ELECTRONIC DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20130321373A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: YOSHIZUMI, Kensuke
• Application Number:
  US13/895,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/211
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Reliability of a flexible electronic device is improved. Damage due to curving in a flexible electronic device is prevented. The present inventor has reached an idea of setting an allowable value of a radius of curvature at the time of curving a flexible electronic device. The electronic device includes a sensing portion which determines a three-dimensional shape of the curved region. When a curving with a radius of curvature smaller than the allowable radius of curvature is detected, an alert is sent to a user.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display portion;

a sensor configured to detect a curved region of the electronic device; and

a processor configured to compare a radius of curvature in the curved region with a first value and transmit a control signal for stopping a display in the display portion when the radius of curvature is smaller than the first value.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a control signal for stopping power supply to the display portion is used as the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to store, in a memory device, display data displayed in the display portion before transmitting the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an alert generator, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a control signal for generating an alert from the alert generator.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the alert is at least one of a sound, vibration, and light emission.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the control signal for generating the alert from the alert generator when the radius of curvature is larger than the first value and smaller than a second value larger than the first value.

7. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a control signal for an alert display in the display portion when the radius of curvature is larger than the first value and smaller than a second value larger than the first value.

8. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion and the control signal for generating the alert from the alert generator so that a period in which the display in the display portion is stopped overlaps with a period in which the alert is generated from the alert generator.

9. A program for controlling an electronic device comprising a display portion, a sensor, and a processor, wherein the program is configured to execute the steps of:

detecting a curved region of the electronic device by the sensor;

comparing a radius of curvature in the curved region with a first value by the processor; and

transmitting a control signal for stopping a display in the display portion by the processor when the radius of curvature is smaller than the first value.

10. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 9.

11. The program according to claim 9, wherein a control signal for stopping power supply to the display portion is used as the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion.

12. The program according to claim 9,

wherein the electronic device further comprises a memory device, and

wherein the program is configured to further execute the step of:

storing, in a memory device, display data displayed in the display portion before transmitting the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion.

13. The program according to claim 9,

wherein the electronic device further comprises an alert generator, and

wherein the program is configured to further execute the step of:

transmitting a control signal for generating an alert from the alert generator.

14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the alert from the alert generator is at least one of a sound, vibration, and light emission.

15. The program according to claim 13, wherein the program is configured to further execute the step of:

transmitting the control signal for generating the alert from the alert generator by the processor when the radius of curvature is larger than the first value and smaller than a second value larger than the first value.

16. The program according to claim 13, wherein the program is configured to further execute the step of:

transmitting a control signal for an alert display in the display portion by the processor when the radius of curvature is larger than the first value and smaller than a second value larger than the first value.

17. The program according to claim 13, wherein the program is configured to further execute the step of:

transmitting the control signal for stopping the display in the display portion and the control signal for generating the alert from the alert generator by the processor so that a period in which the display in the display portion is stopped overlaps with a period in which the alert is generated from the alert generator.

18. A method for driving an electronic device comprising a display portion, a sensor, and a processor, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

detecting a curved region of the electronic device by the sensor;

comparing a radius of curvature in the curved region with a first value by the processor; and

transmitting a control signal for stopping a display in the display portion when the radius of curvature is smaller than the first value.