Bi-stable spring with flexible display

• US 9,176,530 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Wright, Derek W., Myers, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABIMBOLA, KEHINDE
• Application Number:
  US13/212,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20130044215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A wearable accessory device is disclosed. The wearable accessory device includes a flexible display coupled to a bi-stable spring. Coupling the display to the bi-stable spring allows the accessory device to be easily worn in a number of convenient locations.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a flexible substrate having a flat state and a curled state, the curled state of the flexible substrate suitable for conforming to an appendage of a user of the electronic device;

a flexible display coupled to a first surface of the flexible substrate;

a touch sensor overlaying the flexible display; and

a capacitive element coupled to a second surface of the flexible substrate, the second surface being opposite the first surface,

wherein when the capacitive element is capacitively coupled with the touch sensor in the curled state and the touch sensor detects the capacitive element in a position corresponding to a first portion of the flexible display being overlapped by a second portion of the flexible display, the flexible display deactivates the first portion of the flexible display.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the detection of the position of the capacitive element allows information displayed by the flexible display to smoothly continue across an interface between the second portion of the flexible display and an uncovered portion of the flexible display adjacent to the first portion of the flexible display.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is a bi-stable spring substrate.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic module, comprising;

a wireless communications antenna;

a battery;

an integrated circuit for driving the flexible display; and

a data and power connector.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the touch sensor is separate and distinct from the capacitive element.

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the flexible display wraps around at least one edge of the bi-stable spring substrate.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of capacitive elements disposed in a recognizable pattern proximate the end of the second surface of the flexible substrate, the touch sensor configured to determine an amount of overlap of the second portion by a detected position of the recognizable pattern.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the position of the capacitive elements on the touch sensor allows the electronic device to determine where the end of the electronic device comes in contact with the touch sensor, so that the electronic device can deactivate the covered portion of the flexible display and can properly configure the information on the flexible display continuously around the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic module uses a sensor for detecting a change between the flat state and the curled state of the flexible substrate, and then when the change in state is detected, adjusts a position of a user interface on the flexible display to optimize the user interface for the change in state.

10. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic module further comprises:

an inertial orientation sensor, wherein when the electronic device is in the curled state the inertial orientation sensor allows the electronic device to reorient a user interface presented by the flexible display towards the user.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein when the electronic device is in the curled state and in a power saving mode the inertial orientation sensor determines when the electronic device has been oriented into a viewing position and then directs the electronic device to reactivate the flexible display.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein when the electronic device is in a low power state the inertial orientation sensor determines when the electronic device has been oriented out of a viewing position and then directs the electronic device to reduce power consumption.

13. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a flexible display disposed over a portion of a first surface of the flexible substrate;

a touch sensor overlaying the flexible display; and

a capacitive element disposed proximate a first end of the flexible substrate along a second surface of the flexible substrate, the second surface being opposite the first surface,

wherein the capacitive element cooperates with the touch sensor to determine an amount of the first end of the flexible substrate overlapping a second end of the wearable electronic device.

14. The wearable electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the capacitive element is separate and distinct from the touch sensor.

15. The wearable electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the overlap determination allows information displayed by the flexible display to smoothly continue across a portion of the wearable electronic device where the flexible display overlaps itself.

16. An accessory device arranged to be worn by an end-user, the accessory device comprising:

a flexible substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a touch sensitive flexible display disposed upon a first surface of the flexible substrate;

an end detection mechanism disposed upon the second surface of the flexible substrate; and

a processor electrically coupled with the flexible display,

wherein when a portion of the touch sensitive display overlaps itself and the end detection mechanism contacts the touch sensitive flexible display, the touch sensitive flexible display sends a detected position at which the end detection mechanism contacts the exterior surface of the touch sensitive flexible display to the processor, which uses the detected position to determines what portion of the touch sensitive flexible display is being overlapped and directs the touch sensitive flexible display to deactivate the overlapped portion of the flexible display.

17. The accessory device as recited in claim 16, wherein determination of which portion of the display is being overlapped allows content displayed by the touch sensitive flexible display to continue in a continuous loop around the touch sensitive flexible display.

18. The accessory device as recited in claim 16, wherein the flexible substrate is a metallic bi-stable spring.

19. The accessory device as recited in claim 16, wherein the end detection mechanism comprises a capacitive element.

20. The accessory device as recited in claim 16, wherein the end detection mechanism comprises a plurality of capacitive elements arranged in a predefined pattern suitable for recognition by the touch sensitive display.