Automatic shape adjustment of flexible display

• US 9,632,539 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Nan-Ying
• Application Number:
  US13/652,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

A device includes a flexible display for displaying media; an actuator for changing a shape of the flexible display; and a processor executing a shape determination application to apply a rule to a shape input to determine a desired shape for the flexible display in response to the shape input; the processor generating a command signal and providing the command signal to the actuator to place the flexible display in the desired shape.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a flexible display to display media;

an actuator to change a shape of the flexible display;

a processor to execute a shape determination application to apply a rule to a shape input to determine a desired shape for the flexible display in response to the shape input; and

a sensor to generate a sensor shape input;

the processor to use the sensor shape input to override placing the flexible display in the desired shape when the sensor shape input indicates the device is in an enclosed space, the sensor shape input to prevent operation of the actuator and to prevent change of the flexible display to the desired shape;

the processor to generate a command signal and to provide the command signal to the actuator to place the flexible display in the desired shape when not overridden by the sensor shape input;

wherein the shape input is derived from the media, the shape input identified in a display shape field contained in a header accompanying the media received by the device, the processor using the display shape field contained in the header to generate the command signal to place the flexible display in the desired shape;

wherein the shape input includes a plurality of shape inputs from a plurality of sources, the shape determination application to determine the desired shape in response to the plurality of shape inputs;

the processor to assign priorities to the plurality of shape inputs, a high priority shape input to be selected by the shape determination application to generate the command signal.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the actuator to change the shape of the flexible display to fold the flexible display.

2. A method to control a shape of a flexible display, the method comprising:

receiving media at a device having the flexible display;

obtaining a shape input for the flexible display;

executing a shape determination application to apply a rule to the shape input to determine a desired shape for the flexible display in response to the shape input;

obtaining a sensor shape input from a sensor;

using the sensor shape input to override placing the flexible display in the desired shape when the sensor shape input indicates the flexible display is in an enclosed space, the sensor shape input to prevent operation of an actuator and to prevent change of the flexible display to the desired shape; and

generating a command signal and providing the command signal to the actuator to place the flexible display in the desired shape when not overridden by the sensor shape input;

wherein the obtaining the shape input includes deriving the shape input from the media displayed on the flexible display, wherein deriving the shape input from the media displayed on the flexible display includes identifying a display shape field contained in a header accompanying the media received by the device and using the display shape field contained in the header to generate the command signal to place the flexible display in the desired shape;

wherein the shape input includes a plurality of shape inputs from a plurality of sources, the shape determination application determining the desired shape in response to the plurality of shape inputs;

the shape determination application assigning priorities to the plurality of shape inputs, a high priority shape input being selected by the shape determination application for generating the command signal.

3. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions for causing a processor to execute operations comprising:

receiving media at a device having the flexible display;

obtaining a shape input for a flexible display;

executing a shape determination application to apply a rule to the shape input to determine a desired shape for the flexible display in response to the shape input;

obtaining a sensor shape input from a sensor;

using the sensor shape input to override placing the flexible display in the desired shape when the sensor shape input indicates the flexible display is in an enclosed space, the sensor shape input to prevent operation of an actuator and to prevent change of the flexible display to the desired shape; and

generating a command signal and providing the command signal to the actuator to place the flexible display in the desired shape when not overridden by the sensor shape input;

wherein the obtaining the shape input includes deriving the shape input from media displayed on the flexible display, wherein deriving the shape input from the media displayed on the flexible display includes identifying a display shape field contained in a header accompanying the media received by the device and using the display shape field contained in the header to generate the command signal to place the flexible display in the desired shape;

wherein the shape input includes a plurality of shape inputs from a plurality of sources, the shape determination application determining the desired shape in response to the plurality of shape inputs;

the shape determination application assigning priorities to the plurality of shape inputs, a high priority shape input being selected by the shape determination application for generating the command signal.