Device and method for adjusting transparency of display used for packaging a product

• US 9,984,659 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Ji-hyun, Lee, Geun-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US14/015,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20140063046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4212 Information or decoration elements, e.g. content indicators, or for mailing B65D5/522 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4216 Cards, coupons or the like formed integrally with, or printed directly on, the container or lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4233 Cards, coupons, labels or the like formed separately from the container or lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/425 Decoration elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0273 Labels for bottles, flasks
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

A device and method for adjusting the transparency of a display used for packaging a product are provided. The method includes: receiving a user input on the transparent display that encloses the product; adjusting the transparency of the transparent display based on the user input; and displaying information related to the product, which is enclosed by the transparent display, on the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted. A transparent display with adjustable transparency includes a display configured to display product information provided by a product; a sensor configured to detect a user input on the transparent display; and a controller configured to adjust, based on the detected user input, the transparency of at least a portion of the transparent display determined by a device connected to the transparent display, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the transparency of the determined portion according to control information received from the device.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting transparency of a transparent display in a device including the transparent display, the method comprising:

receiving product information from a tag attached to a product surrounded by the transparent display via short-range communication;

receiving a user input on an outer surface of the transparent display of the device;

adjusting transparency in a portion of the transparent display, based on the user input; and

displaying, on the portion of the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted, information related to the product based on the product information received from the tag,

wherein the device comprises an inner surface of the device and an outer surface of the device,

wherein the inner surface of the device is oriented toward the product surrounded by the transparent display, and the outer surface of the device is oriented away from the product surrounded by the transparent display, and

wherein the outer surface of the device includes the outer surface of the transparent display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input includes a touch input,

wherein adjusting of the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes adjusting a portion of the transparent display based on a determination regarding the touch input, and the transparency of the determined portion is adjusted.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes adjusting the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within a preset range from a touch input point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the touch input includes an input that occurs in response to a closed curve being drawn on a surface of the transparent display,

wherein adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes adjusting the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within the closed curve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a touch input,

wherein the adjusting of the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes determining a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on the touch input, and the transparency in the portion of the transparent display is adjusted according to the determined degree of transparency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display in a step-wise manner based on a number of touches on the transparent display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes an input by a user'"'"'s hand holding the display,

wherein adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes determining a portion of the transparent display whose transparency will be adjusted based on a position of the transparent display held by the user'"'"'s hand, and the transparency of the determined portion is adjusted.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the adjusting of the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes adjusting the transparency of a portion of the transparent display opposite from the portion of the transparent display held by the user'"'"'s hand.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes an input by a user'"'"'s hand holding the display,

wherein the adjusting the transparency in the portion of the transparent display includes determining a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on a magnitude of a pressure exerted on the transparent display by the user'"'"'s hand, and the transparency in the portion of the transparent display is adjusted according to the determined degree of transparency.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information is received from the product by a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader included in the transparent display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information includes at least one of an identifier value of the product, a current inventory status, a warehouse plan, a price, discount coupons and advertising information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the product information on the portion of the transparent display includes changing the displayed product information in response to the transparency of the transparent display being adjusted.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program wherein the program, when executed on a processor of a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted comprises a first portion, and the information related to the product comprises first information, and

wherein the method further comprises displaying, on a second portion of the transparent display, second information related to the product based on the product information received from the tag, the second information being different from the first information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first information comprises at least one from among a product name and a brand name, and the second information comprises at least one from among advertising information, price information and coupon information.

16. A device for adjusting transparency of a transparent display in a device including the transparent display, the device comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive product information from a tag attached to a product surrounded by the transparent display via short-range communication;

an input interface configured to receive a user input on an outer surface of the transparent display of the device;

a processor configured to adjust transparency in a portion of the transparent display, based on the received user input; and

a display configured to display information related to the product, on the portion of the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted, based on the product information received from the tag,

wherein the device comprises an inner surface of the device and an outer surface of the device,

wherein the inner surface of the device is oriented toward the product surrounded by the transparent display, and the outer surface of the device is oriented away from the product surrounded by the transparent display, and

wherein the outer surface of the device includes the outer surface of the transparent display.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the user input includes a touch input,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a portion of the transparent display whose transparency will be adjusted based on the touch input, and adjusts the transparency of the determined portion.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor adjusts the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within a preset range from a touch input point.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the touch input includes an input that occurs in response to a closed curve being drawn on a surface of the transparent display,

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within the closed curve.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the user input includes a touch input,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on the touch input, and adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display according to the determined degree of transparency.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the processor adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display in a step-wise manner based on a number of touches on the transparent display.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the user input includes an input performed by a user'"'"'s hand holding the device,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a portion of the transparent display whose transparency will be adjusted based on a position of a portion of the transparent display held by the user'"'"'s hand, and adjusts the transparency of the determined portion.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the transparency of a portion of the transparent display opposite from the portion of the transparent display held by the user'"'"'s hand.

24. The device of claim 16, wherein the user input includes an input by a user'"'"'s hand holding the device,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on a magnitude of a pressure exerted on the transparent display by the user'"'"'s hand holding the device, and adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display according to the determined degree of transparency.

25. The device of claim 16, wherein the product information is received from the product by a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader included in the transparent display.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the product information includes at least one of an identifier value of the product, a current inventory status, a warehouse plan, a price, discount coupons and advertising information.

27. The device of claim 16, wherein the display is configured to change the displayed product information and displays the resultant product information after the transparency in the portion of the transparent display has been adjusted.

28. A method of adjusting transparency of a transparent display in a transparent display apparatus including the transparent display, the method comprising:

receiving product information from a tag attached to a product surrounded by the transparent display via short-range communication;

sensing a user input on an outer surface of the transparent display;

adjusting, based on the sensed user input, transparency of a portion of the transparent display determined by a device connected to the transparent display apparatus, and

displaying, on the portion of the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted, product information related to the product based on the product information received from the tag;

wherein adjusting the transparency includes adjusting the transparency of the determined portion according to control information received from the device,

wherein the transparent display apparatus comprises an inner surface of the transparent display apparatus and an outer surface of the transparent display apparatus,

wherein the inner surface of the transparent display apparatus is oriented toward the product surrounded by the transparent display, and the outer surface of the transparent display apparatus is oriented away from the product surrounded by the transparent display, and

wherein the outer surface of the transparent display apparatus includes the outer surface of the transparent display.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program wherein the program, when executed on a processor of a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of claim 28.

30. A transparent display apparatus with a transparent display, the transparent display apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive product information from a tag attached to a product surrounded by the transparent display via short-range communication;

the transparent display, the transparent display being configured to display the product information;

a sensor configured to detect a user input on an outer surface of the transparent display of the transparent display apparatus; and

a processor configured to adjust, based on the detected user input, the transparency of a portion of the transparent display determined by a device connected to the transparent display apparatus, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the transparency of the determined portion according to control information received from the device,

wherein the transparent display apparatus comprises an inner surface of the transparent display apparatus and an outer surface of the transparent display apparatus,

wherein the inner surface of the transparent display apparatus is oriented toward the product surrounded by the transparent display, and the outer surface of the device is oriented away from the product surrounded by the transparent display, and

wherein the outer surface of the transparent display apparatus includes the outer surface of the transparent display.

31. A device for adjusting transparency of a transparent display forming part of the device, the device comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive product information from a tag attached to a product surrounded by the transparent display via short-range communication;

an input interface configured to receive a user input on an outer surface of the transparent display of the device;

a processor configured to adjust transparency in a portion of the transparent display; and

a display configured to display the product information related to the product, on the portion of the transparent display whose transparency has been adjusted, based on the product information received from the tag,

wherein the device comprises an inner surface of the device and an outer surface of the device,

wherein the inner surface of the device is oriented toward the product surrounded by the transparent display, and the outer surface of the device is oriented away from the product surrounded by the transparent display, and

wherein the outer surface of the device includes the outer surface of the transparent display.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the processor adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on a user input.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the user input includes a touch input, and

wherein the processor is configured to determine a portion of the transparent display whose transparency will be adjusted based on the touch input, and adjusts the transparency of the determined portion.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the processor adjusts the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within a preset range from a touch input point.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the user input includes an input that occurs in response to a closed curve being drawn on a surface of the transparent display,

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the transparency of a portion of the transparent display within the closed curve.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the user input includes a touch input,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on the touch input, and adjust the transparency in the portion of the transparent display according to the determined degree of transparency.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the processor adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display in a step-wise manner based on a number of touches on the transparent display.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein the user input includes an input by a user'"'"'s hand holding the device,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a degree of transparency in the portion of the transparent display based on a magnitude of a pressure exerted on the transparent display by the user'"'"'s hand holding the device, and adjusts the transparency in the portion of the transparent display according to the determined degree of transparency.

39. The device of claim 31, further comprising a product information receiver configured to receive the product information from a tag attached to the product via short-range communication.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the product information is received from the product by a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader included in the transparent display.