Display device with flexible display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12488709-B2
Application number	US-201917758249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. The display device according to the present disclosure may include: a flexible display panel; a module cover which is disposed at a rear of the display panel; a roller on or from which the display panel and the module cover are wound or unwound; a sensor which is disposed adjacent to the display panel and the module cover so as to sense movements of the display panel and the module cover; and a controller which controls a degree of winding or unwinding of the display panel and the module cover on or from the roller based on information on the movements acquired by the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a display panel that is flexible; a module cover which is disposed at a rear of the display panel; a roller on or from which the display panel and the module cover are configured to be wound or unwound; a sensor which is disposed adjacent to the display panel and the module cover to sense movements of the display panel and the module cover; and a controller configured to control a degree of winding or unwinding of the display panel and the module cover on or from the roller based on information regarding the movements sensed by the sensor.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises:
a light emitting portion configured to emit light toward the display panel and the module cover; and a light receiving portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting portion and reflected by at least one of the display panel or the module cover, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the degree of winding or unwinding of the display panel and the module cover on or from the roller, based on a reflectance ratio which is a proportion of the light received by the light receiving portion to the light emitted by the light emitting portion.

3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein, upon receiving an unrolling mode signal to unwind the display panel and the module cover from the roller, the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover so that the module cover is unwound from the roller, and stop the movement of the module cover when a target unrolling point of the module cover is sensed by the sensor based on a first reflectance ratio corresponding to the target unrolling point.

4 . The display device of claim 3 , wherein, upon receiving a rolling mode signal to wind the display panel and the module cover around the roller, the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover so that the module cover is wound around the roller, and stop the movement of the module cover when a target rolling point of the module cover is sensed by the sensor based on a second reflectance ratio corresponding to the target rolling point.

5 . The display device of claim 4 ,
wherein, upon receiving the rolling mode signal while the movement of the module cover is adjusted in response to the unrolling mode signal, the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover so that the module cover is wound around the roller as much as the module cover was moved in response to the unrolling mode signal, and wherein, upon receiving the unrolling mode signal while the movement of the module cover is adjusted in response to the rolling mode signal, the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover so that the module cover is unwound from the roller as much as the module cover was moved in response to the rolling mode signal.

6 . The display device of claim 4 , wherein the first reflectance ratio corresponding to the target unrolling point of the module cover and the second reflectance ratio corresponding to the target rolling point of the module cover are different from a reflectance ratio corresponding to other points of the module cover.

7 . The display device of claim 4 ,
wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor adjacent to respective first ends of the display panel and the module cover with respect to a lengthwise direction of the roller, and a second sensor adjacent to respective second ends of the display panel and the module cover with respect to the lengthwise direction of the roller, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust movement of the first end and the second end of the module cover so that the first sensor and the second sensor each detects a same change in reflectance ratio in relation to the movement of the module cover.

8 . The display device of claim 4 ,
wherein the roller extends longitudinally, wherein the sensor is spaced apart from the roller with respect to a radial direction of the roller and disposed adjacent to a rear surface of the module cover on an outer side of the roller, and wherein the reflectance ratio varies depending on the movement of the module cover.

9 . The display device of claim 8 ,
wherein the module cover comprises a plurality of segments that extend longitudinally along a lengthwise direction of the roller and are arranged along a height direction of the display panel, wherein a reflectance ratio calculated when the light emitting portion emits light to the plurality of segments is different from a reflectance ratio calculated when the light emitting portion emits light to between the plurality of segments, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover corresponding to a number of the segments sensed by the sensor based on the reflectance ratio.

10 . The display device of claim 9 , wherein a shape of the target unrolling point of the module cover and a shape of the target rolling point of the module cover are different from a shape of other points of the module cover.

11 . The display device of claim 4 ,
wherein the roller extends longitudinally, wherein the sensor is spaced apart from the roller with respect to a radial direction of the roller and disposed adjacent to a front surface of the display panel, and wherein the reflectance ratio varies depending on the movement of the display panel.

12 . The display device of claim 11 ,
wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of panel dots that are arranged along a height direction of the display panel and configured to emit light, wherein a reflectance ratio calculated when the light emitting portion emits light to the plurality of panel dots is different from a reflectance ratio calculated when the light emitting portion emits light to between the plurality of panel dots, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the movement of the module cover corresponding to a number of the panel dots sensed by the sensor based on the reflectance ratio.

13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein a brightness of the panel dots at a target unrolling point of the display panel and a brightness of the panel dots at a target rolling point of the display panel are different from a brightness of the panel dots at other points of the display panel.

14 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to stop the panel dots sensed by the sensor from emitting light based on the reflectance ratio.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Pyo Jonggil

Classifications

• G01D5/10

  Applying external forces to increase force available for operation of indicating or recording part · CPC title

• B65H75/44

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title