Method and device for controlling screen viewing angle and flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11334150-B2
Application number	US-201816321585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and a device for controlling a screen viewing angle, and a flexible display device. The control method comprises: capturing one or more observers whose sight lines fall within a display area of a flexible screen; determining one or more viewing angles of the one or more observers relative to the display area; determining a curling angle based on the one or more viewing angles; and controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a screen viewing angle, comprising:
capturing one or more observers whose sight lines fall within a display area of a flexible screen;
determining one or more viewing angles of the one or more observers relative to the display area;
determining a curling angle based on the one or more viewing angles; and
controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle,
wherein the viewing angle is a viewing angle of a first target observer among the observers, who needs to be shielded, relative to the display area; and
wherein the controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle comprises: controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle such that the viewing angle is not within a range of angles at which contents of the display area are visible,
wherein the determining the one or more viewing angles of the one or more observers relative to the display area comprises:
determining the first target observer among the observers, who needs to be shielded, if a current number of the observers whose sight lines fall within the display area is greater than a predetermined threshold; and
determining a viewing angle of the first target observer relative to the display area.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the capturing the one or more observers whose sight lines fall within the display area of the flexible screen comprises: capturing the one or more observers whose sight lines fall within the display area of the flexible screen based on a human eye recognition technique and/or a face recognition technique.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to the controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle, the method further comprises: determining a viewing position of the first target observer relative to the display area; and
the controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle comprises: controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle in a direction corresponding to the viewing position.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle comprises:
controlling a short side of the flexible screen to be curled upwards in a counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling the short side of the flexible screen to be curled upwards in a clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling the short side of the flexible screen to be curled downwards in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling the short side of the flexible screen to be curled downwards in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling a long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the left in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the left in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
controlling the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the right in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle; or
controlling the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the right in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle.

5. A device for controlling a screen viewing angle, comprising:
a capturing circuit configured to capture one or more observers whose sight lines fall within a display area of a flexible screen;
a viewing angle determining circuit configured to determine one or more viewing angles of the one or more observers relative to the display area;
a curling angle determining circuit configured to determine a curling angle based on the one or more viewing angles; and
a control circuit configured to control the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle,
wherein the viewing angle is a viewing angle of a first target observer among the observers, who needs to be shielded, relative to the display area; and
wherein the control circuit is configured to control the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle such that the viewing angle is not within a range of angles at which contents of the display area are visible,
wherein the viewing angle determining circuit comprises:
a first determining sub-circuit configured to determine the first target observer among the observers, who needs to be shielded, if a current number of the observers whose sight lines fall within the display area is greater than a predetermined threshold; and
a second determining sub-circuit configured to determine a viewing angle of the first target observer relative to the display area.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
control a short side of the flexible screen to be curled upwards in a counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control the short side of the flexible screen to be curled upwards in a clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control the short side of the flexible screen to be curled downwards in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control the short side of the flexible screen to be curled downwards in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control a long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the left in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the left in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle;
control the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the right in the counterclockwise direction according to the curling angle; or
control the long side of the flexible screen to be curled to the right in the clockwise direction according to the curling angle.

7. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible screen;
a device for controlling a screen viewing angle, including: a capturing circuit configured to capture one or more observers whose sight lines fall within a display area of a flexible screen; a viewing angle determining circuit configured to determine one or more viewing angles of the one or more observers relative to the display area; a curling angle determining circuit configured to determine a curling angle based on the one or more viewing angles; and a control circuit configured to control the flexible screen to be curled according to the curling angle; and
one or more deformation units disposed on the flexible screen,
wherein the control circuit of the device is configured to generate an excitation source for exciting the one or more deformation units according to a curling angle, and the one or more deformation units are deformed under the control of the excitation source such that the flexible screen is curled according to the curling angle,
wherein the deformation unit includes a magnetorheological fluid, and the excitation source is a magnetic field.

8. The flexible display device according to claim 7 , wherein the deformation unit is an elastic cavity, and the control circuit comprises:
a storage chamber in which gas or liquid is stored and which is connected to the elastic cavity; and
one or more micro-motors provided corresponding to the one or more elastic cavities and configured to extract the gas or liquid from the storage chamber and convey the extracted gas or liquid to the one or more elastic cavities.

9. The flexible display device according to claim 8 , wherein the elastic cavity is a transparent elastic cavity.

10. The flexible display device according to claim 8 , wherein the storage chamber is connected to the one

Assignees

• Chengdu Boe Optoelect Tech Co
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Xiaorui
• Wang Zhouping
• Wang Tao

Classifications

• G06F2200/1612

  Flat panel monitor · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• H04N5/64

  Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers (furniture aspects {of television cabinets} A47B81/06) · CPC title

• G06F1/1605

  Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones · CPC title