Last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that revealed more flexible display and flexible device ideas. Patent Bolt has archived many of Samsung's patent filings for future flexible displays. You could review a patent report such as this one to get the basics behind Samsung's new flexible display technology that covers bending, pressure and gripping sensors and much more. In today's report we cover a few of Samsung's new ideas for flexible display adn device controls.
Samsung says that in order to meet user needs for newer and more various functions, efforts are continuously made to develop newer types of electronic apparatuses. The "next-generation display" has been introduced according to these efforts. For example, a flexible apparatus has been introduced as a type of next-generation display. A flexible apparatus is a type of electronic apparatus which a user can change a shape of like one could with a paper sheet.
Samsung Creates the New Squeeze Control Function
In this brief report we'll show you Samsung's invention regarding a new squeeze control that could be a part of a separate device or a future smartphone like the Galaxy family. We begin with patent FIGS. 39 and 40 which illustrates that Samsung envisions being able to squeeze a future smart device like a smartphone to trigger number of actions on a display such as scrolling as noted in one of the illustrations below.
In specific embodiments the flexible apparatus may transmit to the display apparatus information regarding degree and direction of squashing the flexible apparatus to perform a function corresponding to the transmitted information.
The squashing motion could be set to represent audio control or changing a TV channel depending on how you set the squashing options for the device such as a smartphone. The degree of squeezing determines how fast you scroll, change a TV channel or lower or raise the audio of a connecting device.
Samsung engineers shift from squeezing the device to "stroking or petting manipulation" being a viable input mechanism as well.
Here's an example that Samsung provides: "In another example, it is assumed that a stroking or petting manipulation is input to the flexible apparatus in a state in which content is being played back on the display apparatus. The content may include music, images or video."
The Samsung's Wacky Future Game Controller
One of the wackier Samsung ideas is using an "ooey-gooey-like" flexible and stretchable device acting as a game controller. Can you see yourself tugging away on this kind of device to control game play in a shooter game? Who knows?
Samsung specifically states the following: "referring to FIG. 36, it is assumed that a stretching manipulation is input to the flexible apparatus in a state in which a game screen is displayed on the display apparatus. In this case, the display apparatus may move a specific object #201 displayed on the game screen and display the same, based on the control signal received from the flexible apparatus #100.
To be specific, the display apparatus #200 may move the specific object displayed on the game screen according to a direction in which the flexible apparatus is stretched. For example, if a single stretching manipulation is input in a leftward direction to the flexible apparatus, the display apparatus moves the specific object on the game screen in the leftward direction. Further, if an overall stretching manipulation is input to the flexible apparatus, the display apparatus may cause the specific object (a game character) on the game screen to perform a specific action such as jumping.
Controls for Bangles
According to Samsung, the bangle shown in patent FIG. 33C could be controlled by a "pushing manipulation" input. In patent FIG. 34D we see the flexible apparatus having the display unit #110 being controlled by a squashing manipulation. And in patent FIG. 35C, the bangle could be controlled by "a stroking or petting manipulation."
Samsung filed their US and Korean patent applications back in Q4 2012. The US Patent and Trademark Office published this patent application last week. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
According to Samsung, the flexible apparatus may be implemented in various types of portable apparatuses such as, for example, a mobile phone including a smartphone, a portable media player (PMP), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet PC, or a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus. Further, the flexible apparatus may be implemented as a stationary apparatus such as a monitor, a TV, or a kiosk, a tablet or a billboard.
According to Samsung, the display apparatus may be implemented as a general display apparatus which is non-flexible. For example, the display apparatus may be a TV, a smartphone, a tablet, an e-frame, a monitor, a billboard or other types of display apparatuses. It could also apply to a vehicle dashboard.
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