FOLDING MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100207844A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: MANNING, Gregory P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• 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 1/1677 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a processor having an electronic output. The apparatus also comprises a display that is configurable into a plurality of configurations and is electronically coupled to receive information from the processor. The display comprises a plurality of portions adapted to display an electronic image. At least two of the portions share a first axis and are movable about the first axis. The apparatus also comprises a memory. The memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to receive a first indication that the display has been configured into a first configuration. The instructions also direct the processor to determine that the first configuration corresponds to a first device. The instructions also direct the processor to display, on at least one of the plurality of portions of the display, an electronic image relating to the first device. The act of displaying is in response to the processor determining that the display has been configured into the first device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor having an electronic output;

a display that is configurable into a plurality of configurations and is electronically coupled to receive information from the processor, in which the display comprises a plurality of portions adapted to display an electronic image, and in which at least two of the portions share a first axis and are movable about the first axis; and

a memory, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to;

receive a first indication that the display has been configured into a first configuration;

determine that the first configuration corresponds to a first device; and

display, on at least one of the plurality of portions of the display, an electronic image relating to the first device, in which the act of displaying is in response to the processor determining that the display has been configured into the first device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

receive a second indication that the display has been configured into a second configuration, in which the second configuration is different from the first configuration;

determine that the second configuration corresponds to a second device; and

display, on at least one of the plurality of portions of the display, an electronic image relating to the second device, in which the act of displaying is in response to the processor determining that the display has been configured into the second device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which at least two portions share and are movable about a second axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the plurality of portions are foldable about their respective axes to a state in which at least one portion sharing the second axis is at least partially disposed between two of the portions sharing the first axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which at least one of the portions sharing the first axis comprises at least two parts independently movable about the first axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the plurality of portions are foldable about their respective axes to form a folded unit having a perimeter substantially equivalent to a perimeter of one of the portions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the plurality of portions comprises at least four portions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the plurality of portions comprises at least six portions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which at least one of the axes comprises a hinge.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which at least one of the axes comprises a spine within a flexible material, the spine having a memory characteristic.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each of the first device and the second device comprises at least one of a personal data assistant, a mobile communication device, a paper media unit, a book, a newspaper, a magazine, an electronic note tablet, a computer, a video recording device and a video display device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the processor is adapted to transmit information to at least two information sources, in which one of the at least two information sources corresponds to a first portion from the plurality of portions and a second of the at least two information sources corresponds to a second portion from the plurality of portions.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display connection unit, in which the display connection unit is coupled electronically to the processor and the display.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless device that is coupled to the processor, in which the wireless device transmits information wirelessly to the display.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless receiver that is coupled to the display, in which the wireless receiver receives information that is sent wirelessly to the display.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the processor is adapted to receive information from a first information source, in which information from the first information source is displayed on a first portion of the display.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the processor is adapted to receive information from a second information source, in which information from the second information source is displayed on a second portion of the display, in which the second portion is different from the first portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a control device for controlling the information being transmitted from the first information source.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to:

shift the electronic image relating to the first device to the electronic image relating to the second device, in response to the processor determining that the display has been changed from the first configuration into the second configuration.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the act of shifting is performed automatically.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an indication to an information source that the display has been configured into a first device; and

receiving information relating to the first device from the information source.

22. A storage medium, comprising:

a display that is configurable into a plurality of configurations and is electronically coupled to receive information from a processor, in which the display comprises a plurality of portions adapted to display an electronic image, and in which at least two of the portions share a first axis and are movable about the first axis; and

a storage medium, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to;

receive a first indication that the display has been configured into a first configuration;

determine that the first configuration corresponds to a first device; and

display, on at least one of the plurality of portions of the display, a first electronic image relating to the first device, in which the act of displaying is in response to the processor determining that the display has been configured into the first device.