KR102247667B1 - Method of controlling a flexible display device and a flexible display device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment, the display unit; A first object disposed at a first end of the display unit; A second object disposed at a second end corresponding to the first end of the display unit; A sensing unit disposed on the display unit to detect a shape deformation of the display unit; A storage unit for storing operation information of the display device for performing a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit using the first object and the second object; And a control unit controlling to output a first screen according to the motion information to one region of the display unit and to output a second screen according to the operation information to another region based on the shape deformation of the display unit, wherein the Disclosed is a flexible display device, characterized in that a first object and the second object face each other by a shape change of the display unit.

Description

A flexible display device and a method of controlling the flexible display device. {METHOD OF CONTROLLING A FLEXIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND A FLEXIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a flexible display device and a control method of the flexible display device.

With the development of electronic technology, various types of display devices are being developed. In particular, display devices such as TVs, PCs, laptop computers, tablet PCs, mobile phones, and MP3 players have a high penetration rate so that they are used in most homes.

In recent years, in order to meet the needs of users who desire new and diverse functions, efforts have been made to develop a display device in a newer form. It is what is called the so-called next-generation display device.

An example of a next-generation display device may be a flexible display device. A flexible display device refers to a display device having characteristics that can be deformed like paper.

The flexible display device can be used for various purposes since the user applies force to bend it to deform the shape. For example, it can be implemented as a portable device such as a mobile phone or a tablet PC, an electronic picture frame, a PDA, and an MP3 player.

On the other hand, a flexible display device has a characteristic of being flexible, unlike a conventional display device. In consideration of this point, an input method using shape transformation may be applied in addition to the existing touch.

Accordingly, there has been a need for a method capable of controlling the motion by using a more diverse and effective shape deformation.

A flexible display device according to an embodiment includes: a display unit; A first object disposed at a first end of the display unit; A second object disposed at a second end corresponding to the first end of the display unit; A sensing unit disposed on the display unit to detect a shape deformation of the display unit; A storage unit for storing operation information for performing a function corresponding to shape deformation of the display unit by using the first object and the second object; And a control unit controlling to output a first screen according to the motion information to one region of the display unit and to output a second screen according to the operation information to another region based on the shape deformation of the display unit, wherein the The first object and the second object may be opposed to each other by a shape change of the display unit.

The controller of the flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment may detect a position at which the shape is deformed based on the shape deformation of the display unit, and may determine one region and another region of the display unit based on the detected position.

The operation information according to an embodiment may include user interface information for the flexible display device to perform a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit.

A first object according to an embodiment may include an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and a second object according to an exemplary embodiment may include a lens for projecting an image of a subject onto the image pickup unit.

A first object according to an exemplary embodiment may include an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and a second object according to an exemplary embodiment may include a filter.

According to an embodiment, the first object or the second object may include a plurality of image pickup units for capturing an image.

The first object or the second object according to an embodiment may include a plurality of speakers.

The first object or the second object according to an embodiment may include a number of light emitting units.

According to an embodiment, a method for controlling a flexible display includes: detecting a shape change of a display unit; Detecting a position where the shape is deformed on an end of the display unit based on the shape deformation of the display unit; Determining one area and another area of the display unit based on the detected position; And outputting a first screen in one area of the display unit based on the motion information and outputting a second screen according to the motion information in another area.

The motion information according to an embodiment may include user interface information for performing a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit using a first object and a second object disposed on the display unit.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a method of controlling a flexible display may include performing a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit using the first object and the second object based on a user input; It provides a method that further includes.

A method of controlling a flexible display according to an exemplary embodiment provides a method including a method of performing different functions according to a bending angle, which is a shape change of the display unit.

A first object according to an embodiment may include an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and a second object according to an exemplary embodiment may include a lens for projecting an image of a subject onto the image pickup unit.

A first object according to an exemplary embodiment may include an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and a second object according to an exemplary embodiment may include a filter.

According to an embodiment, the first object or the second object may include a plurality of image pickup units for capturing an image.

The first object or the second object according to an embodiment may include a plurality of speakers.

The first object or the second object according to an embodiment may include a number of light emitting units.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a flexible display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a display unit capable of changing a shape and a method of detecting a shape change according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a diagram illustrating an area in which a shape of a display unit may be deformed in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shape deformation direction of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
7 is a diagram illustrating a degree of deformation of a shape of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
8 is a diagram illustrating a general bending state as an example of shape deformation of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating a folding state as an example of a shape change of a display unit in a flexible display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of classifying a screen based on a position when a bending and hold gesture is performed in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.
12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a flexible display device based on a shape deformation of a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a screen is classified and displayed based on a position when a bending and hold gesture is performed in a center portion of the flexible display device in the flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and has various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, it should be understood to include all conversions, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit them. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the presence or addition of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof does not preclude in advance.

Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding constituent elements are assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible display device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a display unit 110, a first object 10, a second object 20, a sensing unit 120, and a storage unit 140. ) And a control unit 130.

It looks at the following components in order.

The flexible display device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment has a flexible characteristic. Accordingly, when a force is applied from the outside, the shape is deformed according to the magnitude and action direction of the force. The flexible display device 100 of FIG. 1 may be implemented as various types of display devices such as a mobile phone, a tablet PC, a laptop computer, an MP3 player, and an electronic picture frame.

The display unit 110 has a flexible characteristic and displays various screens such as a content playback screen, a background screen including an icon, an application execution screen, a broadcast reception screen, and the like under the control of the controller 130.

The first object 10 or the second object 20 is disposed on the display unit 100 to provide a module capable of inputting or outputting information used for the flexible display device 100 to perform a predetermined function. Includes.

For example, the first object 10 or the second object 20 may include an image pickup unit that captures an image, a lens, a filter, a speaker, a light emitting unit, and the like. In this case, the first object 10 or the second object 20 may be the same or different from each other. In addition, the first object 10 or the second object 20 may all include at least one or more.

In addition, the first object 10 is disposed at a first end of the display unit, and the second object 20 is disposed at a second end of the display unit corresponding to the first end, and may be opposed to each other by a shape change of the display unit. .

In this case, the flexible display apparatus 100 may perform a predetermined function by using the opposed first object 10 and the second object 20.

The sensing unit 120 detects whether the shape of the display unit 110 is deformed. The shape deformation refers to a state that is bent by a force applied to the flexible display device 100. Shape deformation may alternatively be referred to as bending. In more detail, if the radius of curvature is more than a certain value, it may be referred to as general bending, and if it is less than a certain value, it may be referred to as folding. However, for convenience of description, in the present specification, both general bending and folding are referred to as bending.

In addition, the type of shape deformation may be classified according to various conditions such as a position at which the shape change was made, a position at which the shape change was made, a direction, an angle, an intensity, a speed, a holding time, and a number of times. This will be described in detail in a part to be described later.

The storage unit 140 may store various programs used in the flexible display apparatus 100, contents, user setting information, authentication information, and various other information. Information on various operating states of the flexible display apparatus 100 is stored in the storage unit 140.

For example, the storage unit 140 stores operation information of the flexible display device for performing a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit using the first object 10 and the second object 20.

For example, the operation information may include user interface information for the flexible display apparatus 100 to perform a predetermined function corresponding to a shape deformation of the display unit 110.

The controller 130 controls the overall operation of the flexible display device 100 according to the characteristic of the shape deformation detected by the sensing unit 120.

For example, when a shape deformation is detected, the controller 130 checks whether the shape deformation state is maintained for a preset time. Here, that the shape deformation state is maintained means that the bent state is no longer bent or the bent state is released, and the bent state is maintained. For convenience of explanation, in the present specification, the thing maintained for a predetermined time or longer after the shape deformation is performed is referred to as a bending & hold gesture. In addition, the shape deformation has been performed but is not maintained and is immediately unfolded to its original state, which is referred to as a bending & flat gesture. In addition to flat, the unfolding operation may be referred to as unfolding or unbending. The sensing unit 120 may sense an unfolded angle, position, direction, intensity, speed, etc. to determine whether a flat has occurred.

When it is determined that the shape deformation state is maintained, that is, the bending and hold gesture is performed, the controller 130 performs an operation corresponding to the shape deformation state. The operation performed at this time may be implemented in various ways according to embodiments. An example of such an operation will be described in detail later.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a flexible display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the flexible display device 100 includes a display unit 110, a detection unit 120, a control unit 130, a storage unit 140, an audio processing unit 150, a video processing unit 155, and a communication unit 160. ), GPS receiving unit 165, DMB receiving unit 166, graphic processing unit 170, power supply unit 180, speaker 185, button 191, USB port 192, camera 193, microphone 194 Includes.

Since the configuration and operation of the display unit 110 has been described in detail in the above-described part, a redundant description will be omitted.

The sensing unit 120 may detect various user manipulations such as touch, rotation, movement, inclination, pressure, etc. as well as shape deformation of the flexible display device 100. The controller 130 may control the operation of the flexible display device 100 by using various user manipulations sensed by the sensing unit 120.

According to FIG. 2, the detection unit 120 includes a geomagnetic sensor 121, a gyro sensor 122, an acceleration sensor 123, a touch sensor 124, a bend sensor 125, a pressure sensor 126, a proximity sensor ( 127), and a grip sensor 128.

The geomagnetic sensor 121 is a sensor for detecting a rotation state and a moving direction of the flexible display device 100.

The gyro sensor 122 is a sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the flexible display device 100. Both the geomagnetic sensor 121 and the gyro sensor 122 may be provided, but even if only one of them is provided, the flexible display device 100 may detect a rotation state. The acceleration sensor 123 is a sensor for detecting the degree of inclination of the flexible display device 100. The geomagnetic sensor 121, the gyro sensor 122, the acceleration sensor 123, and the like may be used for detecting a bending characteristic such as a bending direction or a bending area of the flexible display device 100, as described above.

The touch sensor 124 may be implemented in a capacitive type or a pressure-sensitive type. In the capacitive type, when a part of the user's body touches the surface of the display unit 110 by using a dielectric coated on the surface of the display unit 110, the touch coordinates are calculated by sensing microelectricity excited by the user's human body. The pressure-sensitive type includes two electrode plates, and when the user touches the screen, the touch coordinates are calculated by sensing that the upper and lower plates of the touched point touch and current flows. As described above, the touch sensor 124 may be implemented in various forms.

The bend sensor 125 may be implemented in various shapes and numbers as described above, and may detect the bending state of the flexible display device 100. Since various examples of the configuration and operation of the bend sensor 125 have been described above, redundant descriptions will be omitted.

The pressure sensor 126 senses the amount of pressure applied to the flexible display device 100 when the user performs a touch or bending operation, and provides it to the controller 130. The pressure sensor 126 may include a piezo film that is built into the display unit 110 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to a pressure level. In FIG. 2, the touch sensor 124 and the pressure sensor 126 are shown as separate, but when the touch sensor 124 is implemented as a pressure-sensitive touch sensor, the pressure-sensitive touch sensor also serves as the pressure sensor 126. You may.

The proximity sensor 127 is a sensor for detecting a motion approaching the display surface without directly contacting it. The proximity sensor 127 forms a high-frequency magnetic field to detect a current induced by magnetic field characteristics that change when an object approaches, a magnetic type that uses a magnet, and detects a capacitance that changes due to the approach of an object. It can be implemented with various types of sensors such as capacitive type.

The grip sensor 128 is a sensor that is separate from the pressure sensor 126 and is disposed at the edge or handle of the flexible display device 100 to detect a user's grip. The grip sensor 128 may be implemented as a pressure sensor or a touch sensor.

The controller 130 analyzes various detection signals sensed by the detection unit 120 to determine the user's intention, and performs an operation corresponding to the intention. In particular, the controller 130 may selectively perform a function assigned to each gesture by distinguishing and recognizing a bending and flat gesture or a bending and hold gesture.

In addition, the controller 130 may perform a control operation according to various input methods such as touch manipulation, motion input, voice input, button input, etc. other than the bending gesture. The touch manipulation may include various manipulations such as simple touch, tap, touch and hold, move, flick, drag and drop, pinch in, pinch out, and the like.

The control unit 130 may execute an application stored in the storage unit 140 to configure and display an execution screen thereof, and may reproduce various contents stored in the storage unit 140. In addition, the control unit 130 may communicate with external devices through the communication unit 160.

The communication unit 160 is a component that communicates with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The communication unit 160 includes various communication chips such as a Wi-Fi chip 161, a Bluetooth chip 162, an NFC chip 163, and a wireless communication chip 164.

The WiFi chip 161, the Bluetooth chip 162, and the NFC chip 163 perform communication in a WiFi method, a Bluetooth method, and an NFC method, respectively. Among them, the NFC chip 163 refers to a chip that operates in the NFC (Near Field Communication) method using a 13.56 MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 860 to 960 MHz, and 2.45 GHz. do.

When the Wi-Fi chip 111 or the Bluetooth chip 112 is used, various types of connection information such as an SSID and a session key may be first transmitted and received, and various types of information may be transmitted and received after a communication connection using the same. The wireless communication chip 164 refers to a chip that performs communication according to various communication standards such as IEEE, ZigBee, 3rd Generation (3G), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and Long Term Evoloution (LTE).

The GPS receiver 165 is a component for receiving a GPS signal from a GPS (Grobal Positioning System) satellite and calculating the current position of the flexible display device 100.

The DMB receiver 166 is a component that receives and processes a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) signal.

The graphic processing unit 170 generates a screen including various objects such as icons, images, and texts using an operation unit (not shown) and a rendering unit (not shown). The operation unit calculates attribute values such as coordinate values, shape, size, color, and the like in which each object is to be displayed according to the layout of the screen. The rendering unit generates screens of various layouts including objects based on the attribute values calculated by the calculation unit. The screen generated by the rendering unit is displayed in the display area of the display unit 110.

The power supply unit 180 is a component that supplies power to each component of the flexible display device 100. The power supply unit 180 may be implemented in a form including a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode, an electrolyte part, a negative electrode, a negative electrode current collector, and a covering part surrounding the positive electrode current collector. The power supply unit 180 is implemented as a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging. The power supply unit 180 may be implemented in a flexible form so that it can be bent together with the flexible display device 100. In this case, the current collector, electrode, electrolyte, coating, etc. may be made of a material having flexible properties. The specific shape and material of the power supply unit 180 will be separately described in a later section.

The audio processing unit 150 is a component that processes audio data. The audio processing unit 150 may perform various processing such as decoding, amplification, noise filtering, and the like for audio data.

The video processing unit 155 is a component that processes video data. The video processing unit 155 may perform various image processing such as decoding, scaling, noise filtering, frame rate conversion, and resolution conversion on video data.

The audio processing unit 150 and the video processing unit 155 are used to process and reproduce multimedia contents or DMB broadcast signals.

The display unit 110 displays a video frame processed by the video processing unit 155, a screen generated by the graphic processing unit 170, and the like.

The speaker 185 is a component that outputs not only various audio data processed by the audio processing unit 150 but also various notification sounds or voice messages.

According to an embodiment, the first object and the second object may include a speaker 185.

In this case, the flexible display apparatus 100 may use a combination of the first object and the second object opposed by bending, which is a shape change of the display unit, as a predetermined speaker unit. For example, a sound source output from the first object and a sound source output from the second object may be left and right sound sources of a stereo sound source.

In this case, the distance between the first object and the second object may vary according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit. Accordingly, a damping effect between a sound source output from the first object and a sound source output from the second object may vary according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit.

In addition, the flexible display apparatus 100 may use a combination of a first object and a second object opposed by bending, which is a shape change of the display unit, as a predetermined headset unit. For example, the flexible display apparatus 100 is bent. Thus, when the headset is in the form of a headset, the first object and the second object may be in the form of an earphone of the headset.

The button 191 may be various types of buttons such as a mechanical button, a touch pad, a wheel, etc. formed in an arbitrary area such as a front part, a side part, or a rear part of the exterior of the body of the flexible display device 100.

The USB port 192 may communicate with various external devices through a USB cable.

The camera 193 is a component for capturing a still image or a moving image according to the user's control.

According to an embodiment, the first object and the second object may include a camera 193.

For example, the first object and the second object may be implemented in plural, such as a front camera or a rear camera. In this case, a 3D image may be captured using an image acquired from the first object and an image acquired from the second object.

In addition, the distance between the first object and the second object may vary according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit. Accordingly, various types of 3D images may be captured according to the bending angle, which is a change in the shape of the display unit.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment, the first object may include an image pickup unit that captures an image, and the second object may include a lens that projects an image of the subject to the image pickup unit. In addition, the first object may include an image pickup unit that captures an image, and the second object may include a filter.

In this case, the flexible display apparatus 100 may use a combination of the first object and the second object opposed by bending, which is a shape change of the display unit, as a predetermined camera unit.

This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

The microphone 194 is a component for receiving a user's voice or other sound and converting it into audio data. The controller 130 may use the user's voice input through the microphone 194 in a call process, or convert it into audio data and store it in the storage unit 140.

When the camera 193 and the microphone 194 are provided, the controller 130 may perform a control operation according to a user voice input through the microphone 194 or a user motion recognized by the camera 193. That is, the flexible display device 100 may operate in a motion control mode or a voice control mode in addition to being controlled by shape deformation or touch. When operating in the motion control mode, the controller 130 activates the camera 193 to capture an image of a user, tracks a change in the user's motion, and performs a control operation corresponding thereto. When operating in the voice control mode, the controller 130 may operate in a voice recognition mode in which a user voice input through a microphone is analyzed and a control operation is performed according to the analyzed user voice.

In addition, various external input ports for connecting various external terminals such as a headset, a mouse, and a LAN may be further included.

The above-described operation of the control unit 130 may be performed by a program stored in the storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 includes various data such as O/S (Operating System) software for driving the flexible display device 100, various applications, various data input or set during application execution, contents, bending gestures, bending interaction guide information, etc. Data can be saved.

For example, the storage unit 140 may store software including a sensing module (not shown), a communication module 143, a presentation module (not shown), or a service module (not shown).

For example, the sensing module (not shown) is a module that collects information from various sensors included in the sensing unit 120 and analyzes and manages the collected information. Specifically, it is a program module that performs an operation of detecting manipulation properties such as a coordinate value of a touched point, a touch movement direction, a movement speed, and a movement distance. In addition, in some cases, the sensing module (not shown) may include a face recognition module, a voice recognition module, a motion recognition module, an NFC recognition module, and the like.

The presentation module (not shown) is a module for configuring a display screen. The presentation module (not shown) includes a multimedia module 144-1 for reproducing and outputting multimedia content, and a UI rendering module 144-2 for performing UI and graphic processing. The multimedia module 144-1 may include a player module, a camcorder module, and a sound processing module. Accordingly, an operation of reproducing various multimedia contents to generate a screen and sound is performed. The UI rendering module 144-2 is an image compositor module that combines images, a coordinate combination module that combines coordinates on a screen to display an image, and an X11 module that receives various events from hardware, 2D or 3D. It may include a 2D/3D UI toolkit that provides a tool for configuring a UI in a form.

The service module (not shown) is a module including various applications for providing a service matching the operation contents when a shape deformation state or other various user manipulations are performed. Specifically, the service module (not shown) may include various program modules such as a navigation program, a content playback program, a game program, an electronic book program, a calendar program, an alarm management program, and other widgets. Each of these program modules may be matched to and used in various shape deformation states such as a bending and flag gesture or a bending and hold gesture.

The control unit 130 generally controls the operation of the flexible display apparatus 100 using various programs stored in the storage unit 140.

The control unit 130 includes a RAM 131, a ROM 132, a timer 133, a main CPU 134, first to n interfaces 135-1 to 135-n, and a bus 136.

The RAM 131, the ROM 132, the timer 133, the main CPU 134, the first to n interfaces 135-1 to 135-n, and the like may be connected to each other through the bus 136.

The first to nth interfaces 135-1 to 135-n are connected to the above-described various components. One of the interfaces may be a network interface that is connected to an external device through a network.

The main CPU 134 accesses the storage unit 140 and performs booting using the O/S stored in the storage unit 140. Then, various operations are performed using various programs, contents, data, etc. stored in the storage unit 140.

The ROM 132 stores an instruction set for booting the system, and the like. When the turn-on command is input and power is supplied, the main CPU 134 copies the O/S stored in the storage unit 140 to the RAM 131 according to the command stored in the ROM 132 and executes the O/S. Boot the system. When booting is complete, the main CPU 134 copies various application programs stored in the storage unit 140 to the RAM 131 and executes the application programs copied to the RAM 131 to perform various operations.

When a detection signal corresponding to the shape deformation state is received by the detection unit 120, the main CPU 134 may perform an operation at that time, such as an application or function previously being executed, or a screen layout displayed at that time. Various related information is stored in the storage unit 140. Then, it monitors whether or not the detection signal is changed. The main CPU 134 may count the time by controlling the timer 133 when the change of the detection signal is stopped. Accordingly, when a preset time elapses while the detection signal is not changed, the main CPU 134 determines that the currently made gesture is a bending and hold gesture. On the other hand, when the detection signal is maintained for less than a predetermined time or continuously changes, the main CPU 134 checks whether the characteristic of the shape deformation state matches the preset information. Accordingly, it is possible to determine whether a bending and flat gesture or other general bending, folding, rolling, or the like has occurred.

When the determination is completed, the main CPU 134 checks information on a function matching the gesture from the storage unit 140, loads an application for performing the function into the RAM 131, and then executes it. have.

FIG. 2 is an example of a flexible display device having various functions such as a communication function, a broadcast reception function, and a video playback function, and comprehensively shows various components. Accordingly, depending on embodiments, some of the components illustrated in FIG. 2 may be omitted or changed, and other components may be further added.

Meanwhile, as described above, the control unit 130 may execute a program stored in the storage unit 140 to perform various operations.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 110 having a flexible characteristic includes a substrate 111, a driving unit 112, a display panel 113, and a protective layer 114.

A flexible display device refers to a device that can be bent, bent, folded, or rolled like paper while maintaining the display characteristics of a conventional flat panel display device. Therefore, the flexible display device must be fabricated on a flexible substrate.

Specifically, the substrate 111 may be implemented as a plastic substrate (eg, a polymer film) that can be deformed by external pressure.

The plastic substrate has a structure in which a barrier coating is treated on both sides of a base film. In the case of the basic material, it may be implemented with various resins such as polyimide (PI), polycarbonite (PC), polyethylene terephtalate (PET), polyethersulfone (PES), polythylenenaphthalate (PEN), and fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). In addition, the barrier coating is performed on surfaces facing each other in the base material, and an organic film or an inorganic film may be used to maintain flexibility.

Meanwhile, as the substrate 111, in addition to a plastic substrate, a material having flexible properties such as thin glass or metal foil may be used.

The driving unit 112 functions to drive the display panel 113. Specifically, the driver 112 applies a driving voltage to a plurality of pixels constituting the display panel 113, and may be implemented as an a-si TFT, a low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) TFT, an organic TFT (OTFT), or the like. have. The driving unit 112 may be implemented in various forms according to the implementation type of the display panel 113.

For example, the display panel 113 may include an organic light-emitting body including a plurality of pixel cells and an electrode layer covering both surfaces of the organic light-emitting body. In this case, the driver 112 may include a plurality of transistors corresponding to each pixel cell of the display panel 113. The controller 130 applies an electric signal to the gate of each transistor to emit light of the pixel cell connected to the transistor. Accordingly, various screens can be displayed. Alternatively, the display panel 113 may be implemented as an EL, an electrophoretic display (EPD), an electrochromic display (ECD), a liquid crystal disply (LCD), an AMLCD, a plasma display panel (PDP), in addition to an organic light emitting diode. However, in the case of LCD, a separate backlight is required because it cannot emit light by itself. In the case of an LCD that does not use a backlight, ambient light is used. Therefore, in order to use the LCD display panel 113 without a backlight, conditions such as an outdoor environment with a large amount of light must be satisfied.

The protective layer 114 functions to protect the display panel 113. For example, a material such as ZrO, CeO2, or Th O2 may be used for the protective layer 114. The protective layer 114 may be manufactured in the form of a transparent film to cover the entire surface of the display panel 113.

Meanwhile, unlike FIG. 2, the display unit 110 may be implemented with electronic paper. Electronic paper is a display in which the characteristics of general ink are applied to paper, and is different from a general flat panel display in that it uses reflected light.

On the other hand, electronic paper can change pictures or characters using a twist ball or electrophoresis using a capsule.

Meanwhile, when the display unit 110 is made of a component made of a transparent material, it may be implemented as a display device capable of bending and having a transparent property. For example, when the substrate 111 is implemented with a polymer material such as plastic having a transparent property, the driver 112 is implemented with a transparent transistor, and the display panel 113 is implemented with a transparent organic light emitting layer and a transparent electrode, transparency is achieved. I can have it.

The transparent transistor refers to a transistor manufactured by replacing the opaque silicon of the existing thin film transistor with a transparent material such as transparent zinc oxide and titanium oxide. In addition, new materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or graphene may be used for the transparent electrode. Graphene refers to a material that has a transparent property with carbon atoms connected to each other to form a honeycomb-shaped planar structure. In addition, the transparent organic light emitting layer may also be implemented with various materials.

The display unit 110 may be formed on an overall area or a partial surface of the flexible display device 100. The sensing unit 120 is provided inside the display unit 110 and may detect whether the shape of the display unit 110 is deformed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a display unit capable of changing a shape and a method of detecting a shape change according to an exemplary embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the bend sensor indicates a state in which the bend sensor is built in the front surface of the display unit 110, but this is only an example, and the bend sensor may be built in the rear surface of the display unit 110. Or, it can be embedded on both sides. In addition, the shape, number, and arrangement position of bend sensors may be variously changed. For example, one bend sensor or a plurality of bend sensors may be coupled to the display unit 110. Here, one bend sensor may sense one bending data, but one bend sensor may have a plurality of sensing channels for sensing a plurality of shape deformation states.

4A shows an example in which a plurality of bar-shaped bend sensors are arranged in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction to form a grid shape.

According to FIG. 4A, the bend sensor includes bend sensors 21-1 to 21-5 arranged in a first direction and bend sensors 22-1 to 22-5 arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. do. Each bend sensor may be spaced apart from each other by a certain distance.

4A shows that five bend sensors 21-1 to 21-5 and 22-1 to 22-5 are disposed in each of the horizontal and vertical directions, but this is only an example, and It goes without saying that the number of bend sensors may change depending on the size or the like. In this way, the bend sensor is arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions to detect shape deformation that occurs throughout the flexible display device, so it is a device that has a characteristic that is only partially flexible, or that it is necessary to detect shape deformation only in a part. In this case, the bend sensor may be disposed only in the corresponding part.

Each of the bend sensors 21-1 to 21-5 and 22-1 to 22-5 may be implemented in the form of an electrical resistance sensor using electrical resistance or a micro-fiber sensor using a strain of an optical fiber. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the bend sensor is implemented as an electrical resistance sensor.

4B shows an example of a configuration in which one bend sensor is disposed on one surface of the display unit 110 to detect bending. According to FIG. 4B, the bend sensor 71 may be implemented in a shape of a closed curve forming a circle, a square or other polygon, and may be disposed at the edge of the display unit 110. The control unit 130 may determine a point at which a change in the output value is detected on the closed curve as a bending area. In addition, the bend sensor may be coupled to the display unit 110 in the form of an S-shaped, Z-shaped, or other zigzag-like open curve.

Meanwhile, in the above-described various embodiments, a case in which line-type bend sensors are used is illustrated, but bending may be sensed by using a plurality of fragmentary strain gauges.

5 is a diagram illustrating an area in which a shape of a display unit may be deformed in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

The entire area of the display unit 110 is divided into a bending area B in which bending is detected, a flat area F in which bending is not detected, and a boundary line L thereof.

The boundary line L between the bending region B and the flat region F may be otherwise referred to as a bending line.

Bending can be done in a variety of positions. The position where bending is performed may be divided into a corner area, an edge area, a center area, a diagonal area, etc. so that the user can clearly distinguish the input.

For example, the positions where bending can be performed may be divided into 12 positions, such as upper and lower left and right corner regions, upper and lower left and right edge regions, vertical center regions, horizontal center regions, left diagonal regions, and right diagonal regions.

Accordingly, the inclination of the bending line or its position may not be classified in detail, and may be divided into 12 according to the position at which the bending line is formed. That is, even if the bending is not performed along an exact line, as long as it is performed within an area having a certain area, the corresponding operation can be performed.

First, in (a) of FIG. 5, when four corner areas 41, 42, 43, 44 are designated as the bending detection area, FIG. 5(b) shows the edge area 45 excluding the center part. In the case of designating a bending detection area, (c) of FIG. 5 shows a case of designating a bending detection area 46 for detecting bending across the center, and (d) of FIG. 5 is to detect bending in a diagonal direction. This shows the case where the bending detection area 47 for is designated. According to (c) and (d) of FIG. 5, when bending is performed across the center in a vertical or horizontal direction or bending is performed across the center in a diagonal direction, a function matched to the gesture is performed.

6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shape deformation direction of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

In (a) of FIG. 6, the direction exiting from the surface of the display unit 110 of the flexible display device 100 is defined as the Z+ direction, and in (b) of FIG. 6, the direction entering the surface of the display unit 110 is the Z- direction. It can be defined as That is, the Z+ direction refers to a direction in which the surface of the display unit 110 is folded inward, and the Z- direction refers to a direction in which the surface of the display unit 110 is folded outward.

7 is a diagram illustrating a degree of deformation of a shape of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

7 shows an example of a bending angle. First, (a) of FIG. 7 shows a state in which bending is made smoothly. If the user can distinguish the input, the bending angle can be divided into acute angles, obtuse angles, 90 degrees, less than 10 degrees, etc., and functions can be matched for each angle. That is, when the bending angle θ is an obtuse angle that exceeds 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 7 (a), and the bending angle θ is an acute angle that is less than 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 7 (b) (that is, between 10 and 90 degrees) , When the bending angle θ is 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 7(c), and the bending angle θ is less than 10 degrees by being completely bent as shown in FIG. 7(d), different functions may be matched. In FIG. 7D, a case of less than 10 degrees is illustrated, but the angular range may be set in various ways.

A case in which bending is performed at the same level as in (b) or (d) of FIG. 7 may be referred to as folding.

In addition, the flexible display apparatus 100 may perform different functions according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit 110.

For example, a distance between a first object and a second object respectively disposed on the display unit 110 may vary according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit. In addition, as the distance between the first object and the second object that face each other is different, the first object has a stroke? Combinations of data and data acquired from the second object may vary. Accordingly, the units of the first object and the second object of the flexible display apparatus 100 may perform various functions in response to a shape change of the display unit 110.

8 is a diagram illustrating a general bending state as an example of shape deformation of a display unit in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the center area located at the center of the flexible display device 100 is deformed in a downward direction with respect to the left and right edges of the flexible display device 100, the tension caused by the shape deformation is a bend disposed in the horizontal direction. Applied to the sensors. Accordingly, the resistance value of each bend sensor disposed in the horizontal direction varies. The detection unit 120 may detect a change in an output value output from each bend sensor and detect a bend in the horizontal direction based on the center of the display surface.

The shape deformation region refers to a region in which the flexible display device is bent and bent. Since the bend sensors are bent together by the shape deformation, the shape deformation region may be defined as all points at which the bend sensor outputting a resistance value different from that in the original state is disposed.

The detection unit 120 is a bending in which the size of the bending line, the direction of the bending line, the position of the bending line, the number of bending lines, the number of bending, and the shape of the bending line are changed based on the relationship between the points at which the resistance value change is detected. The speed, the size of the bending area, the position of the bending area, and the number of bending areas can be detected.

9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating a folding state as an example of a shape change of a display unit in a flexible display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

For example, the folding area is a bent area that is formed when the flexible display device is folded. As in the case of bending, as the bend sensor is bent, one or all points of the bend sensor that outputs a different resistance value from the original state. It can be defined as more than one area. Since the method of defining and classifying the folding area is the same as in the bending area, redundant description will be omitted.

Meanwhile, when folding in which the flexible display device is bent by a certain bending angle or more, a resistance value is sensed to a size of a certain size or more at a point corresponding to the bending line. Accordingly, the controller 130 may determine whether it is folding or general bending according to the size of the resistance value.

Alternatively, if the surfaces of the flexible display device 100 can be bent enough to contact each other, the controller 130 may determine whether to fold in consideration of whether or not a touch is made. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, when the edge of the flexible display device 100 is bent in the Z+ direction and folded to the front surface, regions spaced apart from each other on the front surface of the flexible display device 100 come into contact with each other.

In this case, a touch is sensed in one area of the display surface, and the degree of change of the resistance value is also greater than that of general bending. Accordingly, the control unit 130 calculates the distance from the bending edge boundary to the bending line XX, and then when a touch is sensed at a point separated by a distance calculated in the opposite direction with respect to the bending line, folding is performed. It can be determined that it has been made.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the edge of the flexible display device 100 is bent in the Z+ direction and folded to the front, the first object 10a and the second object 20a face each other at a very close distance. Can be doing.

In this case, based on the combination of the first object 10a and the second object 20a, the flexible display apparatus 100 may perform various functions.

For example, when the first object 10a includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and the second object 20a includes a lens for projecting an image of the subject onto the image capturing unit, the flexible display device 100 The subject can be photographed as a unit.

In this case, the flexible display apparatus 100 may perform various photographing, such as close-up photographing and telephoto photographing, according to the type of lens (telephoto lens, macro lens, fisheye lens, etc.) of the second object 20a. In this case, the lens of the second object 20a can be replaced.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 10(b), when a plurality of second objects are disposed at the end of the display unit, the flexible display device 100 does not require a lens to be replaced, and the camera unit can be varied only by changing the shape of the display unit. Can be combined.

Also, if the position of the lens, which is the second object 20a, can be adjusted, the focal length of the lens in the flexible display device 100 can be changed.

In addition, when the first object 10a includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image and the second object 20a includes a filter, the flexible display apparatus 100 may capture a subject using various filter effects.

For example, when the second object 20a is a polarization filter, the flexible display device 100 may take a picture while immediately giving a filter effect such as reducing reflection of some surfaces or darkening a blue sky.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 10(b), when a plurality of second objects are disposed at the end of the display unit, the filter does not need to be replaced in the flexible display device 100, and various filter effects are immediately achieved by changing the shape of the display unit. Can be derived.

In addition, when the first object 10a and the second object 20a are implemented in plural, such as a front camera or a rear camera, the flexible display device uses an image acquired from the first object and an image acquired from the second object. 100 may take a 3D image.

In addition, when the first object 10a and the second object 20a are implemented as a plurality of speakers, the flexible display apparatus 100 uses a sound source output from the first object and a sound source output from the second object. You can output the sound source of the sound. For example, when a sound source output from the first object and a sound source output from the second object are left and right sound sources, the flexible display apparatus 100 may output a stereo sound source.

In addition, when the first object 10a and the second object 20a are implemented as a plurality of light emitting units, the flexible display device 100 uses light emitted from the first object and the light emitted from the second object. It can emit light with intensity. For example, the flexible display device 100 may emit light further stepped on by adding light emitted from the first object and light emitted from the second object.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of classifying a screen based on a position when a bending and hold gesture is performed in a flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11 (a), when a bending and hold gesture is performed in the center of the flexible display device 100, the display unit is bent based on the line XX', and when the bending state is maintained, the display The part is divided into one area 200a and the other area 200b.

In this state, a first screen is output on one area of the display unit and a second screen is output on another area of the display unit.

For example, when the area of the display unit is divided in this way, various presentations, education, and counseling may be possible while two users are facing each other.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, when a user draws a picture or writes a letter on one side of the screen by a touch method while the screen is divided, the same picture or letter may be displayed on the other screen as it is.

Operations of the flexible display device 100 will be described in order.

12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a flexible display device based on a shape deformation of a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment.

In step 200, the flexible display apparatus 100 detects a change in the shape of the display unit.

In operation 210, the flexible display apparatus 100 detects a position at which the shape deformation is made on the end of the display unit based on the shape deformation of the display unit detected at operation 210.

In operation 220, the flexible display apparatus 100 determines one area and another area of the display unit based on the position detected in operation 210.

In step 230, the flexible display apparatus 100 outputs a first screen in one area of the display unit determined in step 220 based on the motion information, and outputs a second screen according to the motion information in another area.

In operation 240, the flexible display apparatus 100 performs a function corresponding to the shape deformation of the display unit using the first object and the second object disposed on the display unit based on a user input.

13A to 13B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a screen is divided and displayed based on a position when a bending and hold gesture is performed in a center portion of the flexible display device in the flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment.

13A to 13B, when the first object includes an image pickup unit that captures an image, and the second object is a lens that projects the image of the subject onto the image pickup unit, the flexible display device 100 The subject can be photographed as a unit.

In this case, FIG. 13A shows an example of viewing the photographers from the perspective of the photographer, and FIG. 13B shows an example of viewing the photographers from the perspective of the photographer.

In addition, as shown in Figs. 13A to 13B, when the bending and hold gesture is performed in the center of the flexible display device 100, the display unit 110 is bent based on the line XX', and the bending When the state is maintained, the display unit 110 is divided into one area 200a and another area 200b.

In this case, in this state, the first screen is output to one area of the display unit divided, and the second screen is output to the other area of the display unit.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13A, the first screen output to one area 200a may be a live view image of the subjects, and as shown in FIG. 13B, the second screen output to the other area 200b. The screen may be text content indicating that the photographees are currently photographing. Alternatively, the second screen may be a live view image of the photographer.

In addition, in the case of general bending with a radius of curvature equal to or greater than a certain value, as shown in FIG. 8, instead of bending having a small radius of curvature as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, boundary lines between screens may be smoothly connected. . That is, while displaying the application execution screen in the bent area so as to overlap, a transparent gradient effect may be applied to make it look natural, or a mosaic effect may be applied to express the two areas as if they overlap each other.

A device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, a permanent storage such as a disk drive, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, and a button.

Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium as computer-readable codes or program instructions executable on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), and an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM). ) And DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable storage medium is distributed over networked computer systems, so that computer-readable codes can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium is readable by a computer and can be executed on a processor.

All documents, including publications, patent applications, patents, and the like cited in the present invention may be incorporated into the same as those indicated by merging each cited document individually and specifically or by merging as a whole.

For the understanding of the present invention, reference numerals are described in the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, and specific terms are used to describe the embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited by specific terms, and the present invention is not limited to those skilled in the art. It can include all conceivable components in the.

The invention can be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented with various numbers of hardware or/and software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the present invention is an integrated circuit configuration such as memory, processing, logic, look-up table, etc., capable of executing various functions by controlling one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Can be hired. Similar to how the components of the software can be implemented as software programming or software elements, C, C++, Java, including various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, processes, routines or other programming constructs. , May be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as an assembler. Functional aspects can be implemented with an algorithm running on one or more processors. In addition, the present invention may employ conventional techniques for electronic environment setting, signal processing, and/or data processing. Terms such as “mechanism”, “element”, “means”, and “composition” can be used widely, and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The term may include a meaning of a series of routines of software in connection with a processor or the like.

The specific implementations described in the present invention are examples and do not limit the scope of in any way. For brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connection or connection members of the lines between the components shown in the drawings exemplarily represent functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections. It may be referred to as a connection, or circuit connections. In addition, if there is no specific mention such as “essential” or “important”, it may not be a necessary component for the application of.

In the specification of the present invention (especially in the claims), the use of the term “above” and a similar designating term may correspond to both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, the invention to which an individual value falling within the range is applied (unless otherwise stated), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention. Same as. Finally, unless explicitly stated or contradicted to the order of the steps constituting the method according to the present invention, the steps may be performed in a suitable order. It is not necessarily limited according to the order of description of the above steps. In the present invention, the use of all examples or illustrative terms (for example, etc.) is merely for describing in detail, and the scope of is not limited by the above examples or illustrative terms unless limited by the claims. In addition, those skilled in the art can recognize that various modifications, combinations, and changes may be configured according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

100: flexible display device
110: display unit
120: detection unit
130: control unit
140: storage unit
10: first object
20: second object

Claims (17)

A display unit;
A first object disposed at a first end of the display unit;
A second object disposed at a second end corresponding to the first end of the display unit;
A sensing unit disposed on the display unit to detect a shape deformation of the display unit;
A storage unit for storing operation information for performing a function corresponding to shape deformation of the display unit by using the first object and the second object; And
A control unit for controlling to output a first screen according to the motion information to one region of the display unit and to output a second screen according to the operation information to another region based on the shape deformation of the display unit,
The flexible display device, wherein the first object and the second object are opposed to each other by a shape change of the display unit. The method of claim 1,
The flexible display device, wherein the control unit detects a position where the shape is deformed based on the shape deformation of the display unit, and determines one area and another area of the display unit based on the detected position. The method of claim 1,
The operation information includes user interface information for the flexible display device to perform a function corresponding to a shape deformation of the display unit. The method of claim 1,
The flexible display device, wherein the first object includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and the second object includes a lens for projecting an image of the subject to the image capturing unit. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first object includes an image pickup unit that captures an image, and the second object includes a filter. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first object or the second object comprises an image pickup unit that captures an image. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first object or the second object comprises a speaker. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first object or the second object includes a light emitting unit. Detecting a shape change of the display unit;
Detecting a position where the shape is deformed on an end of the display unit based on the shape deformation of the display unit;
Determining one area and another area of the display unit based on the detected position;
Outputting a first screen in one area of the display unit based on the motion information and outputting a second screen according to the motion information in another area;
The operation information is user interface information for performing a function corresponding to a shape deformation of the display unit by using a first object and a second object disposed on the display unit. The method of claim 9,
The method of controlling a flexible display device, wherein the first object and the second object face each other by a shape change of the display unit. The method of claim 9,
Performing a function corresponding to shape deformation of the display unit using the first object and the second object based on a user input; The method of controlling a flexible display device further comprising a. The method of claim 11,
Performing a function corresponding to a shape change of the display unit; Is
A method of controlling a flexible display device, characterized in that it performs different functions according to a bending angle that is a shape change of the display unit. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the first object includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and the second object includes a lens for projecting an image of the subject to the image capturing unit. The method of claim 9, wherein the first object includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image, and the second object includes a filter. The method of claim 9, wherein the first object or the second object includes an image pickup unit for capturing an image. The method of claim 9, wherein the first object or the second object comprises a speaker. The method of claim 9, wherein the first object or the second object includes a light emitting unit.

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