Electronic device with flexible display

• US 10,768,669 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lian, Zhixun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Nan-Ying
• Application Number:
  US15/473,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20170287385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include an electronic device. The electronic device includes a body and a display screen. The body includes at least a first surface. The display screen includes a first portion and a second portion separated from the first portion by a first bending portion. The second portion is secured to the first surface of the body. The bending portion deforms to rotate the first portion with respect to the second portion.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a body comprising at least a first surface having a first edge and a second surface opposite the first surface and the second surface having a second edge, wherein the first edge and the second edge are mutually opposed to each other;

a controller built into the body; and

a single unified display screen configured to continuously wrap around the body from the first edge of the first surface to the second edge of the second surface in a wrapped stated to provide a viewable display, wherein the display screen comprises a first portion and a second portion separated from the first portion by a first bending portion, the second portion being secured to the first surface of the body;

wherein, the first bending portion of the display screen is deformable to rotate the first portion with respect to the second portion, and to support the first portion of the display screen away from the second surface and the first surface of the body in an expanded state; and

wherein, in response to detection of the display screen as being in the expanded state, the controller is configured to display a first display content via the first portion of the display screen and to display a second display content via the second portion of the display screen, the second display content being different from the first display content and, in response to detection of the display screen as being in the wrapped state, the controller is configured to display a third display content via the first portion or the second portion of the display screen.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first bending portion comprises a flexible support apparatus to deform the first bending portion in response to an external force and maintain the deformation of the first bending portion in response to a withdrawal of the external force.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the flexible support apparatus comprises:

a first sliding shaft;

a second sliding shaft;

an intermediate sliding shaft set comprising a plurality of intermediate sliding shafts arranged in parallel; and

a connecting member set movably connecting the intermediate sliding shaft set to the first sliding shaft and to the second sliding shaft;

wherein, the first bending portion is deformable along a length of the intermediate sliding shaft set.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion separated from the first sub-portion by a second bending portion;

wherein the second sub-portion remains in a plane with the second portion in response to the first bending portion remaining unbent and the first sub-portion rotating in a first direction with respect to the second sub-portion and wherein the rotation of the first sub-portion with respect to the second sub-portion causes the second bending portion to deform.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion separated from the first sub-portion by a second bending portion positioned on a first side of the first surface;

wherein the second sub-portion remains in a plane with the second portion in response to the first bending portion remaining unbent and the first sub-portion rotating in a second direction with respect to the second sub-portion and wherein the rotation of the first sub-portion deforms the second bending portion around the body.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the second bending portion deforms around the body to at least partially conform the first sub-portion to the second surface of the body, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, when the first portion rotates, with respect to the second portion, to the second position, the first portion and the second portion are oriented in a shared plane that is parallel with the first surface.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein, in response to rotation of the first portion, with respect to the second portion, to a second position, the controller controls the first portion and the second portion to cooperate to display a first display content.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit disposed on the second portion to receive an input operation of the user.