Patent Description:
As electronic devices advance, electronic devices with a high screen-to-body ratio become increasingly popular with consumers. It has been a new trend to improve the screen-to-body ratio of the electronic devices.

In order to increase the screen-to-body ratio while retaining the front camera, there are various design choices, such as "notch" display, "hole" display, pop-up front camera, and under-display camera on the market. However, with respect to the "notch" display or the "hole" display, the screen at where the "notch" or the "hole" is located does not display images, thereby affecting the display effect of the electronic devices to some extent. With respect to the pop-up front camera, although the display area is ensured, it takes a long time for the camera to capture images from popping up. Moreover, with respect to the under-display camera, it considers the display area of the electronic devices and image feedback time, but the screen where the camera is located requires a high light transmittance. This reduces the number of display components at the camera, resulting in a decrease in display image pixels, which affects the display effect. <CIT> discloses an electronic device including a flexible display. The electronic device may include a first structure including a first plate, the first plate including a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite the first surface, a second structure including a second plate facing the second surface of the first plate and a first side wall extending from the second plate, a flexible touch screen display, and a camera device arranged between the first structure and the second structure. <CIT> discloses an electronic device, which includes a screen, where the screen includes a bendable flexible screen portion; and a support assembly, where the support assembly is disposed on a back side of the flexible screen portion and configured to support the flexible screen portion, and the support assembly is switchable between a first state and a second state. In a case that the support assembly is in the first state, the flexible screen portion is curved; and in a case that the support assembly is in the second state, the flexible screen portion is flat.

The present disclosure provides an electronic device, a control method of the electronic device, and a readable storage medium as defined in the appended set of claims, to solve the display problem with the existing electronic device caused by the placement of the front camera.

To resolve the foregoing technical problem, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:
The technical solutions employed in the present disclosure can achieve the following beneficial effects:
The electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure improves the structure of the display screen of the electronic device in the related art. According to the present electronic device, the display screen includes the first area and the second area, where the second area can be deformed. The deformation drive part is connected to the second area. In this way, when the electronic device is in the shooting mode, the second area can gradually change from the curved state to the flattened state driven by the deformation drive part, and the ambient light is projected onto the camera module through the light-transmitting area, to allow the camera module to start working. When the camera module finishes working and the electronic device is in the daily working mode (namely, the non-shooting mode), the deformation drive part drives the second area to gradually change to the curved state from the flattened state, and the camera module is hidden on the side of the electronic device, which avoids disposing the light-transmitting area on the front side (namely, the first area) of the display screen facing a user, thereby increasing the effective display area of the electronic device. Therefore, the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively increase the display area of the electronic device, thereby enhancing the display effect of the electronic device.

The accompanying drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and form part of the present disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and descriptions thereof are used to explain the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:.

To clearly states the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure, the technical solutions of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments of the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings.

The following describes the technical solution provided in each embodiment of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in <FIG>, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device, including a housing <NUM>, a display screen <NUM>, a deformation drive part <NUM>, and a camera module <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> is a basic component of the electronic device. The housing <NUM> can provide foundation for mounting other components of the electronic device. The display screen <NUM> is disposed on the housing <NUM>, and forms an inner cavity700 with the housing <NUM>. The inner cavity <NUM> is a mounting space that can receive other components of the electronic device. The camera module <NUM> and the deformation drive part <NUM> are both disposed in the inner cavity <NUM>. In addition, the inner cavity <NUM> can provide protection for other components (such as a motherboard, a battery, and the like) of the electronic device.

The display screen <NUM> includes a first area <NUM> and a second area <NUM> that are connected to each other. The first area <NUM> is a first plane area, that is, a display surface of the first plane area is flat. The second area <NUM> is located on the edge of the display screen <NUM>. The deformation drive part <NUM> is connected to the second area <NUM>. The deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to switch between a flattened state and a curved state through deformation. Specifically, in the case that the electronic device is in a shooting mode, the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to be in the flattened state through deformation. In the case that the electronic device is in a daily working mode (namely, a non-shooting mode), the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to be in the curved state through deformation. In this case, the display screen <NUM> forms a curved screen, for example, a waterfall screen. In an optional solution, the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> are an integrated structure. Certainly, the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> may be separate structures, and the two may be assembled and connected by means of bonding.

In the case of the flattened state, the second area <NUM> is a flat second plane area, and the second plane area is located in the same plane as the first plane area. That is, in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, the second plane area and the first plane area can be used for display simultaneously, thereby enabling content display in a larger area. In the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state, the second area <NUM> is curved. That is, in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state, the first plane area is responsible for display, while the second area <NUM> in the curved state cannot form an effective display for a user. A light-transmitting area is disposed in the second area <NUM>. In the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area is projected onto the camera module <NUM>. Specifically, when the camera module <NUM> is working, the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, and the ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area.

During a specific working process, when the electronic device is in the shooting mode, the second area <NUM> gradually changes from the curved state to the flattened state driven by the deformation drive part <NUM>. The ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area, and the camera module <NUM> starts working. When the electronic device is in the daily working mode (namely, the non-shooting mode), the second area <NUM> gradually changes from the flattened state to the curved state driven by the deformation drive part <NUM>, and the camera module <NUM> is disabled.

The electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure improves the structure of the display screen <NUM> of the electronic device in the related art. According to the present electronic device, the display screen <NUM> includes the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> connected to each other. The second area <NUM> can be deformed, and the deformation drive part <NUM> is connected to the second area <NUM>. In this way, when the electronic device is in the shooting mode, the second area <NUM> can gradually change from the curved state to the flattened state driven by the deformation drive part <NUM>, and the ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area, to allow the camera module <NUM> to start working. When the camera module <NUM> finishes working and the electronic device is in the daily working mode (namely, the non-shooting mode), the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to gradually change to the curved state from the flattened state, and the camera module <NUM> is hidden on the side of the electronic device, which avoids disposing the light-transmitting area on the front side (namely, the first area <NUM>) of the display screen <NUM> facing the user, thereby increasing the effective display area of the electronic device. Therefore, the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively increase the display area of the electronic device, thereby enhancing the display effect of the electronic device.

As mentioned above, in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, the ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area is projected onto the camera module <NUM>. Specifically, the camera module <NUM> may face the light-transmitting area, so that the ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area can directly enter the camera module <NUM>, thereby enabling the camera module <NUM> to shoot.

In another alternative solution, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientation of the light-transmitting area may intersect with the orientation of the camera module <NUM>, and a reflection component <NUM> is disposed between the light-transmitting area and the camera module <NUM>, so that the ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area is reflected to the camera module <NUM> by the reflection component <NUM>. When the camera module <NUM> is in the working state, the ambient light is first projected from outside through the light-transmitting area onto the reflection component <NUM>, and then reflected onto the camera module <NUM> by the reflection component <NUM>. By changing the position of the camera module <NUM>, the camera module <NUM> is prevented from being disposed within the area covered by the second area <NUM>, which is beneficial for the curving deformation of the second area <NUM>. In addition, since the reflection component <NUM> can adjust the optical path, the camera module <NUM> can be laterally disposed in the inner cavity <NUM>, which effectively reduces the thickness of the electronic device, thereby making the electronic device thinner and lighter. Certainly, the camera module <NUM> has a small size in the thickness direction of the electronic device, which helps to reduce the thickness of the electronic device. It should be noted that, the camera module <NUM> being laterally disposed refers to that the orientation of the camera module <NUM> is perpendicular to the orientation of the first area <NUM>, and the thickness direction of the electronic device refers to a size of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the first area <NUM>.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the reflection component <NUM> may be disposed in the inner cavity <NUM> in advance, so that the light passing through the second area <NUM> in the flattened state can be just reflected onto the camera module <NUM> by the reflection component <NUM> disposed at a preset position. Specifically, the reflection component <NUM> may be fixed (for example, by adhesive bonding) in the inner cavity <NUM>.

In another optional solution, the reflection component <NUM> is connected to the deformation drive part <NUM>. The deformation drive part <NUM> drives the reflection component <NUM> to move to a working position, and the ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area is reflected onto the camera module <NUM> by the reflection component <NUM> at the working position. In this case, the deformation drive part <NUM> can adjust the position of the reflection component <NUM> while driving the deformation of the second area <NUM>. Obviously, the position of the reflection component <NUM> can be adjusted according to the deformation of the deformation drive part <NUM>. In the case that the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to be in the curved state, it is easier to place the reflection component <NUM> in a relatively tight space inside the curved second area <NUM>. This can fully utilize the relatively tight space in the inner cavity <NUM> for layout, thereby improving the space utilization, and enabling the electronic device to be more compact.

In addition, since the deformation drive part <NUM> can drive the reflection component <NUM> to move, there is no need to provide a special drive device for the reflection component <NUM>, which effectively reduces the number of internal components used in the electronic device, thereby reducing the weight and lowering the cost of the electronic device.

In a further technical solution, the reflection component <NUM> is rotatably disposed on the inner side of the second area <NUM>, and the electronic device further includes a drive mechanism <NUM>. The drive mechanism <NUM> is disposed on the side of the camera module <NUM> facing away from the reflection component <NUM>. The drive mechanism <NUM> drives the camera module <NUM>, to push the reflection component <NUM> to rotate, so that an incident surface of light of the reflection component <NUM> is closely attached to the inner side of the second area <NUM> in the flattened state. In the case that the electronic device is in the shooting mode, the driving mechanism <NUM> drives the camera module <NUM> to push the reflection component <NUM> to rotate, so that the incident surface of light of the reflection component <NUM> is closely attached to the inner side of the second area <NUM> in the flattened state. This provides a certain support for the flattened second area <NUM>, thereby allowing the second area <NUM> to be flatter. Further, this can avoid adverse effects on shooting caused by a low flatness of the second area <NUM>, and can correct an incident direction of the ambient light, thereby realizing optical image stabilization. The drive mechanism <NUM> may be a hydraulic telescopic component, a pneumatic telescopic component, a piezoelectric structural component, a shape-memory alloy structure, or the like. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific type of the drive mechanism <NUM>.

In another specific embodiment, the reflection component <NUM> is rotatably disposed on the inner side of the second area <NUM>, and the electronic device further includes a drive apparatus, which is connected to the reflection component <NUM>. The drive apparatus drives the reflection component <NUM> to rotate, so that an incident surface of light of the reflection component <NUM> corresponds to the second area <NUM> in the flattened state. The drive apparatus is specifically disposed for the reflection component <NUM>, which is conducive to separate control of the reflection component <NUM>, and can avoid influences of other components. Similarly, the drive apparatus may be a drive motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific type of the drive apparatus.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the reflection component <NUM> may be a plane mirror or a reflection mechanism with other irregular structures (for example, a triangular prism described below), as long as it can reflect the ambient light passing through the second area <NUM> in the flattened state onto the camera module <NUM>. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific type of the reflection component <NUM>.

In an optional solution, the reflection component <NUM> is a triangular prism. The right-angle part of the triangular prism is rotatably connected to the second area <NUM> or the deformation drive part <NUM>, which is beneficial for the deformation drive part <NUM> to adjust the position of the triangular prism. In the flattened state, a first right-angle surface of the triangular prism faces the inner side of the second area <NUM>, and a second right-angle surface of the triangular prism faces the camera module <NUM>. The structure of the triangular prism is more conducive to supporting the second area <NUM>, thereby allowing the flattened second area <NUM> to be flatter.

In a further solution, in the flattened state, the inner surface of the first area <NUM> is parallel to the first plane area, and the camera module <NUM> is slidably disposed on the inner surface of the first area <NUM>. The inner surface of the first area <NUM> is parallel to the first plane area, which can have a guiding effect on the movement of the camera module <NUM>, thereby facilitating the precise movement of the camera module <NUM>.

As mentioned above, the display screen <NUM> is disposed on the housing <NUM>, and the second area <NUM> is located on the edge of the display screen <NUM>. During the process in which the second area <NUM> is switched between the flattened state and the curved state, there is a position change of the second area <NUM> relative to the housing <NUM>, producing a gap at the connection between the second area <NUM> and the housing <NUM>. Therefore, it is needed to keep dust and water out of the gap. In an optional solution, the electronic device further includes a folding mechanism <NUM>, which is connected in a sealed manner between the second area <NUM> and the housing <NUM>. In the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, the folding mechanism <NUM> is in an unfolded state; and in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state, the folding mechanism <NUM> is in a folded state, and a part of the folding mechanism <NUM> is located inside the inner cavity <NUM>. The folding mechanism <NUM> can block the gap caused by the second area <NUM> changing from the curved state to the flattened state. In addition, due to the sealing connection between the second area <NUM> and the housing <NUM>, in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, the folding mechanism <NUM> has dust-proof and water-proof effects, and also it can improve the appearance performance of the electronic device. The folding mechanism <NUM> may be made of a material with high fatigue resistance (such as rubber), so that it is not easily damaged after multiple switches between the folded state and the unfolded state.

In order to avoid the gap caused by the second area <NUM> changing from the curved state to the flattened state, in another optional solution, the electronic device further includes an elastic connection mechanism, which may replace the foregoing folding mechanism <NUM>. The elastic connection mechanism is made of a stretchable material, such as silicone, rubber, or the like. The elastic connection mechanism is connected in a sealed manner between the second area <NUM> and the housing <NUM>. The elastic connection mechanism is in an extended state in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, and the elastic connection mechanism is in a retracted state in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state. The elastic connection mechanism can block the gap caused by the second area <NUM> changing from the curved state to the flattened state. In addition, due to the sealing connection between the second area <NUM> and the housing <NUM>, in the case that the second area <NUM> is in the flattened state, the elastic connection mechanism has dust-proof and water-proof effects on the electronic device. In addition, the elastic connection mechanism realizes deformation through a change in its own length, so it does not occupy a large space.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing <NUM> may include a back cover <NUM>. The back cover <NUM> may include a flat part <NUM> and a curved part <NUM>. The curved part <NUM> is connected to the flat part <NUM>, which makes the curve of the back cover <NUM> of the electronic device smoother, thereby improving the appearance. In the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state, the curved part <NUM> may be jointed with the second area <NUM>, and tangents at the joint between the curved part <NUM> and the second area <NUM> are collinear. In the case that the second area <NUM> is in the curved state, the curved part <NUM> of the back cover <NUM> and the second area <NUM> are jointed on the same plane and in the same arc, which allows the side edge of the entire electronic device to be smoother. This makes it easier for a user to hold the electronic device during use, thereby effectively enhancing user experience.

In further technical solutions, both the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> are display areas, and a light transmittance of the second area <NUM> is greater than that of the first area <NUM>. Both the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> can achieve the display function of the display screen <NUM>. However, the second area <NUM> has a higher light transmittance, so the ambient light can be projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area of the second area <NUM>, thereby further facilitating shooting while displaying.

Based on the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a control method of an electronic device, which is applicable to the foregoing electronic device. The control method includes:.

In this step, the first input may be set to be a shooting mode instruction. In the case that the input is the first input, the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to change gradually from the curved state to the flattened state. The ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area of the second area <NUM>, realizing the shooting function.

Step <NUM>. In the case that the input is a second input, control the deformation drive part <NUM> to drive the second area <NUM> to be in the curved state.

In this step, the second input may be set to be a daily working mode (namely, the non-shooting mode) instruction. In the case that the input is the second input, the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to gradually change from the flattened state to the curved state.

Based on the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a control apparatus of the electronic device, which includes a receiving module, a first control module, and a second control module.

The receiving module is configured to receive an input.

The first control module is configured to, in the case that the input is a first input, control the deformation drive part <NUM> to drive the second area <NUM> to be in the flattened state, and control the camera module <NUM> to shoot.

During a specific working process, the first control module controls the deformation drive part <NUM>, to drive the second area <NUM> to change gradually from the curved state to the flattened state by the deformation drive part <NUM>. The ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area of the second area <NUM>, realizing the shooting function.

The second control module is configured to, in the case that the input is a second input, control the deformation drive part <NUM> to drive the second area <NUM> to be in the curved state.

During a specific working process, the second control module controls the deformation drive part <NUM>, to drive the second area <NUM> to gradually change from the flattened state to the curved state by the deformation drive part <NUM>.

The electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a game console, a wearable device, or the like. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific type of the electronic device.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a hardware structure of an electronic device for implementing each embodiment of the present disclosure.

The electronic device <NUM> includes but is not limited to: components such as a radio frequency unit <NUM>, a network module <NUM>, an audio output unit <NUM>, an input unit <NUM>, a sensor <NUM>, a display unit <NUM>, a user input unit <NUM>, an interface unit <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, and a power supply <NUM>. A person skilled in the art may understand that the structure of the electronic device <NUM> shown in <FIG> constitutes no limitation on the electronic device, and the electronic device may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or some components may be combined, or a different component deployment may be used. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device includes, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a palm computer, an in-vehicle terminal, a wearable device, and a pedometer.

The processor <NUM> is configured to receive an input from the user input unit <NUM>, in the case that the input is the first input, control the deformation drive part <NUM> to drive the second area <NUM> to be in the flattened state, and control the camera module <NUM> to shoot; and in the case that the input is the second input, control the deformation drive part <NUM> to drive the second area <NUM> to be in the curved state.

The electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure improves the structure of the display screen <NUM> of the electronic device in the related art. According to the present electronic device, the display screen <NUM> includes the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> connected to each other. The second area <NUM> can be deformed, and the deformation drive part <NUM> is connected to the second area <NUM>. In this way, when the electronic device is in the shooting mode, the second area <NUM> can gradually change from the curved state to the flattened state driven by the deformation drive part <NUM>, and the ambient light is projected onto the camera module <NUM> through the light-transmitting area, to allow the camera module <NUM> to start working. When the camera module <NUM> finishes working and the electronic device is in the daily working mode (namely, the non-shooting mode), the deformation drive part <NUM> drives the second area <NUM> to gradually change to the curved state from the flattened state, and the camera module <NUM> is hidden on the side of the electronic device, which avoids disposing the light-transmitting area on the front side (namely, the first area <NUM>) of the display screen <NUM> facing a user, thereby increasing the effective display area of the electronic device. Therefore, the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively increase the display area of the electronic device, thereby enhancing the display effect of the electronic device.

It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the radio frequency unit <NUM> may be configured to send and receive a signal during an information receiving and sending process or a call process. Specifically, after downlink data from a base station is received, the downlink data is sent to the processor <NUM> for processing. In addition, uplink data is sent to the base station. Generally, the radio frequency unit <NUM> includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low noise amplifier, a duplexer, and the like. In addition, the radio frequency unit <NUM> may further communicate with another device through a wireless communication system.

The electronic device provides wireless broadband Internet access to a user by using the network module <NUM>, for example, helps the user to send and receive an email, browse a web-page, and access stream media, and the like.

The audio output unit <NUM> may convert audio data received by the radio frequency unit <NUM> or the network module <NUM> or stored in the memory <NUM> into an audio signal and output the audio signal as sound. Moreover, the audio output unit <NUM> may provide an audio output (such as call signal receiving sound or message receiving sound) related to a specific function executed by the electronic device <NUM>. The audio output unit <NUM> includes a loudspeaker, a buzzer, a receiver, and the like.

The input unit <NUM> is configured to receive an audio signal or a video signal. The input unit <NUM> may include a graphics processing unit (Graphics Processing Unit, GPU) <NUM> and a microphone <NUM>. The graphics processing unit <NUM> performs processing on image data of a static picture or a video that is obtained by an image acquisition device (for example, a camera) in a video acquisition mode or an image acquisition mode. An image frame that has been processed may be displayed on a display unit <NUM>. The image frame that has been processed by the graphics processing unit <NUM> may be stored in the memory <NUM> (or another storage medium) or sent by using the radio frequency unit <NUM> or the network module <NUM>. The microphone <NUM> may receive sound and be able to process such sound as audio data. The processed audio data may be converted, in a phone talk mode, into a format that may be sent to a mobile communication base station via the radio frequency unit <NUM> for output.

The electronic device <NUM> further includes at least one sensor <NUM> such as an optical sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Specifically, the optical sensor includes an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor. The ambient light sensor may adjust luminance of the display panel <NUM> according to the luminance of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor may switch off the display panel <NUM> and/or backlight when the electronic device <NUM> is moved to the ear. As one type of motion sensor, an acceleration sensor may detect magnitude of accelerations in various directions (generally on three axes), may detect magnitude and a direction of the gravity when static, and may be configured to recognize the attitude of the electronic device (for example, switching between landscape orientation and portrait orientation, a related game, and magnetometer attitude calibration), a function related to vibration recognition (such as a pedometer and a knock), and the like. The sensor <NUM> may further include a fingerprint sensor, a pressure sensor, an iris sensor, a molecular sensor, a gyroscope, a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, an infrared sensor, and the like, which is not detailed herein.

The display unit <NUM> may include a display panel <NUM>. The display panel <NUM> may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or the like.

The user input unit <NUM> may be configured to receive input digit or character information, and generate key signal input related to the user setting and function control of the electronic device. Specifically, the user input unit <NUM> includes a touch panel <NUM> and other input devices <NUM>. The touch panel <NUM>, also called a touchscreen, may collect a touch operation by a user on or near the touch panel (such as an operation of a user on or near the touch panel <NUM> by using any suitable object or attachment, such as a finger or a touch pen). The touch panel <NUM> may include two parts: a touch detection apparatus and a touch controller. The touch detection apparatus detects a touch orientation of the user, detects a signal brought by the touch operation, and transmits the signal to the touch controller. The touch controller receives touch information from the touch detection apparatus, converts the touch information into a contact coordinate, then transmits the contact coordinate to the processor <NUM>, and receives and executes a command transmitted by the processor <NUM>. In addition, the touch panel <NUM> may be implemented by using various types, such as a resistive type, a capacitance type, an infrared type, and a surface acoustic wave type. In addition to the touch panel <NUM>, the user input unit <NUM> may further include other input devices <NUM>. Specifically, other input devices <NUM> may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard, a functional key (such as a volume control key or a switch key), a track ball, a mouse, and a joystick, which are not described herein in detail.

Further, the touch panel <NUM> may cover the display panel <NUM>. After detecting a touch operation on or near the touch panel, the touch panel <NUM> transfers the touch operation to the processor <NUM>, to determine a type of a touch event. Then, the processor <NUM> provides a corresponding visual output on the display panel <NUM> according to the type of the touch event. Although, in <FIG>, the touch panel <NUM> and the display panel <NUM> are used as two separate components to implement input and output functions of the electronic device, in some embodiments, the touch panel <NUM> and the display panel <NUM> may be integrated to implement the input and output functions of the electronic device, which are not limited herein.

The interface unit <NUM> is an interface for connecting an external apparatus to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the external apparatus may include a wired or wireless headset port, an external power supply (or battery charger) port, a wired or wireless data port, a storage card port, a port configured to connect an apparatus having an identification module, an audio input/output (I/O) port, a video I/O port, an earphone port, and the like. The interface unit <NUM> may be configured to receive an input (such as data information or electric power) from an external apparatus and transmit the received input to one or more elements in the electronic device <NUM> or may be configured to transmit data between the electronic device <NUM> and an external apparatus.

The memory <NUM> may be configured to store software programs and various pieces of data. The memory <NUM> may mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store an operating system, an application program required by at least one function (for example, a sound playback function and an image display function), and the like. The data storage area may store data (for example, audio data and a phone book) created according to use of the electronic device. In addition, the memory <NUM> may include a high-speed random access memory, and may further include a nonvolatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory, or another volatile solid-state storage device.

A processor <NUM> is the control center of the electronic device, and is connected to various parts of the electronic device by using various interfaces and lines. By running or executing the software program and/or module stored in the memory <NUM>, and invoking data stored in the memory <NUM>, the processor <NUM> performs various functions and data processing of the electronic device, thereby performing overall monitoring on the electronic device. The processor <NUM> may include one or more processing units. Optionally, the processor <NUM> may integrate an application processor and a modem processor. The application processor mainly processes an operating system, a user interface, an application program, and the like. The modem processor mainly processes wireless communication. It may be understood that the modulation and demodulation processor may not be integrated into the processor <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> further includes a power supply <NUM> (such as a battery) for supplying power to the components. Optionally, the power supply <NUM> may be logically connected to the processor <NUM> by using a power management system, thereby implementing functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption management by using the power management system.

In addition, the electronic device <NUM> includes a number of functional modules that are not shown, and details are not described herein again.

Optionally, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a terminal device, including a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, and a computer program or instructions on the memory <NUM> and executed on the processor <NUM>, where when executed by the processor <NUM>, the computer program or the instructions implements the processes of any of the foregoing method embodiments, and can achieve the same technical effects, which is not detailed herein.

The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a readable storage medium, storing a computer program or instructions, the computer program or the instructions, when executed by the processor <NUM>, implementing the processes of any of the foregoing method embodiments, and can achieve the same technical effects, which is not detailed herein. The readable storage medium is, for example, a read-only memory (read-only memory, ROM), a random access memory (random access memory, RAM), a magnetic disk, an optical disc, or the like.

The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product, stored in a non-volatile storage medium and configured to be executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the control method according to the foregoing embodiments.

The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a chip, including a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is configured to run a program or instructions to implement the control method according to the foregoing embodiments.

It should be noted that, the terms "include", "comprise", or any other variation thereof in this specification is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, which specifies the presence of stated processes, methods, objects, or apparatuses, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other processes, methods, objects, or apparatuses. Without more limitations, elements defined by the sentence "including one" does not exclude that there are still other same elements in the processes, methods, objects, or apparatuses. In addition, it should be noted that the scope of the method and apparatus in the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in a reverse order according to the functions involved. For example, the method may be performed in an order different from the described order, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, features described in some embodiments may be combined in other embodiments.

According to the description in the foregoing embodiments, a person skilled in the art may clearly learn that the method according to the foregoing embodiments may be implemented by relying on software and a commodity hardware platform or by using hardware. Based on such an understanding, the technical solutions of the present invention essentially, or the part contributing to the prior art, may be presented in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium (for example, a ROM/RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disc) including several instructions to enable an electronic device (which may be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, a network device, or the like) to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
An electronic device, comprising a housing (<NUM>), a display screen (<NUM>), a deformation drive part (<NUM>), and a camera module (<NUM>), wherein:
the display screen (<NUM>) is disposed on the housing (<NUM>), the display screen (<NUM>) and the housing (<NUM>) form an inner cavity (<NUM>), the camera module (<NUM>) and the deformation drive part (<NUM>) are disposed in the inner cavity (<NUM>), the display screen (<NUM>) comprises a first area (<NUM>) and a second area (<NUM>) connected to each other, the first area (<NUM>) is a first plane area, the second area (<NUM>) is located on an edge of the display screen (<NUM>), the deformation drive part (<NUM>) is connected to the second area (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the deformation drive part (<NUM>) drives the second area (<NUM>) to switch between a flattened state and a curved state through deformation; in a case that the second area (<NUM>) is in the flattened state, the second area (<NUM>) is a flat second plane area, and the second plane area is located in a same plane as the first plane area; in a case that the second area (<NUM>) is in the curved state, the second area (<NUM>) is curved; a light-transmitting area is disposed in the second area (<NUM>); and in the case that the second area (<NUM>) is in the flattened state, ambient light passing through the light-transmitting area is projected onto the camera module (<NUM>).