Portable device and control method for the same

• US 8,860,656 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Eunhyung, Chun, Sinae, Kim, Jihwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US13/905,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/102
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable device having a flexible display unit and a control method for the same. The device provides a dimming mode for dimming the display unit when lack of user input for a preset dimming time is sensed. The dimming mode includes a first dimming mode having a first dimming time and a second dimming mode having a second dimming time. The display unit has a first state before the display unit is expanded, and a second state after the display unit is expanded. A processor of the device converts the device from the first dimming mode to the second dimming mode when the display unit is retracted from the second state to the first state, reverts the device into the first dimming mode when preset user input is sensed, and performs dimming of the display unit when lack of the preset user input is sensed.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a flexible display unit;

a measurement unit configured to sense an open position and a closed position of the flexible display unit;

a sensor unit configured to sense a user input; and

a processor configured to control the flexible display unit, the measurement unit, and the sensor unit,

wherein the portable device provides a dimming mode for dimming the flexible display unit when lack of the user input within a dimming time is sensed,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

convert the portable device from a first dimming mode to a second dimming mode when a change of the flexible display unit from the open position to the closed position is detected,

wherein the first dimming mode provides a first dimming time and the second dimming mode provides a second dimming time, and

wherein the second dimming time is shorter than the first dimming time,

if the user input is sensed within the second dimming time in the second dimming mode, revert the portable device from the second dimming mode to the first dimming mode, and

if the user input is not sensed within the second dimming time in the second dimming mode, perform dimming of the flexible display unit when the second dimming time is reached.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the closed position of the flexible display unit includes a first region exposed outward of the portable device, and

wherein the open position of the flexible display unit includes the first region and a second region that is additionally exposed outward of the portable device as the flexible display unit is expanded.

3. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible display unit includes a first display and a second display,

wherein the closed position of the flexible display unit has a size in which the second display is rolled into the portable device so as not to be exposed outward of the portable device, and

wherein the open position of the flexible display unit has a size in which the second display is rolled out of the portable device so as to be wholly or partially exposed outward of the portable device.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the user input includes a specific touch input pattern on the flexible display unit.

5. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the user input includes touch input on a software button displayed on a specific point of the flexible display unit.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the user input includes touch input on the flexible display unit, a length of the touch input exceeding a threshold.

7. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to maintain the first dimming mode of the portable device when the user input is sensed simultaneously with the change from the open position to the closed position.

8. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein dimming of the flexible display unit includes blackout of the flexible display unit.

9. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein dimming of the flexible display unit is gradually performed according to a lapse of time.

10. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to lock the portable device when dimming of the flexible display unit has been performed.

11. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to deactivate at least one of the flexible display unit, the measurement unit, and the sensor unit when the portable device is locked.

12. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the dimming mode according to an application that is being displayed on the flexible display unit when the change from the open position to the closed position is detected.

13. The portable device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

when the change from the open position to the closed position is detected, one of,

if a retraction mode of the application is provided, convert the portable device from the first dimming mode to the second dimming mode, and

if the retraction mode of the application is not provided, perform dimming of the flexible display unit.

14. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display a dimming time indicator, indicating the dimming time, on the flexible display unit.

15. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit is further configured to include at least one of a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, an infrared sensor, a speed measurement sensor, and an angular speed measurement sensor.

16. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the first dimming mode and the second dimming mode have different screen brightness of the flexible display unit.

17. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein, when a touch input on the flexible display unit is detected as the user input sensed by the sensor unit, the processor is further configured to:

activate sensing of the touch input on an overall region of the flexible display unit in the first dimming mode, and

activate sensing of the touch input on a specific region of the flexible display unit in the second dimming mode.

18. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a sensor to recognize at least one of the face, gaze direction, and voice of the user as the user input.

19. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the closed position of the flexible display unit is a position which the flexible display unit is folded, and

wherein the open position of the flexible display unit is a position which the flexible display unit is unfolded.

20. A control method for a portable device equipped with a flexible display unit, the control method comprising:

detecting that the flexible display unit is changed from an open position to a closed position;

converting the portable device from a first dimming mode to a second dimming mode,

wherein the first dimming mode provides a first dimming time and the second dimming mode provides a second dimming time, and

wherein the second dimming time is shorter than the first dimming time; and

if a user input is sensed within the second dimming time in the second dimming mode, reverting the portable device from the second dimming mode to the first dimming mode, and

if the user input is not sensed within the second dimming time in the second dimming mode, dimming the flexible display unit when the second dimming time is reached.