Display device, electronic device, and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10613586-B2
Application number	US-201615559075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A display region of an electronic device is enlarged. Alternatively, a display region of an electronic device is protected. Alternatively, a display device for extending a display region is provided. A system includes an electronic device including a first display portion positioned on a first surface including an upper surface of a housing and a second display portion positioned on a second surface including a first side surface of the housing, and a display device including a third display portion positioned on a third surface of a support portion and a connection portion having a function of connecting with the housing and a function of reversibly changing the relative positions of the support portion and the housing between a first configuration and a second configuration. The first configuration is a configuration in which the support portion covers the first display portion such that the second display portion is visible. The second configuration is a configuration in which the support portion and the housing are opened such that the first display portion, the second display portion, and the third display portion are visible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display device attachable to an electronic device,
wherein the electronic device includes a housing,
wherein the housing includes a first display portion and a second display portion,
wherein the first display portion is positioned on an upper surface of the housing,
wherein the second display portion is positioned on a first side surface of the housing,
wherein the display device includes a support portion, a connection portion, and a third display portion,
wherein the third display portion is positioned on a first region of the support portion,
wherein the connection portion is positioned on a first end portion of the display device,
wherein the connection portion is configured to connect to a region of the housing and reversibly change relative positions of the support portion and the housing between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein the support portion has a second region which transmits visible light and is positioned adjacent to a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the display device,
wherein, in the first configuration, the second region of the support portion covers the first side surface of the housing such that the second display portion is visible through the second region of the support portion,
wherein, in the first configuration, the third display portion is positioned between the first display portion and the first region of the support portion, and
wherein, in the second configuration, the support portion does not cover the first display portion and the second display portion such that the first display portion, the second display portion, and the third display portion are visible.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first configuration, the first display portion and the third display portion are positioned to face each other between the housing and the first region of the support portion.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion is flexible and allows the third display portion to be bent.

4. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection portion is flexible, and
wherein the relative positions of the support portion and the housing are reversibly changed between the first configuration and the second configuration by bending the connection portion.

5. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection portion includes a hinge structure with two or more rotation axes, and
wherein the hinge structure enables the relative positions of the support portion and the housing to be reversibly changed between the first configuration and the second configuration.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the connection portion includes a reception portion supplied with power and a signal from the housing.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein the reception portion is supplied with the power and the signal wirelessly.

8. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the connection portion has a region being magnetically attachable to and detachable from the region of the housing.

9. An electronic device to which a display device is attachable,
wherein the electronic device includes a housing,
wherein the housing includes a first display portion and a second display portion,
wherein the first display portion is positioned on an upper surface of the housing,
wherein the second display portion is positioned on a first side surface of the housing,
wherein the display device includes a support portion, a connection portion, and a third display portion,
wherein the third display portion is positioned on a first region of the support portion,
wherein the connection portion is positioned on a first end portion of the display device,
wherein the connection portion is configured to connect to a region of the housing and reversibly change relative positions of the support portion and the housing between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein the support portion has a second region which transmits visible light and is positioned adjacent to a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the display device,
wherein, in the first configuration, the second region of the support portion covers the first side surface of the housing such that the second display portion is visible through the second region of the support portion,
wherein, in the first configuration, the third display portion is positioned between the first display portion and the first region of the support portion, and
wherein, in the second configuration, the support portion does not cover the first display portion and the second display portion such that the first display portion, the second display portion, and the third display portion are visible.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the region of the housing is located on a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the housing.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are constituted by one display panel, and
wherein the second display portion includes a curved portion.

12. The electronic device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the housing includes a support mechanism, and
wherein, in the second configuration, the support mechanism is configured to support the support portion such that the first display portion and the third display portion are at a predetermined angle.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein the support mechanism includes a lock mechanism such that the relative positions of the housing and the support portion include a plurality of stable positions.

14. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a transmission portion for supplying power and a signal to the connection portion.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the transmission portion supplies the power and the signal from the housing wirelessly.

16. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the region of the housing and the connection portion includes a magnet.

17. A system comprising an electronic device and a display device attachable to the electronic device,
wherein the electronic device includes a housing,
wherein the housing includes a first display portion and a second display portion,
wherein the first display portion is positioned on an upper surface of the housing,
wherein the second display portion is positioned on a first side surface of the housing,
wherein the display device includes a support portion, a connection portion, and a third display portion,
wherein the third display portion is positioned on a first region of the support portion,
wherein the connection portion is positioned on a first end portion of the display device,
wherein the connection portion is configured to connect to a region of the housing and reversibly change relative positions of the support portion and the housing between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein the support portion has a second region which transmits visible light and is positioned adjacent to a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the display device,
wherein, in the first configuration, the second region of the support portion covers the first side surface of the housing such that the second display portion is visible through the second region of the support portion,
wherein, in the first configuration, the third display por

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Yamazaki Shunpei

Classifications

• H05B33/26

  characterised by the composition or arrangement of the conductive material used as an electrode · CPC title

• G06F1/162

  changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user · CPC title

• G06F1/1622

  with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure · CPC title

• G02F1/1334

  based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals · CPC title

• H04M1/02

  Constructional features of telephone sets · CPC title