Method and an electronic device for automatically changing shape based on an event

• US 10,116,850 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kandur Raja, Barath Raj, Ananda, Adarsha, Suvarna, Ananya Padmanabha, Rekapalli, Phani Avadooth Veera Venkata, Narayan, Jyothish, Murugesan, Kumar, Krishnamurthy, Magesh, Paramasivam, Periyasamy, Kumaraswamy, Rajath Basur, Kathuria, Sushant
• Primary Examiner(s): Berardesca, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/593,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for automatically changing a shape of an electronic device are provided. The method includes identifying, by the electronic device, at least one event triggered in the electronic device; and changing, by the electronic device, the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event.

Claims

1. A method for automatically changing a shape of a flexible electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying, by the flexible electronic device, at least one event triggered in the flexible electronic device; and

changing, by the flexible electronic device, the shape of a surface of the flexible electronic device, according to the at least one identified event,

wherein the changing of the shape of the surface of the flexible electronic device comprises changing, if the at least one event is associated with at least one camera, the shape of the flexible electronic device such that the at least one camera is positioned to at least one side of the flexible electronic device, according to the at least one event associated with the at least one camera.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one event is triggered by at least one of an external event and an internal event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one identified event comprises:

determining at least one shape for the flexible electronic device according to the at least one identified event; and

changing the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one determined shape.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein changing the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one determined shape further comprises:

applying an inflation strength to at least one actuator to change the shape of the flexible electronic device, wherein the at least one actuator causes a surface of the flexible electronic device to project according to the at least one determined shape.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

balancing the projected surface by controlling a magnetic field strength of at least one electro magnet according to the at least one determined shape; and

maintaining the flexible electronic device in the at least one determined shape using the magnetic field strength.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one event is associated with a camera event;

determining at least one shape associated with the camera event; and

changing the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one determined shape,

wherein the change in shape causes a plurality of cameras on the electronic device to be positioned to at least one side of the flexible electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of images in a field of view of the plurality of cameras at a time; and

stitching the captured plurality of images together to create a single image of a plurality of areas included in the plurality of images.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of captured images includes at least one of a horizontal view image and a vertical view image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the single image is a full angle view of the plurality of areas.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the single image is a panorama view of the field of view.

11. A flexible electronic device, comprising:

at least one sensor;

a shape control actuator; and

at least one processor configured to;

control the at least one sensor to identify at least one event triggered in the flexible electronic device using the at least one sensor, and

control the shape control actuator to change a shape of a surface of the flexible electronic device, according to the at least one identified event,

wherein the changing of the shape of the surface of the flexible electronic device comprises changing, if the at least one event is associated with at least one camera, the shape of the flexible electronic device such that the at least one camera is positioned to at least one side of the flexible electronic device, according to the at least one event associated with the at least one camera.

12. The flexible electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one event is triggered by at least one of an external event and an internal event.

13. The flexible electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the shape control actuator to change the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one identified event by:

determining at least one shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one identified event; and

controlling the shape control actuator to change the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one determined shape.

14. The flexible electronic device of claim 13, wherein the shape control actuator is further configured to:

apply an inflation strength to at least one actuator to change the shape of the flexible electronic device, wherein the at least one actuator causes a surface of the flexible electronic device to project according to the at least one determined shape.

15. The flexible electronic device of claim 14, wherein the shape control actuator is further configured to:

balance the projected surface by controlling a magnetic field strength of at least one electro magnet according to the at least one determined shape; and

maintain the flexible electronic device in the at least one determined shape using the magnetic field strength.

16. The flexible electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether the at least one event is associated with a camera event;

determine the at least one shape associated with the camera event; and

change the shape of the flexible electronic device according to the at least one determined shape, wherein the change in shape causes a plurality of cameras in the flexible electronic device to be positioned to at least one side of the flexible electronic device.

17. The flexible electronic device as in claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

capture a plurality of images in a field of view of the plurality of cameras at a time; and

stitch the captured plurality of images to create a single image of a plurality of areas included in the plurality of images.

18. The flexible electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of captured images include at least one of a horizontal view image and a vertical view image.

19. The flexible electronic device of claim 17, wherein the single image is a full angle view of the plurality of areas.

20. The flexible electronic device of claim 17, wherein the single image is a panorama view of the field of view.