FLEXIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20170277319A1
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Xiaohua
• Application Number:
  US15/470,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20170277319A1
• 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: 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include devices and methods for receiving detection data from at least one detection module based on a position of a trigger module relative to the at least one detection module. The at least one detection module is arranged in a detection region of the electronic device and the preset detection region and the trigger module are arranged on opposite sides of an electronic device in a bending position. The devices and methods are also for determining the bending position of the electronic device based on the detection data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving detection data from at least one detection module based on a position of a trigger module relative to the at least one detection module, wherein the at least one detection module is arranged in a detection region of the electronic device, and the detection region and the trigger module are arranged on opposite sides of an electronic device in a bending position;

determining the bending position of the electronic device based on the detection data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

designating a target display region on a display screen of the electronic device based on the bending position of the electronic device;

selecting a target display state corresponding to the target display region; and

generating a switching command to instruct the electronic device to switch to the target display state.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein acquiring the target display region on the display screen of the electronic device comprises:

acquiring a position of a first edge of the display screen, wherein the first edge is an edge of the display screen that is parallel to a bend in the display screen;

determining a target position of a second edge of the display screen in the bending position of the electronic device, wherein the display screen is located on an inner side of the bend in the electronic device and the target position of the second edge of the display screen forms a moveable boundary of an uncovered region of the display screen; and

determining the target display region based on the target position of the second edge and the position of the first edge.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one detection module is a switch array comprising at least one switch, and wherein determining the bending position of the electronic device comprises:

acquiring position information of a first switch based on state change information from the first switch; and

determining the bending position of the electronic device based on the position information of the first switch, wherein the first switch is at least one switch in a switch array arranged in the electronic device along a first direction, the first direction defined by a direction of movement of the trigger module in response to a change in the bending position of the electronic device, and wherein a state of any switch in the switch array is changed in response to a determination that the first switch is proximate the trigger module.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one detection module comprises a touch detection layer arranged in the display screen of the electronic device on a first face located on an inner side of the electronic device when the electronic device is bent, and wherein determining the bending position of the electronic device based on the detection data comprises:

analyzing coordinate information extracted from the detection information to obtain a target region of the display screen; and

determining the bending position of the electronic device based on the coordinate information, wherein the touch detection layer is arranged and

outputting the coordinate information in response to a determination that the touch detection layer is proximate the trigger module.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining the target position of the second edge of the display screen based on the bending position of the electronic device further comprises:

generating a first determination result in response to detection of a new target position of the second edge of the display screen within a preset time period;

updating the target position of the second edge to the new target position of the second edge in response to receipt of the first determination result; and

determining the target display region based on the target position of the second edge and the position of the first edge in response to detection that the first determination result indicates that no new target position of the second edge is received within the preset time period.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein generating the switching command further comprises:

generating prompt information based on the target state to communicate a current operating state of the electronic device.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a trigger module;

at least one detection module in a detection region of the electronic device that generates detection data relating to a distance between the detection module and the trigger module; and

a processor that receives the detection data from the at least one detection module and determines a bending position of the electronic device based on the detection data;

wherein the detection region and the trigger module are arranged on opposite sides of the electronic device in a bending position.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display screen that displays a target display content;

wherein the processor is further configured to;

acquire a target display region of the display screen of the electronic device based on the bending position of the electronic device;

select a target display state based on the target display region; and

generate a switching command based on the target display state to switch the electronic device into the target display state.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the at least one detection module is a switch array comprising at least one switch, wherein the switch array is arranged along a first direction of the electronic device and a state of any one switch in the switch array is changed in response to a determination that the any one switch is proximate to the trigger module;

and

the trigger module is arranged on an edge of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the at least one detection module comprises a touch detection layer arranged on the display screen of the electronic device in a laminated arrangement on a first face of the electronic device, the first face being located on an inner side of the electronic device when the electronic device is bent, and

coordinate information is outputted in response to a determination that the touch detection layer is proximate the trigger module.