Information device

• US 20040212588A1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Moriyama, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,196,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/03 specially adapted for displays having non-planar surfaces, e.g. curved displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

An information device including a flexible display unit capable of displaying information having page information in units of pages, a unit that detects at least one of the bending direction, the amount of bending, and the duration that the display unit is bent, and a unit that determines whether or not page scrolling has been input based on the detected at least one of the bending direction, the amount of bending, and the duration and that updates the information output on the display unit when it is determined that page scrolling has been input. The information device provides the feeling of turning pages of a traditional book.

Claims

1. An information device comprising:

a flexible display unit capable of displaying information having page information in units of pages;

a detection unit configured to detect at least one of a bending direction, an amount of bending, and a duration that the display unit is bent; and

a scroll determination unit configured to determine whether page scrolling has been input based on the detected at least one of the bending direction, the amount of bending, and the duration that the flexible display unit is bent, and for updating the information output on the display unit when it is determined that page scrolling has been input.

2. An information device according to claim 1, wherein a speed at which the information is updated is based on the amount of bending.

3. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the bending is a duration of time for which the amount of bending exceeds a predetermined value.

4. An information device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that page scrolling has not been input when the bending direction is opposite a predetermined direction.

5. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the information is reversely updated on the display unit when the bending direction is opposite a predetermined direction.

6. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is provided at each of two portions of the display unit.

7. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a piezoelectric device.

8. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a piezoelectric polymer.

9. An information device according to claim 8, wherein the piezoelectric polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride.

10. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible display unit displays the information in a single-sided format.

11. An information device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible display unit displays the information in a double-sided format.

12. A method for displaying information on an information device displaying electronic pages on a flexible display unit, the method comprising:

determining page information to be displayed;

displaying the page information on the flexible display unit;

accepting user input;

determining if the user input is a scroll request based on at least one of a bending direction, an amount of bending, and a duration that the flexible display unit is bent;

if the user input is a scroll request, determining new page information to be displayed based on the scroll request; and

displaying the new page information on the flexible display unit.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein a speed at which the information is updated on the flexible unit display is based on the amount of bending.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the duration of the bending is a duration of time for which the amount of bending exceeds a predetermined value.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein if the bending direction is opposite a predetermined direction, it is determined that the user input is not a scroll request.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein if the bending direction is opposite a predetermined direction, it is determined that the user input a reverse scroll request and the new page information is information occurring prior to the page information displayed on the flexible display unit.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the flexible display unit displays the page information in a single-sided format.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the flexible display unit displays the information in a double-sided format.