WEARABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE INTERACTIVE DISPLAY

• US 20150185944A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Magi, Aleksander, Brotman, Ryan S.
• Application Number:
  US14/142,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device, which may be a wearable electronic device such as a bracelet, watch, wristband or armband that includes a circuit board coupled to a plurality of electronic components (which may include any type of components, elements, circuitry, etc.). One particular implementation of an electronic device may include a display portion that may include a flexible display configured to be manipulated in one or more directions; a touchscreen overlaying the display; and a pressure sensor array configured beneath the flexible display. The pressure sensor array may be configured to measure inputs for one or more manipulations made to at least one of the display portion and the flexible display.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display portion that comprises;

a flexible display configured to be manipulated in one or more directions;

a touchscreen overlaying the flexible display; and

a pressure sensor array configured beneath the flexible display, wherein the pressure sensor array is configured to measure inputs for one or more manipulations made to at least one of the display portion and the flexible display.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display is a flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display configured to be manipulated in one or more directions.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen is a capacitive touchscreen configured to be manipulated in one or more directions.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor array comprises an array of thin-film capacitive pressure sensors.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display portion is configured to be manipulated in one or more directions.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor array is configured along a perimeter of the flexible display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor array is configured along a perimeter beneath the flexible display.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

wireless communication circuitry contained in the display portion.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a strap portion, wherein the display portion is secured to the strap portion.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the strap portion is configured to include one or more sensors to register one or more manipulations made to the strap portion.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

logic, at least a portion of which is partially implemented in hardware, the logic configured to;

receive, for one or more manipulations of a flexible display of the electronic device, input data for one or more inputs registered by at least one of;

a touchscreen overlaying the flexible display and a pressure sensor array configured along a perimeter of the flexible display;

associate the manipulations with operations for the electronic device, based, at least in part on the input data; and

cause the operations to be performed for the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the input data includes at least one of:

pressure input data for pressure measurements registered by one or more pressure sensors of the pressure sensor array corresponding to one or more forces applied to the flexible display during the one or more manipulations; and

touch input data includes touch input data for one or more touch inputs registered by one or more touch sensors of the touchscreen corresponding to one or more touches input to the touchscreen during the one or more manipulations.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine a context of the manipulations, wherein the manipulations can be associated with operations for one or more applications or system operations; and

associate the manipulations with operations for the electronic device based on the input data and the context of the manipulations.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

cause one or more content scrolling operations to be performed for the electronic device, wherein the content scrolling operations include scrolling content displayed on the flexible display in one or more scrolling directions.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

cause one or more content zooming operations to be performed for the electronic device, wherein the content zooming operations include zooming content displayed on the flexible display in one or more directions.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

cause one or more communication operations to be performed for the electronic device, wherein the communication operations include communicating data from the device using wireless communication circuitry in the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

cause one or more content view rotation operations to be performed for the electronic device, wherein the content view rotation operations include rotating a view of content displayed on the flexible display in left or right.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

update or change the operations based on additional input data received for additional manipulations.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, for an update of the operations, the logic is further configured to cause at least one of:

an increase or a decrease a scroll rate of one or more content scrolling operations corresponding, respectively, to an increase or a decrease in applied force measured by one or more pressure sensors of the pressure sensory array;

an increase or a decrease a zoom rate of one or more content zooming operations corresponding, respectively, to an increase or a decrease in applied force measured by one or more pressure sensors of the pressure sensory array; and

an increase or a decrease a rotation rate of one or more content rotation operations corresponding, respectively, to an increase or a decrease in applied force measured by one or more pressure sensors of the pressure sensory array.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic further comprises:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory.

21. At least one computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive, for one or more manipulations of a flexible display of an electronic device, input data for one or more inputs registered by at least one of;

a touchscreen overlaying the flexible display and a pressure sensor array configured along a perimeter of the flexible display;

associate the manipulations with operations for the electronic device, based, at least in part on the input data; and

cause the operations to be performed for the electronic device.

22. The medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

determine a context of the manipulations, wherein the manipulations can be associated with operations for one or more applications or system operations; and

associate the manipulations with operations for the electronic device based on the input data and the context of the manipulations.

23. A system, comprising:

a display portion of an electronic device that comprises;

a flexible display configured to be manipulated in one or more directions;

a touchscreen overlaying the flexible display; and

a pressure sensor array configured beneath the flexible display, wherein the pressure sensor array is configured to measure inputs for one or more manipulations made to at least one of the display portion and the flexible display; and

logic, at least a portion of which is partially implemented in hardware, the logic configured to;

receive, for one or more manipulations of the flexible display, input data for one or more inputs registered by at least one of;

the touchscreen and the pressure sensor array;

associate the manipulations with operations for the electronic device, based, at least in part on the input data; and

cause the operations to be performed for the electronic device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the display is a flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display configured to be manipulated in one or more directions.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory.