Dynamic display adjustment on a transparent flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9858848-B1
Application number	US-201615177660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, computer program product, and a computer system for recommending one or more bend locations on a flexible display. According to one embodiment, the display is flexible and transparent, and the display includes at least one sensor. A set of data is received from the at least one sensor. Based on the received set of data the system detects whether, ambient light is reflected off the display at an angle directed at a first user. The system then determines a bend line location, wherein the bend line is a location to bend the display to obstruct reflected light from reaching the first user and sends an alert to the first user identifying the bend line location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a display, wherein the display is flexible and transparent, and wherein the display includes at least one sensor;
receiving, by one or more processors, a set of data from the at least one sensor;
detecting, by one or more processors, from the received set of data that ambient light is reflected off the display and at an angle directed at a first user;
determining, by one or more processors, a bend line location, wherein the bend line is a location to bend the display to obstruct reflected light from reaching the first user; and
sending, by one or more processors, an alert to the first user identifying the bend line location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by one or more processors, that a second user is viewing the display, based in part on a received second set of data; and
responsive to detecting the second user is viewing the display, determining, by one or more processors, a bend line location which obstructs the second user from viewing the display.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bend line location comprises two or more bend line locations on the display.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
activating, by one or more processors, an electroactive polymer strip, wherein activating the electroactive polymer strip automatically bends the display along the determined bend line location at a determined angle and magnitude.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by one or more processors, the display is bent along the determined bend line location; and
adjusting, by one or more processors, a level of transparency on the display, based on the ambient light, wherein a first portion of the display is a first transparency level and a second portion of the display is a second transparency level.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting, by one or more processors, content on the display to fit within a non-bent portion of the display, wherein the non-bent portion of the display comprises a portion of the display other than the location of the bend line.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting, by one or more processors, color contrast on the display based on the measure of the ambient light, wherein a first portion of the display is a first color and a second portion of the display is a second color.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of data from the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:
a viewing angle of the first user relative to the display; and
a distance between the first user and the display.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert to the first user as to the bend line location comprises at least one of: visual feedback, audio feedback, and haptic feedback.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, the bend line location, comprises: a location of the bend line, a direction of the bend, a duration of the bend, and a radius of the bend line.

11. A computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media; and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to provide a display, wherein the display is flexible and transparent, and wherein the display includes at least one sensor;
program instructions to receive a set of data from the at least one sensor;
program instructions to detect from the received set of data that ambient light is reflected off the display and at an angle directed at a first user;
program instructions to determine a bend line location, wherein the bend line is a location to bend the display to obstruct reflected light from reaching the first user; and program instructions to send an alert to the first user identifying the bend line location.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:
program instructions to detect that a second user is viewing the display, based in part on a received second set of data; and
responsive to detecting the second user is viewing the display, program instructions to determine a bend line location which obstructs the second user from viewing the display.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:
program instructions to activate an electroactive polymer strip, wherein activating the electroactive polymer strip automatically bends the display along the determined bend line location at a determined angle and magnitude.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:
program instructions to detect the display is bent along the determined bend line location; and
program instructions to adjust a level of transparency on the display, based on the ambient light, wherein a first portion of the display is a first transparency level and a second portion of the display is a second transparency level.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:
program instructions to adjust content on the display to fit within a non-bent portion of the display, wherein the non-bent portion of the display comprises a portion of the display other than the location of the bend line.

16. A computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media;
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to provide a display, wherein the display is flexible and transparent, and wherein the display includes at least one sensor;
program instructions to receive a set of data from the at least one sensor;
program instructions to detect from the received set of data that ambient light is reflected off the display and at an angle directed at a first user;
program instructions to determine a bend line location, wherein the bend line is a location to bend the display to obstruct reflected light from reaching the first user; and
program instructions to send an alert to the first user identifying the bend line location.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , further comprising:
program instructions to detect that a second user is viewing the display, based in part on a received second set of data; and
responsive to detecting the second user is viewing the display, program instructions to determine a bend line location which obstructs the second user from viewing the display.

18. The computer system of claim 16 , further comprising:
program instructions to activate an electroactive polymer strip, wherein activating the electroactive polymer strip automatically bends the display along the determined bend line location at a determined angle and magnitude.

19. The computer system of claim 16 , further comprising:
program instructions to detect the display is bent along the determined bend line location; and
program instructions to adjust a level of transparency on the display, based on the ambient light, wherein a first portion of the display is a first transparency level and a second portion of the display is a second transparency level.

20. The computer system of claim 16 , further comprising:
program instructions to adjust content on the display to fit within a non-bent portion of the display, wherein the non-bent portion of the display comprises a portion of the display other than the location of the bend line.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bhageria Gopal K
• Ekambaram Vijay
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F3/013

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

• G06F21/6245

  Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title