Flexible Display Sliding Housing Dynamic Task Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices with touch screen functionality lack a task bar on smartphones, limiting application switching and productivity, while larger devices like foldables have always-visible task bars that occupy screen space or require gestures to display.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a flexible display and a movable housing that slides in/out to control the visibility of a task bar, using a driving module and processor to manage the display area, allowing icons to be displayed or hidden based on screen size and user input, enhancing usability and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a task bar is always displayed on the screen, then application switching is facilitated, but the display area is reduced and screen space is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The task bar is implemented as a dynamic element that can change its visibility state based on user interaction. When the user swipes up from the bottom of the screen, the task bar transitions from a hidden state to a visible state, allowing application switching. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by providing the task bar function only when needed, rather than occupying screen space continuously.
2Area of stationary object
If a task bar is hidden to maximize display area, then screen space is optimized, but application switching becomes less convenient
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares the task bar in a hidden but accessible state, positioned at the bottom of the screen. The preliminary action is enabled through a gesture trigger (swipe up from bottom), which instantly reveals the task bar when the user needs application switching. This approach maintains maximum display area while keeping the functionality readily accessible through a simple gesture.
3Ease of operation
If a task bar is pinned on the screen, then application switching is easy, but the display area is reduced and portion of the screen is obscured
Solution Approach 1:
The task bar is extracted from the main display area and positioned separately at the bottom of the screen in a hidden state. It can be temporarily brought out (displayed) when the user performs a swipe gesture, allowing application switching without permanently occupying or obscuring the main display area. This extraction approach resolves the contradiction by separating the task bar from the primary content display space.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises: a first housing; a second housing disposed so as to be movable with respect to the first housing and overlapping at least a portion of the first housing; a flexible display at least partially mounted on the surface of the second housing, at least partially visible to the outside of the electronic device, and at least a portion of which is configured to be slid out from the inside of the first housing based on the second housing moving in a first direction with respect to the first housing, or inserted into the first housing based on the second housing moving in a second direction with respect to the first housing; a driving module comprising a gear disposed inside the first housing or the second housing and configured to move the second housing in the first direction or the second direction based on the operation of a driving source; at least one processor comprising processing circuitry; and at least one memory operably connected to at least one processor, wherein at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, may be configured to receive an input for moving the second housing, and, in response to the second housing moving in the first direction based on the input, or the size of an visible area of the flexible display, based on the moving of the second housing, being a specified value or greater, control the display to display, on a partial area of the visible area, one or more icons corresponding to respective one or more applications which are being executed.