for example, (e.g., array of pixels (RGB stripe or pentile structure), or the size of each subpixel).At least some pixels of the display (161) are driven, for example, based on at least some of the voltage value or current value, so that visual information (e.g., text, image, or icon) corresponding to the image data can be displayed through the display (161).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may further include a touch circuit (168). The touch circuit (168) may include a touch sensor (168a) and a touch sensor IC (168b) for controlling the same. The touch sensor IC (168b) may control the touch sensor (168a) to detect a touch input or hovering input for a specific location on the display (161), for example. For example, the touch sensor IC (168b) may detect a touch input or hovering input by measuring a change in a signal (e.g., voltage, light intensity, resistance, or charge) for a specific location on the display (161). The touch sensor IC (168b) may provide information regarding the detected touch input or hovering input (e.g., location, area, pressure, or time) to the processor (120). According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the touch circuit (168) (e.g., touch sensor IC (168b)) may be included as part of the display driver IC (165) or the display (161), or as part of another component (e.g., auxiliary processor (123)) placed outside the display module (160).

[0074] According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may further include at least one sensor of the sensor module (176) (e.g., fingerprint sensor, iris sensor, pressure sensor, or light sensor) or a control circuit for the same. In this case, the at least one sensor or the control circuit for the same may be embedded in a part of the display module (160) (e.g., display (161) or DDI (165)) or a part of the touch circuit (168). For example, if the sensor module (176) embedded in the display module (160) includes a biometric sensor (e.g., fingerprint sensor), the biometric sensor may obtain biometric information (e.g., fingerprint image) associated with a touch input through a part of the display (161). For example, if the sensor module (176) embedded in the display module (160) includes a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor may obtain pressure information associated with a touch input through a part or the entire area of ​​the display (161). According to one embodiment, a touch sensor (168a) or a sensor module (176) may be placed between pixels of a pixel layer of a display (161), or on top of or below the pixel layer.

[0075] FIG. 2a is a schematic diagram of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state viewed from the front according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state viewed from the rear according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] According to various embodiments, at least one embodiment of the electronic device (101) disclosed in FIG. 1a may be included in embodiments of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below. For example, the electronic device (101) disclosed in FIG. 1a may be a block diagram schematically showing a part of the configuration of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below. For example, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below may include the processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), antenna module (197) and / or subscriber identification module (196) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a third housing (230), a first hinge (201), a second hinge (202), and / or a flexible display (240).

[0078] According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) may be positioned between the second housing (220) and the third housing (230). For example, the second housing (220) may be foldably connected to the first side (e.g., in the -x-axis direction) of the first housing (210) using a first hinge (201). The third housing (230) may be foldably connected to the second side (e.g., in the x-axis direction) of the first housing (210) using a second hinge (202). For example, the first housing (210) may have a first side (e.g., in the -x axis direction) operatively coupled to at least a part of the second housing (220) using the first hinge (201), and a second side (e.g., in the x axis direction) operatively coupled to at least a part of the third housing (230) using the second hinge (202).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) may be positioned on a first side (e.g., in the -x axis direction) of the first housing (210) via a first hinge (201). For example, the second housing (220) may be foldably and unfoldably coupled to the first side (e.g., in the -x axis direction) of the first housing (210). The first hinge (201) may be at least partially coupled between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The first hinge (201) may be positioned so that the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) can be foldably or unfoldably relative to each other. The first hinge (201) may include a hinge assembly, a hinge device, a hinge member, a hinge plate, a hinge structure, or a hinge module. The first housing (210) and the second housing (220) can be rotatably joined with respect to the first folding axis (A1) using the first hinge (201).

[0080] According to one embodiment, the third housing (230) may be positioned on a second side (e.g., in the x-axis direction) of the first housing (210) via a second hinge (202). For example, the third housing (230) may be foldably and unfoldably coupled to the second side (e.g., in the x-axis direction) of the first housing (210). The second hinge (202) may be at least partially coupled between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). The second hinge (202) may be positioned so that the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) can be foldably or unfoldably relative to each other. The second hinge (202) may include a hinge assembly, a hinge device, a hinge member, a hinge plate, a hinge structure, or a hinge module. The first housing (210) and the third housing (230) can be rotatably joined with respect to the second folding axis (A2) using the second hinge (202).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may first fold the second housing (220) toward the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201), and later fold the third housing (230) toward the first housing (210) through the second hinge (202). For example, the second housing (220) may be folded in an in-folding manner relative to the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201). For example, the second housing (220) may be folded relative to the first housing (210) while rotating in the z-axis direction and the x-axis direction through the first hinge (201). For example, the third housing (230) may be folded in an in-folding manner relative to the first housing (210) through the second hinge (202). For example, the third housing (230) can be folded to the first housing (210) while rotating in the z-axis direction and the -x-axis direction through the second hinge (202). For example, if the second housing (220) is folded first toward the first housing (210) using the first hinge (201), and the third housing (230) is folded later toward the first housing (210) using the second hinge (202), the third housing (230) can be placed on the second housing (220).

[0082] According to one embodiment, the second width (W2) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the second housing (220) may be formed to be smaller than the first width (W1) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the first housing (210). The first width (W1) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the first housing (210) may be formed to be substantially the same as the third width (W3) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the third housing (230). According to various embodiments, the third width (W3) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the third housing (230) may be formed to be larger or smaller than the first width (W1) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) of the first housing (210). For example, the first width (W1) of the first housing (210), the second width (W2) of the second housing (220), and the third width (W3) of the third housing (230) described above are merely examples according to one embodiment and are not limited thereto, and may be formed to have various other widths.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are positioned on both sides (e.g., in the x-axis direction and the -x-axis direction) with respect to the first folding axis (A1) on which the first hinge (201) is positioned, and may have a shape that is asymmetric with respect to the first folding axis (A1). According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may have a shape that is symmetric with respect to the first folding axis (A1). The angle or distance between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may vary depending on whether the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) are positioned on both sides (e.g., in the -x-axis direction and the x-axis direction) with respect to the second folding axis (A2) on which the second hinge (202) is positioned, and may have a shape that is substantially symmetric with respect to the second folding axis (A2). According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) may have an asymmetric shape with respect to the second folding axis (A2). The angle or distance between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) may vary depending on whether the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state.

[0085] According to various embodiments, the unfolded state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include the meaning of an open state or an unfolded state, and the fully unfolded state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include the meaning of a fully open state or a fully unfolded state. For example, the partially unfolded state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include the meaning of an intermediate state, a partially open state, or a partially unfolded state, and the folded state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include the meaning of a closed state or a folded state.

[0086] According to various embodiments, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in a fully unfolded state, the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230) may form an angle of about 170° to about 185°. For example, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in a partially unfolded state, an angle of about 10° to about 170° may be formed between the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230). For example, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in a folded state, an angle of about 0° to about 10° may be formed between the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230). For example, the angles of the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) in a fully unfolded state, a partially unfolded state, and a folded state are merely examples according to one embodiment and are not limited thereto, and various other angles may be formed.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the width of the second hinge (202) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction) may be configured to be wider than the width of the first hinge (201) in the horizontal direction (e.g., -x-axis direction and x-axis direction). For example, when the second housing (220) is folded first with respect to the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) is folded with respect to the first housing (210) so that the third housing (230) is positioned on top of the second housing (220), the width of the second hinge (202) may be configured to be wider than the width of the first hinge (201). For example, the first hinge (201) may be a first folding hinge, a narrow hinge, a slim hinge, or a small hinge that is narrower in width in the horizontal direction than the second hinge (202). For example, the second hinge (202) may be a second folding hinge, a wide hinge, a broad hinge, or a big hinge that is wider in width in the horizontal direction than the first hinge (201).

[0088] According to one embodiment, the second hinge (202) may have a larger radius of curvature, radius of operation, or radius of rotation than the first hinge (201). The first hinge (201) may have a smaller radius of curvature, radius of operation, or radius of rotation than the second hinge (202). In one embodiment, the horizontal width of the second hinge (202) is described as being wider than the width of the first hinge (201), but is not limited thereto, and depending on the type and / or operation of the multi-foldable electronic device (200), the horizontal width of the first hinge (201) may be configured to be wider than the width of the second hinge (202).

[0089] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) may be disposed on a first housing (210), a first hinge (201), a second housing (220), a second hinge (202), and / or a third housing (230). For example, the flexible display (240) may be disposed across at least a portion of the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of the first housing (210), the first hinge (201), the second housing (220), the second hinge (202), and / or the third housing (230). The flexible display (240) may be a first display, a foldable display, or a main display.

[0090] According to one embodiment, a sub-display (250) may be disposed on the rear surface (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the first housing (210). The sub-display (250) may be a second display or an auxiliary display. The flexible display (240) and / or the sub-display (250) may include the display module (160) disclosed in FIGS. 1a and 1b. The flexible display (240) and / or the sub-display (250) may include at least some embodiments related to the display module (160) disclosed in FIGS. 1a and 1b. The flexible display (240) and / or the sub-display (250) may perform substantially the same function as the display module (160) disclosed in FIGS. 1a and 1b.

[0091] In this document, the surface on which the flexible display (240) (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b) is placed may be defined as the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200), and the opposite side of the front may be defined as the rear (e.g., -z-axis direction) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The surface surrounding the space between the front (e.g., z-axis direction) and the rear (e.g., -z-axis direction) may be defined as the side of the multi-foldable electronic device (200).

[0092] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) may include a first display area (240a) disposed on the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of a first housing (210), a second display area (240b) disposed on the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of a second housing (220), and a third display area (240c) disposed on the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of a third housing (230). The first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) may be formed integrally to constitute the flexible display (240). According to various embodiments, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the flexible display (240) may be configured to be disposed over most of the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The flexible display (240) may be deformed into a flat or curved surface in at least some area. The distinction between the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240) may be exemplary. The flexible display (240) may be formed as a single, seamless, whole screen. According to one embodiment, a sub-display (250) positioned on the rear (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the first housing (210) may include a fourth display area (250d).

[0093] According to one embodiment, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the first housing (210) may include a first surface (211) positioned to face the front of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., z-axis direction), a second surface (212) facing in the opposite direction of the first surface (211), and / or a first side member (213) surrounding at least a portion of the first space between the first surface (211) and the second surface (212).

[0094] According to one embodiment, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the second housing (220) may include a third surface (221) connected to at least a portion of the first hinge (201) and positioned to face the front of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., z-axis direction), a fourth surface (222) facing in the opposite direction of the third surface (221), and / or a second side member (223) surrounding at least a portion of the second space between the third surface (221) and the fourth surface (222).

[0095] According to one embodiment, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the third housing (230) may include a fifth face (231) positioned to face the front (e.g., z-axis direction) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) and connected to at least a portion of the second hinge (202), a sixth face (232) facing in the opposite direction of the fifth face (231), and / or a third side member (233) surrounding at least a portion of the third space between the fifth face (231) and the sixth face (232).

[0096] According to various embodiments, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the first surface (211), the third surface (221), and the fifth surface (231) may face substantially the same direction (e.g., z-axis direction). When the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the second surface (212), the fourth surface (222), and the sixth surface (232) may face substantially the same direction (e.g., z-axis direction).

[0097] According to various embodiments, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) are in a folded state, the first surface (211) of the first housing (210) and the third surface (221) of the second housing (220) may be arranged to face each other. When the third housing (230) is in a folded state with respect to the first housing (210) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200), if the third housing (230) is placed on the upper side (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the second housing (220), the fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220) and the fifth surface (231) of the third housing (230) may be arranged to face each other.

[0098] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include a recess (245) formed to accommodate a flexible display (240) through the structural combination of a first housing (210), a second housing (220), and a third housing (230). The recess (245) may have substantially the same size as the flexible display (240).

[0099] According to various embodiments, when the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is fully unfolded, the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230) form an angle of about 170° to 185°, and the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240) can form substantially the same plane.

[0100] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) can form an angle that can stop at a specified folding angle between a folded state and an unfolded state using the first hinge (201) (e.g., free stop function). In various embodiments, the second housing (220) may also rotate to move toward the second surface (212) (e.g., rear side) of the first housing (210) while being pressed in the unfolding direction (e.g., -z-axis direction) relative to a specified inflection angle using the first hinge (201).

[0101] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) may form an angle that can stop at a specified folding angle between a folded state and an unfolded state using the second hinge (202). In various embodiments, the third housing (230) may also rotate to move toward the second surface (212) (e.g., rear side) of the first housing (210) while being pressed in the unfolding direction (e.g., -z-axis direction) relative to a specified inflection angle using the second hinge (202).

[0102] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (240) may be positioned to be supported by the first surface (211) of the first housing (210), the first hinge (201), the third surface (221) of the second housing (220), the second hinge (202), and the fifth surface (231) of the third housing (230). In one embodiment, the sub-display (250) (e.g., the fourth display area (250d)) may be positioned so as to be visible from the outside at least partially through the second surface (212) in the internal space of the first housing (210). In various embodiments, the sub-display (250) may be positioned so as to be visible from the outside through the fourth surface (222) in the internal space of the second housing (220).

[0103] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) can be primarily used when the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) are partially unfolded, and the sub-display (250) can be primarily used when the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) are folded.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include a first rear cover (270) disposed on a second side (212) of a first housing (210), a second rear cover (280) disposed on a fourth side (222) of a second housing (220), and / or a third rear cover (290) disposed on a sixth side (232) of a third housing (230). In various embodiments, at least a portion of the first rear cover (270) may be formed integrally with a portion of the first side member (213). In various embodiments, at least a portion of the second rear cover (280) may be formed integrally with a portion of the second side member (223). In various embodiments, at least a portion of the third rear cover (290) may be formed integrally with a portion of the third side member (233). According to one embodiment, at least one of the first rear cover (270), the second rear cover (280), and the third rear cover (290) may be formed as a substantially transparent plate (e.g., a glass plate including various coating layers, or a polymer plate) or an opaque plate.

[0105] According to various embodiments, the first rear cover (270) may be formed through a substantially transparent plate, such as glass or a polymer, for example. The sub-display (250) (e.g., the fourth display area (250d)) may be positioned within the internal space of the first housing (210) so as to be visible from the outside through the first rear cover (270). According to various embodiments, the second rear cover (280) may be formed by an opaque plate, such as coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the materials. According to various embodiments, the third rear cover (290) may be formed by an opaque plate, such as coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the materials. For example, a camera module (271b) (e.g., a second camera module) may be placed on the third rear cover (290) placed on the sixth side (232) of the third housing (230).

[0106] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include at least one of an input module (261), an acoustic output module (263, 265), a sensor module (267a, 267b, 267c), a camera module (271a, 271b, 271c), a key input device (273), an indicator (not shown), or a connector port (275). The multi-foldable electronic device (200) may omit at least one of the above-described components or additionally include at least one other component.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the input module (261) may include at least one microphone positioned to detect the direction of sound. The input module (261) may include the input module (150) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the acoustic output module (263, 265) may include at least one speaker. The acoustic output module (263, 265) may include a call receiver (263) disposed through a first side member (213) of a first housing (230), and at least one speaker (265) disposed in a portion of the upper (e.g., y-axis direction) and lower (e.g., -y-axis direction) of a second side member (223) of a second housing (220) and / or a portion of the upper (e.g., y-axis direction) and lower (e.g., -y-axis direction) of a third side member (233) of a third housing (230). The acoustic output module (263, 265) may include the acoustic output module (155) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the input module (261), the acoustic output module (263, 265), and the connector port (275) are disposed in the internal space of the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and / or the third housing (230), and may be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole formed in the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and / or the third housing (230). In one embodiment, the holes formed in the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and / or the third housing (230) may be used in common for the input module (261) and the acoustic output module (263, 265). In one embodiment, the acoustic output module (263, 265) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that is operated with holes formed in the first housing (210), the second housing (220) and / or the third housing (230) excluded.

[0110] According to various embodiments, the camera module (271a, 271b, 271c) may include a first camera module (271a) disposed on a first surface (211) of a first housing (210), a second camera module (271b) disposed on a sixth surface (232) of a third housing (230), and / or a third camera module (271c) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210).

[0111] According to one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include a flash (295) disposed adjacent to the second camera module (271b). The flash (295) may include, for example, a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. According to one embodiment, the camera modules (271a, 271b, 271c) may include at least one lens, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. In one embodiment, at least one of the camera modules (271a, 271b, 271c) may include two or more lenses (e.g., wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and image sensors, and may be disposed together on any one side of the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and / or the third housing (230). For example, the camera module (271a, 271b, 271c) may include the camera module (180) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the sensor module (267a, 267b, 267c) can generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state or an external environmental state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). According to various embodiments, the sensor module (267a, 267b, 267c) may include a first sensor module (267a) disposed on a first surface (211) of a first housing (210), a second sensor module (267b) disposed on a sixth surface (232) of a third housing (230), and / or a third sensor module (267c) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210). For example, the sensor module (267a, 267b, 267c) may include the sensor module (176) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0113] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may further include at least one of the following sensor modules not illustrated, for example, a 6-axis sensor (e.g., accelerometer and gyroscope), an angle sensor, a Hall sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a folding and unfolding detection sensor, a proximity sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, an illuminance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an iris recognition sensor, a distance detection sensor (e.g., a TOF (time of flight) sensor, a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor), and a fingerprint recognition sensor.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the key input device (273) may be positioned to be exposed to the outside through the third side member (233) of the third housing (230). In one embodiment, the key input device (273) may be positioned to be exposed to the outside through the second side member (223) of the second housing (220). In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may not include some or all of the key input devices (273), and the key input device (273) not included may be implemented in other forms, such as soft keys, on the flexible display (240) and / or sub-display (250). For example, the key input device (273) may be implemented using a touch sensor (e.g., touch sensor (168a) of FIG. 1b) and / or a pressure sensor included in the flexible display (240) and / or sub-display (250). In one embodiment, the key input device (273) may include a power button and / or volume control button of the multi-foldable electronic device (200).

[0115] According to one embodiment, the connector port (275) may include a connector (e.g., a USB connector or an IF module (interface connector port module)) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device (102, 104) of FIG. 1a). In one embodiment, the connector port (275) may perform the function of transmitting and receiving audio signals with the external electronic device, or may further include a separate connector port (e.g., an ear jack hole) for performing the function of transmitting and receiving audio signals. For example, the connector port (275) may be formed on a part (e.g., in the -y-axis direction or on the bottom) of the first side member (213) of the first housing (210). For example, the connector port (275) may include a connection terminal (178) disclosed in FIG. 1a.

[0116] According to various embodiments, at least one camera module (271a, 271b, 271c) among the camera modules (271a, 271b, 271c), at least one sensor module (267a, 267c) among the sensor modules (267a, 267b, 267c), and / or an indicator may be arranged to be exposed through at least one display (e.g., a flexible display (240) and / or a sub-display (250)).

[0117] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the first housing and the second housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a folded state, and the first housing and the third housing in an unfolded state. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a folded state.

[0118] According to one embodiment, FIG. 3 may be a view taken from the -y-axis direction in which the second housing (220) of a multi-foldable electronic device (200) is folded toward the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201), and the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) are unfolded to approximately 180°. According to one embodiment, FIG. 4 may be a view taken from the -y-axis direction in which the second housing (220) of a multi-foldable electronic device (200) is first folded toward the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201), and the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) in the folded state are later folded toward the third housing (230) through the second hinge (202), so that the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper part (e.g., z-axis direction) of the third housing (230). For example, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 may be of a type that folds into a specified shape (e.g., type e).

[0119] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be folded in various types (e.g., G type or Z type). For example, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be folded first toward the first housing (210) through the second hinge (202), as in the G type, and then the second housing (220) may be folded toward the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201), so that the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper part (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the third housing (230). For example, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be folded in an in-folding manner toward the first housing (210) through the second hinge (202), as in a Z type, and the second housing (220) may be folded out-foldingly toward the second surface (212) of the first housing (210) through the first hinge (201).

[0120] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a third housing (230), a first hinge (201), and a second hinge (202).

[0121] According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) can first be folded onto the upper part (e.g., z-axis direction) of the first housing (210) via the first hinge (201) (e.g., first in-folding hinge). For example, after the second housing (220) is first folded onto the first housing (210) via the first hinge (201), the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) in the folded state can later be folded toward the third housing (230) via the second hinge (202) so that the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper part (e.g., z-axis direction) of the third housing (230). For example, when the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper part (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the third housing (230), the fourth side (222) of the second housing (220) and the fifth side (231) of the third housing (230) may be positioned to face each other.

[0122] According to one embodiment, the first hinge (201) may have a first width. The second hinge (202) may have a second width. For example, the second width may be formed wider than the first width. For example, the second hinge (202) may have a larger radius of curvature, radius of operation, or radius of rotation than the first hinge (201).

[0123] According to one embodiment, when a second housing (220) of a multi-foldable electronic device (200) is first folded toward a first housing (210) through a first hinge (201), and the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) in the folded state are later folded toward a third housing (230) through a second hinge (202) so that the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper part (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the third housing (230), the second width of the second hinge (202) may be formed to have a radius of curvature wider than the first width of the first hinge (201). For example, the first hinge (201) may be a first folding hinge, a narrow hinge, a slim hinge, or a small hinge that is narrower in width in the horizontal direction (e.g., x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) compared to the second hinge (202). For example, the second hinge (202) may be a second folding hinge, a wide hinge, a broad hinge, or a big hinge that is wider in width in the horizontal direction than the first hinge (201).

[0124] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) is first folded onto the first housing (210) via the first hinge (201) (e.g., the first in-folding hinge), and then the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) in the folded state are later folded toward the third housing (230) via the second hinge (202) (e.g., the second in-folding hinge), so that the second housing (220) is positioned on the upper side (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the third housing (230), at least a portion of the sub-display (250) (e.g., the fourth display area (250d)) positioned on the second side (212) of the first housing (210) may be exposed to the outside of the multi-foldable electronic device (200).

[0125] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below may include at least some of the embodiments described in FIGS. 1a through 4. Embodiments related to the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below may be incorporated and applied, for example, to the embodiments of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed in FIGS. 1a through 4. In the description of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) disclosed below, the same reference numerals are assigned to components that are substantially identical to the embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 1a through 4 described above, and redundant descriptions of their functions may be omitted.

[0126] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a part of the configuration of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 5, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first sensor (510), a second sensor (520), a flexible display (240), a haptic module (179), an acoustic output module (155), a memory (130) and / or a processor (120).

[0128] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (510), the second sensor (520), the flexible display (240), the haptic module (179), the acoustic output module (155), the memory (130), and the processor (120) may be electrically or operatively connected.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (510) can detect a first angle (e.g., folding angle and unfolding angle) between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and transmit angle information related to the detected first angle to the processor (120). For example, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are folded or unfolded through the first hinge (201), the first sensor (510) can detect a first angle (e.g., folding angle and unfolding angle) between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). For example, the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) detected through the first sensor (510) can be calculated through the processor (120). For example, the first sensor (510) may be placed in at least one of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220).

[0130] According to various embodiments, the first sensor (510) may include a 6-axis sensor and / or an angle sensor. For example, the first sensor (510) may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope. The accelerometer may sense the tilted angle (e.g., inclination) between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The gyroscope may sense the angular velocity of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The gyroscope may sense the rotational speed or rotational angle of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The first sensor (510) may be configured to integrate the accelerometer and the gyroscope.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the second sensor (520) can detect a second angle (e.g., folding angle and unfolding angle) between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) and transmit angle information related to the detected second angle to the processor (120). For example, when the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) are folded or unfolded through the second hinge (202), the second sensor (520) can detect a second angle (e.g., folding angle and unfolding angle) between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). For example, the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) detected through the second sensor (520) can be calculated through the processor (120). For example, the second sensor (520) may be placed in at least one of the first housing (210) and the third housing (230).

[0132] According to various embodiments, the second sensor (520) may include a 6-axis sensor and / or an angle sensor. For example, the second sensor (520) may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope. The accelerometer may sense the tilted angle (e.g., inclination) between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). The gyroscope may sense the angular velocity of the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). The gyroscope may sense the rotational speed or rotational angle of the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). The second sensor (520) may be configured to integrate the accelerometer and the gyroscope.

[0133] According to various embodiments, the first sensor (510) or the second sensor (520) is not limited to the sensors described above, and various other sensors may be used as long as they can detect a first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) or a second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). For example, the first sensor (510) or the second sensor (520) may include a folding and unfolding measuring sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a Hall sensor, a motion sensor, or a proximity sensor capable of detecting a first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) or a second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230).

[0134] According to various embodiments, angle information related to a first angle detected through a first sensor (510) and / or a second angle detected through a second sensor (520) may include an output value detected through the first sensor (510) and / or the second sensor (520) or a value converted based on said output value. For example, the output value detected from the first sensor (510) and / or the second sensor (520) may include a value (e.g., magnetic field, voltage, current, resistance, and / or magnitude of a signal) that can estimate the first angle and / or the second angle without being converted into angle information related to the first angle and / or the second angle (e.g., angle value).

[0135] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) may provide at least one notification (e.g., a warning message and / or a graphic image) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded in an abnormal order relative to the first housing (210). For example, when the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) relative to the second housing (220) by a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°), the flexible display (240) may output at least one notification (e.g., a warning message and / or a graphic image) through at least one of the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c).

[0136] According to one embodiment, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured as a normal sequence in which the second housing (220) is first folded toward the first housing (210) using the first hinge (201), and later the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) using the second hinge (202). According to various embodiments, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be configured as an abnormal sequence in which the third housing (230) is first folded toward the first housing (210) by a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°) using the second hinge (202). For example, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be configured such that the third housing (230) is first folded toward the first housing (210) using the second hinge (202), and later the second housing (220) is folded toward the first housing (210) using the first hinge (201), as an abnormal sequence.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) may provide at least one notification (e.g., a warning message and / or a graphic image) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are adjacent at a specified distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 1 cm). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210) and there is a possibility that the edge of the second housing (220) and / or the edge of the third housing (230) are adjacent at a specified distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 1 cm) and come into contact, the flexible display (240) may output at least one notification (e.g., a warning message and / or a graphic image).

[0138] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (240) (or sub-display (250)) can display an initial screen, a settings screen, and / or an execution screen of various applications of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The flexible display (240) (or sub-display (250)) can provide a user interface (UI) capable of providing various services to the user of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0139] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (240) (or sub-display (250)) can perform display and input functions. To perform display and input functions, the flexible display (240) and / or sub-display (250) may include a display (e.g., the display (161) of FIG. 1b) and a touch circuit (e.g., the touch circuit (168) of FIG. 1b). The display (161) can visually provide the user with a menu, input data, function setting information, and various information of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The display (161) may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and active matrix organic light emitting diodes (AMOLED). The touch circuit (168) may include a touch sensor (e.g., the touch sensor (168a) of FIG. 1b) or a pressure sensor, such as a capacitive overlay, a resistive overlay, or an infrared beam.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may provide at least one notification (e.g., vibration) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded in an abnormal order relative to the first housing (210). For example, when the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) by a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°) relative to the second housing (220), the haptic module (179) may output a vibration. For example, if the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) first relative to the second housing (220), the haptic module (179) can variably output the intensity of the vibration based on the angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) (e.g., a second angle or a folding angle).

[0141] According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can provide at least one notification (e.g., vibration) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are adjacent by a specified distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 1 cm). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210), the haptic module (179) can variably output the intensity of the vibration based on the distance between the edge of the second housing (220) and the edge of the third housing (230).

[0142] According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can output vibration under the control of the processor (120) if the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) sensed through the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) sensed through the first sensor (510).

[0143] According to one embodiment, the acoustic output module (155) may provide at least one notification (e.g., a warning sound) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded in an abnormal order relative to the first housing (210). For example, when the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) by a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°) relative to the second housing (220), the acoustic output module (155) may output a warning sound. For example, if the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) relative to the second housing (220) by a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°), the acoustic output module (155) can variably output the intensity of the warning sound based on the angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230).

[0144] According to one embodiment, the acoustic output module (155) can provide at least one notification (e.g., a warning sound) under the control of the processor (120) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are adjacent by a specified distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 1 cm). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded toward the first housing (210), the acoustic output module (155) can variably output the intensity of the warning sound based on the distance between the edge of the second housing (220) and the edge of the third housing (230).

[0145] According to one embodiment, the acoustic output module (155) can output a warning sound under the control of the processor (120) if the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) sensed through the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) sensed through the first sensor (510).

[0146] According to one embodiment, the memory (130) may store information related to the folding order of the first housing (210), the second housing (220), and the third housing (230). For example, the memory (130) may store the case in which the second housing (220) is first folded toward the first housing (210) using the first hinge (201), and later the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) using the second hinge (202) in a normal order. For example, the memory (130) may store the case in which the third housing (230) is first folded toward the first housing (210) using the second hinge (202), and later the second housing (220) is folded toward the first housing (210) using the first hinge (201) in an abnormal order. For example, the memory (130) may store critical angle information between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and / or critical angle information between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230). For example, the memory (130) may store information related to at least one notification (e.g., a warning message, a graphic image, vibration and / or a warning sound) provided through the multi-foldable electronic device (200). For example, the memory (130) may store information that can variably provide at least one notification (e.g., a warning message, a graphic image, vibration and / or a warning sound) based on angle information related to the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and / or the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230).

[0147] According to various embodiments, the memory (130) may store an initial screen, a settings screen, and / or various applications of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) provided through a flexible display (240) and / or a sub-display (250). The memory (130) may store a user interface capable of providing various services to the user of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The memory (130) may perform the function of storing a program for processing and controlling the processor (120) (e.g., the program (140) of FIG. 1a), an operating system (e.g., the operating system (142) of FIG. 1a), various applications, and input / output data. The memory (130) may store a program that controls the overall operation of the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The memory (130) may store various settings information required for function processing in the multi-foldable electronic device (200). The memory (130) may store at least one executable instruction. For example, memory (130) may store instructions that cause at least one operation of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) to be performed when executed by the processor (120). For example, at least one instruction may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium may be tangible and non-transitory. Memory (130) and / or the recording medium may store one or more programs containing at least one instruction.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may be electrically or operatively connected to the first sensor (510), the second sensor (520), the flexible display (240), the haptic module (179), the acoustic output module (155), and the memory (130). The processor (120) may control the functions and operations of the first sensor (510), the second sensor (520), the flexible display (240), the haptic module (179), the acoustic output module (155), and the memory (130). The processor (120) may be configured to access the memory (130) and execute at least one instruction. The multi-foldable electronic device (200) may include at least one processor (120).

[0149] According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may be configured to recognize a normal folding sequence in which the second housing (220) is folded first toward the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) is folded later toward the first housing (210). For example, the processor (120) may be configured to recognize an abnormal folding sequence in which the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) within a specified angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 70°). For example, the processor (120) may be configured to recognize an abnormal folding sequence in which the third housing (230) is folded first toward the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) is folded later toward the first housing (210).

[0150] According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may perform the function of controlling the overall operation of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) and the flow of signals between internal components, and processing data. The processor (120) may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor, and / or a communication processor. The processor (120) may include a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. The processor (120) may be composed of at least one processor. For example, the processor (120) may include an application processor (e.g., the main processor (121) of FIG. 1a) and a sensor hub processor (e.g., the auxiliary processor (123) of FIG. 1a). The sensor hub processor is operatively connected to the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520) and can transmit information sensed or detected through the first sensor (510) and / or the second sensor (520) to the application processor.

[0151] According to various embodiments, an operation performed in a multi-foldable electronic device (200) may be performed and / or executed by at least one instruction stored in a processor (120) and / or memory (130). For example, in this document, an embodiment in which the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can perform any operation may be interpreted to mean that it is performed by at least one instruction stored in a processor (120) and / or memory (130).

[0152] FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram showing the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range. FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram showing the execution screen of an application provided on a flexible display when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range.

[0153] Referring to FIGS. 6a and 6b, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded with the third housing (230) toward the first housing (210) at a specific angle range (e.g., from about 110° to about 150°) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0154] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) at a specific angle range (e.g., about 110° to about 150°), the flexible display (240) can output an execution screen (610) of a specific application through the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c).

[0155] FIG. 7a is a schematic diagram illustrating the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a first angle range. FIG. 7b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one first notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a first angle range.

[0156] Referring to FIGS. 7a and 7b, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded with the third housing (230) toward the first housing (210) at a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0157] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) at a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can output at least one first notification (e.g., a first warning image (711), a first graphic image (721)), a first vibration (731), and / or a first warning sound (741)). For example, at least one first notification may include a first warning image (711) and a first graphic image (721) output through a flexible display (240), a first vibration (731) output through a haptic module (179), and / or a first warning sound (741) output through an acoustic output module (155).

[0158] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can output a first warning image (711) and / or a first graphic image (721) using at least one of the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240). For example, the processor (120) can output the first warning image (711) to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the first warning image (711) may include at least one of a warning popup and a warning message. For example, the first warning image (711) may be overlapped or overlaid on the application execution screen (610). For example, the processor (120) may output a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to an image of the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) on at least part of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240). The first graphic image (721) may include an image substantially identical to a camera module (271b) placed on the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230).

[0159] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can make the user aware that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order by outputting a first warning image (711) and / or a first graphic image (721) through a flexible display (240).

[0160] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can output a first vibration (731) using a haptic module (179). For example, the first vibration (731) may include a first intensity.

[0161] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can output a first warning sound (741) using an acoustic output module (155). For example, the first warning sound (741) may include a first volume.

[0162] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can make the user aware that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order by outputting a first vibration (731) through a haptic module (179) and / or a first warning sound (741) through an acoustic output module (155).

[0163] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), at least one of a first warning image (711) and a first graphic image (721) through a flexible display (240), a first vibration (731) through a haptic module (179), and a first warning sound (741) through an acoustic output module (155) can be output so that the user can recognize that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order.

[0164] FIG. 8a is a schematic diagram illustrating the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a second angle range. FIG. 8b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one second notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a second angle range.

[0165] Referring to FIGS. 8a and 8b, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded with the third housing (230) toward the first housing (210) at a second angle range (e.g., from about 30° to about 70°) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0166] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may output at least one second notification (e.g., a second warning image (712), a second graphic image (722)), a second vibration (732), and / or a second warning sound (742)). For example, at least one second notification may include a second warning image (712) and a second graphic image (722) output through a flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) output through a haptic module (179), and / or a second warning sound (742) output through an acoustic output module (155).

[0167] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can output a second warning image (712) and / or a second graphic image (722) using at least one of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the processor (120) can output the second warning image (712) to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the second warning image (712) may include at least one of a warning popup and a warning message. For example, the second warning image (712) may be overlapped or overlaid on the application execution screen (610). For example, the second warning image (712) may have a higher color contrast ratio compared to the first warning image (711) disclosed in FIG. 7b. For example, the second warning image (712) may be displayed in a different color than the first warning image (711) disclosed in FIG. 7b.

[0168] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can output a second graphic image (722) substantially identical to an image of the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) to a first display area (240a) of the flexible display (240). The second graphic image (722) may include an image substantially identical to a camera module (271b) placed on the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230). For example, the second graphic image (722) may be larger in size than the first graphic image (721) disclosed in FIG. 7b. For example, the second graphic image (722) may be extended closer to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) compared to the first graphic image (721) disclosed in FIG. 7b. For example, as the angle at which the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) becomes smaller, the second graphic image (722) may be extended closer to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0169] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can make the user aware that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order by outputting a second warning image (712) and a second graphic image (722) through a flexible display (240).

[0170] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can output a second vibration (732) using a haptic module (179). For example, the second vibration (732) may include a second intensity. For example, the second intensity of the second vibration (732) may be stronger than the first intensity of the first vibration (731) disclosed in FIG. 7b.

[0171] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can output a second warning sound (742) using an acoustic output module (155). For example, the second warning sound (742) may include a second volume. For example, the second volume of the second warning sound (742) may be larger than the first volume of the first warning sound (741) disclosed in FIG. 7b.

[0172] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), the processor (120) can output a second vibration (732) through a haptic module (179) and / or a second warning sound (742) through an acoustic output module (155) so that the user can more strongly perceive that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order.

[0173] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a second angle range (e.g., about 30° to about 70°), at least one of a second warning image (712) and a second graphic image (722) through a flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) through a haptic module (179), and a second warning sound (742) through an acoustic output module (155) can be output so that the user can more strongly perceive that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order.

[0174] FIG. 9a is a schematic diagram illustrating the case where the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a third angle range. FIG. 9b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one third notification provided when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded to a third angle range.

[0175] Referring to FIGS. 9a and 9b, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded such that the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a third angle range (e.g., from about 0° to about 30°) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0176] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may output at least one third notification (e.g., a third warning image (713), a third graphic image (723)), a third vibration (733), and / or a third warning sound (743)). For example, at least one third notification may include a third warning image (713) and a third graphic image (723) output through a flexible display (240), a third vibration (733) output through a haptic module (179), and / or a third warning sound (743) output through an acoustic output module (155).

[0177] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can output a third warning image (713) and / or a third graphic image (723) using at least one of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the processor (120) can output the third warning image (713) to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the third warning image (713) may include at least one of a warning popup and a warning message. For example, the third warning image (713) may be overlapped or overlaid on the application execution screen (610). For example, the third warning image (713) may have a higher color contrast ratio compared to the second warning image (712) disclosed in FIG. 8b. For example, the third warning image (713) may be displayed in a different color than the second warning image (712) disclosed in FIG. 8b.

[0178] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can output a third graphic image (723) substantially identical to an image of the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) to a first display area (240a) of the flexible display (240). The third graphic image (723) may include an image substantially identical to a camera module (271b) placed on the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230). For example, the third graphic image (723) may be larger in size than the second graphic image (722) disclosed in FIG. 8b. For example, the third graphic image (723) may be extended closer to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) compared to the second graphic image (722) disclosed in FIG. 8b. For example, as the angle at which the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) becomes smaller, the third graphic image (723) may be extended closer to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0179] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can make the user aware that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order by outputting a third warning image (713) and / or a third graphic image (723) through a flexible display (240).

[0180] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) to a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can output a third vibration (733) using a haptic module (179). For example, the third vibration (733) may include a third intensity. For example, the third intensity of the third vibration (733) may be stronger than the second intensity of the second vibration (732) disclosed in FIG. 8b.

[0181] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) by a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can output a third warning sound (743) using an acoustic output module (155). For example, the third warning sound (743) may include a third volume. For example, the third volume of the third warning sound (743) may be larger than the second volume of the second warning sound (742) disclosed in FIG. 8b.

[0182] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), the processor (120) can output a third vibration (733) through a haptic module (179) and / or a third warning sound (743) through an acoustic output module (155) so that the user can more strongly perceive that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order.

[0183] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a third angle range (e.g., about 0° to about 30°), at least one of a third warning image (713) and a third graphic image (723) through a flexible display (240), a third vibration (733) through a haptic module (179), and a third warning sound (743) through an acoustic output module (155) can be output so that the user can more strongly perceive that the multi-foldable electronic device (200) is being folded in an abnormal order.

[0184] According to one embodiment, the embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 6a to 9b described above may be embodiments when the flexible display (240) is in an ON state (e.g., operating state).

[0185] According to various embodiments, when the flexible display (240) is in an off state (e.g., non-operational state), and the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) of the multi-foldable electronic device (200) are unfolded to about 180°, and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) to a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) may switch the flexible display (240) to an on state and provide at least one notification as described above. For example, when the flexible display (240) is in an off state (e.g., non-operational state), the execution screen (610) of the application may not be displayed on the flexible display (240).

[0186] FIG. 10a is a schematic diagram showing the execution screen of a specific application when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded within a specific angle range. FIG. 10b is a schematic diagram showing a user interface provided on a flexible display when the first housing and the third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention are folded within a first angle range.

[0187] Referring to FIG. 10a, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded at a specific angle (e.g., from about 110° to about 150°) toward the first housing (210) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0188] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) at a specific angle (e.g., about 110° to about 150°), the processor (120) can output an execution screen (1010) of a specific application (e.g., camera application) to a flexible display (240) according to the user's selection.

[0189] Referring to FIG. 10b, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded with the third housing (230) toward the first housing (210) at a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°) while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0190] According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180° and the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) in a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°), the processor (120) can output a user interface (1020) related to the execution of a specific application (e.g., a camera application) through a flexible display (240) (e.g., a second display area (240b)). For example, the processor (120) can recognize that the third housing (230) is intentionally folded toward the first housing (210) when the specific application (e.g., a camera application) is executed.

[0191] According to one embodiment, when a specific application (e.g., a camera application) is executed, the processor (120) may not output at least one notification (e.g., a warning image, a graphic image, a vibration and / or a warning sound) even if the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) to a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°) or less while the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0192] FIG. 11a is a schematic diagram illustrating a case in which a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance. FIG. 11b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one first notification provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance. FIG. 11c is a schematic diagram illustrating a first warning graphic provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent to each other at a first distance.

[0193] Referring to FIGS. 11a through 11c, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can have a second housing (220) and a third housing (230) folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the edge of the third housing (230) can come into contact with a part (1101) of a second display area (240b) of a flexible display (240) placed on the (220) of the second housing. For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the edge of the second housing (220) may come into contact with a part of the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240) placed on the (220) of the third housing.

[0194] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may output at least one first notification (e.g., a first warning image (711), a first graphic image (721)), a first vibration (731), and / or a first warning sound (741)). For example, at least one first notification may include a first warning image (711) and a first graphic image (721) output through a flexible display (240), a first vibration (731) output through a haptic module (179), and / or a first warning sound (741) output through an acoustic output module (155).

[0195] Referring to FIG. 11b, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first warning image (711) and / or a first graphic image (721) using at least one of the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240). For example, the processor (120) can output the first warning image (711) to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the first warning image (711) may be displayed overlapping or overlaid on a portion (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220). For example, the processor (120) may output a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to an image of the back surface (e.g., sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) on at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). The first graphic image (721) may include an image substantially identical to a camera module (271b) placed on the back surface (e.g., sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230).

[0196] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first warning image (711) and / or a first graphic image (721) through the flexible display (240) to make the user aware that there is a possibility that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220).

[0197] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first vibration (731) using a haptic module (179). For example, the first vibration (731) may include a first intensity.

[0198] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first warning sound (741) using an acoustic output module (155). For example, the first warning sound (741) may include a first volume.

[0199] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first vibration (731) through a haptic module (179) and / or a first warning sound (741) through an acoustic output module (155) to make the user aware that there is a possibility that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220).

[0200] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), at least one of a first warning image (711) and a first graphic image (721) through the flexible display (240), a first vibration (731) through the haptic module (179), and a first warning sound (741) through the sound output module (155) can be output so that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220).

[0201] Referring to FIG. 11c, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the processor (120) can output a first warning graphic (1110) using a second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm), the first graphic image (721) substantially identical to the image of the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) may not be displayed on at least some of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0202] FIG. 12a is a schematic diagram illustrating a case in which a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent at a second distance. FIG. 12b is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one second notification provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent at a second distance. FIG. 12c is a schematic diagram illustrating a second warning graphic provided when a second housing and a third housing of a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention are folded relative to a first housing, and the second housing and the third housing are adjacent at a second distance.

[0203] Referring to FIGS. 12a through 12c, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can be folded so that the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the edge of the third housing (230) can come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the edge of the second housing (220) may come into contact with a part of the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240) placed on the third housing (230).

[0204] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) may output at least one second notification (e.g., a second warning image (712), a second graphic image (722)), a second vibration (732), and / or a second warning sound (742)). For example, at least one second notification may include a second warning image (712) and a second graphic image (722) output through a flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) output through a haptic module (179), and / or a second warning sound (742) output through an acoustic output module (155).

[0205] Referring to FIG. 12b, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can output a second warning image (712) and / or a second graphic image (722) using at least one of the first display area (240a), the second display area (240b), and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240). For example, the processor (120) can output the second warning image (712) to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, the second warning image (712) may be displayed overlapping or overlaid on a portion (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220). For example, the second warning image (712) may have a higher color contrast ratio compared to the first warning image (711) disclosed in FIG. 11b. For example, the second warning image (712) may be displayed in a different color than the first warning image (711) disclosed in FIG. 11b. For example, the processor (120) may output a second graphic image (722) substantially identical to an image of the back surface (e.g., sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) on at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). The second graphic image (722) may include an image substantially identical to a camera module (271b) placed on the back surface (e.g., sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230).

[0206] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can make the user aware that there is a possibility that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220) by outputting a second warning image (712) and / or a second graphic image (722) through the flexible display (240).

[0207] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can output a second vibration (732) using a haptic module (179). For example, the second vibration (732) may include a second intensity. For example, the second intensity of the second vibration (732) may be stronger than the first intensity of the first vibration (731) disclosed in FIG. 11b.

[0208] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can output a second warning sound (742) using an acoustic output module (155). For example, the second warning sound (742) may include a second volume. For example, the second volume of the second warning sound (742) may be larger than the first volume of the first warning sound (741) disclosed in FIG. 11b.

[0209] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can make the user aware that there is a possibility that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220) by outputting a second vibration (732) through the haptic module (179) and / or a second warning sound (742) through the acoustic output module (155).

[0210] According to one embodiment, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), at least one of a second warning image (712) and a second graphic image (722) through the flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) through the haptic module (179), and a second warning sound (742) through the sound output module (155) can be output so that the edge of the third housing (230) may come into contact with a part (1101) of the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240) placed on the second housing (220).

[0211] Referring to FIG. 12c, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the processor (120) can output a second warning graphic (1220) using the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240). For example, when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded adjacently toward the first housing (210) by a second distance (e.g., about 0.1 cm to about 0.5 cm), the first graphic image (721) substantially identical to the image of the back surface (e.g., the sixth surface (232)) of the third housing (230) may not be displayed on at least some of the first display area (240a) and the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0212] FIG. 13 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method in which a multi-foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention provides at least one notification.

[0213] In describing the flowchart of FIG. 13, each operation may be executed sequentially, but may not necessarily be executed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least one operation may be executed in parallel. For example, at least some of the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 13 may be executed, or they may be merged together. For example, the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 13 may be merged with the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 14. For example, the embodiments disclosed in FIG. 1a through FIG. 12c described above may be substantially identically applied and integrated with the embodiments of the flowchart disclosed below. For example, the operations disclosed in the flowchart of FIG. 13 may be executed by at least one instruction stored in the processor (120) and / or memory (130).

[0214] In operation 1310, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) can detect that the third housing (230) is folded first onto the first housing (210) using the second sensor (520) when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are unfolded to about 180°.

[0215] According to one embodiment, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) may include an operation of comparing a first angle between a first housing (210) and a second housing (220) detected using a first sensor (510) and a second angle between a first housing (210) and a third housing (230) detected using a second sensor (520). For example, if the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) detected using the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) detected using the first sensor (510), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) may recognize that the third housing (230) is folded on the first housing (210) before the second housing (220).

[0216] In operation 1320, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) can use the second sensor (520) to determine whether the third housing (230) is folded on the first housing (210) to a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°).

[0217] In operation 1330, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) may provide at least one notification (e.g., warning image, graphic image, vibration and / or warning sound) when the third housing (230) is folded toward the first housing (210) to a first angle range (e.g., about 70° to about 90°).

[0218] FIG. 14 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method in which a multi-foldable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention provides at least one notification.

[0219] In describing the flowchart of FIG. 14, each operation may be executed sequentially, but may not necessarily be executed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least one operation may be executed in parallel. For example, at least some of the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 14 may be executed, or they may be merged together. For example, the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 14 may be merged together with the operations related to the method disclosed in FIG. 13. For example, the embodiments disclosed in FIG. 1a through FIG. 13 described above may be substantially identically applied and integrated into the embodiments of the flowchart disclosed below. For example, the operations disclosed in the flowchart of FIG. 14 may be executed by at least one instruction stored in the processor (120) and / or memory (130).

[0220] In operation 1410, a multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) can detect that the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded onto the first housing (210) using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

[0221] In operation 1420, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) can use the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520) to determine whether the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded on the first housing (210) by a first distance (e.g., about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm).

[0222] In operation 1430, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120)) may provide at least one notification (e.g., warning image, graphic image, vibration and / or warning sound) when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are folded on the first housing (210) by a distance less than or equal to the first distance.

[0223] A multi-foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first housing (210), a second housing (220) and a third housing (230); a first hinge (201) coupled between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); a second hinge (202) coupled between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230); a first sensor (510) for detecting a first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); a second sensor for detecting a second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230); a first display area (240a) disposed in the first housing (210); a second display area (240b) disposed in the second housing (220); and on the third housing (230 A flexible display (240) including a deployed third display area (240c), at least one processor (120), and a memory (130) for storing instructions may be included. According to one embodiment, the instructions may, when executed by the at least one processor (120), enable the multi-foldable electronic device (200) to detect that the third housing (230) is first folded onto the first housing (210) using the second sensor (520), check whether the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) by a first angle range, and provide at least one first notification when the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) by the first angle range.

[0224] According to one embodiment, the at least one first notification may include a first warning image (711) output to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0225] According to one embodiment, the at least one first notification may further include a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to the back image of the third housing (230), which is output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240).

[0226] According to one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) further includes a haptic module (179) and an acoustic output module (155), and the at least one first notification may further include at least one of a first vibration (731) output through the haptic module (179) and a first warning sound (741) output through the acoustic output module (155).

[0227] According to one embodiment, the instructions may provide at least one second notification when the multi-foldable electronic device (200), when executed by the at least one processor (120), is folded into the first housing (210) by a second angle range.

[0228] According to one embodiment, the at least one second notification may include at least one of a second warning image (712) output to a second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240), a second graphic image (722) substantially identical to a back image of the third housing (230) output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) output through the haptic module (179), and a second warning sound (742) output through the sound output module (155).

[0229] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200) can check whether the execution screen (1010) of a specific application is output through the flexible display (240), output a user interface (1020) related to the execution of the specific application to the flexible display (240), and not provide the at least one first notification.

[0230] According to one embodiment, the instructions may, when executed by the at least one processor (120), enable the multi-foldable electronic device (200) to provide the at least one first notification when the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) detected through the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) detected through the first sensor (510).

[0231] According to one embodiment, the instructions may provide the at least one first notification when the multi-foldable electronic device (200), when executed by the at least one processor (120), detects that the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are adjacent by a first distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

[0232] According to one embodiment, the instructions may provide at least one second notification when the multi-foldable electronic device (200), when executed by the at least one processor (120), detects that the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are adjacent by a second distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

[0233] A method for providing notifications of a multi-foldable electronic device (200) including a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a third housing (230), a first hinge (201), a second hinge (202), a first sensor (510), a second sensor (520), and a flexible display (240) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include, using the second sensor (520), detecting that the third housing (230) is first folded onto the first housing (210), checking whether the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) within a first angle range, and providing at least one first notification when the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) within the first angle range.

[0234] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (240) includes a first display area (240a) disposed in the first housing (210), a second display area (240b) disposed in the second housing (220), and a third display area (240c) disposed in the third housing (230), and the at least one first notification may include a first warning image (711) output to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

[0235] According to one embodiment, the at least one first notification may further include a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to the back image of the third housing (230), which is output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240).

[0236] According to one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (200) further includes a haptic module (179) and an acoustic output module (155), and the at least one first notification may further include at least one of a first vibration (731) output through the haptic module (179) and a first warning sound (741) output through the acoustic output module (155).

[0237] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of providing at least one second notification when the third housing (230) is folded over the first housing (210) by a second angle range.

[0238] According to one embodiment, the at least one second notification may include at least one of a second warning image (712) output to a second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240), a second graphic image (722) substantially identical to a back image of the third housing (230) output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240), a second vibration (732) output through the haptic module (179), and a second warning sound (742) output through the sound output module (155).

[0239] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of checking whether an execution screen (1010) of a specific application is output through the flexible display (240), an operation of outputting a user interface (1020) related to the execution of the specific application to the flexible display (240), and an operation of not providing the at least one first notification.

[0240] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the operation of providing at least one first notification when the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) detected through the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) detected through the first sensor (510).

[0241] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the operation of providing at least one first notification when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are detected to be adjacent by a first distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

[0242] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of providing at least one second notification when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are detected to be adjacent by a second distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

[0243] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0244] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0245] The term “module” as used in the various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0246] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0247] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0248] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0249] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate the explanation of the technical content according to the embodiments of this disclosure and to aid in understanding the embodiments of this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of an embodiment of this disclosure should be interpreted as including all modifications or variations derived based on the technical features of an embodiment of this disclosure, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. In a multi-foldable electronic device (200), A first housing (210), a second housing (220), and a third housing (230); A first hinge (201) coupled between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); A second hinge (202) coupled between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230); A first sensor (510) for detecting a first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); A second sensor (520) for detecting a second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230); A flexible display (240) comprising a first display area (240a) disposed in the first housing (210), a second display area (240b) disposed in the second housing (220), and a third display area (240c) disposed in the third housing (230); At least one processor (120); and It includes a memory (130) for storing instructions, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), Using the second sensor (520), the third housing (230) is first folded onto the first housing (210), and Check whether the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) within a first angle range, and A multi-foldable electronic device that provides at least one first notification when the third housing (230) is folded on the first housing (210) to the first angle range.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above at least one first notification is a multi-foldable electronic device comprising a first warning image (711) output to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, A multi-foldable electronic device comprising at least one first notification further including a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to a back image of the third housing (230), which is output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240).

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, It further includes a haptic module (179) and an acoustic output module (155), and The above at least one first notification further comprises at least one of a first vibration (731) output through the haptic module (179) and a first warning sound (741) output through the acoustic output module (155), in a multi-foldable electronic device.

5. In Paragraph 4, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), A multi-foldable electronic device that provides at least one second notification when the third housing (230) is folded over the first housing (210) by a second angle range.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above at least one second notification is, A second warning image (712) output to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240); A second graphic image (722) substantially identical to the back image of the third housing (230), output on at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240); A second vibration (732) output through the above haptic module (179); and A multi-foldable electronic device comprising at least one of the second warning sound (742) output through the above-mentioned sound output module (155).

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 4, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), Check whether the execution screen (1010) of a specific application is output through the flexible display (240), and A user interface (1020) related to the execution of the specific application is output to the flexible display (240), and A multi-foldable electronic device that does not provide at least one first notification.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 7, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), A multi-foldable electronic device that provides at least one first notification when the second angle between the first housing (210) and the third housing (230) detected through the second sensor (520) is smaller than the first angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) detected through the first sensor (510).

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 7, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), A multi-foldable electronic device that provides at least one first notification when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are detected to be adjacent by a first distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

10. In Paragraph 9, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor (120), the multi-foldable electronic device (200), A multi-foldable electronic device that provides at least one second notification when the second housing (220) and the third housing (230) are detected to be adjacent by a second distance using the first sensor (510) and the second sensor (520).

11. A method for providing notifications of a multi-foldable electronic device (200) comprising a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a third housing (230), a first hinge (201), a second hinge (202), a first sensor (510), a second sensor (520), and a flexible display (240), wherein An operation to detect that the third housing (230) is first folded onto the first housing (210) using the second sensor (520); An operation to check whether the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) within a first angle range; and A method comprising providing at least one first notification when the third housing (230) is folded on the first housing (210) to the first angle range.

12. In Paragraph 11, The above flexible display (240) is, It includes a first display area (240a) disposed in the first housing (210), a second display area (240b) disposed in the second housing (220), and a third display area (240c) disposed in the third housing (230). A method wherein at least one first notification comprises a first warning image (711) output to the second display area (240b) of the flexible display (240).

13. In Paragraph 12, A method in which the at least one first notification further includes a first graphic image (721) substantially identical to a back image of the third housing (230), which is output to at least a portion of the first display area (240a) and the third display area (240c) of the flexible display (240).

14. In any one of Paragraphs 11 through 13, It further includes a haptic module (179) and an acoustic output module (155), and A method wherein the above at least one first notification further comprises at least one of a first vibration (731) output through the haptic module (179) and a first warning sound (741) output through the sound output module (155).

15. In Paragraph 14, A method further comprising an operation to provide at least one second notification when the third housing (230) is folded onto the first housing (210) by a second angle range.

Images