JP7157669B2 - Display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device in which display surfaces are arranged.

A display device in which display surfaces are arranged is known. Patent Literature 1 discloses an array display device in which two display devices having display surfaces with curved ends are arranged side by side.

Japanese Patent No. 5382168

If the display surface is composed only of flat surfaces and corners, the user will be given a hard impression. However, when multiple display surfaces are arranged side by side and used as one large display surface, the area of the entire display surface becomes larger than when there is only one display surface. is relatively low. In particular, since the rounded portion on the boundary side of the two display surfaces is sandwiched between flat surfaces, it is difficult to contribute to giving a soft impression.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to give a softer impression to a user viewing the arranged display surfaces.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plate-shaped first display portion having a first display surface, and a plate-shaped display portion having a second display surface arranged in a predetermined direction of the first display portion. and a second display portion, wherein the first display surface has a first curved surface including the center of the display surface in the direction, and the first display portion has a thickness along the curvature of the first curved surface. changes, the second display surface has a second curved surface including the center of the display surface in the direction, the second display portion has a thickness that changes along the curvature of the second curved surface, A display device is provided in which the first curved surface and the second curved surface form a part of one virtual curved surface.

Further, a display control unit may be provided for controlling the display with the first display surface and the second display surface arranged side by side in the direction as one display surface.

Also, the large curved surface may be a convex curved surface.

Moreover, the connection part which connects the said 1st display part and the said 2nd display part with the said 1st display surface and the said 2nd display surface on the outside so that it can be folded may be provided.

Also, the large curved surface may be a concave curved surface.

Further, the first display section and the second display section may have a shape in which a vertex of the virtual curved surface is located on either the first curved surface or the second curved surface.

Further, a third display portion having a third display surface is provided, the third display surface has a third curved surface including the center of the display surface in the direction, and the third display portion includes the third curved surface. and the first curved surface, the second curved surface and the third curved surface may form a part of one virtual curved surface.

According to the present invention, it is possible to give a softer impression to the user who sees the arranged display surfaces.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of a smartphone according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of a smartphone according to an embodiment; A diagram showing an example of a virtual convex surface A diagram showing an example of a curved surface with a uniform height from the back Diagram showing the hardware configuration of a smartphone A diagram showing an example of a virtual curved surface of a modified example Diagram showing a modified smartphone Diagram showing a modified smartphone Diagram showing a modified smartphone A diagram showing an example of a display device of a modified example

[1] Embodiment FIGS. 1 and 2 show the appearance of a smartphone 1 according to an embodiment. The smartphone 1 is a foldable terminal with two screens. FIG. 1A shows the front view of the smartphone 1 in a completely opened state (fully open state), and FIG. 1B shows the fully opened smartphone 1 as seen from below. ing.

In addition, FIG. 1(c) shows the smartphone 1 in the fully open state as seen from the right side. In addition, FIG. 2 shows the smartphone 1 in a completely closed state (fully closed state) viewed from below. When the smartphone 1 is used normally, the vertically upward side (for example, the one with a speaker for telephone calls) is the upper side, and the vertically downward side (for example, the side with a microphone for telephone calls) is the lower side. shall be on the side.

When the smartphone 1 in the fully open state is viewed from the front, it has a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 1(a). In FIG. 1 , the direction along the long side of the smartphone 1 is the X-axis direction, the direction along the short side is the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is the Z-axis direction. The positive direction of the X-axis is rightward when viewed from the front, the positive direction of the Y-axis is downward when viewed from the front, and the positive direction of the Z-axis is the direction from the front to the back (FIGS. 1A and 1B). ) and (c) are viewed in the positive direction of the Z-axis, the negative direction of the Y-axis, and the negative direction of the X-axis, respectively).

The smartphone 1 includes a first display section 10 , a second display section 20 and a hinge 30 . The first display unit 10 is plate-like display means having a first display surface 11 , a first back surface 12 and a first side surface 13 . The second display unit 20 is plate-like display means having a second display surface 21 , a second back surface 22 and a second side surface 23 . The smartphone 1 is an example of the "display device" of the present invention. The hinge 30 connects the first display section 10 and the second display section 20 so as to be foldable with the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 facing outward. Hinge 30 is an example of the "connecting part" of the present invention.

The first rear surface 12 is the rear surface of the first display surface 11 in the first display unit 10 , and the second rear surface 22 is the rear surface of the second display surface 21 in the second display unit 20 . The first rear surface 12 and the second rear surface 22 are entirely flat surfaces (flat surfaces) in this embodiment, and are in close contact with each other in the fully closed state as shown in FIG.

The hinge 30 is provided so as to be located inside the apparatus from the first back surface 12 and the second back surface 22 as a whole. Accordingly, when the smartphone 1 is fully opened, the hinge 30 does not protrude from the first rear surface 12 and the second rear surface 22, so that the smartphone can be stably placed on a flat surface such as a desk.

The first side surface 13 and the second side surface 23 are sides of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20 on the hinge 30 side, and face each other as shown in FIG. 1 when the smartphone 1 is fully opened. close contact. When the smartphone 1 in the fully opened state is viewed from the front (the direction in which the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 face), the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20 are both rectangular and hinged. The long side on the 30 side (where the first side surface 13 and the second side surface 23 are located) is in close contact.

When the first display section 10 and the second display section 20 are arranged side by side, they form a large rectangle as described above. The first display section 10 and the second display section 20 are used side by side in the direction along this long side, that is, in the X-axis direction (in this embodiment, the first display section 10 is on the X-axis negative direction side). The X-axis direction is an example of the "predetermined direction" in the present invention. Both the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 are rectangular when viewed from the front, but both have curved surfaces as seen from the bottom in FIG. 1(b).

More specifically, the first display surface 11 has a first curved surface 111 including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction, and a chamfered portion 112 on the hinge 30 side of the first curved surface 111 . The second display surface 21 has a second curved surface 211 including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction, and a chamfered portion 212 on the hinge 30 side of the second curved surface 211 . The chamfered portion 112 and the chamfered portion 212 are portions with rounded corners so as to improve the feeling of touch.

The image is displayed on both sides, but only slightly at the edges of the image. On the other hand, the first curved surface 111 and the second display surface 21 include the center of each display surface and occupy most of the area (for example, 90% or more). In this way, in the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21, the first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 are the main portions (portions where most of the image including the main portion is displayed). .

Although the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 are curved when viewed from below, as shown in FIG. and not curved. The first display surface 11 is the surface of the transparent touch panel portion 14 that is curved when viewed from below. Inside the touch panel section 14, there is provided a display element section 15 which is also curved when viewed from below. Both the touch panel section 14 and the display element section 15 are components having a constant thickness, and cooperate with each other to function as a touch screen.

Further, on the side of the second display surface 21, a touch panel section 24 and a display element section 25 are similarly provided which have a constant thickness and are curved when viewed from below. Since the touch panel portion and the display element portion are curved in this manner, the first display portion 10 and the second display portion are more flexible than, for example, when only the surface of the touch panel portion is curved and the display element portion is flat. The internal space of the part 20 on the side of the hinge 30 is large so that many parts can be stored.

The first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 form part of one large virtual convex curved surface when viewed from below as shown in FIG. 1(b).
FIG. 3 shows an example of a virtual convex curved surface. FIG. 3 shows a virtual convex curved surface A1 partially including the first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 . In addition, in FIG. 3, the virtual convex curved surface A1 is shown slightly apart from both curved surfaces in order to make it easier to see.

Some common smartphones have flat display surfaces with rounded corners. Such a comparative smartphone is shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 represents a smartphone 1x for comparison. FIG. 4 shows the smartphone 1x viewed from below. The smartphone 1x includes a first display surface 11x and a second display surface 21x.

The first display surface 11x has a first flat surface 111x and curved surfaces 112x and 113x at both ends of the first flat surface 111x. The second display surface 21x has a second flat surface 211x and curved surfaces 212x and 213x at both ends of the second flat surface 211x. Although the smartphone 1x has a curved display surface, it is only at the edge of the display surface, and most of the area is flat. In other words, in the smartphone 1x, the first plane 111x and the second plane 211x, which are both flat, are the main parts.

A curved surface gives the user a softer impression than a flat surface, but in the smartphone 1x, since the main part is a flat surface, the impression is not so strong. On the other hand, when the smartphone 1 is in the fully opened state, as described above, the smartphone 1 forms a single large convex curved surface as a whole. can give a good impression to the user.

Thus, the curved shapes of the first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 represent one of the features of the present invention. In FIGS. 1 and 3, etc., this characteristic curved shape is largely curved so that it can be easily recognized from the drawings, but the actual degree of curvature does not have to be so large. This is because even if the degree of curvature is small, it is possible to give a softer impression than when the main portion of each display surface is flat.

3, thicknesses L11, L12, . . . , L17 of the first display portion 10 are shown, and thicknesses L21, L22, . Since the back surface (first back surface 12 and second back surface 22) is flat, these thicknesses are the height from the back surface to the front surface (first display surface 11 and second display surface 21) (the normal direction of the back surface). distance from the back surface in ). These thicknesses represent the thickness closer to the hinge 30 as the numbers in the symbols are larger (L17 and L27 are the thickness closest to the hinge 30).

The relationships among the thicknesses are L11<L12<L13<...<L16<L17 and L21<L22<L23<...<L26<L27. As shown in FIG. 3 , the thickness of the first display section 10 changes along the curve of the first curved surface 111 . Similarly, the thickness of the second display section 20 varies along the curvature of the second curved surface 211 . The change in thickness along the curve means that the curve drawn when only the difference in thickness is arranged is approximately the same as the curve. Here, for comparison, a smartphone with a constant thickness is shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 represents a smartphone 1y for comparison. FIG. 5 shows the smartphone 1y viewed from below. The smartphone 1y includes a first display unit 10y and a second display unit 20y that are foldably connected. The first display portion 10y has a first curved surface 111y, and the second display portion 20y has a second curved surface 211y. The first curved surface 111y and the second curved surface 211y form part of one large virtual convex curved surface A1y.

The convex curved surface A1y is a curved surface having the same shape as the convex curved surface A1 shown in FIG. Further, both the first display portion 10y and the second display portion 20y have a constant thickness. If the height is constant in this way, when the smartphone 1y is placed on a flat surface such as a desk, the rear side of the protruding portion of the convex curved surface A1y is lifted from the flat surface. In this state, for example, if a force is applied to push the display surface toward the flat surface, the principle of leverage works with the point of contact with the flat surface acting as a fulcrum, so even if a small force is applied, a large force acts on the device. There is a risk of damage.

On the other hand, the smartphone 1 whose thickness changes along the curve of the curved surface as described with reference to FIG. Therefore, even if a force is applied to push the display surface toward the flat side, the whole back surface in contact with the flat surface is given stress against the force, so that the device can be made more difficult to break than the smart phone 1y.

In this embodiment, the first rear surface 12 and the second rear surface 22 are completely flat surfaces as shown in FIG. Even in that case, if the thickness of each display part changes along the curvature of the curved surface, when the smartphone is placed on a flat surface, several places on the back surface will touch the flat surface. It is possible to make the device hard to be damaged.

In addition, since the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 are curved as described above, if both display surfaces are folded inside, the two display surfaces will contact in a very small area close to a line. , and stress is concentrated in that area, making it prone to breakage. Since the smartphone 1 has a shape that is easily damaged when the display surfaces come into contact with each other, as shown in FIG. I'm in.

FIG. 6 shows the hardware configuration of the smart phone 1. As shown in FIG. The smartphone 1 is a computer that includes a processor 2 , a memory 3 , a storage 4 , a communication device 5 , an input device 6 , an output device 7 and a bus 8 . Note that the term “apparatus” used here can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, or the like. Also, one or more of each device may be included, or some devices may not be included.

The processor 2, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 2 may be configured with a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, registers, and the like. In addition, the processor 2 reads programs (program codes) including an OS (Operating System) and various applications, software modules and data from the storage 4 and/or the communication device 5 to the memory 3, and various process.

One or more processors 2 may execute various processes, and two or more processors 2 may execute various processes simultaneously or sequentially. Also, the processor 2 may be implemented with one or more chips. The program may be transmitted from the network via telecommunications lines. The memory 3 is a computer-readable recording medium, and is composed of at least one of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and RAM (Random Access Memory). may be

The memory 3 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (main storage device), or the like. The memory 3 can store the aforementioned programs (program codes), software modules, data, and the like. The storage 4 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, a hard disk drive, flexible disk, flash memory (eg, card, stick, key drive), magnetic strip, and the like.

The storage 4 may also be called an auxiliary storage device. The aforementioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, server or other suitable medium including memory 3 and/or storage 4 . The communication device 5 is hardware (transmitting/receiving device) for communicating between computers via a wired and/or wireless network, and is also called a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, or the like.

The input device 6 is an input device (eg, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 7 is an output device (for example, display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. In the smartphone 1, the input device 6 and the output device 7 include an integrated touch screen (the touch panel portion 14 and the display element portion 15 and the touch panel portion 24 and the display element portion 25 shown in FIG. 1). .

This touch screen is provided on each of the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21, and the user's input operation can be accepted on either display surface. Each device, such as processor 2 and memory 3, is accessible to each other via bus 8 for communicating information. The bus 8 may be composed of a single bus, or may be composed of different buses between devices.

The smartphone 1 also includes hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). , and part or all of each functional block may be implemented by the hardware. For example, processor 2 may be implemented with at least one of these hardware.

The processor 2 controls the display using the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction as shown in FIG. 1 as one display surface. The processor 2 is an example of the "display controller" of the present invention. By performing display control on the full screen with these two display surfaces as one display surface, compared to the case where display control is performed on separate display surfaces, one large convex curved surface is formed. The sense of unity between the curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 is improved.

[2] Modifications The embodiment described above is merely an example of implementation of the present invention, and may be modified as follows.

[2-1] Shape of Curved Surface The shape of one curved surface formed by the first curved surface and the second curved surface is not limited to the shape described in the embodiment. For example, as described above, the curved surface may be curved less than the convex curved surface A1 shown in FIG. 2, or conversely, the curved surface may be curved larger than the convex curved surface A1.

In addition, the convex curved surface A1 has a portion that protrudes most vertically upward (negative Z-axis direction) when the smartphone is placed with the display surface facing vertically upward (this portion is referred to as the “vertex of the curved surface”). Although it is positioned at the center (the boundary between the first display section and the second display section), the vertex of this curved surface may be shifted toward the first display section or toward the second display section. In either case, one convex curved surface formed by two curved surfaces can give a soft impression. Also, the shape of the curved surface may be a concave curved surface instead of a convex curved surface.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a virtual curved surface of this modified example. FIG. 7 shows a smartphone 1a including a first curved surface 111a and a second curved surface 211a. The first curved surface 111a and the second curved surface 211a form part of one large virtual concave curved surface A2. In this case also, the curved surface can give a softer impression than the flat surface. In addition, since it has a shape that covers the field of vision, it is possible to give an impression that the display surface is wrapped around the display surface.

[2-2] Dimensions of display part In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the dimensions of the two display parts (first display part 10 and second display part 20) were common, but good.
FIG. 8 shows a smartphone 1b of this modified example. The smartphone 1b includes a first display section 10b and a second display section 20b.

Assuming that the dimension of the first display portion 10b in the X-axis direction is length L31 and the dimension of the second display portion 20b in the X-axis direction is length L32, length L31<length L32. The first display unit 10b has a first display surface 11b, and the first display surface 11b has a first curved surface 111b including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction. The second display unit 20b has a second display surface 21b, and the second display surface 21b has a second curved surface 211b including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction.

The first curved surface 111b and the second curved surface 211b form a part of one convex curved surface A3. This convex curved surface A3 has a vertex at the center in the X-axis direction, like the convex curved surface A1 shown in FIG. In this manner, the first display portion 10b and the second display portion 20b have a shape in which the vertex (the portion protruding most in the Z-axis negative direction) of the convex curved surface A3 is positioned on the second curved surface 211b.

Note that, contrary to the example of FIG. 8, the first display portion and the second display portion may have a shape in which the vertex of the convex curved surface A3 is positioned on the first curved surface 111b. In either case, compared to the case where the center of one large display surface is located at the boundary of the display part, when an image is displayed with two display surfaces as one display surface, the center of the display surface, that is, the The main part of the displayed image can be made visible.

[2-3] Number of display units In the embodiment, there were two display units (the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20) as shown in FIG. 1, but there may be three or more.
FIG. 9 shows a smartphone 1c of this modified example. The smartphone 1c includes a first display portion 10c having a first display surface 11c, a second display portion 20c having a second display surface 21c, and a third display portion 30c having a third display surface 31c.

The first display surface 11c has a first curved surface 111c including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction, the second display surface 21c has a second curved surface 211c including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction, The third display surface 31c has a third curved surface 311c including the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction. The first curved surface 111c, the second curved surface 211c, and the third curved surface 311c form part of one large virtual convex curved surface A4 when viewed from below as shown in FIG.

Thus, similar to the embodiment, it is possible to give the user a softer impression than when the main portion of each display surface is flat. The thickness of the first display portion 10c changes along the curvature of the first curved surface 111c, the thickness of the second display portion 20c changes along the curvature of the second curved surface 211c, and the third display portion 30c changes in thickness along the curvature of the second curved surface 211c. The thickness changes along the curve of the third curved surface 311c. As a result, it is possible to make the device less likely to be damaged, as in the embodiment.

The first display portion 10c, the second display portion 20c, and the third display portion 30c have lengths L41, L42, and L43 in the X-axis direction. These lengths have a relationship of L42>(L41+L43). As a result, the first display section 10c and the third display section 30c are folded behind the second display section 20c without contacting each other. Further, each display portion has a shape in which the vertex of the convex curved surface A4 is positioned on the second curved surface 211c. This makes it possible to make the main part (central part) of the displayed image easier to see.

[2-4] Dimensions of the curved surface The dimensions of the curved surface (the first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211 in the embodiment) forming a part of one large virtual convex curved surface of each display surface are the dimensions described in the embodiment. may be larger or smaller than Any curved surface that includes at least the center of each display surface in the X-axis direction and displays an image as a main portion of the display surface may be used.

[2-5] Shape of display surface In the embodiment, the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 were not curved when viewed from the left-right direction (from the Y-axis direction). It may look curved. In that case, a softer impression can be given compared to a display surface that is only curved when viewed from below.

In the embodiment, both the first display surface 11 and the second display surface 21 have the chamfered portion, but they may not have the chamfered portion (that is, the corners may be sharp instead of rounded). Compared to the case where the chamfered portion is provided, the curved surface including the center in the X-axis direction (the curved surface corresponding to the first curved surface 111 and the second curved surface 211) can be enlarged without the chamfered portion. It is possible to increase the sense of unity when arranging.

[2-6] Display Unit In each of the above examples, a plurality of display units are connected so as to be foldable, but this is not the only option, and a plurality of display units may be separable.
FIG. 10 shows an example of the display device of this modified example. FIG. 10 shows a display device 1d comprising a first display portion 10d and a second display portion 20d that are not connected to each other.

FIG. 10(a) shows a state in which the first display unit 10d and the second display unit 20d are separated, and FIG. 10(b) shows the first display unit 10d and the second display unit 20d arranged in the X-axis direction. A close contact state is shown. The first display portion 10d has a first display surface 11d, and the second display portion 20d has a second display surface 21d. The first display surface 11d has a first curved surface 111d that includes the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction, and the second display surface 21d has a second curved surface 211d that includes the center of the display surface in the X-axis direction.

The first curved surface 111d and the second curved surface 211d form part of one large virtual convex curved surface A5 when viewed from below as shown in FIG. The thickness of the first display portion 10d varies along the curvature of the first curved surface 111d, and the thickness of the second display portion 20d varies along the curvature of the second curved surface 211d. As described above, the display device 1d has the same shape as the smartphone 1 of the embodiment except that it is not connected by a hinge.

Therefore, as in the case of the embodiment, it is possible to give the user a softer impression than when the main portion of each display surface is flat, and the device is less likely to be damaged than in the example of FIG. can do. Further, the first display unit 10d and the second display unit 20d communicate with each other wirelessly, thereby performing display control on the entire screen with the first display surface 11d and the second display surface 21d as one display surface. can also

[2-7] Category of Invention The present invention is applicable not only to smart phones but also to tablet terminals and the like. The present invention can be applied to any display device in which a plurality of display surfaces are arranged and used as one display surface.

[2-8] "and", "or"
In this specification, regarding a configuration that can be implemented with either "A and B" or "A or B", the configuration described in one expression may be used as the configuration described in the other expression. For example, when "A and B" are described, they may be used as "A or B" as long as they are not inconsistent with other descriptions and practicable.

[2-9] Variations of Embodiments, etc. Each of the embodiments described in this specification may be used alone, may be used in combination, or may be used by switching according to execution. In addition, the notification of predetermined information (for example, notification of “being X”) is not limited to being performed explicitly, but may be performed implicitly (for example, not notifying the predetermined information). good too.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be implemented with modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the claims. Accordingly, the descriptions herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be limiting of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 smartphone 1d display device 10 first display unit 11 first display surface 12 first back surface 13 first side surface 20 second display unit 21 second display surface 22 2nd back surface 23 2nd side surface 30 hinge 30c 3rd display portion 31c 3rd display surface 111 1st curved surface 112 chamfered portion 211 2nd curved surface 212 chamfered portion , 311c... the third curved surface.

Claims (2)

a plate-like first display portion having a first display surface;
a plate-shaped second display portion having a second display surface, which is arranged in a predetermined direction of the first display portion ;
a connecting portion that connects the first display portion and the second display portion so that the first display surface and the second display surface are outward and can be folded;
with
the first display surface has a first curved surface including the center of the display surface in the direction;
the first display portion has a thickness that changes along the curvature of the first curved surface;
The first display section has a flat first rear surface,
the second display surface has a second curved surface including the center of the display surface in the direction;
the second display portion has a thickness that changes along the curve of the second curved surface;
The second display section has a flat second back surface,
The first curved surface and the second curved surface form a part of a convex curved surface or a concave curved surface ,
The first back surface and the second back surface are brought into a closed state by facing and closely contacting each other so as to match each other.
display device. 2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a display control section that controls display with said first display surface and said second display surface arranged side by side in said direction as one display surface.

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