ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH CURVED DISPLAY MODULE AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150160699A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jong-Chul, Park, Hyung-Jin, Song, Chan-Keun
• Granted Patent: US 9,939,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/027 including magnifying means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device includes a flexible display module including a curvature, and a bracket supporting the flexible display module, wherein the bracket includes at least a part formed with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the flexible display module.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a flexible display module including a curvature; and

a bracket supporting the flexible display module, wherein the bracket includes at least a part formed with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the flexible display module.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display module is constructed by a window of flexible material and a flexible display laminated on the window.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein a touch panel is disposed between the window and the flexible display.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the window is wider than the flexible display.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display module surrounds at least a part of a side surface of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display module surrounds a part of at least a rear surface and a side surface of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bracket is formed of at least one of a metal material and a plastic material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one surface among a front surface, a side surface, and a rear surface of the electronic device includes a slant shape.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display module is coupled with the bracket to provide an internal housing space housing a plurality of electronic components.

10. A method for assembling an electronic device, the method comprising:

forming at least one side surface of a flexible display module such that the at least one side surface includes a curvature;

electrically connecting the flexible display module to a body part of the electronic device;

attaching the one side surface of the flexible display module including the curvature to a first position of the body part of the electronic device; and

attaching the other side surface of the flexible display module to a second position of the body part of the electronic device using a recoverable stress.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the process of electrically connecting the flexible display module to the body part of the electronic device comprises coupling a connector extended from the flexible display module in one direction with a part of a substrate of the body part of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the connector is formed as a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB).

13. A method of an electronic device having a display module extending to a side surface of the electronic device or a rear surface of the electronic device to the side surface, the method comprising:

detecting a touch to at least one surface among the side surface and rear surface of the electronic device;

deactivating a function of at least a part of the side surface and rear surface of the electronic device based on the detected touch;

deciding if the electronic device rotates by a reference angle; and

if the electronic device rotates by the reference angle, displaying additional information on at least a part of the side surface of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of additional function information, attribute information, and setting information about an object displayed on a front surface of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a touch event to at least one surface among a side surface and rear surface of the electronic device; and

performing at least one function corresponding to the detected touch event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one function corresponding to the touch event comprises at least one of a function of increasing or decreasing a sound volume of the electronic device, a function of zooming in or zooming out at a constant rate an object displayed on a screen, a function of canceling or again performing the latest executed instruction, a function of scrolling for quick screen conversion, and a function of executing a specific application.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a display module arranged to extend to a side surface of the electronic device or a rear surface of the electronic device through the side surface;

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to;

detect a touch to at least one surface among the side surface and rear surface of the electronic device, deactivate a function of at least a part of the side surface and rear surface of the electronic device based on the detected touch,

decide if the electronic device rotates by a reference angle, and

display additional information on at least a part of the side surface of the electronic device if the electronic device rotates by the reference angle.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of additional function information, attribute information, and setting information about an object displayed on a front surface of the electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to detect a touch event to at least one surface among a side surface and rear surface of the electronic device and perform at least one function corresponding to the detected touch event.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to perform in response to the touch event at least one function among a function of increasing or decreasing a sound volume of the electronic device, a function of zooming in or zooming out at a constant rate an object displayed on a screen, a function of canceling or again performing the latest executed instruction, a function of scrolling for quick screen conversion, and a function of executing a specific application.