Flexible screen display with touch sensor in a portable computer

• US 7,324,093 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn, Canova, Francis James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US09/773,136
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 345/1, 345/3, 345/87, 345/700, 345/704, 345156-157, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A user interface for a portable electronic device comprising a flexible display panel and a flexible touch sensor. The flexible touch sensor is operable to register a position where contact is made with a surface of the flexible display panel, such that the position of contact registered is translated into a particular command for controlling the portable electronic device. In the present embodiment, the flexible touch sensor is disposed beneath the flexible display panel. As such, the quality of the display is not diminished. In addition, the combination of the flexible display panel and the flexible touch sensor reduces the thickness of the portable computer system.

Claims

1. A user interface for a portable electronic device, said user interface comprising:

a) a flexible display panel, said flexible display panel forming a first layer of said user interface; and

b) a flexible touch sensor disposed immediately under a bottom of said flexible display panel and is separate from said flexible display panel, said flexible touch sensor forming a second layer of said user interface, wherein said flexible touch sensor is operable to register a position where contact is made with a surface of said user interface, wherein a particular position on said user interface is translated into a particular command controlling said portable electronic device wherein a support structure is disposed beneath said flexible touch sensor;

an additional instance of said flexible touch sensor, said additional flexible touch sensor disposed beneath said support, said additional flexible touch sensor coupled to said user interface; and

an additional instance of said flexible display panel, said additional flexible display coupled to said user interface, said additional flexible display panel disposed beneath said additional flexible touch sensor, whereby two sided flexible display functionality is provided to said user interface.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said flexible touch sensor is disposed beneath said flexible display panel, wherein said flexible display panel is disposed between said flexible touch sensor and a user.

3. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said flexible touch sensor comprises a fabric, and wherein said fabric comprises conductive fibers, said conductive fibers adapted to conduct electrical impulses responsive to said contact with said user interface.

4. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the technology employed in the fabrication of said flexible display panel is electronic paper technology.

5. A portable electronic device comprising:

a) a bus;

b) a memory device coupled with said bus;

c) a processor coupled with said bus;

d) a flexible display panel coupled with said bus, said flexible display panel forming a first layer of a user interface; and

e) a flexible touch sensor disposed immediately under a bottom of said flexible display panel and is separate from said flexible display panel, said flexible touch sensor forming a second layer of said user interface wherein a support structure is disposed beneath said flexible touch sensor, said support adapted to prevent puncturing of said flexible display panel and said flexible touch sensor;

f) an additional instance of said flexible touch sensor, said additional flexible touch sensor disposed beneath said support, said additional flexible touch sensor coupled to said user interface; and

g) an additional instance of said flexible display panel, said additional flexible display panel coupled to said portable electronic device, said additional flexible display panel disposed beneath said additional flexible touch sensor, whereby two sided flexible display functionality is provided to said portable electronic device.

6. The portable computer system electronic device of claim 5 wherein said flexible touch sensor is operable to register a position where contact is made with a surface of said flexible display panel, wherein a particular position on said flexible display panel is translated into a particular command for controlling said portable electronic device.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein said flexible touch sensor is disposed beneath said flexible display panel, wherein said flexible display panel is disposed between said flexible touch sensor and a user.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 6 wherein said flexible touch sensor comprises a fabric, and wherein said fabric comprises conductive fibers, said conductive fibers adapted to conduct electrical impulses responsive to said contact of said flexible display panel.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein the technology employed in the fabrication of said flexible display panel is electronic paper technology.

10. A method for providing a user interface for a portable electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying images and characters to a user via a flexible display panel;

b) receiving input via a flexible touch sensor disposed immediately under a bottom of said flexible display panel wherein a support structure is disposed beneath said flexible touch sensor and is separate from said flexible display panel, said flexible touch sensor operable to register a position where contact is made with a surface of said flexible display panel;

c) receiving additional input via an additional flexible touch sensor, said additional flexible touch sensor disposed beneath said support, said additional flexible touch sensor coupled to said user interface; and

d) displaying images and characters to a user via an additional instance of said flexible display panel, said additional flexible display disposed beneath said additional flexible touch sensor, whereby two sided flexible display functionality is provided to said user interface; and

e) translating said input into a particular command for controlling said portable electronic device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said flexible touch sensor is disposed beneath said flexible display panel, wherein said flexible display panel is disposed between said flexible touch sensor and a user.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said flexible touch sensor comprises a fabric, said fabric comprising conductive fibers adapted to conduct electrical impulses responsive to said contact with said user interface.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the technology employed in the fabrication of said flexible display panel is electronic paper technology.