Mobile electronic device with an adaptively responsive flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016231785-A1
Application number	US-201615132030-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 4, 2008
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile electronic device having a flexible display device is disclosed. A request to retrieve information from a server over a wireless network is triggered based on flexing the flexible display device and other gestures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display; a plurality of sensors configured to detect bending of the flexible display; and circuitry configured to trigger an action in the electronic device in response to the plurality of sensors determining that the flexible display is bent into a predetermined shape.

2 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the action comprises modifying an image displayed by the flexible display.

3 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the action comprises turning off the flexible display.

4 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the action comprises sending a request to retrieve information from a server of a wireless network.

5 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing, wherein the flexible display is configured to collapse and roll up into the housing.

6 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing, wherein the flexible display is stored in the housing in a first mode and expanded out of the housing in a second mode.

7 . The electronic device defined in claim 6 , further comprising:
a rigid display formed in the housing, wherein only the rigid display is visible to a user in the first mode, and wherein the rigid display and the flexible display are viewable to the user in the second mode.

8 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined shape is a circular shape.

9 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined shape is a cubicle shape.

10 . A method of operating an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a flexible display and a plurality of sensors configured to detect bending of the flexible display, and wherein the flexible display is configured to be bent from a first shape to a second shape, the method comprising:
displaying an image with the flexible display while the electronic device has the first shape; with the plurality of sensors, detecting that the flexible display has been bent from the first shape to the second shape; and in response to detecting that the flexible display has been bent into the second shape, modifying the image displayed by the flexible display.

11 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein modifying the image displayed by the flexible display comprises resizing the image to fit the second shape.

12 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein the first shape comprises a first predetermined shape and wherein the second shape comprises a second predetermined shape.

13 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein modifying the image displayed by the flexible display comprises turning off the flexible display such that the image is no longer displayed.

14 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein the electronic device comprises an additional flexible display, and wherein the flexible display overlaps the additional flexible display.

15 . The method defined in claim 14 , wherein the electronic device comprises an additional sensor configured to detect rotation of the electronic device, the method further comprising:
in response to the additional sensor detecting rotation of the electronic device, turning off the flexible display.

16 . The method defined in claim 15 , further comprising:
in response to the additional sensor detecting rotation of the electronic device and after turning off the flexible display, displaying an image on the additional flexible display.

17 . An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display; a plurality of sensors configured to detect folding of the flexible display; and circuitry configured to trigger an action in the electronic device in response to the plurality of sensors determining that the flexible display is folded into a given shape.

18 . The electronic device defined in claim 17 , wherein determining that the flexible display is folded into the given shape comprises determining that the flexible display is bent so that a first part of the flexible display covers a second part of the flexible display.

19 . The electronic device defined in claim 18 , wherein the action comprises modifying an image displayed by the flexible display.

20 . The electronic device defined in claim 18 , wherein the action comprises turning off the flexible display.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Vartanian Harry

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04W4/12

  Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G09G2370/16

  Use of wireless transmission of display information · CPC title