Flexible display apparatus and method for providing UI thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10019052-B2
Application number	US-201313858347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	Apr 8, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus and control method thereof is provided. The flexible display apparatus may include a display, a sensor that senses one of a first deformed shape of the flexible display apparatus and a second deformed shape of the flexible display apparatus, and a controller which controls the display to display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first sensed shape in response to sensing the first shape and a second user interface corresponding to the second sensed shape in response to sensing the second shape, receives an input on the displayed UI, and transmits a control signal to a controlled apparatus that instructs the controlled apparatus to execute a function of the controlled apparatus corresponding to the input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display apparatus comprising:
a flexible display;
a sensor that detects a deformed shape of the flexible display; and
a controller that, if the flexible display is deformed to a first deformed shape, controls the flexible display to display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first deformed shape for controlling a first controlled device, if a user input for changing a controlled device to a second controlled device is received and the flexible display is deformed from the first deformed shape to a second deformed shape, display a second UI corresponding to the second deformed shape for controlling the second controlled device,
wherein the controller is configured to display the first UI on a first screen of the flexible display determined according to the first deformed shape, and display the second UI on a second screen of the flexible display determined according to the second deformed shape, and
wherein a size of the first screen is different from a size of the second screen.

2. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication unit that is controlled by the controller to transmit a first control signal to the first controlled device that instructs the first controlled device to execute a first function in response to receiving a first input on the displayed first UI and a second control signal to the second controlled device that instructs the second controlled device to execute a second function in response to receiving a second input on the displayed second UI.

3. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communication unit transmits first information corresponding to the first deformed shape to the first controlled device or second information corresponding to the second deformed shape to the second controlled device and receives a response that indicates one of the first UI or the second UI to be displayed on the flexible display.

4. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the response further indicates a configuration of the one of the first UI and the second UI to be displayed on the flexible display.

5. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communication unit transmits the one of the first deformed shape and the second deformed shape sensed by the sensor to the one of the first controlled device and the second controlled device and receives a response from the one of the first controlled device and the second controlled device that indicates one of the first UI and the second UI to be displayed on the flexible display and a type of content reproduced by the one of the first controlled device and the second controlled device, and
wherein the controller selects one of the first UI and the second UI based on the type of content reproduced by the controlled device and controls the flexible display to display the selected one of the first UI and the second UI.

6. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communication unit receives an event signal that indicates a change in content reproduced by the one of the first controlled device and the second controlled device, and
wherein the controller controls the display to display one of the first UI and the second UI based on the change in content.

7. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communication unit transmits the one of the first deformed shape and the second deformed shape sensed by the sensor to a server and receives a response from the server that indicates one of the first UI and the second UI to be displayed on the flexible display.

8. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses a change of shape of the flexible display from the one of the first deformed shape and the second deformed shape to a new shape, and
wherein the controller controls the flexible display to change a displayed UI based on the new shape.

9. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first UI comprises a touch interface controlling a cursor displayed on the first controlled device and the second UI comprises a keyboard interface controlling entry of keyboard data to the second controlled device.

10. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first deformed shape comprises one of a rolled shape, a bent shape, and a folded shape and the second deformed shape comprises one of the rolled shape, the bent shape, and the folded shape different from the first deformed shape.

11. The flexible display apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first deformed shape is the bent shape having a first degree of bending and the second deformed shape is the bent shape having a second degree of bending.

12. A flexible display apparatus comprising:
a flexible display;
a sensor that senses one of (i) a first deformed shape of the flexible display and (ii) a second deformed shape of the flexible display;
a controller that (i) controls the flexible display to display (a) a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first deformed shape in response to sensing the first deformed shape and (b) a second UI corresponding to the second deformed shape in response to sensing the second deformed shape, (ii) receives an input on one of the first UI and the second UI that is displayed, and (iii) transmits a control signal to a controlled apparatus that instructs the controlled apparatus to execute a function of the controlled apparatus corresponding to the input; and
a communication unit that is controlled by the controller to transmit the control signal to the controlled apparatus,
wherein the communication unit receives a signal from the controlled apparatus to deform the flexible display to one of the first deformed shape and the second deformed shape,
wherein the controller controls the flexible display to deform the flexible display to be the one of the first deformed shape and the second deformed shape,
wherein the controller is configured to display the first UI on a first screen of the flexible display determined according to the first deformed shape, and display the second UI on a second screen of the flexible display determined according to the second deformed shape, and
wherein a size of the first screen is different from a size of the second screen.

13. A method of controlling a flexible display apparatus, the method comprising:
detecting a deformed shape of a flexible display of the flexible display apparatus;
displaying on a first screen of the flexible display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to a first deformed shape in response to detecting the first deformed shape for controlling a first controlled device, wherein the first screen is determined according to the first deformed shape; and
if a user input for changing a controlled device to a second controlled device is received and the flexible display is deformed from the first deformed shape to a second deformed shape, displaying on a second screen of the flexible display a second UI corresponding to the second deformed shape for controlling the second controlled device, wherein the second screen is determined according to the second deformed shape, and a size of the first screen is different from a size of the second screen.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
transmitting first information corresponding to the first deformed shape to the first controlled device or second information corresponding to the second deformed shape to the second controlled device; and
receiving a response that indicates one of the f

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Geun-Ho
• Lee Moon-Joo
• Lee Han-Sung
• Lee Chang-Soo
• Kang Kyung-A

Classifications

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• H04N21/4312

  involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title