Apparatus for screen location control of flexible display

• US 8,922,531 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kwang Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/852,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

The apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display moves a position of an image output area in a screen area when the flexible display is rotated. The apparatus may include: a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display; a rotation measurement unit to measure a rotation degree and a rotation direction of the flexible display; and a controller to output an image at an image output area, and move a position of the image output area.

Claims

1. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

a rotation measurement unit to measure a rotation degree and a rotation direction of the flexible display; and

a controller to determine a first portion of a screen area of the flexible display as an image output area, and to output an image at the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display, the first portion of the screen area being determined by calculating a position based on a circumference of the flexible display and the measured rotation degree,

wherein the first portion is determined in the screen area of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, the measured rotation degree, and the measured rotation direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller checks a shape of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, and, if the shape of the flexible display is determined as a first shape, moves a position of the image output area to a second portion of the screen area of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, the measured rotation degree, and the measured rotation direction, the second portion configured to be distinguished by a second edge if the second portion is determined as the image output area, and

if the shape of the flexible display is determined as a second shape, the controller forms the image output area with respect to a position designated in the screen area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller determines a first edge or the second edge in the screen area according to the measured bending degree and the measured rotation degree.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the flexible display rotates in a bent state, the controller moves the position of the image output area in the screen area in a direction opposite to the measured rotation direction by the measured rotation degree, and

wherein, if the flexible display is in a non-bent state, the controller forms the image output area with respect to a position designated in the screen area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit to store shape information of the flexible display according to bending degrees of the flexible display and to allow the controller to search the stored information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller checks a shape of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree by searching the memory unit, and if the shape of the flexible display is cylindrical according to the checking result, moves the position of the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display in the direction opposite to the measured rotation direction of the flexible display by the measured rotation degree of the flexible display if the flexible display rotates.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller forms the image output area with respect to a position designated in the screen area if there is no bend or rotation of the flexible display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller changes an aspect ratio of the image output area in the screen area according to the measured bending degree and the measured rotation degree.

9. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

a highest position detection unit to detect a portion of the flexible display corresponding to a highest point in a direction opposite to gravity on a screen area of the flexible display; and

a controller to output an image at an image output area in the screen area of the flexible display, and, if the flexible display is bent, to form an image output area with respect to the highest point in the direction opposite to gravity detected by the highest point detection unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the highest point detection unit detects the highest point while the highest point changes according to rotation of the flexible display.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller determines a first portion of the screen area or a second portion of the screen area of the flexible display as the image output area, and

wherein the first portion is configured to be distinguished from another area of the flexible display by a first edge if the image is outputted in the first portion, and

the second portion is configured to be distinguished from another area of the flexible display by a second edge if the image is outputted in the second portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller forms the image output area with respect to a pointer position, and

wherein the pointer position corresponds to a side edge of the image output area or a edge of the flexible display.

13. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

a touch detection unit to detect a touch of the flexible display; and

a controller to determine a first portion of a screen area of the flexible display as an image output area, and to output an image at the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display,

wherein the first portion is determined in the screen area of the flexible display according to a type of the touch detected by the touch detection unit and the measured bending degree, and

wherein the controller changes an aspect ratio of the image output area in the screen area according to the measured bending degree and the measured rotation degree.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller moves the image output area to a second portion of the screen area of the flexible display according to the type of the touch detected by the touch detection unit and the measured bending degree, the second portion configured to be distinguished by a second edge if the second portion is determined as the image output area.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, if the touch type is a touch and drag, the controller moves the position of the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display to correspond to a drag distance and a drag direction of the touch and drag.

16. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

an object detection unit to detect a distance of an object from the flexible display; and

a controller to determine a first portion of a screen area of the flexible display as an image output area, to output an image at the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display, and to move the image output area to a second portion of the screen area of the flexible display in a particular direction if the distance of the detected object from the flexible display is smaller than a threshold value,

wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is determined in the screen area of the flexible display according to the measured bending degree, and

wherein the controller changes an aspect ratio of the image output area in the screen area according to the measured bending degree and the measured rotation degree.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, if the distance of the detected object is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the controller stops the movement of the image output area.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, if the distance of the detected object is smaller than the threshold value, the controller increases or decreases a movement speed of the image output area as the distance of the detected object is reduced.

19. An apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display, the apparatus comprising:

a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display;

an electromyographic detection unit to detect an electrical signal produced by a muscle;

a memory unit to store movement information corresponding to a pattern of the detected electrical signal; and

a controller to determine a first portion of a screen area of the flexible display as an image output area, to output an image at the image output area in the screen area of the flexible display, to search the memory unit for the movement information of the image output area corresponding to the pattern of the detected electrical signal, and to move the image output area to a second portion of the screen area according to the searched movement information and the measured bending degree, and

wherein the controller changes an aspect ratio of the image output area in the screen area according to the measured bending degree and the measured rotation degree.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller moves the image output area in the screen area gradually with time or at once.