Flexible display device and method of controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241542-B2
Application number	US-201314419130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A flexible display device is provided. The flexible display device includes: a display; a sensor configured to detect at least one rolling characteristic in response to the display being rolled; and a controller configured to perform a first function of the flexible display device based on the detected at least one rolling characteristic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a display;
a sensor configured to detect at least two rolling characteristics in response to the display being rolled, the at least two rolling characteristics comprising a rolling diameter and a rolling area of the display; and
a controller configured to, in response to the display being entirely and first multiple times rolled into a cylindrical shape to have a first rolling diameter smaller than a first threshold value, perform a first function of the flexible display device and display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first function on the display, and in response to the display being entirely and second multiple times rolled into the cylindrical shape to have a second rolling diameter smaller than a second threshold value, perform a second function of the flexible display device different from the first function and display a second UI corresponding to the second function on the display,
wherein the first rolling diameter depending on the first multiple times rolled display is different from the second rolling diameter depending on the second multiple times rolled display,
wherein the first UI is different from the second UI,
and
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to rolling the entire area of the display, change a first screen mode of the display to a second screen mode of the display.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the display is rolled based on one axis.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein:
upon a condition that the display comprises a plurality of rolling areas, the sensor detects rolling diameters respectively corresponding to at least one from among the plurality of rolling areas; and
upon a condition that the display is rolled, and at least one from among the rolling diameters respectively corresponding to at least one from among the plurality of rolling areas is changed, the controller performs a third function corresponding to the changed at least one from among the rolling diameters.

4. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein in response to at least a partial area of the display being exposed based on a manipulation of unrolling the display, the controller reconstitutes an image according to a size of the exposed partial area to display the reconstituted image in the exposed partial area.

5. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising a main body, wherein the display is operable to be pulled out of the main body.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises at least one from among bend sensors, strain gauges, and acceleration sensors to determine a degree of rolling in which the display has been rolled.

7. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein if the display is partially rolled, a portion of the display that is not rolled comprises a display surface of an image or moving image.

8. A method of controlling a flexible display device, the method comprising:
detecting at least two rolling characteristics in response to a display of the flexible display device being rolled, the at least two rolling characteristics comprising a rolling diameter and a rolling area of the display; and
performing a first function of the flexible display device and displaying a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first function on the display in response to the display being entirely and first multiple times rolled into a cylindrical shape to have a first rolling diameter smaller than a first threshold value, and performing a second function of the flexible display device and displaying a second UI corresponding to the second function on the display in response to the display being entirely and second multiple times rolled into the cylindrical shape to have a second rolling diameter smaller than a second threshold value,
wherein the first rolling diameter depending on the first multiple times rolled display is different from the second rolling diameter depending on the second multiple times rolled display,
wherein the first UI is different from the second UI,
and
wherein the method further comprises, in response to rolling the entire area of the display, changing a first screen mode of the display to a second screen mode of the display.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the display is rolled based on one axis.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
upon a condition that the display comprises a plurality of rolling areas, detecting rolling diameters respectively corresponding to the plurality of rolling areas; and
upon a condition that the display is rolled and at least one from among the rolling diameters respectively corresponding to at least one from among the plurality of rolling areas is changed, performing a third function corresponding to the changed at least one from among the plurality of rolling diameters.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible display device comprises a main body, wherein the display is operable to be pulled out of the main body.

12. A flexible display device comprising:
a display;
a sensor configured to detect at least two rolling characteristics comprising a rolling area of the display and one of a twisting characteristic, a bending characteristic, and a folding characteristic when the display is one of rolled, twisted, bent, and folded; and
a controller configured to, in response to the display being entirely and first multiple times rolled into a cylindrical shape to have a first rolling diameter smaller than a first threshold value, perform a first function of the flexible display device and display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first function on the display, and in response to the display being entirely and second multiple times rolled into the cylindrical shape to have a second rolling diameter smaller than a second threshold value, perform a second function of the flexible display device and display a second UI corresponding to the second function on the display,
wherein the first rolling diameter depending on the first multiple times rolled display is different from the second rolling diameter depending on the second multiple times rolled display,
wherein the first UI is different from the second UI, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to rolling the entire area of the display, change a first screen mode of the display to a second screen mode of the display.

13. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein if the display is partially twisted, partially bent, or partially folded, a portion of the display that is not twisted, bent, or folded comprises a display surface of an image or moving image.

14. A system, the system comprising a flexible display device and a support unit, the flexible display device comprising:
a display;
a sensor configured to detect at least two rolling characteristics in response to the display being rolled, the at least two rolling characteristic characteristics comprising a rolling diameter and a rolling area of the display; and
a controller configured to, in response to the display being entirely and first multiple times rolled into a cylindrical shape to have a first rolling diameter smaller than a first threshold value, perform a first function of the flexible display device and display a first user interface (UI) corresponding to the first function on the display, and in response to the display being entirely and second multiple times rolled into the cylindrical shape to have a second rolling diameter smaller than a second threshold value, perform a second function of the f

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwak Ji-Yeon
• Kang Kyung-A
• Kim Hyun-Jin
• Kumar Nipun
• Lee Chang-Soo

Classifications

• G09G2300/023

  Display panel composed of stacked panels · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G09G2320/08

  Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal · CPC title

• G09G2380/02

  Flexible displays · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title