Flexible displays as an input device

• US 20060238494A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Raqhunath, Mandayam Thondanur, Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar
• Application Number:
  US11/112,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238494A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

A display comprising: (a) a flexible surface operable to exhibit images, the aforesaid flexible surface being capable of exhibiting variable degrees of bend; (b) a plurality of bend sensors for creating a plurality of bend measurements from a line of bend; and (c) a line detection device operable to detect orientation and position of the aforesaid line of bend based on the aforesaid plurality of bend measurements.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

(a) a flexible surface operable to exhibit images, said flexible surface being capable of exhibiting variable degrees of bend;

(b) a plurality of bend sensors for creating a plurality of bend measurements from a line of bend; and

(c) a line detection device operable to detect orientation and position of said line of bend based on said plurality of bend measurements.

2. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said bend sensors comprises a strain gauge.

3. A display as recited in claim 2, wherein said strain gauge comprises a peizo-electric bimorph.

4. A display as recited in claim 2, wherein said strain gauge comprises a fiber optic curvature sensor.

5. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said bend sensors are located along the edges of said display.

6. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said bend sensors form layers of said flexible surface.

7. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said line detection device is operable to detect the degree of bend of said line of bend.

8. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible surface comprises at least one organic light emitting diode.

9. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible surface comprises at least one liquid crystal display element.

10. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein said display comprises multiple flexible surfaces, each operable to exhibit images.

11. A display as recited in claim 1, said display further comprising a controller operable, when activated, to manipulate an element of said image, said line detecting device being operable to activate said controller.

12. A display as recited in claim 11, wherein said element of said image comprises a scroll bar.

13. A method of controlling the information presented on a display, said display comprising:

(1) a flexible surface operable to exhibit images, said flexible surface being capable of exhibiting variable degrees of bend;

(2) a plurality of bend sensors for creating a plurality of bend measurements from a line of bend; and

(3) a line detection device operable to detect orientation and position of said line of bend based on said plurality of bend measurements, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) obtaining the orientation and position of a line of bend present on said flexible surface; and

(b) making a change to the information displayed by said display in response to the orientation and position of said line of bend present on said flexible surface.

14. A method of controlling the information presented on a display as set forth in claim 13, wherein said line of bend orientation and position are used to control at least one graphical user interface element.

15. A method of controlling the information presented on a display as set forth in claim 14, wherein said graphical user interface element is a scroll bar.

16. A method of controlling the information presented on a display as set forth in claim 14, wherein said graphical user interface element is a cursor.

17. A method of controlling the information presented on a display as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

(a) said step of obtaining the orientation and position of a line of bend present on said flexible surface is performed twice in order to obtain a first position, a first orientation, a second position, and a second orientation; and

(b) said step of making a change to the information displayed by said display in response to line of bend position, orientation, and changes thereto as determined by computing the difference between first and second values.

18. A method for controlling a display comprising a first line of bend, said method comprising:

(a) creating a first position measurement of the position of said first line of bend;

(b) creating a first orientation measurement of the orientation of said first line of bend; and

(c) changing the information represented on said display based on the combination of at least said first position measurement and said first orientation measurement.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising mapping a combination of at least said first position measurement and said first orientation measurement to a controller function.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

(a) creating a second position measurement of a second line of bend;

(b) creating a second orientation measurement of a second line of bend; and

(c) mapping a combination of at least said first position measurement, said second position measurement, said first orientation measurement, and said second orientation measurement to a controller function.