Patent Publication Number: US-10762874-B2

Title: Electronic device and method for controlling display

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201710525188.5 filed on Jun. 30, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to display technology, and particularly to an electronic device and method for controlling display. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, are equipped with a display screen. The display screen can be a standard rectangular, and can be irregular in shape. The irregular display screen can be produced by cutting off four corners of the standard rectangular display screen. However, the corners of the cut display screen can affect at least part of the display. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic device. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of one exemplary embodiment of a display screen of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows the top left corner of the display screen cut by a straight line. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an example of an unchanged display screen of the electronic device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an example of a changed display screen of the electronic device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a display control method using the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     The present disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
     The term “module”, as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules can be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. The modules described herein can be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and can be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY™, flash memory, and hard disk drives. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic device. Depending on the embodiment, the electronic device  1  can include, but is not limited to, a battery  10 , a display screen  20 , a storage device  30 , and at least one processor  40 . The above components communicate with each other through a system bus. In at least one embodiment, the electronic device  1  can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, or any other suitable device configured with a display device. In at least one embodiment, the electronic device  1  further includes a non-display area  50 . The non-display area  50  can be occupied by a casing, or a camera.  FIG. 1  illustrates only one example of the electronic device  1 , other examples can include more or fewer components than illustrated, or have a different configuration of the various components in other embodiments. 
     In at least one embodiment, the battery  10  can supply power for the electronic device  1 . The battery  10  can be a lithium battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery (NI-MH) battery. 
     In at least one embodiment, the display screen  20  can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen. The display screen  20  can detect touch events on one or more positions of the display screen  20 . The touch events include the user touching the display screen  20 , a contact position generated by the touch on the display screen  20 , and whether the touch on the display screen  20  is moving or static. The display screen  20  can display images, videos and so on. The top left corner, the top right corner, and the top center of the display screen  20  are cut, as shown in  FIG. 2 . For example, the top left corner and the top right corner of the display screen  20  are cut by lines, and the top center of the display screen  20  is cut by curved area, the geometric regularity of the rectangle is thereby infringed. The cut display screen  20  can include a corner (e.g., the top left corner or the top right corner) formed by three intersecting straight edges of the display screen  20 . For example, the top left corner is a right angle which is formed by perpendicular straight line a and straight line b before the display screen  20  is cut. After cutting, the top left corner is cut by a straight line c, and an angle between the straight line c and a horizontal line is 45°, the top left corner being formed by three intersecting straight lines (line a, line b, and line c). The cut display screen  20  further includes two corners formed by an intersection of a straight edge and an arc edge. The cut display screen  20  further includes two right angles, for example, the bottom left corner and the bottom right corner. 
       FIG. 3  shows the top left corner of the display screen cut by a straight line. The display screen  20  includes at least one corner, and the at least one corner is non-arc-shaped and formed by at least two intersecting edges. The display screen  20  further includes a first display area  200 , a second display area  201 , and a third display area  202 . The second display area  201  connects between the edges that form the corner. For example, when the corner (as is the top left corner in  FIG. 2 ) is formed by three intersecting straight edges (straight line a, straight line b, and straight line c), the second display area  201  connects between the two straight lines (straight line a, and straight line b) which are perpendicular. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the first display area  200  is located between the non-display area  50  and the second display area  201 , and the second display area  201  is located between the first display area  200  and the third display area  202 . The third display area  202  is adjacent to one side of the second display area  201  away from the non-display area  50 . The second display area  201  is adjacent to both of the first display area  200  and the third display area  202 . The shape of the second display area  201  is an arc. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the first display area  200  can display a first color, and the first color is the same as the color of the non-display area  50 . For example, when the non-display area  50  is a white casing, the first color is white. When the non-display area  50  contains a black camera, the first color is black. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the third display area  202  can display a second color, and the second color is the color of the third display area  202  adjacent to the second display area  201 . For example, when an image with color is displayed on the third display area  202 , the color displayed on the third display area  202  includes red, green, blue, violet, and so on, and the color of the third display area  202  which is adjacent to the second display area  201  is violet. Thus the second color is violet. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the color of the second display area  201  is a medium color between the first color and the second color. For example, the first color displayed by the first display area  200  is white (255, 255, 255), and the second color displayed by the third display area  202  is black (0, 0, 0). Then, the color of the second display area  201  is (128, 128, 128), that is, the color of the second display area  201  is gray. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the medium color can further include many kinds of different colors. For example, when the first color of the first display area  200  is white and the second color of the third display area  202  is black, the medium color of the second display area  201  can include many shades of gray (e.g., light gray, dark gray, etc.). When the first color of the first display area  200  is red and the second color of the third display area  202  is yellow, the medium color of the second display area  201  can include many kinds of different colors which gradually change from red to orange to yellow. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the medium color can be set the same as the first color or the second color. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, changing the color of the second display area  201  can visually change the shape of the edge of the display screen  20 . For example, when the color of the second display area  201  is not changed, the shape of the edge of the display screen  20  is the shape as shown in  FIG. 4 . When the color of the second display area  201  is changed, the shape of the edge of the display screen  20  is changed, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , it can be seen that the sharp corners of the top of the display screen  20  of  FIG. 4  are changed to curved corners (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The edges of the display screen  20  are not visually sharp when the color of the second display area  201  is changed. 
     In other exemplary embodiment, the two right angles can also be changed to curved corners. 
     In at least one embodiment, the storage device  30  can be a memory of the electronic device  1 . In other embodiments, the storage device  30  can be a secure digital card, or other external storage device such as a smart media card. In at least one embodiment, the storage device  30  can store a number of operation modes, for example, a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The operation mode can be defined as executing applications of the electronic device  1 . For example, the first operation mode can be defined as viewing images of an image gallery, and the second operation mode can be defined as playing video. The second color can be changed when the electronic device  1  switches from an operation mode to another operation mode. For example, when the electronic device  1  is executing the first operation mode, the second color can be the same as the color of the images of the image gallery displayed by the display screen  20 , and when the electronic device  1  is executing the second operation mode, the second color can be the same as the color of the video displayed by the display screen  20 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the shape of the second display area  201  can be changed when the electronic device  1  switches from an operation mode to another operation mode. For example, when the electronic device  1  is executing the first operation mode, the first display area  200  can display multiple colors including the first color, and the third display area  202  can display multiple colors including the second color. Then, the color of the second display area  201  is the medium color between the first color and the second color, the sharply-delineated corners of the display screen  20  can be changed into arc-shaped corners. Then the shape of the second display area  201  is an arc. When the electronic device  1  is executing the second operation mode, the third display area  200  can display multiple colors including the second color, and the first display area  200  and the second display area  201  can display colors the same as the colors of an extension of the display content of the third display area  202 . The sharply-delineated corners of the display screen  20  do not need to be modified. Herein, the shape of the second display area  201  is non-arc. 
     In at least one embodiment, the storage device  30  can store a display controlling system  31 . The display controlling system  31  can change display effect of the edges of the display screen  20 . In at least one embodiment, the display controlling system  31  can include a setting module  310 , an acquiring module  311 , and a controlling module  312 . The modules  310 - 312  include computerized codes in the form of one or more programs that may be stored in the storage device  30 . The computerized codes include instructions that are executed by the at least one processor  40 . 
     The at least one processor  40  can be a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or other data processor chip that performs functions of the electronic device  1 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart which is presented in accordance with an example embodiment. The exemplary method  600  is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The method  600  described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in  FIG. 6 , for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining exemplary method  600 . Each block shown in  FIG. 6  represents one or more processes, methods, or subroutines, carried out in the exemplary method  600 . Additionally, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can be changed according to the present disclosure. The exemplary method  600  can begin at block S 61 . Depending on the embodiment, additional steps can be added, others removed, and the ordering of the steps can be changed. 
     At block S 61 , the setting module  310  can set the first color of the first display area  200  of the display screen  20  the same as the color of the non-display area  50 . In at least one exemplary embodiment, the display screen  20  includes at least one corner, and the at least one corner is non-arc-shaped and formed by at least two intersecting edges. The display screen  20  further includes a first display area  200 , a second display area  201 , and a third display area  202 . The second display area  201  connects between the edges that form the corner. The first display area  200  is located between the non-display area  50  and the second display area  201 , and the second display area  201  is located between the first display area  200  and the third display area  202 . The third display area  202  is adjacent to one side of the second display area  201  away from the non-display area  50 . The second display area  201  is adjacent to both of the first display area  200  and the third display area  202 . 
     At block S 62 , the acquiring module  311  can acquire the second color of the third display area  202  of the display screen  20 . The second color is the color of the third display area  202  which is adjacent to the second display area  201 . For example, when an image with color is displayed on the third display area  202 , the color displayed on the third display area  202  includes red, green, blue, violet, and so on, and the color of the third display area  202  which is adjacent to the second display area  201  is violet. Thus the second color is violet. 
     At block S 63 , the controlling module  312  can set the color of the second display area  201  according to the first color and the second color. The controlling module  312  can set the color of the second display area  201  the same as a medium color between the first color and the second color. In other exemplary embodiment, the controlling module  312  can set the color of the second display area  201  the same as the first color or the second color. 
     From the above blocks S 61  to S 63 , the display controlling system  31  can visually change the shape of the edges of the display screen  20 . Then, the edges of the display screen  20  are not sharp. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the method  600  further include a step before the block S 61 , the setting module  310  can determine whether to change the display effect of the edges of the display screen  20 . The display effect of the edges of the display screen  20  is different when the electronic device  1  switches from an operation mode to another operation mode. When the setting module  310  determines to change the display effect of the edges of the display screen  20 , the process can execute the block  61  to block  63 . When the setting module  310  determines not to change the display effect of the edges of the display screen  20 , the process ends. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, when the electronic device  1  is executing the first operation mode, the setting module  310  can determine to change the display effect of the edges of the display screen  20  and set the first color of the first display area  200  the same as the color of the non-display area  50 , and the acquiring module  311  can acquire the second color of the third display area  202 . The controlling module  312  can set the color of the second display area  201  the same as a medium color between the first color and the second color. Then, the sharp corner formed by two intersecting edges of the display screen  20  can be visually changed to be arc-shaped. When the electronic device  1  is executing the second operation mode, the setting module  310  can determine not to change the display effect of the edges of the display screen  20 . Then, the third display area  200  can display multiple colors including the second color, and the first display area  200  and the second display area  201  can display colors the same as the colors of an extension of the display content of the third display area  202 . The sharp corners formed by two intersecting edges of the display screen  20  do not need to be modified. 
     In at least one exemplary embodiment, the second color can be changed when the electronic device  1  switches from an operation mode to another operation mode. For example, when the electronic device  1  is executing the first operation mode, the second color can be the same as the color of the images of the image gallery displayed by the display screen  20 , and when the electronic device  1  is executing the second operation mode, the second color can be the same as the color of the video displayed by the display screen  20 . 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, including any particular embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.