Flexible apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983628-B2
Application number	US-201213646269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2012
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A flexible apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The flexible apparatus includes: a sensor which senses a bending of the flexible apparatus; and a controller which, if a bending line which is formed based on the bending is continuously moved in a first direction and thus reaches a location which corresponds to a display location of at least one object, provides a visual feedback with respect to the at least one object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible apparatus comprising:
a flexible display;
a sensor for detecting a bending of the flexible display; and
a controller for controlling the flexible display to present a plurality of visual elements arranged in a first direction and, if the controller determines that a bending location of the flexible display based on a bending in a second direction is continuously shifted along the first direction and thus reaches a display location of at least one visual element among the plurality of visual elements, to display the at least one visual element located in the bending location visually distinguished from other visual elements according to shifting of the bending location,
wherein the controller is configured to determine that the bending location is continuously shifted along the first direction based on move of the bending location,
wherein the controller is further configured to provide a visual feedback varying according to a move speed of the bending location,
wherein the first direction is a landscape direction of the flexible display and the second direction is a portrait direction of the flexible display,
wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the at least one visual element in the display location to an external device, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the at least one visual element in the display location being transmitted to the external device, cause the at least one visual element in the display location to disappear from the display location.

2. The flexible apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein if the bending location reaches the location of the at least one visual element presented on the flexible display, the controller controls the flexible display to provide a visual feedback with respect to the at least one visual element and the first direction in which the bending location is moved.

3. The flexible apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first communicator which is connected to a display apparatus which displays the at least one visual element,
wherein if the bending location reaches a location corresponding to a display location of the at least one visual element displayed on the display apparatus, the controller controls the display apparatus to provide a visual feedback with respect to the at least one visual element and the first direction in which the bending location is moved.

4. The flexible apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls to provide a first visual feedback with respect to the at least one visual element which first visual feedback is different from a second visual feedback with respect to at least a second visual element.

5. The flexible apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls to provide a visual feedback which includes at least one of a zoom-in/zoom-out effect, a highlight effect, a content execution effect, a lower menu display effect, and a detailed content display effect.

6. The flexible apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls to provide the visual feedback based on a move direction of the bending location.

7. A flexible apparatus comprising:
a flexible display;
a sensor for detecting a bending of the flexible display; and
a controller for controlling the flexible display to present a plurality of visual elements arranged in a first direction and, if the controller determines that a bending location of the flexible display based on a bending in a second direction is continuously shifted along the first direction, the controller controls to move at least one visual element among the plurality of visual elements, which is displayed in a first display location which corresponds to the bending location, into a second display location which corresponds to a second location, and controls to display the at least one visual element in the second display location,
wherein the controller is configured to determine that the bending location is continuously shifted along the first direction based on move of the bending location,
wherein the controller is further configured to provide a visual feedback varying according to a move speed of the bending location,
wherein the first direction is a landscape direction of the flexible display and the second direction is a portrait direction of the flexible display,
wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the at least one visual element in the second display location to an external device, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the at least one visual element in the second display location being transmitted to the external device, cause the at least one visual element in the second display location to disappear from the second display location.

8. The flexible apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one visual element is displayed in one of the flexible display of the flexible apparatus and a display of an external display apparatus.

9. A method for controlling a flexible apparatus, the method comprising:
detecting a bending of a flexible display;
presenting a plurality of visual elements arranged in a first direction on the flexible display;
determining whether a bending location of the flexible display based on a bending in a second direction is continuously shifted along the first direction and thus reaches a display location of at least one visual element among the plurality of visual elements, and, in response to determining that the bending location is continuously shifted along the first direction and reaches the display location, controlling the flexible display to display the at least one visual element located in the bending location visually distinguished from other visual elements according to shifting of the bending location;
transmitting the at least one visual element in the display location to an external device; and
in response to the at least one visual element in the display location being transmitted to the external device, controlling to cause the at least one visual element in the display location to disappear from the display location,
wherein the determining comprises determining that the bending location is continuously shifted along the first direction based on move of the bending location,
wherein the controlling comprises providing a visual feedback varying according to a move speed of the bending location, and
wherein the first direction is a landscape direction of the flexible display and the second direction is a portrait direction of the flexible display.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein if the bending location reaches the display location of the at least one visual element presented on the flexible display, a visual feedback is controlled to be provided with respect to the at least one visual element and the first direction in which the bending location is moved.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
communicating with a display apparatus which displays the at least one visual element,
wherein if the bending location reaches the display location of the at least one visual element displayed by the display apparatus, a control signal for providing a visual feedback with respect to the at least one visual element and the first direction in which the bending location is moved is transmitted to the display apparatus.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a first visual feedback is controlled to be provided with respect to the at least one visual element, which first visual feedback is different from a second visual feedback with respect to at least a second visual element.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling comprises providi

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyun-Jin
• Kumar Nipun
• Seo Joon-Kyu
• Kang Kyung-A
• Lee Geun-Ho

Classifications

• G06F3/0487

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title