Multi-bend display activation adaptation

• US 8,587,539 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tziortzis, Alek, Jano, Bashar
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/011,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 345/76, 345/107, 345/156, 345/173, 345/659, 345/661, 345/905, 345/63, 715/716, 715/776, 715/777, 715/808, 715/815, 715/840, 178/18.03, 455/566, 361/679.05, 361/679.15, 361/679.16
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

Systems and methods determine likely unintended flexing of a flexible display and exclude the determined unintended flexings from user input processing. Unintended flexings include placing or removing the flexible display into or out of a compact storage configuration, folds that outside the user'"'"'s visible area, folds that are near edges and boundaries, flexing with a specified degree of bending or orientation, folds that don'"'"'t intersect with other folds, folds that are near known unintended folds, folds that have a motion or other variation with time, and folds that are not in proximity to a selectable user interface element. Unintended flexings are adaptively identified by determining that a bend that is not in proximity to a selectable user interface element reoccurs at times when icons at different locations are presented on the flexible display.

Claims

1. A flexible display user input receiving system, comprising:

a flexible display configured to receive input from a user to indicate a selected graphical user interface element by flexing of the flexible display;

at least one flexing sensor configured to characterize a flexing of the flexible display; and

a user input controller, communicatively coupled to the at least one flexing sensor, the user input controller configured to;

receive a characterization of a present flexing of the flexible display;

determine if the characterization of the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing within at least one excluded flexing characterization, each of the excluded flexing characterizations corresponding to a flexing in a particular direction and along a particular axis of flexing of the flexible display not associated with a user input;

provide, based on a determination that the present flexing does not correspond to an excluded flexing, a user selection corresponding to the present flexing that indicates a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display; and

exclude, based on a determination that the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing, the characterization of the present flexing from user input processing that determines user selections indicating a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display.

2. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1,

the flexible display configured to present an image within an image area, the image area comprising less than an entirety of the flexible display, and

the at least one excluded flexing comprises a flexing of the flexible display that is outside of the image area.

3. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1,

the flexible display configured to present an image within an image area, the image area comprising less than an entirety of the flexible display, and

the at least one excluded flexing comprises a flexing of the flexible display that is within the image area and within a specified proximity of an edge of the image area.

4. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1, wherein the at least one excluded flexing comprises a flexing of the flexible display that is within a specified proximity of an edge of the flexible display.

5. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1, wherein the at least one excluded flexing comprises a flexing with at least one of a specified degree of flexing and orientation of flexing of the flexible display.

6. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1, further comprising at least one rigid display support, each of the at least one rigid display support fastened to a respective edge of the flexible display,

the excluded flexing comprising flexing within a specified proximity to the at least one rigid display support.

7. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1, the user input controller further configured to:

display, for a first time duration, a first set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, each selectable user interface element within the first set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location;

determine, during the first time duration, that the present flexing is a first display flexing, the first display flexing corresponding to a display flexing not in proximity to a respective location of any of the selectable user interface elements within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

display, for a second time duration subsequent to the first time duration, a second set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, at least one selectable user interface element within the second set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location different from a respective location of any of the selectable user interface elements within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

determine, during the second time duration, a subsequent occurrence of the first display flexing; and

add, in response to determining the occurrence of the first display flexing during the first time duration and the second time duration, the first display flexing to the at least one excluded flexing characterization.

8. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1,

the user input controller further determining if the characterization of the present flexing comprises a valid input flexing, and

the excluded flexing comprising any flexing that is not a valid input flexing.

9. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 8, the flexible display configured to present an image of at least one selectable user interface element, the valid input flexing comprising flexing proximate to any of the at least one selectable user interface element.

10. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 8,

the flexible display configured to present an image within an image area, the image area comprising less than an entirety of the flexible display, and

the valid input flexing comprising flexing with a first fold line and a second fold line where the first fold line intersects the second fold line within the image area.

11. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 1, further comprising a display housing configured to allow the flexible display to flex into a stored position;

and

the excluded flexing comprising at least one of flexing into the stored position and flexing out of the stored position.

12. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 11, wherein the display housing comprises a roller, and

wherein the stored position comprises the flexible display being wrapped around the roller.

13. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 11, wherein the display housing comprises a device body coupled to the flexible display,

the stored position comprising the flexible display flexing into a first shape, the first shape defined at least in part by the device body.

14. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 13, the device body comprising a frame about which the flexible display conforms to flex into the first shape.

15. The flexible display user input receiving system of claim 13, the device body comprising an articulating frame holding the flexible display, the articulating frame comprising at least one articulation point, the excluded flexing comprising flexing associated with articulation of an articulation point within the at least one articulation point.

16. A method for receiving commands from a flexible display system, the method comprising:

receiving a characterization of a present flexing of a flexible display, the present flexing indicating a selected graphical user interface element;

determining if the characterization of the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing within at least one excluded flexing characterization, each of the excluded flexing characterizations corresponding to a flexing in a particular direction and along a particular axis of flexing of the flexible display not associated with a user input;

provide, based on a determination that the present flexing does not correspond to an excluded flexing, a user selection corresponding to the present flexing that indicates a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display; and

excluding, based on a determination that the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing, the characterization of the present flexing from user input processing that determines user selections indicating a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display.

17. The method of claim 16, the flexible display configured to present an image within an image area, the image area comprising less than an entirety of the flexible display, and

the at least one excluded flexing comprising a flexing of the flexible display that is outside of the image area.

18. The method of claim 16, the flexible display comprising at least one rigid display support, each of the at least one rigid display support fastened to a respective edge of the flexible display, and

the excluded flexing comprising flexing within a specified proximity to the at least one rigid display support.

19. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

presenting an image of at least one selectable user interface element on the flexible display; and

determining if the characterization of the present flexing comprises a flexing within a specified proximity to any of the at least one selectable user interface element, and

the excluded flexing comprising a flexing that is not within a specified proximity to any of the at least one selectable user interface element.

20. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

displaying, for a first time duration, a first set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, each selectable user interface element within the first set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location;

determining, during the first time duration, that the present flexing is a first display flexing, the first display flexing corresponding to a display flexing not in proximity to a respective location of any of the selectable user interface elements within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

displaying, for a second time duration subsequent to the first time duration, a second set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, at least one selectable user interface element within the second set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location different from a respective location of any of the selectable user interface elements within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

determining, during the second time duration, a subsequent occurrence of the first display flexing; and

adding, in response to determining the occurrence of the first display flexing during the first time duration and the second time duration, the first display flexing to the at least one excluded flexing characterization.

21. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

detecting that the present flexing corresponds to the flexible display flexing into a stored position, the stored position defined by a display housing; and

the excluded flexing comprising at least one of the flexible display flexing into a stored position and flexing out of the stored position.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the display housing comprises a roller, and

wherein the stored position comprises the flexible display being wrapped around the roller.

23. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

detecting that the present flexing corresponds to the flexible display flexing into a first shape, the first shape defined at least in part by a device body to which the flexible display is coupled, and

the excluded flexing comprising flexing into the first shape.

24. The method of claim 23, the device body comprising an articulating frame holding the flexible display, the articulating frame comprising at least one articulation point, the excluded flexing comprising flexing associated with articulation of an articulation point within the at least one articulation point.

25. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, configured to store information operated upon by the processor;

a wireless communications component configured to provide wireless data communications between the processor and a wireless data network;

a flexible display configured to receive input from a user to indicate a selected graphical user interface element by flexing of the flexible display;

at least one flexing sensor configured to characterize a flexing of the flexible display; and

a display controller, communicatively coupled to the at least one flexing sensor, the display controller configured to;

receive a characterization of a present flexing of the flexible display;

determine if the characterization of the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing within at least one excluded flexing characterization, each of the excluded flexing characterizations corresponding to a flexing in a particular direction and along a particular axis of flexing of the flexible display not associated with a user input;

provide, based on a determination that the present flexing does not correspond to an excluded flexing, a user selection corresponding to the present flexing that indicates a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display; and

exclude, based on a determination that the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing, the characterization of the present flexing from user input processing that determines user selections indicating a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display.

26. A computer program product for receiving commands from a flexible display system, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for;

receiving a characterization of a present flexing of a flexible display, the present flexing indicating a selected graphical user interface element;

determining if the characterization of the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing within at least one excluded flexing characterization, each of the excluded flexing characterizations corresponding to a flexing in a particular direction and along a particular axis of flexing of the flexible display not associated with a user input;

provide, based on a determination that the present flexing does not correspond to an excluded flexing, a user selection corresponding to the present flexing that indicates a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display; and

excluding, based on a determination that the present flexing corresponds to an excluded flexing, the characterization of the present flexing from user input processing that determines user selections indicating a selected graphical user interface element on the flexible display.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising instructions for:

displaying, for a first time duration, a first set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, each selectable user interface element within the first set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location;

determining, during the first time duration, that the present flexing is a first display flexing, the first display flexing corresponding to a display flexing not in proximity to a respective location of any of the selectable user interface elements within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

displaying, for a second time duration subsequent to the first time duration, a second set of selectable user interface elements on the flexible display, at least one selectable user interface element within the second set of selectable user interface elements having a respective location different from a respective location of any of the selectable user interface element within the first set of selectable user interface elements;

determining, during the second time duration, a subsequent occurrence of the first display flexing; and

adding, in response to determining the occurrence of the first display flexing during the first time duration and the second time duration, the first display flexing to the at least one excluded flexing characterization.