ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING FLEXIBLE DISPLAY AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20170169759A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JANG, Jongwoon
• Application Number:
  US15/375,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20170169759A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/027 Arrangements or methods related to powering off a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position

Abstract

Provided are an electronic device having a flexible display and a method for controlling the same. The electronic device includes a flexible display and a processor that confirms a user'"'"'s location with respect to the electronic device using a sensor that is functionally connected to the processor, determines a partial region of a display region of the flexible display based on the user'"'"'s location, and controls luminance of the partial region.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a flexible display; and

a processor configured to;

confirm a user'"'"'s location with respect to the electronic device using a sensor that is functionally connected to the processor,

determine a partial region of a display region of the flexible display based on the user'"'"'s location, and

control luminance of the partial region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a lookup table that defines a relationship between the user'"'"'s location and a luminance correction value.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the partial region of which the luminance that is to be corrected based on the user'"'"'s location,

extract the luminance correction value from the lookup table, and

control the luminance of the determined partial region based on the extracted luminance correction value.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect flex of the display region,

divide the display region into a first region and a second region based on the detected flex, and

select one of the first region and the second region as the partial region based on the detected flex.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control providing of a first designated luminance of a region in which a flexion angle of the detected flex has a first range, and control providing of a second designated luminance of a region in which the flexion angle has a second range.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor turns off the partial region of the display region of the flexible display in which a flexion angle of the detected flex of the display region is in a non-visible range that a user is unable to see.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to reduce and display an image in a remaining region of the flexible display corresponding to a visible range that the user is able to see when the partial region of the flexible display in the non-visible range is turned off.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the luminance of the partial region by changing one of a voltage and current that is applied to a backlight or at least one unit pixel of the flexible display.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to correct a color sense of an image that is displayed on the partial region of the display region based on a user'"'"'s location and a degree of flex of the display region.

10. A method for controlling an electronic device having a flexible display, the method comprising:

displaying an image on the flexible display;

confirming a user'"'"'s location with respect to the electronic device when displaying the image;

determining a partial region of a display region of the flexible display based on the user'"'"'s location; and

controlling luminance of the partial region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the partial region comprises:

detecting flex of the display region; and

dividing the display region into a first region and a second region based on the detected flex; and

selecting one of the first region and the second region as the partial region further based on the detected flex.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the luminance of the partial region comprises:

providing a first designated luminance of a region in which a flexion angle of the detected flex has a first range; and

providing a second designated luminance of a region in which the flexion angle has a second range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the luminance of the partial region further comprises:

determining a reference region that corresponds to the user'"'"'s location; and

maintaining luminance of the reference region.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising turning off the partial region of the display region of the flexible display in which a flexion angle of the detected flex of the display region is in a non-visible range that a user is unable to see.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising reducing and displaying an image in a remaining region of the flexible display corresponding to a visible range that the user is able to see when the partial region of the flexible display in the non-visible range is turned off.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the flex of the display region comprises detecting flex in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the flexible display.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the luminance of the partial region comprises:

determining a partial region of which the luminance is to be corrected based on the user'"'"'s location;

extracting a luminance correction value from a lookup table that defines the relationship between the user'"'"'s location, a degree of flex, and a luminance correction value; and

controlling the luminance of the determined partial region based on the extracted luminance correction value.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the luminance of the partial region comprises controlling the luminance of the partial region by changing one of a voltage and current applied to a backlight or at least one unit pixel of the flexible display.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising correcting a color sense of an image that is displayed on the partial region of the display region corresponding to the user'"'"'s location and a degree of flex of the display region.

20. A computer readable recording medium storing therein a program for controlling execution of:

displaying an image on a flexible display of an electronic device;

confirming a user'"'"'s location with respect to the electronic device using a sensor that is functionally connected to a processor when displaying the image;

determining a partial region of a display region of the flexible display based on the user'"'"'s location; and

controlling luminance of the partial region.