Altering the flexibility of a display device

• US 8,194,399 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ashcraft, Britt C., On, Peter M., Hoffman, Dustin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US12/837,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/43, 257/59, 345/207, 345/214, 345/173, 345/212, 345/589, 345/501, 361/679.01, 361/679.05, 361/679.03, 361/679.26, 361/679.33, 361/679.34, 349/43, 349/129, 349/61, 349/143, 349/106, 362/97.1, 362/249.4, 362/103, 362/104
• US Class Current: 361/679.05
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments relate to altering the flexibility of a display device. A method for altering the flexibility of a display device may include sending a signal, by a circuit, to alter the temperature of a first section of a display device comprising the first section and a second section. The flexibility of the first section may be changed in response to the temperature alteration of the first section. The method may further include sending a signal, by the circuit, to alter the temperature of the second section of the display device. In one embodiment, the flexibility of the second section is changed in response to the temperature alteration of the second section.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a display device comprising a first section and a second section;

a processor to display image data on the display device; and

a circuit to;

alter the temperature of the first section of the display device, wherein the flexibility of the first section is changed in response to the temperature alteration of the first section; and

alter the temperature of the second section of the display device, wherein the flexibility of the second section is changed in response to the temperature alteration of the second section.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to fold around the processor.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises memory metal.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section have different levels of flexibility.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a power source, wherein the display device is configured to wrap around the power source.

6. A method for altering the flexibility of a display device, comprising:

sending a signal, by a circuit, to alter the temperature of a first section of a display device comprising the first section and a second section,

wherein the flexibility of the first section is changed in response to the temperature alteration of the first section; and

sending a signal, by the circuit, to alter the temperature of the second section of the display device,

wherein the flexibility of the second section is changed in response to the temperature alteration of the second section.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the display device comprises a memory alloy.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first section and the second section have different levels of flexibility.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first section of the display device stiffens in response to the temperature alteration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein stiffening in response to the temperature alteration comprises stiffening in a bent position.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the display device folds around electrical components.

12. A machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor for altering the flexibility of a display device, comprising instructions to:

adjust the temperature of a first section of a display device; and

adjust the temperature of a second section of the display device,

wherein the flexibility of the first section of the display device is altered based on the temperature of the first section of the display device and

wherein the flexibility of the second section of the display device is altered based on the temperature of the second section of the display device.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first section of the display device becomes more rigid when its temperature increases.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second section of the display device becomes more rigid when its temperature increases.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the flexible display device comprises memory metal.