Configurable multi-dimensional media device

• US 8,005,518 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Birsel, Ayse, Seck, Bibi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M
• Application Number:
  US11/897,668
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

Examples of a configurable multi-dimensional media device is described, including a memory configured to store data, and a processor adapted to configure a plurality of segments into a shape, to determine one or more computing functions based on the shape, and to implement the one or more computing functions when the configuration is performed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a display matrix comprising three or more display panels, wherein each respective one of the display panels is configured to rotate about one or more shared rotational axis with respect to each of other ones of the display panels disposed adjacent the respective one of the display panels such that the three or more display panels are foldable into a plurality of different shapes, wherein each of the shared rotational axes is substantially parallel or substantially orthogonal to each of the other shared rotational axes,

wherein the system is configured to provide a plurality of operating functions, wherein each of the plurality of operating functions is associated with one or more of the plurality of shapes, and wherein the display panels are configured to display one or more functions corresponding to one or more of the plurality of operating functions associated with each particular one of the plurality of shapes; and

a processor configured to;

determine the shape of the display matrix; and

implement one or more of the operating functions associated with the determined shape of the display matrix, wherein implementing one or more of the operating functions associated with the determined shape of the display matrix comprises at least one of the display panels displaying a particular function corresponding to an operating function associated with the determined shape.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing an application, the application being configured to provide at least one of the one or more operating functions when executed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the display panels comprises an audio speaker configured to generate an acoustic signal from data provided by the processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the display panels is rectangular in shape.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the display panels is substantially square in shape, and wherein the one or more shared rotational axes are substantially parallel to edges of the substantially square shaped display panels to form a grid of three or more display panels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the three or more display panels comprises a two-sided display panel having top and bottom display areas facing opposite directions with respect to one another, and wherein each of the top and bottom display areas are configurable to display one or more functions corresponding to one or more of the plurality of operating functions associated with each particular one of the plurality of shapes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the three or more display panels comprises:

a top display panel comprising a top display area;

a bottom display panel comprising a bottom display area, wherein the top and bottom display areas face opposite directions with respect to one another; and

a membrane disposed between the top and bottom display panels,

wherein the membrane extends between two or more adjacent display panels, and wherein the membrane is flexible such that the membrane forms a flexible joint between the adjacent display panels to facilitate rotation of the adjacent display panels relative to one another about a respective one of the shared rotational axes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating functions comprise at least one of image capture, media play, handheld game, image scanning, mobile calling, videoconferencing, video calling, mapping, or mirror.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the display panels are configured to render one or both of a still image and a video image.

10. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store data;

a display matrix comprising three or more display segments, wherein each of the three or more display segments comprises a two-sided display segment having top and bottom display areas facing opposite directions with respect to one another, and wherein each respective one of the display segments is configured to rotate about one or more shared rotational axis with respect to each of other ones of the display segments disposed adjacent the respective one of the display segments such that the three or more display segments are foldable into a plurality of different shapes,

wherein the system is configured to provide a plurality of operating functions, wherein each of the plurality of operating functions is associated with one or more of the plurality of shapes, and wherein the display segments are configured to provide a display corresponding to one or more of the plurality of operating functions associated with each particular one of the plurality of shapes; and

logic configured to;

determine the shape of the display matrix; and

implement one or more of the operating functions associated with the determined shape of the display matrix, wherein implementing one or more of the operating functions associated with the determined shape of the display matrix comprises at least one of the display segments providing a display corresponding to an operating function associated with the determined shape.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the display segments is rectangular in shape.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the shared rotational axes is substantially parallel or substantially orthogonal to each of the other shared rotational axes.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the display segments is substantially square in shape, and wherein the one or more shared rotational axes are substantially parallel to edges of the substantially square shaped segments to form a grid of three or more display panels.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the three or more display segments comprises:

a top display panel comprising the top display area;

a bottom display panel comprising the bottom display area; and

a membrane disposed between the top and bottom display panels,

wherein the membrane extends between two or more adjacent display segments, and wherein the membrane is flexible such that the membrane forms a flexible joint between the adjacent display segments to facilitate rotation of the adjacent display segments relative to one another about a respective one of the shared rotational axes.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more operating functions comprise at least one of image capture, media play, handheld game, image scanning, mobile calling, videoconferencing, video calling, mapping, or mirror.

16. The device of claim 10, further comprising a memory storing an application, the application being configured to provide at least one of the one or more operating functions when executed.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store data associated with one or more operating functions;

a display matrix comprising a plurality of segments configured to be selectively arranged relative to one another to form a plurality of selected shapes, wherein three or more of the segments comprise display segments, wherein the one or more operating functions are associated with one or more of the plurality of shapes, and wherein each of the three or more display segments are configurable to render two or more different images, wherein the two or more images each correspond to an operating function associated with two or more selected shapes, respectively, of the plurality of selected shapes of the display matrix; and

a processor configured to;

determine the selected shape of the display matrix; and

implement one or more of the operating functions associated with the selected shape of the display matrix, wherein implementing one or more of the operating functions associated with the selected shape of the display matrix comprises at least one of the display segments displaying an image corresponding to an operating function associated with the selected shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more operating functions comprise at least one of image capture, media play, handheld game, image scanning, mobile calling, videoconferencing, video calling, mapping, or mirror.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each respective one of the segments is configured to rotate about one or more shared rotational axis with respect to each of other ones of the segments disposed adjacent the respective one of the segments such that the segments are foldable into a plurality of different shapes, wherein each of the shared rotational axes is substantially parallel or substantially orthogonal to each of the other shared rotational axes.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the segments is rectangular in shape.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the three or more display segments comprises a two-sided display segment having top and bottom display areas facing opposite directions with respect to one another.

22. A method, comprising:

detecting a shape of a display matrix comprising three or more display panels, wherein each respective one of the display panels is configured to rotate with respect to each of other ones of the display panels disposed adjacent the respective one of the display panels such that the three or more display panels are foldable into a plurality of different shapes, wherein each of the three or more display panels are configurable to render two or more different images, wherein the two or more images correspond to an operating function associated with two or more selected shapes, respectively, of the plurality of different shapes of the display matrix;

determining one or more operating functions based on the shape detected; and

implementing the one or more operating functions determined based on the shape of the display matrix detected, comprising displaying, by at least one of the display panels, a particular function corresponding to an operating function associated with the determined shape.