Determination of a flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143497-B2
Application number	US-201715712225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, an electronic device and a computer program for determining bending of a flexible display. The flexible display comprises two parallel capacitive layers and an isolator layer between the two parallel capacitive layers, wherein each capacitive layer comprises multiple capacitive electrodes pairs. The method measures capacitance values of the capacitive electrodes pairs. And then the method determines the bending of the flexible display based on the result of measurement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining bending of a flexible display screen of an electronic device, wherein the flexible display screen comprises two parallel capacitive layers and an isolator layer between the two parallel capacitive layers, wherein the two parallel capacitive layers include a first capacitive layer and a second capacitive layer, both of which comprise multiple capacitive electrodes pairs, the method comprising:
measuring capacitance values of a capacitive electrodes pair in a first capacitive layer compared with that of a corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in a second capacitive layer, wherein the corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer and the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer are aligned relative to a same position on the isolator layer in an unbended state of the electronic device, and measuring capacitance values of individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer and the corresponding individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer; and
determining the bending of the flexible display screen based on the:
measured capacitance values of the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer compared with that of the corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer; and
measured capacitance values of the individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer compared with that of the corresponding individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining a bending direction of the flexible display screen by comparing a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer with that of a corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining a bending shape of the flexible display screen by comparing capacitance values between adjacent capacitive electrodes pairs.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining extent of bending by comparing capacitance values of the same capacitive electrodes pair at different times.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
excluding an abnormal point where a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair is changed because of a finger touch.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein excluding an abnormal point comprises:
determining a point as an abnormal point if a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair corresponding to the point is different than that of all surrounding points.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein excluding an abnormal point comprises:
determining a point as a normal point if a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair corresponding to the point is the same as capacitance values of multiple other capacitive electrodes pairs located in the same line passing through the point.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
performing a further action on the electronic device based on the determination of bending.

9. An electronic device, comprising a flexible display screen, wherein the flexible display screen comprises:
two parallel capacitive layers, including a first capacitive layer and a second capacitive layer, both of which comprise multiple capacitive electrodes pairs, and an isolator layer between the two parallel capacitive layers, and wherein capacitance values of a capacitive electrodes pair in a first capacitive layer are compared with that of a corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in a second capacitive layer, wherein the corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer and the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer are aligned relative to a same position on the isolator layer in an unbended state of the electronic device, and wherein capacitance values of individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer are compared with that of the corresponding individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer, wherein bending of the flexible display screen is determined based on the:
compared capacitance values of the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer with that of the corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer; and
compared capacitance values of the individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer with that of the corresponding individual capacitive electrodes within the capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein determine the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining a bending direction of the flexible display screen by comparing a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair in the first capacitive layer with a capacitance value of a corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in the second capacitive layer.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein determining the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining a bending shape of the flexible display screen by comparing capacitance values between adjacent capacitive electrodes pairs.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein determine the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
determining extent of bending by comparing capacitance values of the same capacitive electrodes pair at different times.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein determine the bending of the flexible display screen comprises:
excluding an abnormal point where a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair is changed because of a finger touch.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein excluding an abnormal point comprises:
determining a point as an abnormal point if a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair corresponding to the point is different than capacitance values of all surrounding points.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein excluding an abnormal point comprises:
determining a point as a normal point if a capacitance value of a capacitive electrodes pair corresponding to the point is the same as capacitance values of multiple other capacitive electrodes pairs located in the same line passing through the point.

16. A computer program product for determining bending of a flexible display screen of an electronic device, wherein the flexible display screen comprises two parallel capacitive layers and an isolator layer between the two parallel capacitive layers, wherein the two parallel capacitive layers include a first capacitive layer and a second capacitive layer, both of which comprise multiple capacitive electrodes pairs, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a computer to cause the computer to:
measure capacitance values of a capacitive electrodes pair in a first capacitive layer compared with that of a corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in a second capacitive layer, wherein the corresponding capacitive electrodes pair in th

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cao Ying
• Su Jun
• Xia Yin
• Yin Ting

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G01B7/22 Primary

  using change in capacitance · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title