MOBILE TERMINAL USING FLEXIBLE DISPLAY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20100117975A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHO, Young Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1533 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/223 Flexible displays
• 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 1/1641 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 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 : including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a body and a display module, which is flexible and is capable of receiving a touch input and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes setting the touch sensitivity of a display module to a first level; if the display module is bent or folded, setting the touch sensitivity of a bent or folded portion of the display module to a second level; and if the display module is unbent or unfolded and thus returns to its original shape, setting the touch sensitivity of the bent or folded portion of the display module back to the first level. Accordingly, it is possible to adaptively adjust the touch sensitivity of the display module according to whether and how the display module is bent or folded.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal including a body and a display module, which is flexible and is capable of receiving a touch input, the method comprising:

setting the touch sensitivity of the display module to a first level;

if the display module is bent or folded, setting the touch sensitivity of a bent or folded portion of the display module to a second level; and

if the display module is unbent or unfolded and thus returns to its original shape, setting the touch sensitivity of the bent or folded portion of the display module back to the first level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the second level based on a direction in which, and a degree to which the display module is bent or folded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one or more operation menu areas on the display module; and

if a touch input is detected from one of the operation menu areas, performing an operation corresponding to the operation menu area from which the touch input is detected.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, if the touch input is detected from the bent or folded portion of the display module, correcting a position of the touch input.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying an operation screen showing how the operation proceeds on the display module.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating a haptic effect corresponding to the touch input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the body is a bar-shaped body selected from a cylindrical body, a cylindroid body, a prism-shaped body and a freestyle body.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the body is a folder-shaped body selected from a folding body, a rolling body and a hybrid body, which is a combination of the folding body and the rolling body.

9. A mobile terminal comprising:

a body;

a display module configured to be provided on the body and to be flexible and capable of receiving a touch input; and

a controller configured to set the touch sensitivity of the display module initially to a first level, wherein, if the display module is bent or folded, the controller sets the touch sensitivity of a bent or folded portion of the display module to a second level, and if the display module is unbent or unfolded and thus returns to its original shape, the controller sets the touch sensitivity of the bent or folded portion of the display module back to the first level.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller determines the second level based on a direction in which, and a degree to which the display module is bent or folded.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller displays one or more operation menu areas on the display module, and if a touch input is detected from one of the operation menu areas, the controller performs an operation corresponding to the operation menu area from which the touch input is detected.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, if the touch input is detected from the bent or folded portion of the display module, the controller corrects a position of the touch input.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller displays an operation screen showing how the operation proceeds on the display module.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, further comprising a haptic module configured to generate a haptic effect,

wherein the controller controls the haptic module to generate a haptic effect corresponding to the touch input.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the body is a bar-shaped body selected from a cylindrical body, a cylindroid body, a prism-shaped body and a freestyle body.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the body is a folder-shaped body selected from a folding body, a rolling body and a hybrid body, which is a combination of the folding body and the rolling body.