Patent Description:
More and more services and additional functions are being provided through electronic devices, e.g., smartphones, or other portable electronic devices. To meet the needs of various users and raise use efficiency of electronic devices, communication service carriers or device manufacturers are jumping into competitions to develop electronic devices with differentiated and diversified functionalities. Accordingly, various functions that are provided through electronic devices are evolving more and more.

Further, various types of flexible electronic devices have been developed thanks to the development of electronic technology. Such a flexible electronic device may secure portability while providing a larger display. For example, as the flexible electronic device is transformable by the user applying force, it may provide a foldable, bendable, or rollable display.

In an electronic device including a flexible display, the size of the display area may be changed as, e.g., a structure forming the electronic device is moved to change the screen between an open and closed state.

In the structure in which the screen output area of the display may be expanded as described above, there is a need to display various user interfaces to correspond to the user's shape change operation on the display.

<CIT> relates to a flexible display device including a display including an expandable screen; a sensor configured to detect a size of the screen; and a controller configured to display first information on the screen in a non-expanded state, and display second information in a first expanded display area of the display according to expanding the screen, wherein the second information is information related to the first information. <CIT> relates to a mobile terminal, which displays various content as the width of a flexible display is extended.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device according to claim <NUM> is provided.

According to an embodiment, a method according to claim <NUM> is provided.

According to an embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim <NUM> is provided.

According to various example embodiments, in the structure in which the screen output area of the display may be expanded, it is possible to display various user interfaces to correspond to the user's shape change operation on the display.

According to various example embodiments, in an electronic device providing an execution screen of an application, when a shape change operation is performed, an object representing an executable application is displayed in at least an expanded portion of the display and, in response to selection for the object, the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object, along with the execution screen of the running application, is displayed. Thus, it is possible to use the electronic device more easily and conveniently.

According to various example embodiments, at least one application based on application attribute information is displayed in a partial area of the expanded display while the execution screen of an application is displayed. Thus, the user may work using desired, simultaneously executable applications. Therefore, relevant work efficiency and convenience may be increased.

Effects of the disclosure are not limited to the foregoing, and other unmentioned effects would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe various example embodiments, but not to limit the scope of any embodiments of the present disclosure. All terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> according to various embodiments. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, an input module <NUM>, a sound output module <NUM>, a display module <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a connecting terminal <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module (SIM) <NUM>, or an antenna module <NUM>. In various embodiments, at least one (e.g., the connecting terminal <NUM>) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device <NUM>, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, some (e.g., the sensor module <NUM>, the camera module <NUM>, or the antenna module <NUM>) of the components may be integrated into a single component (e.g., the display module <NUM>).

For example, when the electronic device <NUM> includes the main processor <NUM> and the auxiliary processor <NUM>, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may be configured to use lower power than the main processor <NUM> or to be specified for a designated function.

The display <NUM> may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display, hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device <NUM> via a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a legacy cellular network, a <NUM> network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)). The wireless communication module <NUM> may identify or authenticate the electronic device <NUM> in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module <NUM>.

The antenna module <NUM> may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside (e.g., the external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may include one antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an antenna array). In this case, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, e.g., the communication module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, other parts (e.g., radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) than the radiator may be further formed as part of the antenna module <NUM>.

The external electronic devices <NUM> or <NUM> each may be a device of the same or a different type from the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may provide ultra-low-latency services using, e.g., distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In an embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> may include an internet-of-things (IoT) device. The electronic device <NUM> may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or health-care) based on <NUM> communication technology or IoT-related technology.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments, wherein a portion of a flexible display (e.g., the display device <NUM> of <FIG> or the display <NUM>) is received in a second structure. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments, wherein most of a flexible display is exposed to the outside of a second structure. In the disclosure, the type of the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> may be referred to, for example, as a "slidable electronic device".

The state shown in <FIG> may be defined to as a first structure <NUM> being closed with respect to a second structure <NUM>, and the state shown in <FIG> may be defined to as the first structure <NUM> being opened with respect to the second structure <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the "closed state" or "opened state" may be defined as a closed or opened state of the electronic device.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may include a first structure <NUM> and a second structure <NUM> disposed to be movable in the first structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may be interpreted as having a structure in which the first structure <NUM> is slidably disposed on the second structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first structure <NUM> may be disposed to perform reciprocating motion by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction with respect to the second structure <NUM>, for example, a direction indicated by an arrow ①.

According to an embodiment, the first structure <NUM> may be referred to as, for example, a first housing, a slide unit, or a slide housing, and may be disposed to reciprocate on the second structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second structure <NUM> may be referred to as, for example, a second housing, a main part, or a main housing, and may receive various electric or electronic components such as a main circuit board or a battery. A portion (e.g., the first area A1) of the display <NUM> may be seated on the first structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, another portion (e.g., the second area A2) of the display <NUM> may be received (e.g., slide-in) into the inside of the second structure <NUM> or exposed (e.g., slide-out) to the outside of the second structure <NUM> as the first structure <NUM> moves (e.g., slides) relative to the second structure <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the first structure <NUM> may include a first plate 211a (e.g., a slide plate) and may include a first surface formed with at least a portion of the first plate 211a and a second surface F2 facing away from the first surface. According to an embodiment, the second structure <NUM> may include a second plate 221a (e.g., a rear case), a first sidewall 223a extending from the second plate 221a, a second sidewall 223b extending from the first sidewall 223a and the second plate 221a, a third sidewall 223c extending from the first sidewall 223a and the second plate 221a and positioned parallel to the second sidewall 223b, and/or a rear plate 221b (e.g., a rear window). According to an embodiment, the second sidewall 223b and the third sidewall 223c may be formed to be perpendicular to the first sidewall 223a. According to an embodiment, the second plate 221a, the first sidewall 223a, the second sidewall 223b, and the third sidewall 223c may be formed to have an opening (e.g., in the front face) to receive (or surround) at least a portion of the first structure <NUM>. For example, the first structure <NUM> may be coupled to the second structure <NUM> in a state in which it is at least partially surrounded, and the first structure <NUM> may be guided by the second structure <NUM> to slide in a direction parallel to the first surface or the second surface F2, for example, direction indicated with the arrow ①.

According to various embodiments, as the first structure <NUM> moves (e.g., slides) with respect to the second structure <NUM>, the area of the display <NUM> may be expanded to include a first area A1 and a second area A2.

According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may include the first area A1 and the second area A2. The second area A2 may extend from the first area A1 and be inserted or received into the inside of the second structure <NUM> (e.g., housing) or be exposed to the outside of the structure <NUM> as the first structure <NUM> slides. The second area A2 may be moved while being substantially guided by a roller mounted on the second structure <NUM> and may thus be received into the inside of or exposed to the outside of the second structure <NUM>. For example, while the first structure <NUM> slides, a portion of the second area A2 may be deformed into a curved shape in a position corresponding to the roller.

According to various embodiments, if the first structure <NUM> moves from the closed state to the opened state, the second area A2 of the display <NUM> is gradually exposed to the outside of the second structure <NUM> and, along with the first area A1, may form a substantially flat surface. In an embodiment, the second area A2 may be at least partially received inside the second structure <NUM>, and a portion of the second area A2 may be exposed to the outside even in the state shown in <FIG> (e.g., the closed state).

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example sliding operation of a flexible display of an electronic device, according to various embodiments.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may have a plurality of position states as illustrated in <FIG>. According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the display of the electronic device <NUM> may be exposed to the outside through the housing. According to various embodiments, the display may include one or more displays. According to various embodiments, the display may include a flexible display (e.g., a slidable display, a foldable display, a rollable display, or a stretchable display).

According to various embodiments, a state in which the exposed area of the flexible display is smallest may be referred to as a 'closed state', and a state in which the exposed area of the flexible display is largest may be referred to as an 'opened state'.

According to various embodiments, referring to <FIG>, at least a portion of the display may be moved into or out of the housing according to a sliding operation. For example, upon receiving a deform (e.g., sliding) operation or sliding expand command in the closed state, a portion of the flexible display which is positioned inside the housing may be slid out of the housing so that the slidable electronic device <NUM> may change from the closed state to the opened state. For example, the exposed portion <NUM> of the display when the electronic device <NUM> is in the closed state may be referred to as a first area (or first portion), and the exposed portion of the display when the electronic device <NUM> is in the partially opened state or fully opened state may be referred to as a third area (or third portion). For example, the third area <NUM> may be the first area <NUM> plus the expanded area (or second area) <NUM> of the display according to the sliding operation for expansion. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, according to a sliding operation for expansion, the area (e.g., the first area <NUM>) of the display may be expanded to further include the second area <NUM>, and in the fully opened state, as illustrated in <FIG> the size of the second area <NUM> may be larger as compared to <FIG>, e.g., the size of the second area <NUM> may have the same size as, e.g., the first area <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, when the display position state is a first position state (e.g., the closed state) <NUM>, the first area <NUM> corresponding to the first position state may refer, for example, to the entire area of the display of the electronic device <NUM>. According to various embodiments, a first execution screen of at least one application may correspond to the first area <NUM>. Accordingly, the size of the first execution screen of the at least one application may correspond to the size of the first area <NUM>. Here, at least one application execution screen may be displayed in the first area <NUM>. For example, the first area <NUM> may be split into a plurality of areas, such as an upper area and a lower area. Further, two or more application execution screens may be displayed corresponding to each area.

As illustrated in <FIG>, if the display position state switches from the first position state (e.g., closed state) to a second position state (e.g., partially opened state) <NUM> according to the sliding operation for expansion, the second area <NUM> may correspond to a partial area indicated by a dotted line of the display. As illustrated in <FIG>, in the slidable electronic device <NUM> in the closed state, the exposed portion <NUM> of the display may be expanded according to the sliding operation.

According to various embodiments, in the second position state, at least one application based on application attribute information or an object representing notification or information for the at least one application may be displayed in the second area <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, if the application is a non-resizable application (or not supporting expansion mode) based on the attribute information for the at least one application displayed in the first area <NUM>, an object representing the at least one application based on the application attribute information may be displayed in the second area <NUM> in the second position state as illustrated in <FIG>. According to an embodiment, the at least one object may include at least one of at least one image, icon, pop-up window, or selectable menu corresponding to each of at least one application.

According to an embodiment, if the sliding distance from a reference axis (e.g., a reference line or a longer side of the electronic device <NUM>) reaches a predetermined distance according to the sliding operation for expansion, it may be determined as the second position state (e.g., partially opened state) <NUM>, so that at least one object based on application attribute information may be provided in the second area <NUM>. According to an embodiment, if the sliding distance is maintained for a predetermined time after moving from the reference axis by a certain distance according to the sliding motion for the expansion, it may be determined as the second position state (e.g., partially opened state) <NUM> so that at least one object based on application attribute information may be provided in the area <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, if the display position state switches from the second position state (e.g., partially opened state) to the third position state (e.g., fully opened state) <NUM> according to the sliding operation, the third area <NUM> may refer, for example, to the entire area of the display of the electronic device <NUM> and may include the first area <NUM> and the extended second area <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, if the running application is a resizable (or expansion mode-supporting) application based on attribute information for at least one application displayed in the first area <NUM> of <FIG>, the execution screen of the at least one application may be resized and displayed to correspond to the size of the third area <NUM> according to the sliding operation. For example, the execution screen of the application resized to correspond to the size of the entire display area of the electronic device <NUM> may be displayed.

According to various embodiments, if it becomes the third position state (e.g., fully opened state) <NUM> in response to selection of any one of at least one object displayed in the second area <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, a portion of the display may be exposed to the outside so that the size of the second area <NUM> of <FIG> may be expanded. Accordingly, the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object, together with the execution screen of the at least one application, may be displayed in the entire display area.

Meanwhile, although an example has been described above in which the display of the electronic device <NUM> expands to the right, embodiments of the disclosure may not be limited thereto. For example, as in a fourth position state (e.g., opened state) <NUM> of <FIG>, the display may be expanded or contracted in both directions <NUM> and <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> or to the right <NUM> alone or to the left <NUM> alone. Accordingly, the entire display area may be expanded to include the first area <NUM> and areas <NUM> and <NUM> corresponding to both the directions or an area <NUM> or <NUM> corresponding to any one direction. In an embodiment, the display may be expanded or contracted upward or downward of the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> illustrating an example internal configuration of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may include a sensor <NUM>, at least one processor (e.g., including processing circuitry) <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a display <NUM> (e.g., the display device <NUM> of <FIG>), and a display controller <NUM>.

The display <NUM> may simultaneously support input/output functions of data and may detect touches. According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may include a sensing panel <NUM>, a display panel <NUM>, and the display controller <NUM>. Although it is described in connection with <FIG> that the sensing panel <NUM> is included in the display <NUM>, it may operate as an input panel different from the display <NUM> by forming a layer structure with the display panel <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may be referred to as a touchscreen. The sensing panel <NUM> may detect the position of a touch input of a finger or a stylus pen, and the display panel <NUM> may output an image. The display controller <NUM> may be a driving circuit that controls the display panel <NUM> to output an image through the display panel <NUM>.

The sensor <NUM> may include various sensors and/or sensing circuitry and detect a shape change operation (e.g., a sliding operation) for expanding or reducing the display. According to an embodiment, the sensor <NUM> may include a plurality of Hall sensors and may expand or contract the display <NUM> based on the result of detection by the Hall sensor.

The memory <NUM> may store a plurality of applications and attribute information for the applications. According to an embodiment, each application has its own application attribute information. The application attribute information may include at least one piece of attribute information, such as a resizing attribute, a multi-instance attribute, a video attribute, a productivity category attribute, a frequently used application attribute, and a game attribute.

The resizing attribute may refer to an attribute indicating whether the display may be expanded by the size of the expanded display, in response to the expansion of the display. The multi-instance attribute may refer to an attribute indicating whether an application may be executed simultaneously while the application is running. The video attribute may refer to an attribute indicating whether an application is capable of executing a video application. As an example, if an application is an application present in the 'settings> advanced features> video enhanced feature list' in the electronic device, the application may be classified as an application having the video attribute. The productivity category attribute may refer to one of the attributes classified when an application is registered in the application store. For example, an application corresponding to a designated item in a 'productivity' category in a store providing applications may correspond thereto. Examples of applications having the productivity category attribute may include applications, such as memos, notes, calendars, and calculators. The frequently used application attribute may refer to an attribute that may be obtained by measuring the frequency of use for each application. An application gathered in the 'game launcher' related to execution of a game application may be classified as an application having the game attribute. An application may be classified based on attribute information other than those described above.

The memory <NUM> may store priorities. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may also consider priorities when determining a display scheme for a plurality of applications based on the application attribute information.

According to an embodiment, the priority may be determined based on attribute information for each application, and it may be determined, e.g., in the order of an application having the video attribute, an application having the game attribute, an application having the productivity category attribute, an application having the frequently used application attribute, and other applications. The priority may be changed by the user through the setting menu. As such, for an application having a purpose of use, such as playing video or game, the electronic device <NUM> may assign a higher priority than the other applications and perform control so that an execution screen having the higher priority is displayed overlaid on other execution screens or displayed in a large area.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device <NUM> comprises a flexible display <NUM> and at least one processor <NUM>. The at least one processor <NUM> includes various processing circuitry and be configured to control the display display an execution screen of a first application in a first area of the display in a first position state, expand the display to include the first area and a second area, in response to a switch from the first position state to a second position state, display, in the second area, at least one object representing an executable application based on application attribute information, as the display is expanded, and display, on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application along with an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected object, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> is configured to identify whether the first application is a resizable application based on attribute information for the first application, as the display is expanded.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to, based on the first application being the resizable application, identify at least one object representing the at least one executable application based on the application attribute information.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to, based on the first application not being the resizable application, control the display to display the execution screen of the first application on the expanded display in a compatibility mode.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to control the display to display the at least one identified object in the second area and, in response to a switch from the second position state to a third position state, display, on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application along with the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object.

According to various example embodiments, the application attribute information may include at least one of a size adjustment attribute, a multi-instance attribute, a video attribute, a productivity category attribute, a frequently used application attribute, and a game attribute.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to control the display to display on the expanded display based on attribute information for the application corresponding to the selected object, attribute information for the first application, and priority, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object.

According to various example embodiments, the priority may be determined in an order of an application with a video attribute, an application with a game attribute, an application with a productivity category attribute, and an application with a frequently used application attribute.

According to various example embodiments, the first position state may be a state in which an exposed area of the display is smallest, and the third position state may be a state in which the exposed area of the display is largest.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to detect an operation of expanding the display in a state in which the first area of the display is exposed to an outside and expose at least a portion of the second area of the display to the outside according to the detection of the operation of expanding the display.

According to various example embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may be configured to, based on the entire second area of the display being exposed to the outside according to the detection of the operation of expanding the display, control the display to display the execution screen of the first application along with an execution screen further expanded than the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> illustrating an example operation for providing an application execution screen in an electronic device according to various embodiments.

Each step/operation of the operation method of <FIG> may be performed by at least one of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) or at least one processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG> and the processor <NUM> of <FIG>) of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, at least one of operations <NUM> to <NUM> may be omitted, some operations thereof may be performed in reverse order, or other operations may be added thereto.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display an execution screen of a first application in a first area of a display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) in a first position state (e.g., the closed state). According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) may be exposed to the outside through the housing of the electronic device <NUM>. The first position state (e.g., closed state) may be a state in which a first portion (or first area) of the display is exposed to the outside. The first portion of the display exposed to the outside may be referred to as a first area.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether a switch is made from the first position state (e.g., the closed state) to a second position state (e.g., the partially opened state). According to an embodiment, as a user input for exposing a second portion including at least a portion of the first portion to the outside is received, in the exposed state of the first portion, the first position state of the electronic device <NUM> may switch to the second position state.

In response to the switch from the first position state to the second position state, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may expand the display to include the first area and the second area. For example, as a user input for exposing the second portion including at least a portion of the first portion of the display to the outside is received, the display may be expanded so that the second portion including at least a portion of the first portion of the display is exposed to the outside. Accordingly, the expanded display may include the second area together with the first area. For example, the second portion exposed to the outside by the sliding distance according to the user input may be referred to as a second area, and the second area may be referred to as a quick panel or an edge area.

In operation <NUM>, as the display is expanded, the electronic device <NUM> may display, in the second area, at least one object representing an executable application based on application attribute information.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify which any one of the at least one object is selected.

In operation <NUM>, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object, the electronic device <NUM> may display, on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application together with the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object.

According to various example embodiments, a method for providing an execution screen of an application by an electronic device comprises displaying an execution screen of a first application in a first area of a flexible display in a first position state, expanding the display to include the first area and a second area, in response to a switch from the first position state to a second position state, displaying, in the second area, at least one object representing an executable application based on application attribute information, as the display is expanded, and displaying, on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application along with an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected object, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object.

According to various example embodiments, the method further comprises identifying whether the first application is a resizable application based on attribute information for the first application, as the display is expanded.

According to various example embodiments, the method may further comprise, based on the first application being the resizable application, identifying at least one object representing the at least one executable application based on the application attribute information.

According to various example embodiments, displaying the execution screen of the first application along with the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object may include, based on selection for any one of the at least one object being detected, in response to a switch from the second position state to a third position state, displaying, on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application along with the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object.

According to various example embodiments, displaying the execution screen of the first application along with the execution screen of the application corresponding to the selected object may include displaying on the expanded display based on attribute information for the application corresponding to the selected object, attribute information for the first application, and priority, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object.

According to various example embodiments, the method may further comprise detecting an operation of expanding the display in a state in which the first area of the display is exposed to an outside and exposing at least a portion of the second area of the display to the outside according to the detection of the operation of expanding the display.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example method for controlling screen display according to a sliding operation, according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> including a flexible display may display a first screen in a first portion (or first area) <NUM> of the flexible display in a first position state <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first position state <NUM> may be a state in which the first portion <NUM> of the flexible display is exposed to the outside, and may be a closed state in which the exposed portion is the smallest. According to an embodiment, while at least one application is running, the first screen displayed in the first portion <NUM> may be the execution screen of the at least one running application. Otherwise, if there is no running application, the first screen may be a home screen.

According to an embodiment, the display may be changed from the first position state <NUM> to the second position state <NUM> according to a partial sliding operation (e.g., a partial sliding input) by the user and, in response thereto, at least a portion (or second area) <NUM> of the second portion of the display may be exposed to the outside. At least the portion <NUM> of the second portion of the display may be a portion continuous from the first portion <NUM> exposed to the outside. In response to the sliding operation for exposing the second portion <NUM> continuous from the first portion <NUM> of the display, at least a portion of the second portion <NUM> of the display may be exposed to the outside. An object representing at least one executable application may be displayed in the second portion <NUM> based on application attribute information. According to an embodiment, the second portion <NUM> may be referred to as a quick panel (or an edge area), and the electronic device <NUM> may receive a selection input for at least one object on the quick panel.

According to an embodiment, the display of the electronic device <NUM> may be changed from the first position state <NUM> to the third position state <NUM> according to a sliding operation (e.g., a full sliding input) for expansion by the user. Alternatively, the display of the electronic device <NUM> may be changed from the second position state <NUM> to the third position state <NUM>. As described above, the electronic device <NUM> may continue the sliding operation even after exposing a portion of the display, e.g., a portion of the second portion, thereby exposing the entire second portion of the display to the outside.

For example, the entire second portion of the display may be exposed to the outside according to a continuous sliding operation (e.g., a full sliding input) without stopping in the first position state <NUM>. In this case, in response to the continuous sliding motion without stopping, the electronic device <NUM> may expand and display the first screen, which used to be displayed in the first portion <NUM>, so as to correspond to the size of the entire expanded display area immediately without displaying the quick panel. According to an embodiment, the entire second portion of the display may indicate one further expanded than the second portion <NUM> in the second position state <NUM> according to the sliding operation.

As described above, according to a sliding operation (e.g., a full sliding input) to expand the display, the display may be expanded to include the first portion <NUM> and the entire second portion in the third position state <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may display the second screen in the entire display area <NUM> including the portion expanded according to the sliding operation. According to an embodiment, the second screen displayed in the entire area <NUM> may be an expanded screen of the first screen. For example, if the application being executed in the first position state <NUM> is a resizable application, the first screen which used to be displayed in the first portion <NUM> may be expanded and displayed to correspond to the size of the entire area. Alternatively, in a case where a selection for at least one object displayed in the second portion in the second position state <NUM> is not input, an expanded screen of the first screen corresponding to the size of the entire area <NUM> including the first portion <NUM> and the entire second portion may be displayed according to a sliding operation for expansion.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating example screen display for each sliding operation according to various embodiments.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may control to display the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) on the first portion <NUM> of the display in the closed state. According to an embodiment, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may detect an event of sliding the display in the right direction to expand the display from the closed state to the opened state.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may expand the display so that the area of at least a portion <NUM> of the display is maximally exposed to the outside according to a sliding operation (e.g., a full sliding input), and at least the portion <NUM> may be continuous from the first portion <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may control to maximize the exposed portion with respect to a reference axis (or a preset virtual reference line <NUM>) according to a sliding operation (e.g., a full sliding input). According to an embodiment, if the sliding operation is detected, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether the application is an expandable application based on attribute information for the currently running application. If the application is an expandable application, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) expanded to correspond to the entire display area <NUM>, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>.

If the application is not an expandable application based on attribute information for the currently running application, the electronic device <NUM> may control to only display a screen <NUM> corresponding to the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) in a compatibility mode.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example state for each screen width section according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, if the screen width in a state in which the entire area of the flexible display is exposed to the outside is referred to as n, the width of the entire screen may be split into a plurality of sections. <FIG> illustrates an operation state for each section when the entire screen is split into four sections.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, a first section <NUM> may represent a section having a minimum size before the display of the electronic device <NUM> is expanded. When the first portion exposed to the outside of the display corresponds to the first section <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of at least one application in the first portion <NUM>. In response to a sliding operation for exposing at least a portion of the second portion of the display to the outside while the first portion <NUM> is exposed, if the size of at least a portion of the exposed second portion (or the width of the exposed second portion) corresponds to a second section <NUM>, the second section <NUM> may be defined as a section for waiting while providing the user's selection. For example, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, in the second section <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may provide at least one object, such as an application or a menu for receiving a user selection input, in at least a portion <NUM> of the second portion and may wait for a certain period of time to receive a selection for any one.

If a selection for any one object provided in at least the portion <NUM> of the second portion is received, the electronic device <NUM> may provide a result corresponding to the selected object, along with the execution screen, on the first portion <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, if at least a portion of the second portion <NUM> is expanded to the size corresponding to the third section <NUM> according to a sliding operation for expansion, the electronic device <NUM> may display an application execution screen corresponding to the selected object in the expanded second portion <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, if the display is expanded to a size corresponding to the fourth section <NUM> in response to a sliding operation for exposing the entire second portion <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the running application in the first portion <NUM>, along with the application execution screen corresponding to the selected object in the expanded second portion <NUM>, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, when the first portion exposed to the outside of the display corresponds to the first section <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of at least one application in the first portion <NUM>.

If the width of the portion exposed in response to a sliding operation for exposing at least a portion of the second portion of the display to the outside while the first portion <NUM> is exposed reaches the second section <NUM>, the application execution screen may be displayed in the first portion <NUM>, and a screen for receiving the user's selection for the application may be displayed in at least a portion <NUM> of the second portion as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. Further, in response to the continuous sliding operation for exposing at least a portion of the second portion of the display to the outside, if the width of the exposed portion reaches the third section <NUM>, the size of at least a portion <NUM> of the second portion may also vary as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG> so that the at least one object may be provided in a different layout form or preview form.

Further, if the width of the portion exposed in response to a sliding operation reaches the fourth section <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, that is, if the entire second portion <NUM> of the display is exposed, the electronic device <NUM> may display an application execution screen corresponding to the selected object in the entire second portion <NUM> and keep displaying the execution screen of the running application in the first portion <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, whether to reach any one of the first to fourth sections in response to the sliding operation may be determined depending on the distance at which the display is expanded or contracted in one direction. For example, if the display is slid by the extension distance d in the right direction with respect to the reference axis, the display may be expanded by the extension area corresponding to the extension distance d. The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may identify how much the display is expanded or contracted using the amount of rotation of the roller according to the sliding operation.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example screen display method according to whether multi-instance is possible, according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine a scheme for displaying objects corresponding to the currently running application and a plurality of candidate applications, based on application attribute information. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether the currently running application is an application that may be executed simultaneously with other applications based on attribute information for the currently running application. As such, an application having such attribute information that it may be executed simultaneously with another application may be referred to as a multi-instance application. The attribute information indicating a multi-instance application is unique attribute information possessed by the application, and such an application may include an email application and a message application.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, if a sliding operation for expansion is detected while the execution screen <NUM> of the first application (e.g., application A) is displayed on the electronic device <NUM>, it may be identified whether the first application is a multi-instance application based on the attribute information for the first application.

If the first application is a multi-instance application, the electronic device <NUM> may display at least one graphic object representing a plurality of candidate applications to be displayed in the area <NUM> expanded by the sliding distance according to the sliding operation as illustrated in <NUM>. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may display a list <NUM> like the spines of books as illustrated in <NUM> or may display a plurality of graphic objects <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM>. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may also include and provide an object representing the same application as the currently running application. For example, if the object representing the same application as the running application is provided, the user may execute a new Internet application in a new window while the Internet application is running.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may determine a plurality of candidate applications based on application attribute information. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the plurality of candidate applications based on attribute information including at least one of a multi-instance application, an application having a video attribute, an application having a productivity category attribute, an application having a frequently used application attribute, and an application having a game attribute.

Meanwhile, if the first application is not a multi-instance application, the electronic device <NUM> may provide objects representing the remaining candidate applications except for the running application in the area <NUM> extended by the sliding distance according to the sliding operation as illustrated in <NUM> or <NUM>. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may display a list <NUM> for the remaining candidate applications except for the running application like the spines of books or may display them using a plurality of graphic objects <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> illustrating an example operation for controlling screen display based on application attribute information, according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether a switch is made from a first position state to a second position state.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether the currently running application is a resizable (or expandable) application. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether the application is a resizable application based on attribute information for the currently running application. For example, each application has its own application attribute information. If the application attribute information is set as resizable, e.g., 'resizability=true,' the electronic device may identify that the application is a resizable application.

If the application is not a resizable application, the electronic device <NUM> may display it in the compatibility mode in operation <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) in a compatibility mode.

If the currently running application is a resizable (or expandable) application, the electronic device <NUM> may display the executable application in the second area according to the expansion of the display in operation <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may display a plurality of candidate applications in at least a portion of the second area of the display exposed to the outside according to the display extension. For example, the plurality of candidate applications may be predetermined based on application attribute information.

When a selection for any one application is input in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify attribute information for the selected application and the currently running application in operation <NUM>. According to an embodiment, if the currently running application is a resizable application, the application may have attribute information capable of multi-instance support.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify whether two or more applications are running. If only one application is running, the electronic device <NUM> may determine a display scheme based on the identified application attribute information in operation <NUM>. The display scheme based on application attribute information is described in greater detail below with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>.

On the other hand, if two or more applications are running, the electronic device <NUM> may determine a display scheme according to priority based on the identified application attribute information in operation <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the priority based on attribute information for the selected application (e.g., game application) and the running application (e.g., application A or B). According to an embodiment, the priority may be determined, e.g., in the order of an application having the video attribute, an application having the game attribute, an application having the productivity category attribute, an application having the frequently used application attribute, and other applications. Accordingly, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application in a broader area among the areas divided in descending order of priority or may overlay and display it on the execution screen of another application.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example two-split screen display based on application attribute information, according to various embodiments.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, while the execution screen of a first application is displayed in a first portion <NUM> of the display of the electronic device <NUM> according to a sliding operation for expansion, graphic objects representing a plurality of candidate applications based on application attribute information may be displayed in the expanded area. If a selection input <NUM> for any one of the graphic objects representing the plurality of candidate applications is detected, the electronic device <NUM> may display the application execution screen corresponding to the selected object in the expanded portion <NUM> according to the sliding operation as illustrated in <NUM>. In this case, the first application may be an application that is resizable and supports multi-instance. For example, if the first application is the same application (e.g., Internet application) as the application corresponding to the selected object, the electronic device <NUM> may the execution screen of the corresponding application in each of the areas into which the entire display area is split in the same size.

For example, if the first application is an Internet application, and the application corresponding to the selected object is an application with the video attribute <NUM>, it may be displayed as illustrated in <NUM>. For example, the execution screens of the applications may be displayed in the upper area and lower area of the reference line crossing the display to play content corresponding to the application with the video attribute <NUM>. In this case, since the application with the video attribute may have a higher priority than the Internet application, it may be disposed in the larger of two division areas.

For example, in a case where the first application is an Internet application, and the application corresponding to the selected object is a message application, it may be displayed as illustrated in <NUM> if the frequently used application attribute information is used. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may control to dispose the execution screen of the more frequently used application in the larger area <NUM> and the execution screen of the less frequently used application in the narrower area <NUM>.

For example, in a case where the first application is an Internet application, and the application corresponding to the selected object is a note application, if application attribute information with the priority of the productivity category attribute is used, the execution screen of the note application with the priority of the productivity category attribute may be displayed overlaid in a pop-up window <NUM> while the execution screen of the Internet application is displayed in the entire display area <NUM> as illustrated in <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example two-division screen display scheme according to various embodiments. In a case where two or more applications are simultaneously displayed as illustrated in <FIG>, they may be displayed in various manners based on application attribute information.

For example, if the productivity category attribute value has a higher priority, the execution screen of the application with higher priority may be disposed in the form of a pop-up window as illustrated in <NUM>. Further, as illustrated in <NUM>, if the video attribute value has a higher priority, the execution screens of the applications may be displayed in each of the upper area and the lower area of the reference line crossing the display. Similarly, as illustrated in <NUM>, if the game attribute value has a higher priority, the execution screens of the applications may be displayed in each of the upper area and the lower area of the reference line crossing the display. Further, as illustrated in <NUM>, if the frequently used application attribute value has a higher priority, the execution screen of the frequently used application may be first disposed in the larger area among the areas having different division sizes. As illustrated in <NUM>, if the application does not have an attribute corresponding to the application attribute information or the priorities between the applications are the same, the execution screens of the applications may be arranged in each area split into the same size by the default scheme.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example three-division screen display based on application attribute information, according to various embodiments. Albeit similar to <FIG>, <FIG> illustrates an example in which the execution screens <NUM> and <NUM> of two applications are displayed in the first area of the display.

As illustrated in <NUM>, while the execution screen of a first application and the execution screen of a second application are displayed in a first portion <NUM> of the display of the electronic device <NUM> according to a sliding operation for expansion, graphic objects representing a plurality of candidate applications based on application attribute information may be displayed in the expanded area. If a selection input for any one graphic object <NUM> is detected, the electronic device <NUM> may set three or more screen division areas in the entire screen of the display in response to the selection of the graphic object. For example, as illustrated in <NUM>, the entire display screen may be set to have a plurality of division areas <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, and the execution screens of the applications may be arranged in each of the division areas based on application attribute information.

For example, as illustrated in <NUM>, if a selection for executing a new Internet application is input while two Internet applications are running, the execution screens of the Internet application may be arranged in the respective division areas. On the other hand, as illustrated in <NUM>, if the application with the video attribute is selected while two Internet applications are running, the execution screen of the application with the video attribute may be disposed in the broadest, horizontal division area <NUM>, and the execution screens of the two Internet applications may be disposed in the respective remaining areas <NUM> and <NUM>.

Further, as illustrated in <NUM>, if a message application is selected while two Internet applications are running, the execution screens of the applications may be arranged in each division area <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> based on the priority of frequent use. Further, as illustrated in <NUM>, if the application corresponding to the selected object is a note application, the execution screen of the note application may be preferentially displayed based on the priority of the productivity category attribute. For example, the execution screen of the note application may be disposed in the pop-up window <NUM> and may be overlaid on the execution screens <NUM> and <NUM> of the other running Internet applications.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example three-division screen display scheme according to various embodiments. If three or more applications are simultaneously displayed as illustrated in <FIG>, various display schemes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM> may be determined based on application attribute information, but display schemes may not be limited thereto.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example multi-window screen scheme of three or more divisions, according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may set a first area and a second area on the display and may display a graphic element related to a first application (e.g., application A) in the first area and a graphic element related to a second application (e.g., application B) in the second area. Accordingly, the electronic device <NUM> may simultaneously display the execution screen <NUM> of the first application (e.g., application A) and the execution screen <NUM> of the second application (e.g., application B) in the closed state of the display.

As described above, a sliding operation may be detected while the first application (e.g., application A) and the second application (e.g., application B) are running. In a case where the sliding operation is a partial sliding operation, in response to the sliding operation, the electronic device <NUM> may identify at least one executable application based on application attribute information in an area expanded by the sliding distance and may display at least one object representing the identified application in the expanded area. For example, if a user input for simultaneously selecting a plurality of objects <NUM> and <NUM> is detected, the electronic device may determine a display scheme based on attribute information for the running applications (e.g., applications A and B) and attribute information for the application corresponding to the selected object.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may arrange the respective execution screens (or execution windows) of the applications on the entire display area as illustrated in <FIG>. For example, in a case where the entire display screen is split into a plurality of areas, the electronic device <NUM> may adjust the window (or pop-up window) of each application to match each division area.

According to an embodiment, in a case where there are three or more division areas, the electronic device <NUM> may display at least one application in the form of a pop-up window as illustrated in <FIG>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the window of at least one application may be displayed in an overlaid manner. In this case, for an application (e.g., video application) based on the application attribute information, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application in a larger areas among the division areas. For example, if there is an application with the video attribute based on attribute information for the running applications (e.g., applications A and B) and the attribute information for the application corresponding to the selected object, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the application in an area larger than the other areas, e.g., an area having a proportion considering horizontal content characteristics.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example option display scheme for a selection input, according to various embodiments. <FIG> illustrates an example scheme for displaying at least one graphic object displayed in an expanded area of a display in response to a sliding operation.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may display a list of at least one overlapping object. The at least one object may be a graphic object representing at least one executable application based on application attribute information. For example, the user may select a desired object from among the objects displayed like spines of books.

The electronic device <NUM> may arrange the at least one graphic object in the expanded area of the display in various fashions, such as tabs (or indexes) <NUM>, a searchable form <NUM>, icons <NUM> representing applications, or displaying (<NUM>) icons indicating the attributes of applications along with previews of the applications.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example screen display when an object representing a first application is selected, according to various embodiments.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, while a first screen is being displayed in a first area of the display, the electronic device <NUM> may control the display operation of the display by a slide operation. For example, in a state where the execution screen of an application is being displayed in the first area, the electronic device <NUM> may display at least one graphic object in the expanded area of the display in response to the sliding operation.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify a first input for an object corresponding to a first application among at least one graphic object. For example, the first input for the object corresponding to the first application may include a long press input. In response to the first input for the object corresponding to the first application, the electronic device <NUM> may provide thumbnail playback through the preview for the first application (e.g., video application) corresponding to the selected object as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may immediately execute the first application (e.g., a video application) in response to the selection of the object.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify a second input for an object corresponding to the first application among at least one graphic object. For example, the second input for the object corresponding to the first application may include at least one of a double tap input and hovering. In response to the second input for the object corresponding to the first application, the electronic device <NUM> may display the first application (e.g., video application) corresponding to the selected object in a multi-window form (or a pop-up window form) as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. In this case, if the running application (e.g., application A) has a higher priority than the first application (e.g., video application), the electronic device <NUM> may preferentially display the execution screen of the first application (e.g., video application) over the execution screen of the application (e.g., application A) as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. As such, the electronic device <NUM> may provide an application in various fashions, such as previewing or immediate execution depending on the type of the input for the object.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example screen display when an object representing a second application is selected, according to various embodiments.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, in a state in which at least one graphic object is displayed in the expanded area of the display in response to a sliding operation while a first screen is displayed in a first area of the display, the electronic device <NUM> may identify a first input for an object corresponding to a second application among at least one graphic object. If the second application is an email application, the electronic device <NUM> may provide a separate new window for a new email as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. In contrast, the electronic device <NUM> may display the execution screen of the running application (e.g., application A) along with the execution screen of the second application corresponding to the object, with the frequently used application prioritized as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, in response to a second input for the object corresponding to the second application among at least one graphic object. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may previously measure the use frequency of each application to determine the priorities of the frequently used applications and, in response to the selection, determine the priorities based on the use frequency of the second application (e.g., email application) and the running application (e.g., application A).

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating example screen display when an object representing a third application is selected, according to various embodiments.

As illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, in a state in which at least one graphic object is displayed in the expanded area of the display in response to a sliding operation while a first screen is displayed in a first area of the display, the electronic device <NUM> may identify a first input for an object corresponding to a third application among at least one graphic object. For example, if the third application is a game application, the electronic device <NUM> may preview the last execution screen for the game application in response to a first input for the object, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>. Further, as illustrated in <NUM> of <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may provide a preview of the third application in an overlaid form based on priority in response to a second input for the object. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the priority based on attribute information for the running application (e.g., application A) and the third application (e.g., game application) corresponding to the object. According to an embodiment, the priority may be determined, e.g., in the order of an application having the video attribute, an application having the game attribute, an application having the productivity category attribute, a frequently used application, and other applications. As such, for an application having a purpose of use, such as playing video or game, the electronic device <NUM> may assign a higher priority than the other applications and display an execution screen having the higher priority, overlaid on other execution screens. Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may display the higher-priority execution screen to occupy a larger area in the entire display area as compared to the other execution screens.

The electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosure may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, a home appliance, or the like.

It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term "operatively" or "communicatively", as "coupled with," "coupled to," "connected with," or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

Wherein, the "non-transitory" storage medium is a tangible device, and may not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

Some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in different components.

Claim 1:
An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display (<NUM>), and
at least one processor (<NUM>), and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display (<NUM>) an execution screen of a first application in a first area (<NUM>) of the display in a first position state (<NUM>),
expand (<NUM>) the display to include the first area (<NUM>) and a second area (<NUM>), in response to a switch from the first position state to a second position state (<NUM>),
based on the display being expanded, identify (<NUM>) whether the first application is a resizable application based on attribute information for the first application;
display (<NUM>), in the second area, at least one object representing an executable application based on application attribute information, based on the display being expanded, and
display (<NUM>), on the expanded display, the execution screen of the first application together with an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected object, in response to selection of any one of the at least one object.