KR101962137B1 - Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising: a flexible display capable of being deformed by an external force and capable of displaying a three-dimensional image; a display device arranged in a predetermined form on the flexible display to convert a bending state of the flexible display into an electric signal A method of determining a bend state of a flexible display using at least one bending sensor and an electrical signal input from the at least one bending sensor and determining a depth of the three- A mobile terminal including a control unit for controlling a three-dimensional image can control a stereoscopic effect of a three-dimensional image using a physical transformation of the flexible display.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of intuitively controlling stereoscopic effect of a three-dimensional image using a flexible display and a control method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In recent years, a flexible display which can be modified in accordance with an external physical force has been developed and researches for application to an image display device have been actively conducted. Such a flexible display is also adopted as a display device of a terminal and is expected to contribute to increase portability / mobility.

The above terminal can be moved And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. . In order to maximize the function as a multimedia device, a technique for displaying a three-dimensional stereoscopic image from a mobile terminal has been commercialized in recent years.

The stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional stereoscopic image is determined by the depth of the stereoscopic image. Depth in a stereoscopic image refers to the degree to which an object has fallen on the screen, and is a measure of how much the object in the image looks like protruding or depressed.

Conventionally, a menu displayed on a user interface should be used to adjust the depth of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image. However, the method of adjusting the three-dimensional feeling as described above has a problem in that it is inconvenient for the user to frequently adjust the three-dimensional feeling during the viewing of the three-dimensional image.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof that can easily control a stereoscopic effect of a three-dimensional image using a physical characteristic of a flexible display in a mobile terminal having a flexible display, which is proposed in order to satisfy the above- For that purpose.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising: a flexible display capable of being deformed by an external force and capable of displaying a three-dimensional image; a display device arranged in a predetermined form on the flexible display to convert a bending state of the flexible display into an electric signal A method of determining a bend state of a flexible display using at least one bending sensor and an electrical signal input from the at least one bending sensor and determining a depth of the three- And a controller for controlling the three-dimensional image.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flexible display device including: a flexible display for displaying a three-dimensional image, the flexible display being capable of being deformed by an external force; Receiving the electric signal corresponding to the sensed bending state from the at least one bending sensor; determining a bending state of the flexible display using the input electric signal; And controlling the 3D image so that the depth of the 3D image is adjusted.

Effects of the mobile terminal and the control method according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be adjusted according to the extent to which the flexible display is physically warped. As a result, the user can control the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image by adjusting the bending state of the flexible display without using the user interface (UI) while viewing the three-dimensional image. Accordingly, usability and convenience of a mobile terminal for displaying a three-dimensional image can be improved.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 shows an example of a cylindrical mobile terminal having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
3B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a modification of the body of the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
Fig. 4 shows an example of a bending sensor arrangement structure that can be applied to embodiments of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the principle of binocular parallax.
6 is a control flowchart of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary view showing an example of a method for starting reproduction of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of adjusting the depth of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of maintaining the depth of a 3D image at a specific time point regardless of a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of automatically controlling the flexible display to show the depth of a 3D image at a specific point in time in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an exemplary view showing an example of a method of ending the reproduction of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is an exemplary view showing an example of a method in which a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention is adjusted according to a distance from a user.
13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of displaying a depth of a 3D image corresponding to an optimal bending state according to distance from a user in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is an exemplary view showing an example of a method in which a left eye image and a right eye image are corrected so that binocular parallax distortion due to bending of a flexible display is compensated in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
15A to 17 illustrate various examples of a method of correcting each image so that distortion of a left eye image and a right eye image due to warping of a flexible display is compensated in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like.

However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. Two or more broadcast receiving modules may be provided to the mobile terminal 100 for simultaneous broadcast reception or broadcast channel switching for at least two broadcast channels.

The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information means information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (Mobile Broadcasting Business Management System), ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T)), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (MBMS) Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial) or the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 may be coupled to a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network, such as, but not limited to, Gobal System for Mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA Transmits and receives wireless signals with one. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies include WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE Evolution (but not limited to) may be used.

The wireless Internet module 113, which performs wireless Internet access through the mobile communication network, is connected to the mobile communication module 110 through the mobile communication network, for example, from the viewpoint that the wireless Internet access by Wibro, HSDPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, (112). ≪ / RTI >

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates distance information and accurate time information from three or more satellites, and then applies trigonometry to the calculated information to obtain a three-dimensional string of latitude, longitude, The location information can be accurately calculated. At present, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting an error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is widely used. In addition, the GPS module 115 can calculate speed information by continuously calculating the current position in real time.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a button 136 located on the front, rear, or side of the mobile terminal 100, and a touch sensor (static / static) 137. Although not shown, ), A dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141. (The proximity sensor will be described later).

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch sensor 137 have a mutual layer structure or are integrally formed (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen'), the display unit 151 may be used as an input device . The touch sensor 137 may be stacked on the display unit 151 to form a layer structure when the touch sensor 137 has a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. And may be integrally formed.

The touch sensor 137 may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific part of the display part 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific part of the display part 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor 137 can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor 137, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is enclosed by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch" The act of actually contacting the pointer on the touch screen may be referred to as "contact touch. &Quot; The location where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen may refer to a position where the pointer corresponds vertically to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. In this case, the display unit 151 and the audio output module 152 may be a type of the alarm unit 153. The display unit 151 and the audio output module 152 may be connected to the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152, .

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store the input / output data (e.g., telephone directory, message, audio, For example. The memory unit 160 may store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia).

In addition, the memory unit 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when the touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components. The power supply unit 190 may include, for example, a battery, a connection port, a power supply control unit, and a charge monitoring unit.

The battery may be an internal battery configured to be chargeable, and may be detachably coupled to the terminal body for charging or the like. The connection port may be configured as an example of an interface 170 through which an external charger for supplying power for charging the battery is electrically connected.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the mobile terminal referred to below includes at least one of the components shown in FIG. In particular, the mobile terminal to which the present invention is applicable may include at least one display unit 151 and at least one flexible display. The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a flexure sensor 400 (see FIG. 4) and a control unit 180 together with at least one flexible display 151. In some embodiments, the mobile terminal may further include a memory 160.

Hereinafter, a flexible display applicable to a display unit of a mobile terminal according to embodiments of the present invention will be described.

A flexible display is a display device that is flexible and flexible or foldable. In other words, a flexible display is a display device that is lightweight and does not break by being formed on a thin and flexible substrate that can be bent, bent, or bent like a paper while maintaining the display characteristics of a conventional flat panel display. Also called display. Such a flexible display can be realized through thin film transistor liquid crystal (TFT) LCD, organic EL (organic light emitting diode), electrophoretic, and LITI (Laser Induced Thermal Image) technology.

On the other hand, electronic paper may be used as a flexible display. Electronic paper is a display device to which general ink and paper features are applied and is also referred to as e-paper. Unlike traditional flat panel displays that apply backlighting to pixels, electronic paper uses reflected light like ordinary paper, and once an image and / or text is formed it can maintain the shape of the image and / or text formed without additional power supply.

When the flexible display is applied to a mobile terminal due to its light and non-breakable characteristics, the flexible display can provide various forms and functions to the mobile terminal by its shape and arrangement freedom.

Hereinafter, a mode in which a flexible display is provided in a mobile terminal will be described with reference to Figs. 2, 3A, and 3B.

2 shows an example of a cylindrical mobile terminal having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified view for explaining a form in which a mobile terminal is provided with a flexible display, and other components that may be additionally provided in a mobile terminal for an intuitive understanding are omitted.

2, a flexible display may be applied to the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100 to be coupled in the longitudinal direction of the mobile terminal body 105 of the cylindrical shape. Accordingly, when the display unit 151 is not used, the user can hold the display unit 151 in a cylindrical shape, and freely adjust the size of the display by using only as needed.

3A and 3B, a flexible display is applied to the display unit 151 of the bar-type mobile terminal. FIG. 3A shows a general form, and FIG. 3B shows a modification of the flexible display together with the body of the mobile terminal. .

3A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 has a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone 122, the interface 170, and the like may be disposed in the front body 101 have.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 151 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

3B, an external force is applied to the bar-type mobile terminal of the above-mentioned type, or a body is deformed by the driving device inside the mobile terminal.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing a modification of the body in the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3B, the terminal 100 is provided with a skeleton and an outer shape deformably. Therefore, the external shape of the terminal 100 may be physically modified according to the output signal of the controller 180 or depending on the external force.

The form in which the above-described flexible display is provided in the mobile terminal is an exemplary one, and the mobile terminals related to the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto and may have various forms.

The flexure sensors are arranged in a predetermined form on the flexible display, bent together when the flexible display is bent, and convert the degree of the electric signal into an electric signal, and transmit the electric signal to the controller 180. The structure of such a flexure sensor is as shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 4A, generally, the bending sensor 400 has a line or a band shape, and the degree of fin can be measured using a principle that the resistance value varies according to the degree of fin of the sensor. Generally, the resistance value varies with the degree of warp in the operating range of the sensor. The control unit 180 can determine the degree of warpage of the flexible display attached to the electric signal using the change of the electric signal according to the change of the resistance value.

The flexure sensors 400 may be disposed on both sides of the flexible display 151 as shown in FIG. 4B or vertically arranged at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 4C, As shown in Fig. At this time, the sensor may be directly attached to the flexible display, or may be attached to a guide or a frame fixing the flexible display.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a bending sensor as a method for detecting the bending state of the flexible display unit, the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can be applied to any sensor that generates different electric signals according to the degree of bending. Will be known to anyone skilled in the art.

If the plurality of sensors are disposed at different positions, the controller 180 analyzes the signal indicating the degree of fin transmitted from each of the plurality of sensors and the position thereof to determine whether or not the portion of the flexible display is warped .

It is needless to say that the arrangement state shown in each drawing of FIG. 4 is an example, and the arrangement state may be variously changed according to requirements such as desired precision or appearance constraint.

Meanwhile, the display unit included in the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment is configured to display a three-dimensional image. Hereinafter, a 3D image display method of a mobile terminal and a structure of a display unit therefor, which can be applied to embodiments of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the display unit of the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment necessarily includes at least one flexible display.

The three-dimensional image implemented on the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal can be roughly divided into two categories. The criterion for this classification is whether or not different images are provided in both eyes.

First, the first three-dimensional image category is described.

The first category is a monoscopic type in which the same image is provided in both eyes, and it can be implemented as a general display unit. More specifically, the controller 180 arranges the polyhedron generated through one or more points, lines, faces, or a combination thereof on the virtual 3D space, and displays the image viewed from the specific point in time on the display unit 151 .

The second category is a stereoscopic type in which different images are provided in both eyes. It is a method using the principle of feeling a 3D effect when a person looks at an object with the naked eye. In other words, the two eyes of a person see different two-dimensional images when they see the same object by the distance between them. These different two-dimensional images are transmitted to the brain through the retina, and the brain fuses them to feel the depth and reality of the 3D image. Therefore, binocular disparity due to the distance between the two eyes is a 3D effect, although there is some difference in each person, and this binocular disparity becomes the most important factor of the second category. This binocular disparity will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the principle of binocular parallax.

In FIG. 5, it is assumed that the hexahedron 515 is placed on the front face lower than the eye level and viewed with the naked eye. In this case, a left-eye two-dimensional image 525 in which only the top, front, and left sides of the hexahedron 515 are visible in the left eye. In addition, a right-eye two-dimensional image 535 showing only the top, front, and right sides of the hexahedron 515 can be seen in the right eye.

If a left eye two-dimensional image 525 is allowed to reach the left eye and a right eye two-dimensional image 535 is allowed to reach the right eye, the person can feel as if he or she actually looks at the hexahedron 515.

As a result, in order to realize a three-dimensional image of the second category in the mobile terminal, different left eye images (hereinafter, left eye image) and right eye images (hereinafter, right eye image) .

In this specification, the three-dimensional image of the first category is referred to as a " monoscopic 3D image " and the three-dimensional image of the second category is referred to as a " stereoscopic 3D image "

Next, an implementation method of the stereoscopic 3D image will be described.

As described above, in order to implement a stereoscopic 3D image, different right-eye images and left-eye images need to be divided into binaries. This can be realized by a "parallax barrier system", "lenticular lens system", "polarizing glasses system", and "active shutter system". Let's take a look at these in turn.

The parallax barrier method is a method for electronically driving a blocking device provided between a display unit and a binoculars to control the traveling direction of light so that different images arrive in both directions.

The structure of the display part 151 of the parallax barrier type for displaying the stereoscopic 3D image may have a configuration in which a switch liquid crystal is combined with a general display device. The optical parallax barrier by the switch liquid crystal is operated to control the traveling direction of the light so that different lights reach the right and left eyes. Therefore, when an image in which the right eye image and the left eye image are combined is displayed on the display device, the user can see the image corresponding to each eye and feel as if they are displayed in three dimensions.

In addition, by electrically controlling the parallax barrier so that light is totally transmitted, it is possible to eliminate separation of light due to the parallax barrier so that the same image can be seen on the right and left eyes. In this case, the same function as the general display unit can be achieved.

In general, the parallax barrier provides a stereoscopic 3D image with one axis as a reference, but a parallax barrier that can move parallel in two or more axial directions according to a control signal of the controller 180 may be used.

A lenticular lens system is a method using a lenticular screen provided between a display unit and a binocular eye to refract the traveling direction of light through lenses on a lenticular screen so that different images can be seen in both eyes.

The polarizing glasses system is a method of providing polarizing glasses with different polarizing directions to provide different images in both directions.

The active shutter system is a kind of spectacles. The active shutter system alternately displays a right eye image and a left eye image through a display unit at predetermined intervals, and the user's glasses close a shutter in the opposite direction when an image in the corresponding direction is displayed, To reach the eye in the corresponding direction. That is, during the time when the left eye image is displayed, the shutter of the right eye is closed to allow the left eye image to be reached only in the left eye, and the shutter of the left eye is closed during the time when the right eye image is displayed.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method that can be implemented in the mobile terminal configured as above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 6 to 11 show examples of methods for starting playback of a three-dimensional image on a flexible display, adjusting the depth of the three-dimensional image, and terminating the playback of the three-dimensional image using the flex state of the flexible display have.

In the following drawings including FIGS. 6 to 11, only the flexible display 151 constituting the display unit is shown without other parts such as the main body of the mobile terminal 100, for the sake of easy understanding.

6 is a control flowchart of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, a three-dimensional image is displayed on the flexible display (S510). As described above, a three-dimensional image that can be displayed on a flexible display includes both a monoscopic three-dimensional image and a stereoscopic three-dimensional image. If the three-dimensional image is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image may be an image projected from the screen. The 3D image may be displayed to have a constant depth.

For reference, the flexible display may operate in a "three-dimensional mode" or a "two-dimensional mode ". The flexible display can be displayed three-dimensionally only when the three-dimensional mode is in operation, and two-dimensionally even if the three-dimensional image is displayed during operation in the two-dimensional mode.

When the user bends the flexible display in one direction with the three-dimensional image displayed on the flexible display, the bending sensor provided on the flexible display senses the bending state of the flexible display (S520). The bending sensor generates an electric signal indicating a different resistance value according to the bending state, and transmits the electric signal to the controller 180. One or more bending sensors can detect not only the degree of bending of the flexible display, but also the direction in which the flexible display is bent and the position of the bent portion in the flexible display.

The controller 180 receives the electric signal from the flexure sensor, and determines the flex state of the flexible display (S530). It can be judged that the degree of warpage of the display is significant as the resistance value included in the electric signal is larger. The controller 180 may also determine the direction in which the flexible display is bent based on the electrical signal.

If the bend state of the flexible display is determined, the controller 180 controls the three-dimensional image to adjust the depth of the three-dimensional image displayed on the flexible display according to the bend state of the flexible display at step S540. More specifically, the controller 180 may adjust the 3D image so that the depth of the 3D image increases as the degree of warpage of the flexible display increases. The control unit 180 may control the depth of the three-dimensional image to be linearly proportional to the bending magnitude of the flexible display, or divide the bending magnitude of the flexible display into a plurality of intervals to increase the depth of the three- .

Alternatively, if the flexible display is bent in a direction different from the direction in which the flexible display was previously bent, the control unit 180 may change the projection / depression of the three-dimensional image differently. In one example, at least a portion of the stereoscopic three-dimensional image may be displayed on the flexible display bent in one direction so as to protrude from the screen. At this time, if the user deflects the flexible display in the opposite direction, the controller 180 can control the three-dimensional image so that at least a part of the three-dimensional image is embedded in the screen and displayed.

The control unit 180 may adjust the depth of the three-dimensional image by changing the position, size, or ratio of the three-dimensional image displayed on the flexible display unit. If the three-dimensional image is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image, the controller 180 may change the binocular disparity by adjusting the positions and / or sizes of the left and right eye images constituting the three-dimensional image. As the binocular parallax is changed, the depth of the three-dimensional image is changed.

The specific operation of the mobile terminal related to this embodiment is shown in Figs. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an example of a method for starting reproduction of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of adjusting the depth of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a terminal.

The control unit 180 may start reproducing the three-dimensional image in response to the user's request. According to one embodiment, the controller 180 may cause the flexible display to start a three-dimensional mode operation when a bending state in one direction of the flexible display is sensed. When the flexible display starts the three-dimensional mode operation, the three-dimensional image is displayed in three dimensions.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the user bends the flexible display 151 inward, the bending sensor can sense the bending state as described above and generate an electric signal. The control unit 180 can reproduce the two-dimensional reproduced image three-dimensionally from the time when the electric signal is received. When the three-dimensional mode is started, a pop-up window 211 informing that the three-dimensional mode is started can be displayed on the flexible display 151 as shown in FIG.

When the three-dimensional image is displayed on the flexible display 151, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be adjusted through the degree of bending of the flexible display 151 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8 (a), when the flexible display 151 is slightly bent, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be set relatively low. In this case, the objects 310 included in the three-dimensional image are located relatively close to the screen, and do not provide a large stereoscopic effect to the user.

8 (b), when the flexible display 151 is further curved, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be increased as the flexural size of the flexible display 151 is increased . As the depth of the three-dimensional image is increased, the objects 310 included in the three-dimensional image are moved away from the screen, thereby providing a greater stereoscopic effect to the user.

As the depth of the three-dimensional image reproduced in the flexible display is adjusted based on the degree of bending of the flexible display, the user can simply change the bending state of the flexible display without troublesome operation, thereby adjusting the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image. As a result, the user does not need to stop the reproduced image or adjust the menu displayed on the user interface (UI) in order to adjust the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image.

At this time, according to one embodiment, the controller 180 can further control the flexible display 151 to display the depth of the 3D image in real time. To this end, the controller 180 may display a number or an indicator on the flexible display 151 indicating the degree of the changed depth as the degree of curvature of the flexible display 151 is changed. For example, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be displayed in real time through the indicators 320 and 322 of the shape including the indicator that reciprocates linearly as shown in FIG. 8 (a).

In this case, the user can more accurately check the depth of the three-dimensional image currently being watched. Further, the depth of the three-dimensional image can be efficiently controlled by further expanding or flexing the flexible display based on the displayed depth.

8B, when the indicator 320 representing the depth of the three-dimensional image is displayed in real time on the flexible display 151 according to the embodiment, the controller 180 controls the first indicator The first display unit 324 and the second display unit 322 can be simultaneously displayed. The first display device 324 may display the three images before the flexible display 151 is further changed when the bending state is further changed in a state where the flexible display 151 of the flexible display 151 is already bent and reproduces the three- Represents the depth of a 2D image. The second display 322 represents the depth of the three-dimensional image after the bending state is further changed. In this figure, the position of the first display device may be the same as the position of the display device 322 shown in Fig. 8 (a).

If an indicator indicating the bending state of the flexible display is displayed at the same time as in the present embodiment, the user can easily compare the depth of the three-dimensional image according to the previous bending state and the depth of the current three-dimensional image have. As a result, the degree of bending of the flexible display can be effectively controlled based on the depth of the previous three-dimensional image.

9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of maintaining the depth of a 3D image at a specific time point regardless of a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the depth at which the first user command is sensed may be stored in the memory 160 (see FIG. 1), and the controller 180 may determine that the first user command is not related to the bend state of the flexible display The 3D image may be further controlled so that the depth of the detected point is maintained. In this case, the depth of the three-dimensional image reproduced in the flexible display is not changed even if the degree of bending of the flexible display is changed after the first user command is input. The first user command may be a touch input of a specific pattern performed on the flexible display, or may be an operation that specifically changes the shape of the flexible display, but is not limited thereto.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the flexible display 151 is slightly bent and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image can be displayed with a depth corresponding to the degree of warpage. In this state, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the user can quickly fold the flexible display 151 in half within a predetermined time. If the flexible display 151 is configured to have a small bending limit, the user may bend the flexible display 151 to the bending limit instead of folding it in half. The control unit 180 recognizes the operation of folding the flexible display 151 in half as described above as the first user command and outputs the depth of the viewpoint shown in FIG. 9 (a) Lt; / RTI >

9 (c), when the depth of the viewpoint shown in FIG. 9 (a) is stored in the memory, the controller 180 controls the display depth of the flexible display 151 to the stored depth 3 regardless of the bending state of the flexible display 151 Dimensional image. As a result, even if the bending state of the flexible display 151 is changed after the first user command is input, the depth at the time when the first user command is input can be maintained. That is, as shown in Fig. 9C, the depth of the three-dimensional image reproduced in spite of the increase in the degree of warping of the flexible display 151 as compared with Fig. 9A, As shown in FIG. In this case, even when the flexible display 151 is flatly flattened, the three-dimensional image can be reproduced in three dimensions while maintaining the depth shown in Fig. 9 (a).

According to the present embodiment, the user can freely change the shape of the flexible display while maintaining the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image. As a result, the usability of the mobile terminal constituted by the flexible display can be improved.

According to another embodiment, the mobile terminal may further include a driver that automatically changes the bending state of the flexible display. The driving unit can automatically change the bending state of the flexible display even if the user does not directly change the bending state of the flexible display. The drive can bend or unfold the flexible display through chemical, electrical or physical operations. For example, the driver may comprise a piezoelectric element attached to a flexible display. In this case, when the driving unit is supplied with power, the shape of the piezoelectric element included in the driving unit can be changed, and the shape of the flexible display can be changed as the shape of the piezoelectric element is changed.

If the second user command is detected, the control unit 180 controls the driving unit to change the shape of the flexible display to a bending state corresponding to the depth at which the first user command is sensed, can do. At this time, as in the above-described embodiment, the depth at the time when the first user command is sensed can be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal. Also, the second user command may be a touch input of a specific pattern performed on the flexible display as in the first user command, or may be an operation of changing the shape of the flexible display in a specific manner, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10A, the flexible display 151 is slightly bent and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image can be displayed with a depth corresponding to the degree of warpage. 10 (b), when the user folds the flexible display 151 in half within the designated time, the control unit 180 recognizes the operation as the first user command The depth of the three-dimensional image at the time shown in FIG. 10 (a) can be stored in the memory. In this case, unlike in the embodiment of FIG. 9 described above, the depth at the time when the first user command is input is stored, but the 3D image is not maintained to be reproduced by the depth.

After the depth of the viewpoint shown in FIG. 10 (a) is stored in the memory, the user can change the bend state of the display or cancel the three-dimensional reproduction of the three-dimensional image for another operation. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), the user can flatly spread the flexible display 151 after completing the reproduction of the three-dimensional image. When another user command is input while the flexible display 151 is flatly opened, a menu such as that shown in FIG. 10C can be displayed on the flexible display 151. If the touch input of the user is performed on the menu of 'fixing the stereoscopic effect to the previous setting value' among the menus, the controller 180 can recognize the touch input as the second user command.

When the second user command is input, the driving unit starts to bend the flexible display 151 again. When the driving unit starts to bend the flexible display 151 again, the 3D image starts to be reproduced in three dimensions again. At this time, the control unit 180 controls the driving unit to warp in a bending state corresponding to the depth stored by the folding operation of the flexible display 151, and the driving unit consequently controls the flexible display 151 to move the flexible display 151 (The bending state shown in Fig. 10 (a)).

As shown in Fig. 10 (d), the bending state of the flexible display 151 bent by the driving unit becomes the same as that shown in Fig. 10 (a). Accordingly, the depth of the three-dimensional image reproduced by the flexible display 151 can be kept equal to the depth at the time when the first user command is input (the viewpoint of (a) in FIG. 10).

In this embodiment, the driving unit can automatically change the bending state of the flexible display when the second user command is input after the first user command is input. The driving unit further flexes or unfolds the flexible display so that the degree of warpage of the flexible display is the same as the bending state corresponding to the depth at which the first user command is sensed. Accordingly, the user can re-implement the bend state of the previously stored flexible display by simply inputting the second user command and reproduce the three-dimensional image with the depth corresponding to the bend state.

11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of ending the reproduction of a three-dimensional image according to a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The controller 180 may terminate the three-dimensional mode operation in response to the user's request. 11, when the bending state of the flexible display 151 in one direction is sensed, the control unit 180 ends the three-dimensional display of the three-dimensional image on the flexible display 151, The flexible display 151 can be controlled to display images in two dimensions.

Preferably, one direction in this embodiment may be opposite to the direction in which the user bends the flexible display 151 (see FIG. 7) to start the three-dimensional mode. 11, when the user bends the flexible display 151 outward, the bending sensor senses the bending state as described above, and the controller 180 controls the three-dimensional image of the three- Playback can be terminated. At this time, the flexible display 151 may display a pop-up window 212 informing that the three-dimensional mode is ended.

Various embodiments of the method for controlling the reproduction of the three-dimensional image or the depth of the three-dimensional image using the bending state of the flexible display have been described above. Hereinafter, methods of controlling the bending state of the flexible display according to the distance between the flexible display and the user will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG.

12 is an exemplary view showing an example of a method in which a bending state of a flexible display in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention is adjusted according to a distance from a user. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of displaying a depth of a three-dimensional image corresponding to an optimal bending state according to distance from a user in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the mobile terminal may further include a distance sensor that measures the distance between the flexible display and the user, and the controller 180 may determine an optimal bend state of the flexible display based on the distance measured from the distance sensor You can decide. The distance sensor may include an infrared sensor, a natural light sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. The distance sensor may be provided on the flexible display or in the same plane as the flexible display and operates to measure the distance between the screen of the flexible display and the face of the user. When the distance between the flexible display and the user is measured through the distance sensor, the controller 180 can determine the optimal bending state of the flexible display according to the measured distance.

In this case, the optimum bending state of the flexible display means that the flexible display is bent such that the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image reproduced in the flexible display remains the same at both ends of the flexible display.

In general, when the display is flat, the distance between both ends of the display and the user is greater than the distance between the display center and the user. As a result, even when the three-dimensional images are displayed so as to protrude in the same stereoscopic sense at both ends of the display and the display center portion, the user at both ends of the display feels relatively farther away. Accordingly, a three-dimensional image reproduced in a flat display provides a relatively less stereoscopic effect at both ends of the display.

However, if the flexible display maintains an optimal bend state, the distance between the user and the flexible display can remain the same at any portion of the display. As a result, the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image can be maintained at the both ends of the display without being reduced in the optimal bending state of the flexible display.

Preferably, the optimal bending state indicates a bending state in which the distance between the center of the flexible display and the user, and the distance between the end of the flexible display and the user are kept the same. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the flexible display 151 curved in an optimal bending state for a certain distance may be a part of a circle around the user. When the distance between the user and the flexible display 151 changes from the distance d1 shown in Fig. 12A to the distance d2 shown in Fig. 12B, 151 may be bent along the curvature of the concentric circle around the user. As shown in Fig. 12, when d2 is larger than d1, the curvature for d2 becomes smaller than the curvature for d1.

According to one embodiment, when the distance sensor measures the distance between the flexible display and the user, the controller 180 displays a third indicator indicating the depth of the three-dimensional image according to the optimum bending state in the flexible display, And a fourth display indicating the depth of the 3D image are simultaneously displayed.

As shown in Figure 13, the third display 326 is configured such that on the indicator 320 the flexible display 151 is in an optimal bend state corresponding to the distance between the flexible display 151 measured by the distance sensor and the user Dimensional image determined according to the bending state of the flexible display 151 when it is assumed that it is curved. The position of the third indicator 326 in the indicator 320 can be changed in real time according to the distance between the user and the flexible display 151. [ The fourth indicator 328 indicates on the indicator 320 the depth of the three-dimensional image determined according to the actual bend state. The position of the fourth indicator 328 can be changed in real time according to the actual bending state of the flexible display 151. [ When the third display 3260 and the fourth display 328 are overlapped, the actual bending state of the flexible display 151 is very close to the optimum bending state.

13, the third display 326 and the fourth display 328 indirectly display the bending state of the flexible display 151 by displaying the depth of the three-dimensional image corresponding to each bending state of the flexible display 151 . However, although not shown in the drawings, an indicator that directly indicates the bending state of each flexible display may be displayed. In this case as well, an indicator indicating the optimum bending state according to the distance between the user and the flexible display and an indicator indicating the actual bending state of the flexible display can be simultaneously displayed.

According to the present embodiment, the user can visually confirm the optimum bending state according to the distance between the user and the flexible display through the third display. Also, since the third display and the fourth display are simultaneously displayed, the user can efficiently compare the optimum bending state and the actual bending state of the flexible display. The user can bend the flexible display close to the optimal bending state according to the distance between the user and the flexible display by adjusting the bending state of the flexible display such that the fourth indicator is in proximity to the third display, A three-dimensional image in which the stereoscopic effect is maintained can be viewed.

According to another embodiment, the mobile terminal may simultaneously include a distance sensor for measuring the distance between the flexible display and the user, and a driver for automatically changing the bending state of the flexible display. In this case, the control unit 180 may control the driving unit to change the shape of the flexible display to an optimum bending state corresponding to the distance measured by the distance sensor. As described above, the driving unit automatically changes the bending state of the flexible display.

Referring again to FIG. 12, the bending state of the flexible display 151 is automatically changed by the driving unit according to the distance between the face of the user and the flexible display 151. As shown in FIG. 12 (a), the controller 180 can determine the optimum bending state corresponding to d1 when the distance between the user measured by the distance sensor and the flexible display 151 is d1. Then, the control unit 180 controls the driving unit to flex the flexible display 151 in the optimum bending state corresponding to d1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the distance between the flexible display 151 and the flexible display 151 measured by the distance sensor may be d2. In this case, the control unit 180 may control the driving unit to change the bending state of the flexible display 151 to the optimal bending state corresponding to d2.

According to the present embodiment, the bending state of the flexible display can be automatically adjusted according to the distance between the user and the flexible display. That is, the degree of bending of the flexible display is automatically changed only by the user moving the flexible display closer to his face or moving it away. As a result, the degree of bending of the flexible display maintains the optimum bend state for the user at all times, regardless of the distance between the user and the flexible display, and the user is reproduced on the flexible display, The user can view the maintained three-dimensional image.

In the above, a method of adjusting the bending state of the flexible display has been described in order to effectively control the stereoscopic effect of the three-dimensional image reproduced from the flexible display. Hereinafter, an image correction method for compensating image distortion due to warping when the flexible display is warped will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17. FIG.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a method of correcting a left-eye image and a right-eye image of a stereoscopic three-dimensional image so as to compensate for binocular parallax distortion caused by bending of the flexible display.

According to one embodiment, when the three-dimensional image reproduced in the flexible display is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image composed of a left eye image and a right eye image to provide binocular parallax, the controller 180 corrects the flexible left- You can then display it. At this time, the left eye image and the right eye image are respectively corrected so that binocular parallax distortion caused by the bending state of the flexible display can be compensated.

14 (a), the object 310 included in the left eye image and the same object 310 included in the right eye image generate the left eye image (S0) so as to generate the binocular disparity of S0 in the user's eyes L) and a right-eye image (R), respectively. However, if the flexible display 151 on which the left and right eye images are displayed is bent, the relative distance between the left eye image and the right eye image is changed due to the warping, so that the binocular disparity may be distorted. 14 (b), when the flexible display 151 is bent, the object 310 included in the left eye image and the same object 310 included in the right eye image are displayed on the eye of the user, The binocular disparity can be generated. At this time, S1 may be larger or smaller than S0.

When the user views the image generating the distorted binocular parallax as described above, the depth of the three-dimensional image felt by the user differs from the actual intent of the respective left and right eye images. The binocular disparity is a direct factor in determining the depth of the 3D image. In order to compensate for the binocular parallax distortion as described above, the controller 180 may correct the positions of the objects 310 included in the left eye image and the right eye image, respectively, as shown in (c) of FIG. When S1 is smaller than S0, the controller 180 corrects the left eye image so that the object 310 included in the left eye image is moved to the left, and the right eye image 310 is corrected to move the object 310 included in the right eye image to the right So that the binocular parallax generated by the two objects 310 can be changed to S0.

According to the present embodiment, even when the flexible display is warped, distortion in the binocular parallax generated by the left eye image and the right eye image constituting the three-dimensional image does not occur. That is, the three-dimensional change in the three-dimensional sensation visually generated by the physical change of the flexible display can be excluded from the factor that changes the depth of the three-dimensional image reproduced on the flexible display. As a result, the control unit 180 can adjust the three-dimensional image so that the depth of the three-dimensional image is adjusted by using only the bending state of the flexible display as a variable. Accordingly, the depth of the three- Can be changed accurately.

If the bending state of the flexible display is continuously changed, the controller 180 can change the degree of image correction in real time according to the bending state of the flexible display. For example, when the user slightly warps the flexible display, each image is corrected so that the objects included in each of the left eye image and the right eye image are relatively moved. When the flexible display is warped, the left eye image and the right eye image are included Each image can be corrected so that a relatively large number of objects are moved. Accordingly, the distortion of the binocular parallax caused by the warping of the flexible display can be compensated regardless of the bending state of the flexible display.

In addition, when the plurality of sensors 400 (see FIG. 4) are disposed at different positions of the flexible display, the control unit 180 may correct the displayed image in different portions of the flexible display differently. That is, if it is determined by which of the plurality of sensors the portion of the flexible display is warped, the controller 180 can correct a portion corresponding to each portion of the flexible display among the left eye image and the right eye image according to the degree of warpage have. In this case, even when the degree of bending of the flexible display differs from portion to portion, the distortion of the binocular parallax caused by the bending of the flexible display can be compensated for the entire image.

15A to 17 illustrate various examples of a method of correcting a left-eye image and a right-eye image of a stereoscopic three-dimensional image so as to compensate for image distortion caused by bending of the flexible display, respectively.

15A to 17, only one of the left eye image and the right eye image constituting the stereoscopic three-dimensional image is displayed for convenience of explanation. 15B to 17 illustrate the flexible display as viewed from the front when the flexible display is bent inward as shown in FIG.

According to another embodiment, when the three-dimensional image reproduced in the flexible display is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image composed of a left eye image and a right eye image to provide a binocular parallax, the controller 180 controls the left eye image and the right eye image, respectively, It is possible to correct the left eye image and the right eye image respectively so as to be viewed as a planar image even in the bending state.

15A shows a view of an original image in which the flexible display is displayed in a flat state.

When the flexible display on which the image is displayed as shown in FIG. 15A is warped, the image also appears distorted. In reproducing a three-dimensional image, the image distortion causes distortion of the binocular parallax, and as a result, the depth of the reproduced three-dimensional image is seen to be different. In this embodiment, the flexible display is corrected so that each image is displayed as a flat image irrespective of the bending state. Accordingly, the control unit 180 can adjust the 3D image so that the depth of the 3D image is adjusted using only the bend state of the flexible display as a variable.

Specifically, the controller 180 may use the perspective sensed by the user for correcting the left eye image and the right eye image. That is, each image can be corrected to be displayed as a flat image by using a phenomenon in which a relatively close object is large and a relatively far object is small. 5, the control unit 180 changes the image size of at least a part of the left eye image and the right eye image according to the displacement of the flexible display portion measured through the at least one bending sensor provided on the flexible display .

15B, when the flexible display 151 is bent inward, the middle portion of the image 3110 displayed on the flexible display 151 is located relatively far from the user, The ends are located relatively close together. Accordingly, the center portion of the image 3110 is seen to be smaller than when it is a planar image due to the perspective, and both ends of the image 3110 appear larger than when it is a planar image. In this case, the flexure sensor provided on the flexible display 151 measures the bending direction and the bending degree of each part.

The control unit 180 may correct the image 3110 as shown in FIG. 15B to correct the image 3110 shown in FIG. 15B to be displayed as a planar image to the user . In FIG. 15B, the image 3120 in which the size of the vertical axis of the other parts of the image is changed, based on the length a of the middle part of the image. In this case, it can be seen that the vertical axis size of both ends of the corrected image 3120 is smaller than that of the pre-correction image 3110. This is because in the flexible display 151 bent as shown in FIG. 15B, Because it looks bigger in the direction. The horizontal axis total length W of the post-correction image 3120 can be kept the same as the pre-correction 3110, unlike the case where the vertical axis size is changed. This is because, in the bending state of the flexible display 151 as shown in Fig. 15B, distortion occurs only in the vertical portion of the image.

That is, the controller 180 may change the size of the corresponding portion of the image differently based on the bending direction and the bending degree measured by the bending sensor provided at each portion of the flexible display 151. 15B, the controller 180 increases the size of the image at the portion where the screen of the flexible display 151 is distant from the user and decreases the size of the image at the portion closer to the user . When the corrected image 3120 is displayed on the curved flexible display 151, it can be displayed as a planar image 3130 as the image size difference due to the perspective is canceled as shown in (c) of FIG. As a result, the image distortion can be compensated.

In the case where the image is corrected so that the image is displayed in a plane by the perspective of the user as described above, the controller 180 controls the left eye image and the right eye image so that the ratio of the left eye image and the right eye image, respectively, Can be changed. For this reason, even when flexure of the flexible display occurs only on one of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis of the image, the controller 180 controls the magnification of the image with respect to the axis on which the bending occurs, Can be corrected.

Specifically, the flexible display 151 may be bent inward so that the central portion of the image 3110 is moved away from the user, as shown in FIG. 16 (a). 16 (a), image distortion occurs only in the vertical axis of the image 3110 in the bent flexible display 151. [ The controller 180 may correct the image 3110 as shown in FIG. 16 (b) to correct the image shown in FIG. 16 (a) to be displayed to the user as a plane image.

In FIG. 16 (b), the size of the other portions of the image is changed based on the length (a) of the center portion of the image. At this time, the vertical axis size of both ends of the corrected image 3122 is smaller than that of the before-correction image 3110. This is because, in the flexible display 151 bent as shown in FIG. 16A, both ends of the displayed image 3110 are seen to be larger in the vertical axis direction. However, unlike in FIG. 15B in which the total length W of the horizontal axis of the corrected image 3122 is kept the same, the horizontal axis total length b of the corrected image 3122 is also corrected in the pre-correction image 3110, Respectively. The rate of reduction of the total length of the horizontal axis is equal to the rate of decrease of the vertical size of the both ends of the image.

When the corrected image 3122 is displayed on the curved flexible display 151, the corrected image 3122 can be viewed as a planar image 3132 as shown in FIG. 16 (c). 15C, in which the horizontal axis total length W of the image is maintained at the time of correction, unlike the case where the vertical axis size of the entire image 3130 which is viewed in a plane compared with the pre-correction image 3110 is small, The ratio of the pre-correction image 3110 can be maintained as it is in the image 3132 which is viewed in a plane even after the correction as shown in FIG. 16 (c).

According to another embodiment, when the image is corrected so that the image is displayed in a plane by the perspective of the user as described above, the control unit 180 determines that the deflection displacement measured by the bending sensor among the left eye image and the right eye image is It is possible to change the size of each image based on a portion corresponding to the maximum or minimum position. For this purpose, the controller 180 determines the positions and axes of the portions where the flexural displacement is maximum or minimum when the flexible display is bent to a specific shape, and determines the image sizes of other portions based on the axial size of the image corresponding to the positions Can be changed.

At this time, the deflection displacement can be expressed by a vector value which indicates both the direction in which each portion of the flexible display is bent and the degree of warpage. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the flexible display is bent inward, the sign of the deflection displacement is a positive value (+), and when the flexible display is bent outward as shown in FIG. 11, Can be negative (-). The absolute value of the flexural displacement can be proportional to the degree of flexure.

In this embodiment, the maximum or minimum value of the flexural displacement can be determined according to the vector value, not the absolute value. That is, when the flexible display is bent so that a portion of the flexible display is bent inward and the rest of the flexible display is bent in the same flexible display, the flexural displacement of the portion most inward is the maximum value and the flexural displacement of the portion protruding outward is the minimum value .

Specifically, the flexible display 151 may be bent inward so that the central portion of the image 3110 is moved away from the user, as shown in FIG. 17 (a). 17 (b), the flexural displacement of the central portion of the flexible display 151 becomes the maximum value, and the flexural displacement of the both ends of the flexible display 151 becomes the minimum value (0). In this case, the negative value of the flexural displacement is not measured.

In order to correct the image to be displayed as a planar image to the user, the controller 180 may set a criterion for correcting the image first. In this example, the controller 180 can change the size of the image with reference to the position where the deflection displacement is minimum, that is, both ends of the flexible display 151, as shown in FIG. 17 (b). That is, as shown in FIG. 17B, the control unit 180 can correct the image based on the vertical axis length H at both ends of the pre-correction image.

17A and 17B, since the longitudinal axis of both ends of the flexible display 151 is enlarged, the control unit 180 determines that the amount The image should be corrected so that the vertical axis size of the end portion is relatively reduced in the image. For this, the controller 180 can perform correction to increase the vertical axis size of the center portion while maintaining the length of the vertical axis at both ends of the pre-correction image 3110.

When the corrected image 3124 is displayed on the curved flexible display 151 as shown in FIG. 15B, the corrected image 3124 can be viewed as a planar image 3134 as shown in FIG. 17C. In this case, since the image is corrected on the basis of the vertical axis length of the end portion of the image, the center portion of the image 3134 displayed in a plane may not be displayed on the vertical axis.

If the controller 180 corrects the other part of the image based on the center part of the image having the maximum deflection displacement, the controller 180 can correct the image as shown in FIG. 15B (b) (3120). As described above, the corrected image as shown in FIG. 15B (b) can be displayed to the user as shown in FIG. 15B (c) (3130).

As can be seen from the comparison between (c) and (c) of FIG. 15, when a portion where the deflection displacement is minimum (negative value, relatively protruded portion) It is possible to realize the effect that the image 3134 displayed in a plane is displayed closer to the user. On the other hand, in the case where the portion with the maximum deflection displacement (positive value, relatively depressed portion) is used as the reference in the image correction (FIG. 15B), the image shown in the corrected plane is displayed farther from the user .

15B to FIG. 17 show a case where the flexible display 151 is bent only in the horizontal axis, and the description of each drawing is also developed assuming that the flexible display 151 is bent only in the horizontal axis. However, the image can be corrected in the same way even if the flexible display is bent only for the longitudinal axis or for both the lateral and longitudinal axes, which can be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit
120: A / V input / output unit 130: user input unit
140: sensing unit 150: output unit
160: memory 170: interface section
180: control unit 190: power supply unit
151: Flexible display 400: Flexure sensor

Claims (16)

A flexible display capable of being deformed by an external force and capable of displaying a three-dimensional image;
At least one flexure sensor arranged on the flexible display in a predetermined form to convert a bending state of the flexible display into an electric signal; And
Dimensional image is controlled so that the depth of the 3D image is adjusted according to the determined bending state by determining the bending state of the flexible display using an electrical signal input from the at least one bending sensor And a control unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller controls the display of the three-dimensional image to be started when the bending state of the flexible display in one direction is sensed,
Dimensional image when the bending state in the direction opposite to the one direction is sensed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller further controls the flexible display so that the depth of the 3D image is displayed in real time. The method of claim 3,
When the bending state of the flexible display is changed,
Wherein the control unit further controls a first indicator indicating a depth of the 3D image and a second indicator indicating a depth of the 3D image after the bending state is changed before the bending state is changed. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a memory for storing a depth at a point of time when a first user command is detected,
Wherein the control unit further controls the 3D image so that the depth at the time when the first user command is detected is maintained regardless of the bending state of the flexible display. The method according to claim 1,
A memory for storing the depth at the time when the first user command is detected, and
Further comprising a driving unit for automatically changing a bending state of the flexible display,
Wherein the control unit controls the driving unit to change the shape of the flexible display to a bending state corresponding to a depth at the time when the first user command is sensed when a second user command is sensed. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a distance sensor for measuring a distance between the flexible display and a user,
Wherein the controller displays a third display on the flexible display indicating a depth of the 3D image according to an optimum bending state corresponding to the measured distance and a fourth indicator indicating a depth of the 3D image according to an actual bending state of the flexible display, And controls the display device to be simultaneously displayed. The method according to claim 1,
A distance sensor for measuring a distance between the flexible display and the user, and
Further comprising a driving unit for automatically changing a bending state of the flexible display,
Wherein the controller controls the driving unit to change the shape of the flexible display to an optimum bending state corresponding to the measured distance. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8,
Wherein the flexible display in a bent state corresponding to each measured distance is bent according to a curvature of a concentric circle centering on the user. The method according to claim 1,
The three-dimensional image is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image composed of a left eye image and a right eye image to provide binocular parallax,
The control unit
And an image correcting unit for correcting the left eye image and the right eye image so that a binocular parallax distortion caused by a bending state of the flexible display is compensated. The method according to claim 1,
The three-dimensional image is a stereoscopic three-dimensional image composed of a left eye image and a right eye image to provide binocular parallax,
The control unit
And an image correction unit for correcting the left eye image and the right eye image so that each of the left eye image and the right eye image is viewed as a planar image in a bend state of the flexible display. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the at least one deflection sensor measures a deflection displacement of a position where each deflection sensor is provided,
Wherein the control unit changes the image size of at least a part of each of the left eye image and the right eye image according to the measured deflection displacement. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the control unit changes the image size of each of the left eye image and the right eye image so that the ratio of the left eye image and the right eye image to each other is maintained. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the control unit changes each image size based on a portion corresponding to a position where the measured deflection displacement is the maximum or the minimum position among the left eye image and the right eye image. delete delete

Images