Flexible Display for a Mobile Computing Device

• US 20160306390A1
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Queen's University At Kingston
• Original Assignee: Queen's University At Kingston
• Inventors: Gotsch, Daniel M., Burstyn, Jesse, Vertegaal, Roel
• Application Number:
  US15/072,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• 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 1/1643 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 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A display device comprises a flexible display comprising a plurality of pixels and one or more of a z-input element and a flexible array of convex microlenses disposed on the flexible display, wherein each microlens in the array receives light from a selected number of underlying pixels and projects the received light over a range of viewing angles so as to collectively produce a flexible 3D light field display. The display device may be augmented with a flexible x,y-input element. The display device may be implemented in a mobile computing device such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a music player, a gaming device, or a combination thereof. One embodiment relates to a mobile computing device with a flexible 3D display and z-input provided by bending the display.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a flexible display comprising a plurality of pixels;

a flexible array of convex microlenses disposed on the flexible display;

wherein each microlens in the array receives light from a selected number of underlying pixels and projects the received light over a range of viewing angles so as to collectively produce a flexible 3D light field display.

2. The display device of claim 1, comprising:

(i) an x,y-input element;

or

(ii) at least one z-input element;

or)

(i) and (ii);

wherein the x,y-input element senses a user'"'"'s touch on the display device in the x and y axes and provides corresponding x,y-input information;

wherein the at least one z-input element senses a bend of the flexible 3D light field display in the z axis and provides corresponding z-input information.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the x,y-input element comprises a flexible capacitive multi-touch film.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the flexible capacitive multi-touch film is disposed between the flexible display and the flexible array of convex microlenses.

5. The display device of claim 2, wherein one or more properties of a light field rendered on the flexible 3D light field display is modulated by touching and/or bending the flexible 3D light field display.

6. The display device of claim 2, wherein the at least one z-input element comprises a bend sensor.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display is a flexible OLED (FOLED) display.

8. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a flexible display comprising a plurality of pixels;

a flexible array of convex microlenses;

wherein each microlens in the array receives light from a selected number of underlying pixels and projects the received light over a range of viewing angles so as to collectively produce a flexible 3D light field display; and

an electronic circuit including at least one processor that controls the pixels of the flexible display.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8, comprising:

(a) an x,y-input element that senses a user'"'"'s touch on the display device in the x and y axes and provides corresponding x,y-input information;

or

(b) at least one z-input element that senses a bend of the flexible 3D light field display in the z axis and provides corresponding z-input information;

or

(c) (a) and (b);

wherein the electronic circuit includes at least one processor that receives the x,y-input and/or the z-input, and controls the pixels of the flexible display.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the flexible display is a flexible OLED (FOLED) display.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 8, comprising a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a music player, a gaming device, or a combination thereof.

12. A method for making a display device, comprising:

disposing a flexible array of convex microlenses on a flexible display comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein each microlens in the array receives light from a selected number of underlying pixels and projects the received light over a range of viewing angles so as to collectively produce a flexible 3D light field display.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

(A) disposing an x,y-input element with the flexible microlens array and the flexible display;

or

(B) disposing at least one z-input element with the flexible microlens array and the flexible display;

or

(C) (A) and (B);

wherein the x,y-input element senses a user'"'"'s touch on the display device in the x and y axes and provides corresponding x,y-input information.

wherein the at least one z-input element senses a bend of the flexible 3D light field display in the z axis and provides corresponding z-input information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein touching and/or bending the flexible 3D light field display modulates one or more properties of a light field rendered on the flexible 3D light field display.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising disposing a flexible FOLED display comprising a plurality of pixels.

16. The method of 12, implemented on a mobile computing device comprising an electronic circuit including at least one processor that controls the pixels of the flexible display.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

(a) disposing an x,y-input element that senses a user'"'"'s touch on the display device in the x and y axes and provides corresponding x,y-input information;

or

(b) disposing a z-input element that senses a bend of the flexible 3D light field display in the z axis and provides corresponding z-input information;

or

(c) (a) and (b);

wherein the electronic circuit includes at least one processor that receives the x,y-input and/or the z-input, and controls the pixels of the flexible display.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

using the z-input information to determine a force associated with bending of the flexible display or returning of the flexible display from a bend to substantially planar; and

using the force as input to the computing device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a music player, a gaming device, or a combination thereof.