Flexible display apparatus and method of providing user interface by using the same

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus and a method of displaying a User Interface (UI) are provided. The flexible display apparatus includes an exposed area determining unit for determining an exposed screen area facing outwards with respect to the flexible display apparatus; a User Interface (UI) generating unit for generating a UI corresponding to the outwardly facing exposed screen area; and a display unit for displaying the generated UI on the outwardly facing exposed screen area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flexible display apparatus comprising:
 an exposed area determining unit for determining an exposed screen area facing outwards with respect to the flexible display apparatus;   a User Interface (UI) generating unit for generating a UI corresponding to the outwardly facing exposed screen area; and   a display unit for displaying the generated UI on the outwardly facing exposed screen area.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the UI generating unit generates the UI according to a size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the UI generating unit changes at least one of a type and a number of at least one object included in the UI according to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the object includes at least one of an image, a text, a font, an icon, and a list of contents that are included in the UI. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the UI generating unit adds a tool for controlling a screen to the UI according to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the UI generating unit generates the UI in stages according to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit enlarges or reduces the generated UI based on the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the exposed area sensing unit successively senses a variation in size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area, and the display unit successively enlarges or reduces the generated UI. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein when the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the display unit displays a UI different from the enlarged or reduced UI. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the exposed area sensing unit senses the exposed screen area by using at least one of a photo sensor and a piezoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A method of displaying a user interface (UI) using a flexible display apparatus, the method comprising:
 determining an exposed screen area facing outwards with respect to the flexible display apparatus; and   displaying a UI corresponding to the outwardly facing exposed screen area on the exposed screen area.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the UI includes at least one of a type and a number of at least one object comprised in the UI that are changed according to a size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the object includes at least one of an image, a text, a font, an icon, and a list of contents that are comprised in the UI. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the UI further includes a tool for controlling a screen according to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the UI is generated in stages according to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein displaying the UI comprises enlarging or reducing the UI based on the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein sensing the exposed screen area comprises successively sensing a variation in size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area, and the displaying of the UI comprises successively enlarging or reducing the generated UI based on the variation in size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein displaying the UI comprises displaying, when the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, displaying a UI different from the enlarged or reduced UI. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sensing the outwardly facing exposed screen area comprises sensing the exposed screen area by using at least one of a photo sensor and a piezoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 requesting a server to provide the UI corresponding to the size of the outwardly facing exposed screen area; and   receiving the requested UI from the server,   wherein the displaying of the UI comprises displaying the received UI on the screen.   
     
     
         21 . A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for displaying a User Interface (UI) using a flexible display apparatus, the method comprising:
 determining an exposed screen area facing outwards with respect to the flexible display apparatus; and   displaying a UI corresponding to the outwardly facing exposed screen area on the exposed screen area.