Flexible information handling system display user interface configuration and provisioning

• US 10,198,044 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyles, Justin C., Hong, Jung-Hwan, Wang, Yulin, Aurongzeb, Deeder M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hermann, Kirk W
• Application Number:
  US15/411,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20180210515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A portable information handling system with rotationally coupled housing portions having an OLED film display disposed over the housing portions automatically adapts presentation of visual images at the display to the housing portion relative positions and orientation. For example, based on a fold orientation of the housing and a landscape or portrait orientation, visual information adapts to show different user interfaces and content.

Claims

1. A portable information handling system comprising:

a planar housing having at least three rotationally coupled portions;

a processor disposed in the planar housing and operable to execute instructions to generate visual information;

a memory disposed in the planar housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a display disposed in the planar housing over the at least three rotationally coupled portions and interfaced with the processor and the memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images, the display comprising a flexible film that folds responsive to rotation of the at least three rotationally coupled portions;

a graphics processor interfaced with the display and operable to process the visual information to generate pixel information, the pixel information defining the visual images for presentation on the display;

one or more sensors interfaced with the planar housing and operable to detect a relative position of the at least three rotationally coupled portions to each other; and

a user interface orientation module interfaced with the one or more sensors and the graphics processor, the user interface orientation module operable to apply the relative position of the at least three rotationally coupled portions to adapt the visual images presented at each of the at least three rotationally coupled portions, the visual images including a first content displayed at all of the at least three rotationally coupled portions in a planar landscape orientation, the first content and a second content displayed at first and second of the at least three rotationally coupled portions in a folded landscape orientation, and the first content and the second content presented at each of the at least three rotationally coupled portions in a folded portrait orientation.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the second content comprises a virtual keyboard to accept end user inputs touched at the display.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 2 wherein the second content further comprises a virtual touchpad to accept the end user inputs touched at the display.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the folded portrait orientation comprises a perpendicular orientation having four rotationally coupled portions in a cube configuration, the first content comprises a video conference and the second content comprises a control panel for the video conference.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the folded portrait orientation comprises a perpendicular orientation having three rotationally coupled portions in a triangle configuration, the first content having a video conference with a different participant presented at each rotationally coupled portion.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the folded portrait orientation comprises a perpendicular orientation, the first content having a video conference with a first participant and the second content comprises a shared document.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one magnetometer disposed to detect opposing ends of the housing in proximity to each other.

8. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors are associated with one or more hinges that couple the at least three rotationally coupled portions to each other.

9. A method for presenting visual information at a portable information handling system, the method comprising:

presenting a first content at a display of the portable information handling system, the portable information handling system having at least three rotationally-coupled housing portions in a planar landscape orientation, each of the at least three rotationally coupled housing portions having a viewing area;

detecting rotation of the at least three rotationally-coupled housing portions of the portable information handling system relative to each other from the planar landscape orientation to a folded portrait orientation; and

in response to the detecting, presenting the first content at each of the viewing areas of each of the at least three rotationally-coupled housing portions and presenting a second content at each of the viewing areas of each of the at least three rotationally-coupled housing portions, the second content including a user interface to control the first content.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the first content comprises an application output; and

the second content comprises a virtual input device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the virtual input device comprises a keyboard.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the virtual input device further comprises a touchpad.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

presenting a videoconference as the first content on an upper portion of each of the viewing areas, and presenting a videoconference control panel as the second content on a lower portion of each of the viewing areas.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the detecting rotation further comprises detecting a proximity of opposing ends of the at least three rotationally coupled housing portions to each other.

15. A portable information handling system display comprising:

an OLED film disposed over a housing, the housing having at least four portions that rotate relative to each other, the OLED film flexing during rotation of the housing portions to conform to the housing;

one or more sensors operable to detect a relative rotational position of the at least four housing portions to each other; and

a user interface orientation module interfaced with the one or more sensors and operable to apply the relative rotational position to adapt visual images presented at the OLED film, the visual images including a first content displayed at all housing portions in a first relative orientation and a second content displayed at first and second of the at least four housing portions in a second relative orientation;

wherein the user interface orientation module is further operable to detect a cube configuration of the housing at least four portions and, in response, to present a videoconference window on each of the housing at least four portions.

16. The portable information handling system display of claim 15 wherein the second content comprises a virtual keyboard presented at the second of the at least four housing portions and operable to accept key inputs.

17. The portable information handling system display of claim 15 wherein:

the one or more sensors are further operable to detect landscape and portrait orientations; and

in response to detection of both a folded orientation of the at least four housing portions and the portrait orientation, the user interface orientation module presents multimedia content at the first of the at least four housing portions and a control panel at the second of the at least four housing portions.

18. The portable information handling system display of claim 17 wherein the multimedia content comprises the videoconference.

19. The portable information handling system of claim 15 wherein the user interface orientation module is further operable to present the videoconference control panel on each of the four housing portions.