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SamsungGranted patentPhones & computersInterest 6/10

Samsung patents slider phone that reshapes app previews when screen expands

Samsung has been granted a patent for a sliding electronic device where the visible screen area changes size as the two housing parts move apart. The system automatically adjusts the shape of app preview images in the recent task list to match the new screen dimensions, ensuring they fit properly without stretching or cropping.

Why it mattersThis filing suggests Samsung is exploring how to make user interfaces adapt smoothly to physical hardware changes, a key challenge for any future slider-style smartphones.

In the filing’s own words

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device further comprises: a first housing; a second housing slidably coupled with respect to the first housing; a display in which an viewable area to an outside of the electronic device is changeable from a first size to a second size according to a sliding distance of the second housing with respect to the first housing; a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor causes the processor to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising: in response to receiving a first input requesting a recent task list of at least one application being serviced when the viewable area has the first size, display at least one execution screen image having a first aspect ratio for the first size corresponding to the at least one application; and when the viewable area has the second size, displaying the at least one execution screen image having a second aspect ratio for the second size.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An electronic device comprising: a first housing; a second housing slidably coupled with respect to the first housing; a display in which a viewable area to a front surface of the electronic device is changeable from a first size having a first aspect ratio to a second size having a second aspect ratio according to a movement of the second housing with respect to the first housing; a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor causes the processor to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising: while the viewable area is maintained in the first size, in response to receiving a first input requesting a recent task list indicating at least one application currently running in background, displaying the recent task list comprising at least one execution screen image having the first aspect ratio and corresponding to the at least one application, wherein each of the at least one execution screen image having the first aspect ratio is an image captured at a time point when a corresponding one of the at least one application is switched from a foreground execution to a background execution; in response to changing the viewable area from the first size to the second size, updating the recent task list by generating at least one execution screen image having the second aspect ratio corresponding to the at least one application; and while the viewable area has is maintained in the second size, displaying the updated recent task list.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
Flexible electronic device and method for controlling display of application execution screen
Patent number
US12737005B2
Application number
18209749
Filed
Jun 14, 2023
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
5
Claims
20

Classified under

G06F 1/1624 Physics & computingG06F 3/04886 Physics & computingH04M 1/0237 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.