Apparatus and method for displaying screen

• US 10,168,741 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Moon, Jong-Chae
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahir, Bille M
• Application Number:
  US14/989,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A screen display apparatus and a method are provided. The method includes displaying a display screen on a flexible display unit, and bending the flexible display unit by activating a driving unit coupled to the flexible display unit when an edge of the display screen is displayed. According to the present disclosure, an electronic device can provide various interactions through the flexible display unit.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a screen, the method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a content on a flexible display unit;

detecting a user input for displaying another portion of the content;

determining whether an edge portion of the content is displayed in response to the detecting of the user input; and

bending the flexible display unit by activating a driving unit coupled to the flexible display unit in response to displaying the edge portion of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the edge portion of the content is displayed in response to the detecting of the user input comprises controlling display of the content in response to the detecting of the user input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bending comprises:

identifying at least a part of the flexible display unit corresponding to the user input; and

bending the identified at least part of the flexible display unit.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the bending comprises bending the flexible display unit differently depending on a feature of the user input, and

wherein the feature comprises at least one of a location, a strength, or a speed of the user input.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the driving unit to restore a shape of the flexible display unit.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the content comprises a list formed of a plurality of user items.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user input comprises a request for moving an upper edge portion of the list to a lower portion while displaying the upper edge portion of the list and a request for moving a lower edge portion of the list to an upper portion while displaying the lower edge portion of the list.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling of the display of the content comprises:

determining whether the user input is detected in a state where the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit; and

maintaining the state in which the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit if the user input is detected in the state where the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the content is larger than or equal to a display area of the flexible display unit.

8. An apparatus for displaying a screen, the apparatus comprising:

a flexible display unit;

a driving unit coupled to the flexible display unit and configured to bend the flexible display unit; and

a controller configured to;

display at least a portion of a content on the flexible display unit,

detect a user input for displaying another portion of the content,

determine whether an edge portion of the content is displayed in response to the detecting of the user input, and

bend the flexible display unit by activating the driving unit in response to the displaying of the edge portion of the content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to control display of the content in response to detecting the user input.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify at least a part of the flexible display unit corresponding to the user input, and

bend the identified at least part of the flexible display unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the controller is further configured to bend the flexible display unit differently depending on a feature of the user input, and

wherein the feature comprises at least one of a location, a strength, or a speed of the user input.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the driving unit comprises a piezoelectric element.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to activate or deactivate the driving unit by supplying an electrical signal to the driving unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the controller is further configured to activate the driving unit by supplying an electrical signal to the driving unit, and

wherein the driving unit is deactivated when a pre-set time elapses from an activated time.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the flexible display unit is laminated on the driving unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the driving unit is disposed at an edge of the flexible display unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the user input is detected in a state where the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit, and

maintain the state in which the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit if the user input is detected in the state where the edge portion of the content is displayed on the flexible display unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a size of the content is larger than or equal to a display area of the flexible display unit.