APPARATUS FOR SCREEN LOCATION CONTROL OF FLEXIBLE DISPLAY

• US 20110187681A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Co. Ltd. (Pantech Incorporated)
• Inventors: KIM, Jae Mong, JEONG, Yong Seong, LEE, Su Young, HUR, Jun, PARK, Min Seok, CHOI, Won Sik, LEE, Kwang Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

The apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display moves a position of an image output area in a screen area when the flexible display is rotated. The apparatus may include: a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display; a rotation measurement unit to measure a rotation degree and a rotation direction of the flexible display; and a controller to output an image at an image output area, and move a position of the image output area.

Claims

1. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

a rotation measurement unit to measure a rotation degree and a rotation direction of the flexible display; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in a screen area of the flexible display, and to form the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, the measured rotation degree, and the measured rotation direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation measurement unit measures the rotation degree and the rotation direction of the flexible display as the flexible display rotates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller moves a position of the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, the measured rotation degree, and the measured rotation direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the flexible display rotates in a bent state, the controller moves the position of the image output area in the screen area in a direction opposite to the measured rotation direction by the measured rotation degree.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit to store shape information of the flexible display according to bending degrees of the flexible display and to allow the controller to search the stored information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller checks a shape of the flexible display depending on the measured bending degree by searching the memory unit, and if the shape of the flexible display is cylindrical according to the checking result, moves the position of the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display in the direction opposite to the measured rotation direction of the flexible display by the measured rotation degree of the flexible display if the flexible display rotates.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller forms an image output area with respect to a position designated in the screen area if there is no bend or rotation of the flexible display.

8. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

a highest position detection unit to detect a portion of the flexible display corresponding to a highest point in a direction opposite to gravity on a screen area of the flexible display; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in the screen area of the flexible display, and, if the flexible display is bent, form an image output area with respect to the highest point in the direction opposite to gravity detected by the highest point detection unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the highest point detection unit detects the highest point while the highest point changes according to rotation of the flexible display.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the highest point detection unit is configured as a digital level.

11. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a touch detection unit to detect a touch of the flexible display; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in a screen area of the flexible display, and to form the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display depending on a type of the touch detected by the touch detection unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller moves the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display according to the type of the touch detected by the touch detection unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, if the touch type is a touch and drag, the controller moves the position of the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display to correspond to a drag distance and a drag direction of the touch and drag.

14. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

an object detection unit to detect a distance of an object from the flexible display; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in a screen area of the flexible display, and to move the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display in a particular direction if the distance of the detected object from the flexible display is smaller than a threshold value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, if the distance of the detected object is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the controller stops the movement of the image output area.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, if the distance of the detected object is smaller than the threshold value, the controller increases or decreases a movement speed of the image output area as the distance of the detected object is reduced.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the object detection unit comprises an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor.

18. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

an electromyographic detection unit to detect an electrical signal produced by a muscle;

a memory unit to store movement information corresponding to a pattern of the detected electrical signal; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in a screen area of the flexible display, to search the memory unit for the movement information of the image output area corresponding to the pattern of the detected electrical signal, and to move the image output area in the screen area according to the searched movement information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller moves the image output area in the screen area gradually with time or at once.