METHOD AND AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING SHAPE BASED ON AN EVENT

• US 20150195926A1
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KANDUR RAJA, Barath Raj, Ananda, Adarsha, Suvarna, Ananya Padmanabha, Rekapalli, Phani Avadooth Veera Venkata, Narayan, Jyothish, Murugesan, Kumar, Krishnamurthy, Magesh, Paramasivam, Periyasamy, Kumaraswamy, Rajath Basur, Kathuria, Sushant
• Granted Patent: US 10,116,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• 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: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for automatically changing a shape of an electronic device are provided. The method includes identifying, by the electronic device, at least one event triggered in the electronic device; and changing, by the electronic device, the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event.

Claims

1. A method for automatically changing a shape of an electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying, by the electronic device, at least one event triggered in the electronic device; and

changing, by the electronic device, the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one event is triggered by at least one of an external event and an internal event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event comprises:

determining at least one shape for the electronic device according to the at least one identified event; and

changing the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one determined shape.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein changing the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one determined shape further comprises:

applying an inflation strength to at least one actuator to change the shape of the electronic device, wherein the at least one actuator causes a surface of the electronic device to project according to the at least one determined shape.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

balancing the projected surface by controlling a magnetic field strength of at least one electro magnet according to the at least one determined shape; and

maintaining the electronic device in the at least one determined shape using the magnetic field strength.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one event is associated with a camera event;

determining at least one shape associated with the camera event; and

changing the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one determined shape,

wherein the change in shape causes a plurality of cameras on the electronic device to be positioned to at least one side of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of images in a field of view of the plurality of cameras at a time; and

stitching the captured plurality of images together to create a single image of a plurality of areas included in the plurality of images.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of captured images include at least one of a horizontal view image and a vertical view image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the single image is a full angle view of the plurality of areas.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the single image is a panorama view of the at least one field of view.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a sensing module;

a shape control module; and

a control module configured to;

control the sensing module to identify at least one event triggered in the electronic device using the sensing module, and

control the shape control module to change a shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one event is triggered by at least one of an external event and an internal event.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the control module is configured to control the shape control module to change the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event by:

determining at least one shape of the electronic device according to the at least one identified event; and

controlling the shape control module to change the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one determined shape.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the shape control module is further configured to:

apply an inflation strength to at least one actuator to change the shape of the electronic device, wherein the at least one actuator causes a surface of the electronic device to project according to the at least one determined shape.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the shape control module is further configured to:

balance the projected surface by controlling a magnetic field strength of at least one electro magnet according to the at least one determined shape; and

maintain the electronic device in the at least one determined shape using the magnetic field strength.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control module is further configured to:

determine whether the at least one event is associated with a camera event;

determine the at least one shape associated with the camera event; and

change the shape of the electronic device according to the at least one determined shape, wherein the change in shape causes a plurality of cameras in the electronic device to be positioned to at least one side of the electronic device.

17. The electronic device as in claim 16, wherein the control module is further configured to:

capture a plurality of images in a field of view of the plurality of cameras at a time; and

stitch the captured plurality of images to create a single image of a plurality of areas included in the plurality of images.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of captured images include at least one of a horizontal view image and a vertical view image.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the single image is a full angle view of the plurality of areas.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the single image is a panorama view of the at least one field of view.