Flexible electronic display devices

• US 10,394,274 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Govind, Mani, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez Cruz, Dimary S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Ingrid D
• Application Number:
  US15/252,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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

Abstract

A flexible electronic device is provided herein. The device may include a display unit having a continuous display area extending across a first section, a second section, and a transition section of the device, where the transition section is positioned between the first section and the second section. The device is configured to bend about a first axis positioned in a same plane as a center of the transition section, at a distance greater than zero from a first surface of the device positioned in the plane. The device may be configured to bend about a hinge positioned at least partially within the transition section. The device may include a sensor configured to identify a position of the first section relative to the second section of the device, and a processor configured to determine which image or images to display on the display unit based on the identified position.

Claims

1. A flexible electronic device comprising:

a display unit having a continuous display area extending across a first section, a second section, and a transition section of the flexible electronic device; and

a sensor configured to identify a position of the first section of the flexible electronic device relative to the second section of the flexible electronic device,

a docking port positioned in the transition section such that the flexible electronic device is configured to physically dock with an external docking station,

wherein the transition section is positioned between the first section and the second section, and

wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to bend about a first axis positioned in a same plane as a center of the transition section, at a distance greater than zero from a first surface of the flexible electronic device positioned in the plane,

wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to bend about a second axis positioned in the plane at a distance greater than zero from a second surface of the flexible electronic device positioned in the plane,

wherein the second surface is an opposite external surface from the first surface, and

wherein the display unit is configured to display a touchscreen keyboard within the first section and a task bar or plurality of shortcut keys within the transition section when the sensor identifies that the first section and the second section are not coplanar.

2. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to move from an open position to a closed position,

wherein, in the open position, the first section and the second section of the flexible electronic device are coplanar, and

wherein, in the closed position, a portion of the first surface of the flexible electronic device within the first section abuts or is adjacent to a portion of the first surface of the flexible electronic device within the second section.

3. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to move from an open position to a closed position,

wherein, in the open position, the first section and the second section of the flexible electronic device are coplanar, and

wherein, in the closed position, a portion of the second surface of the flexible electronic device within the first section abuts or is adjacent to a portion of the second surface of the flexible electronic device within the second section.

4. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to move from a first closed position to a second closed position,

wherein, in the first closed position, a portion of the first surface of the flexible electronic device within the first section abuts or is adjacent to a portion of the first surface of the flexible electronic device within the second section, and

wherein, in the second closed position, a portion of the second surface of the flexible electronic device within the first section abuts or is adjacent to a portion of the second surface of the flexible electronic device within the second section.

5. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) unit, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) unit.

6. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first internal electronics component positioned within the first section of the flexible electronic device; and

a second internal electronics component positioned within the second section of the flexible electronic device.

7. The flexible electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first internal electronics component is a first sensor, first battery, first processor, first integrated circuit, or first printed circuit board, and

wherein the second internal electronics component is a second sensor, second battery, second processor, second integrated circuit, or second printed circuit board.

8. The flexible electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the display unit is configured to display a different image in the second section when the sensor identifies that the first section and the second section are not coplanar.

9. The flexible electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer, gyroscope, or inclinometer.

10. A flexible electronic device comprising:

a transparent cover;

a hinge;

a sensor; and

a display unit disposed between the transparent cover and the hinge,

wherein the display unit comprises a continuous display area extending across a first section, a second section, and a transition section of the flexible electronic device,

a docking port positioned in the transition section such that the flexible electronic device is configured to physically dock with an external docking station,

wherein the transition section is positioned between the first section and the second section,

wherein the display unit is configured to display a first image within the first section, a second image within the second section, and a third image within the transition section when the sensor identifies that the first section and the second section are not coplanar,

wherein the first image is a touchscreen keyboard and the third image is a task bar or plurality of shortcut keys,

wherein the hinge is positioned at least partially within the transition section,

wherein the flexible electronic device is configured to bend about the hinge and move between a plurality of positions, and

wherein a portion of the transparent cover in the transition section does not contact any another portion of the transparent cover in the transition section in any position of the plurality of positions.

11. The flexible electronic device of claim 10, wherein the hinge is a cylindrical hinge.

12. The flexible electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a touch sensor unit disposed between the transparent cover and the display unit.

13. A flexible electronic device comprising:

a display unit having a continuous display area extending across a first section, a second section, and a transition section of the flexible electronic device, wherein the transition section is positioned between the first section and the second section;

a docking port positioned in the transition section such that the flexible electronic device is configured to physically dock with an external docking station,

a sensor configured to identify a position of the first section of the flexible electronic device relative to the second section of the flexible electronic device; and

a processor configured to determine which image or images to display on the display unit based on the identified position,

wherein the display unit is configured to display a first image within the first section, a second image within the second section, and a third image within the transition section when the sensor identifies that the first section and the second section are not coplanar, and

wherein the first image is a touchscreen keyboard and the third image is a task bar or plurality of shortcut keys.

14. The flexible electronic device of claim 13, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer, gyroscope, or inclinometer.

15. The flexible electronic device of claim 13, wherein the display unit is configured to display a uniform image extending across the first section, the second section, and the transition section when the sensor identifies that the first section and second section are coplanar.