Flexible display device and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9524049-B2
Application number	US-201313956803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A flexible display device is provided. The flexible display device includes a display configured to display first content on a screen, a sensor configured to detect bending of the flexible display device, and a controller configured to determine one area and the other area of the screen as a first screen and a second screen, respectively, based on the bending, to display the first content on the first screen, and to display second content that is different from the first content on the second screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a display;
a sensor configured to detect deformation of the flexible display device; and
a controller configured to:
control the sensor to detect deformation of the flexible display device,
determine one area of the display as a first display area and another area of the display as a second display area based on a line determined by the deformation, the first display area being on one side of the line and the second display area being on another side of the line,
control the display to display a first content on the first display area,
control the display to display a second content that is different from the first content on the second display area, and
control reproduction of at least one of the first content and the second content according to a user command for moving the line.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second content comprises content displayed on the display before the deformation.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first content comprises a current content page, and wherein the second content comprises a previous content page.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to display a part that corresponds to the second display area of the previous content page on the second display area.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to change shapes and sizes of the first display area and the second display area in accordance with the user command for moving a portion between the first display area and the second display area.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to terminate execution or reproduction of the first content or the second content displayed on the first display area or the second display area, in response to the moved line deviating out of the display according to the moving of the line.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure that is applied by a touch operation,
wherein the controller is further configured to display information on a page amount that corresponds to a level of the pressure and to display a previous content page that corresponds to the information on the page amount based on a current content page on the second display area, in response to the deformation being detected in a state where the information on the page amount is displayed.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the touch operation comprises at least one of a touch operation accompanied by the deformation operation of the flexible display device or a touch operation that is applied to a touch area provided on the display of the flexible display device.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure that is applied by a touch operation,
wherein the controller is further configured to display a previous content page in an order that corresponds to a level of the pressure among a plurality of previous content pages previously displayed based on a current content page on the second display area.

10. A method for controlling a flexible display device, the method comprising:
detecting, by a sensor, deformation of the flexible display device;
determining, by the controller, one area of a display as a first display area and another area of the display as a second display area based on a line determined by the deformation, the first display area being on one side of the boundary line and the second display area being on another side of the boundary line;
displaying, by the display, a first content on the first display area and displaying a second content that is different from the first content on the second display area; and
controlling, by the controller, reproduction at least one of the first content and the second content according to a user command for moving the line.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second content comprises content displayed on the display before the deformation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first content comprises a current content page, and wherein the second content comprises a previous content page.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the displaying of the second content displays a part that corresponds to the second display area of the previous content page on the second display area.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising changing shapes and sizes of the first display area and the second display area in accordance with the user command for moving a portion between the first display area and the second display area.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising terminating execution or reproduction of content that corresponds to the first content or the second content displayed on the first display area or the second display area, in response to the moved portion deviating out of the display according to the moving of the portion.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting pressure that is applied by a touch operation;
displaying information on a page amount that corresponds to a level of the pressure on the display; and
displaying a previous content page that corresponds to the information on the page amount based on a current content page on the second display area, in response to the deformation being detected in a state where the information on the page amount is displayed.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the touch operation comprises at least one of a touch operation accompanied by the deformation of the flexible display device or a touch operation that is applied to a touch area provided on the display of the flexible display device.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting pressure that is applied by a touch operation; and
displaying a previous content page in an order that corresponds to a level of the pressure among a plurality of previous content pages previously displayed based on a current content page on the second display area.

19. A non-transitory processor readable medium for storing a computer program of instructions configured to be readable by at least one processor for instructing the at least one processor to execute a computer process for performing the method as recited in claim 10 .

20. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first content comprises an application that is currently executed, and
wherein the second content comprises another application that is executed as multitasking with the application.

21. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the first content comprises an application that is currently executed, and
wherein the second content comprises another application that is executed as multitasking with the application.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yun Il-Kook
• Lee Chang-Soo
• Jung Ji-Hyun

Classifications

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title