Map Navigation Interface Through a Foldable Mobile Device

Abstract

A foldable touch screen display device made up of flexible or tiled display segments that can be folded from a compact state to an expanded state which also includes a map navigation interface. The form factor of the compact state is roughly the size of a typical handheld phone or smaller. The form factor of the expanded state is roughly the size of a larger phone or tablet computer, which may also include the mechanical functionality of a laptop. The device form factor may also be a flip phone configuration. Both folded states may include an integrated speaker and microphone. The map navigation interface can provide enhanced interaction and viewing of 2D and 3D maps by utilizing the inherent folding mechanics and position of each segment with the device. Other 2D and 3D applications can also be utilized with the same techniques. The device may further include sensors to indicate the position of each display segment. In one embodiment, a module attached to, situated within, or otherwise associated with at least one segment of the flexible display or rigid display may contain all or substantially all processing and memory, along with a communications system, which may be used in any folded state.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 111,049, filed on Nov. 8, 2020, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to computing devices, and more particularly, to a computing device with a touch screen display that can be folded from a compact state to an expanded state.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The use of handheld computing devices today has been significantly enabled by a number of advancements in electronics, including the miniaturization of components, an increase in processing speeds, improved memory capacity, and the optimization of battery efficiency. Advancements in touch screen display technology have also enabled interfaces to become more adaptable and intuitive to use on a small scale. Because of these enormous improvements over the last decade, the differences in the performance between handheld c...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a foldable touch screen display device that can be folded from a small compact state to a larger expanded state. The device includes a map navigation interface and can be used for viewing 2D and 3D maps. Other applications can also be used with the device. The device has sensors to indicate the position of each display segment and may include a module with processing and memory, along with a communications system, which can be used in either folded state. The technical effects of the patent are a flexible and expandable touch screen display device with enhanced interaction and viewing of maps and other applications.

Problems solved by technology

One of the great difficulties in using a small-scale touch screen device, however, is in the fact that it can often be cumbersome to physically interact with.

This is especially apparent when selecting and manipulating features and inputting text, which can sometimes be imprecise for a user.

In such handheld computing devices as a touch screen mobile phone, the limited size of the display can also significantly reduce the viewing capacity while watching videos, using graphic intensive applications, and reading text.

The rigid nature of a standard touch screen display can also limit the portability of a device when its form factor is in the larger size range for a phone, or at the scale of a tablet, which makes folding a desirable feature.

Additionally, because a foldable device fundamentally has a hinge mechanism built in, when utilizing software applications, the hinge and having multiple display segment is not always optimized to accommodate the enhancement and functionality of standard software applications.

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