Deformable Apparatus, Method and Computer Program

• US 20130197819A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vanska, Anssi, Kosonen, Matti
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program, the apparatus including at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to: obtain an input signal indicative of a deformation of a housing of the apparatus; and provide, in response to the obtained input signal, an output signal to control further deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

obtain an input signal indicative of a deformation of a housing of the apparatus; and

provide, in response to the obtained input signal, an output signal to control further deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an external casing of the apparatus.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing houses the at least one processor and the at least one memory.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input signal indicative of the deformation of the housing of the apparatus is obtained from one or more sensors configured to detect the deformation of the housing.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is also configured to receive an input signal indicative of the occurrence of an event and in response to the input signal provide an output signal which causes the housing of the apparatus to be deformed.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the input signal determines the deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises an actuator configured to receive a control signal from the at least one processor and control the deformation of the housing of the apparatus in response to the control signal.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the deformation comprises at least one of bending, stretching or changing the shape of at least a portion of the housing of the apparatus.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. A method comprising:

obtaining an input signal indicative of a deformation of a housing of an apparatus; and

providing, in response to the obtained input signal, an output signal to control further deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the housing comprises an external casing of the apparatus.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the housing houses at least one processor and at least one memory configured to enable the method to be carried out.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the input signal indicative of the deformation of the housing of the apparatus is obtained from one or more sensors configured to detect the deformation of the housing.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising receiving an input signal indicative of the occurrence of an event and in response to the input signal providing an output signal which causes the housing of the apparatus to be deformed.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the input signal determines the deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

17. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the output signal to control the deformation of the housing of the apparatus is provided to an actuator configured to control the deformation of the housing of the apparatus in response to the control signal.

18. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the deformation comprises at least one of bending, stretching or changing the shape of at least a portion of the housing of the apparatus.

22. A physical entity embodying a computer program comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 11.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A physical entity embodying a computer program comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, enable an apparatus at least to perform:

obtaining an input signal indicative of a deformation of a housing of an apparatus; and

providing, in response to the obtained input signal, an output signal to control further deformation of the housing of the apparatus.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)