Apparatus and method for controllable foldable display with tactile and sound effects

Abstract

A device comprises: a foldable touch display (101); a motor (104) for controlling a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display (101) between an unfolded state and a folded state by a rolling motion; and a controller (102) for detecting user input, calculating a velocity vector of the user input, and controlling the motor (104) to switch the foldable touch display (101) between the unfolded state and the folded state according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some embodiments of the present invention relate to a foldable touch display, and more particularly, but not limited to, to an apparatus and method for a touch and gesture controllable foldable display with tactile and sound effects. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, foldable display technology has been integrated into a variety of electronic devices, from smartphones and smart TVs to laptops.

[0003] A touch display is an input or output device of a visual electronic device with a data processing system that can be controlled by the user by touching the display with a special stylus or one or more fingers. A foldable touch display is a flexible and bendable touch display. Typically, rigid touch displays are based on a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel covered with a layer of glass, which is rigid rather than flexible. However, foldable touch displays are usually based on an organic light electronic diode (OLED) panel covered with a thin plastic layer, which allows the display to bend and fold. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for folding / unfolding or opening / closing a foldable touch display at a varying speed by providing intuitive and effective user input of touch events or freehand gestures for folding / unfolding or opening / closing the foldable touch display while avoiding accidental folding / unfolding or opening / closing of the foldable touch display.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for controlling a foldable touch display with tactile feedback and sound effects, wherein the apparatus and method improve the usability and effectiveness of user input while reducing system complexity.

[0006] The above and other objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further implementations are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0007] The foldable touch display provided by the present invention solves the problem of folding / unfolding the foldable touch display at a constant speed by a motor. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the foldable touch display provides an intuitive solution for a device with a foldable touch display, which folds / unfolds the foldable touch display at a variable speed according to user input by a motor.

[0008] According to a first aspect, a device is provided, comprising: a foldable touch display; a motor for controlling a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display between an unfolded (open) state and a folded (closed) state by a rolling motion; and a controller for detecting user input, calculating a velocity vector of the user input, and controlling the motor to switch the foldable touch display between the unfolded (open) state and the folded (closed) state according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

[0009] In another implementation of the first aspect, the apparatus further comprises a tactile actuator for generating tactile feedback to the user input during the scrolling motion.

[0010] In another implementation of the first aspect, or in a first possible implementation of the first aspect, the tactile feedback includes a dynamic tactile pattern defined by a set of amplitudes and frequencies, wherein the set of amplitudes and frequencies varies according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

[0011] In another implementation of the first aspect, or in a second possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to: control the dynamic duty cycle of the motor based on the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern, thereby changing the scrolling movement speed of the foldable touch display according to the user input.

[0012] In another implementation of the first aspect, or in a third possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to: adjust the dynamic duty cycle of the motor to correspond to the generated tactile feedback.

[0013] In another implementation of the first aspect, or in a second possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to: control the speed of the motor to correspond to at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern.

[0014] In another implementation of the first aspect, the mechanism for switching the foldable touch display includes: a plurality of gears; and a gear shaft driven by the motor to cause bidirectional movement of the foldable touch display.

[0015] In another implementation of the first aspect, the motor is selected from the group consisting of: a voltage-controlled motor, a direct current (DC) motor, and a stepper motor.

[0016] In another implementation of the first aspect, the user input is a touch event detected by the foldable touch display and / or a freehand gesture detected by a motion sensor or a camera.

[0017] In another implementation manner of the first aspect, in combination with the eighth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the controller is used to: calculate the velocity vector according to at least one of the pressure, speed, direction and coordinates of the touch event.

[0018] In combination with the eighth possible implementation of the first aspect, in another implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to: present a graphical user interface on the foldable touch display in response to detecting the touch event for switching the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state.

[0019] In another implementation of the first aspect, the user input includes multiple touch events detected by the foldable touch display, and the velocity vector is calculated based on the multiple touch events.

[0020] In another implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to: instruct a speaker to play a sound effect during the scrolling motion of the foldable touch display.

[0021] In combination with the thirteenth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in another implementation manner of the first aspect, the controller is used to: dynamically select the sound effect from a group of sound effects based on the user input.

[0022] According to a second aspect, a method is provided, comprising: a motor controlling a mechanism for switching a foldable touch display between an unfolded state and a folded state by a rolling motion; a controller detecting user input, the controller being used to: calculate a velocity vector based on the detected user input, and control the motor based on the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

[0023] In another implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes generating tactile feedback to the user input during the scrolling motion.

[0024] In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in another implementation manner of the second aspect, the tactile feedback has a dynamic tactile pattern, and the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern are set according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

[0025] In combination with the second possible implementation of the second aspect, in another implementation of the second aspect, the controller is used to: control the dynamic duty cycle of the motor based on the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern, thereby changing the scrolling movement speed of the foldable touch display according to the user input.

[0026] In combination with the third possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in another implementation manner of the second aspect, the method further includes: the controller adjusting the dynamic duty cycle to correspond to the generation of the tactile feedback.

[0027] In combination with the fourth possible implementation of the second aspect, in another implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: controlling the speed of the motor to correspond to at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern.

[0028] In another implementation of the second aspect, the user input is a touch event detected by the display and / or a freehand gesture detected by a motion sensor.

[0029] In combination with the sixth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in another implementation manner of the second aspect, the velocity vector is calculated according to at least one of the pressure, speed, direction, and coordinates of the touch event.

[0030] In combination with the sixth possible implementation of the second aspect, in another implementation of the second aspect, the method also includes: in response to detecting the touch event for switching the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state, presenting a graphical user interface on the display.

[0031] In another implementation of the second aspect, the user input includes multiple simultaneous touch events detected by the display, and the velocity vector is calculated based on multiple velocities of each of the multiple simultaneous touch events.

[0032] In another implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: playing a sound effect during the scrolling motion of the foldable touch display, and dynamically selecting the sound effect from a set of sound effects based on the user input.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or identical to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, only exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. If there is a conflict, the patent specification including the definitions shall prevail. In addition, materials, methods, and examples are only used for illustration and are not necessarily limited. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In the following detailed description of the present invention, various aspects, embodiments and implementations will be explained in more detail in conjunction with exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0035] In the attached picture:

[0036] Figure 1 A flowchart schematically illustrates data flows between operating components of a device with a foldable touch display provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D An example of a smartphone with a foldable touch display in a folded state and an unfolded state provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0038] Figure 3 Schematically illustrates a mechanism for switching a foldable touch display between an unfolded state and a folded state provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 Illustrative examples of tactile feedback provided by a tactile actuator in response to a user's touch event are provided for some embodiments of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 An example of a freehand gesture for switching a foldable touch display between an unfolded state and a folded state provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0041] Figure 6 A schematic flow chart of a method for controlling a foldable touch display with sound and tactile effects provided for some embodiments of the present invention;

[0042] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B schematically illustrates a diagram of measurements measured by a controller for generating a motion vector and calculating a velocity vector provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 7C Illustrative examples of tactile feedback generated based on movement vectors and velocity vectors provided for some embodiments of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 Schematically illustrates an example of generating a motor duty cycle controlled by a dynamic tactile pattern provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0045] Fig. 9 The directions of folding and unfolding a foldable touch display using freehand gestures provided by some embodiments of the present invention are schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Some embodiments of the present invention relate to a foldable touch display, and more particularly, but not limited to, to an apparatus and method for a controllable foldable display with tactile and sound effects.

[0047] The term "device" as used herein refers to a communication device, a mobile device, a mobile communication device, a smartphone, a smart TV, a smart watch, a laptop, a computer screen, and any screen and / or display of an electronic device, etc., but is not limited to these examples.

[0048] A foldable touch display is a flexible touch display that can be bent and folded or unfolded, for example, it can be folded / unfolded or opened / closed by a rolling motion, which is a rotational motion around a given longitudinal or lateral mechanical hinge in the foldable touch display.

[0049] Existing devices for folding or unfolding a foldable touch display typically have a motor that folds and unfolds the foldable touch display at a constant speed. However, sometimes the user is in a hurry and needs to fold or unfold his foldable touch display faster or more intuitively. Alternatively, sometimes the user wants to fold or unfold the foldable touch display slowly, or the running application requires the foldable touch display to be folded / unfolded slowly or gradually to achieve a specific effect. Sometimes, under certain usage environment conditions, such as under low temperature conditions, the foldable touch display must be folded / unfolded slowly to avoid damaging the screen. Existing devices with a foldable touch display do not allow the speed of the foldable touch display to be changed. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a device with a foldable touch display that folds and / or unfolds at a varying speed according to user input.

[0050] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus and method for controlling a foldable touch display are provided, wherein the above-mentioned control is achieved by providing intuitive user input for switching the foldable touch display from a folded state to an unfolded state and from an unfolded state to a folded state, and the speed varies according to the user input.

[0051] According to some embodiments of the present invention, user input for folding or unfolding the foldable touch display may be a touch event, a bare-hand gesture, or an input provided by a special stylus. The relevant gestures here are movements of the user's hand and / or one or more fingers parallel to the foldable touch display to provide input to the device. A touch event refers to a gesture made by a user touching the foldable touch display during the execution of a gesture. A bare-hand gesture refers to a gesture made by a user without touching the foldable touch display during the execution or operation of a gesture. Examples of gestures may be a swipe movement, a slide from one side of the display to the other, a movement from left to right, a movement in a circle and from right to left, a movement according to a pattern (e.g., such a pattern may be defined by the user), and the like.

[0052] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the foldable touch display provides dynamic tactile feedback, and when the foldable touch display changes between a folded state and an unfolded state, the dynamic tactile feedback changes based on the parameters of the user input. The dynamic tactile feedback in the present invention has an amplitude and / or frequency that changes based on the user input. The dynamic tactile feedback provides the user with feedback of the touch input and the state of its movement according to the user touch input when the touch display provides dynamic tactile feedback, wherein the dynamic tactile feedback changes continuously according to the user's input. In this way, the user knows whether the display is in an unfolding or folding (i.e., opening or closing) motion through the dynamic tactile feedback.

[0053] In addition, most of the current foldable touch displays cause vibration and noise due to the rolling motion of the foldable touch display when the foldable touch display is folded or unfolded. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the foldable touch display provided by the present invention provides a solution that solves the vibration and noise problems by playing sound effects based on user input during the rolling motion of the foldable touch display.

[0054] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the details of the structure and arrangement of the components and / or methods set forth in the following description and / or illustrated in the drawings and / or examples. The present invention may have other embodiments or may be practiced or implemented in various ways.

[0055] The present invention may be a system, a method and / or a computer program product. The computer program product may include one (or more) computer-readable storage media having computer-readable program instructions, the instructions being used to cause a processor to execute various aspects of the present invention.

[0056] The computer readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. For example, the computer readable storage medium may be, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0057] The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network.

[0058] The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on a user's computer or partially on a user's computer, or as an independent software package, partially on a user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet via an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, an electronic circuit including a programmable logic circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or a programmable logic array (PLA) etc. may utilize the state information of the computer-readable program instructions to execute the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuit so as to perform various aspects of the present invention.

[0059] Here, various aspects of the present invention are described in conjunction with the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0060] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, function and operation of the possible implementation of the system, method and computer program product provided by various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a part of a module, segmentation or instruction, and the instruction includes one or more executable instructions for realizing a specific logical function. In some optional implementations, the function indicated in the frame may not be performed in the order indicated in the figure. For example, in fact, the two frames shown in succession can be performed substantially at the same time, or sometimes the frame can be performed in the opposite order, depending on the function involved. It should also be noted that each frame in the block diagram and / or flow chart and the combination of frames in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be performed by a system based on special-purpose hardware, and the system performs a specified function or action, or performs a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0061] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 1 is a schematic flow chart of data communication between operating components of an apparatus with a controllable foldable touch display provided by some embodiments of the present invention, for folding / unfolding the foldable touch display at a varying speed. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus also provides sound and tactile effects during a rolling motion for folding / unfolding the foldable touch display based on user input. The apparatus 100 includes a foldable touch display 101, a controller 102, an input detection device 103, a motor 104, a tactile actuator 105, and a speaker 106. The controller 102 controls the motor 104 and the tactile actuator 105 based on the user's input. The user's input is detected by the foldable touch display 101 or by the input detection device 103, and the input detection device 103 includes a touch sensor, a motion sensor, a camera, etc. The controller 102 generates a movement vector and calculates a velocity vector according to the user's input, and controls the motor 104 to switch the foldable touch display 101 between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state. The controller 102 also controls the tactile actuator 105 to provide tactile feedback during the switching of the foldable touch display 101 between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state. In addition, the controller 102 also controls the speaker 106 in the following manner: during the switching of the foldable touch display 101 between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state, the speaker 106 is instructed to play a sound effect based on the user input. In the case where the user uses earplugs, the sound effect is output through the earplugs.

[0062] Reference Figure 2A and Figure 2B , Figure 2A and Figure 2BAn example of a mobile communication device (eg, a smart phone) 200 with a foldable touch display (in a folded state) provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0063] Figure 2A A front side view of a smart phone 200 is schematically shown, wherein the foldable touch display 101 is in a folded state, which may also be referred to as a closed state in this document. Figure 2B The figure schematically shows a rear side view of the smart phone 200 , wherein the foldable touch display 101 is in a folded state.

[0064] The foldable touch display 101 faces outwards, so that when it is in the folded state, two displays are provided for use: a front display and a rear display. Depending on the usage scenario and the configuration of the system and / or application used, the two displays can be used separately or in succession. For example, when a user needs to use two different applications in his smartphone, he can use the two displays separately, each display for a different application.

[0065] However, sometimes the two displays can be used as one coherent display for certain applications, such as for reading an article.

[0066] Figure 2C and Figure 2D A smartphone 200 with a foldable touch display (in an unfolded state) provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0067] Figure 2C A front side view of a smartphone 200 with a foldable touch display 101 (in an unfolded state) is schematically depicted. Figure 2D A rear side view of a smartphone 200 with a foldable touch display (in an unfolded state) is schematically depicted.

[0068] The unfolded state of the foldable touch display may also be referred to herein as an open state or the entire display. In the unfolded state, the foldable touch display is unfolded, or unfolded to its maximum size, so that a user can interact with the entire display. In some embodiments of the present invention, the foldable touch display is folded / unfolded to a partially folded / unfolded state. For example, the foldable touch display can be folded to a 40% closed state, a 60% closed state, an 80% closed state, etc.

[0069] According to some embodiments of the present invention, user input such as touch events or freehand gestures is used to fold / unfold the foldable touch display. After the user provides the user input, the controller activates the motor 104, which controls a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state in a rolling motion or a stepping motion.

[0070] Figure 3 The mechanism for switching a foldable touch display between an unfolded state and a folded state and between a folded state and an unfolded state provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown. The mechanism includes a plurality of gears (e.g., gear 301) and a gear shaft 302. The gear shaft 302 is driven by a motor 104 to cause movement of the foldable touch display, optionally in a bidirectional manner. The gear 301 is placed at a first edge of a rolling motion hinge, and a second gear (not shown) is placed at a second edge of a rolling motion hinge. The gear is placed below the foldable touch display. The gear shaft 302 is placed below the foldable touch display along the rolling motion hinge. The motor is a voltage-controlled motor controlled by a controller. When the controller and / or the foldable touch display detects a user input for folding / unfolding the foldable display, the controller instructs the battery to provide voltage to the motor. The higher the voltage provided to the motor, the faster the movement speed of the gear shaft 302, and the faster the folding / unfolding speed of the foldable touch display.

[0071] The movement direction of the foldable touch display can be bidirectional to achieve folding and unfolding of the foldable touch display. The first direction of the gear shaft causes a rolling motion, so that the foldable touch display switches from a folded state to an unfolded state. The second direction of the gear shaft causes a rolling motion, so that the foldable touch display switches from an unfolded state to a folded state.

[0072] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the motor is implemented as a voltage controlled motor, a direct current (DC) motor and a stepper motor. When the motor is implemented as a stepper motor, the controller instructs the stepper motor to perform some equal or unequal steps to achieve a complete rotation.

[0073] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 102 detects user input, such as a touch event in which a user touches the foldable touch display, and the touch event is detected by the foldable touch display through a touch sensor located on or below the foldable touch display. Another example of user input is a bare-hand gesture, in which the user does not touch the foldable touch display, and the bare-hand gesture is detected by a camera or a motion sensor. A motion sensor as used herein is any device that detects a moving object (particularly a person or body part), such as a light detector, an acoustic sensor, and / or an accelerometer.

[0074] The controller further calculates a velocity vector of the user input, and controls the motor to switch the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input.

[0075] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when a user provides a touch event to fold / unfold the foldable touch display, the movement of one or more fingers of the user is captured by a touch sensor located on the foldable touch display. Specifically, the coordinates, pressure, speed and direction of each finger are measured. The controller 102 generates a movement vector and calculates a velocity vector of the movement vector.

[0076] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Schematically illustrates a diagram of a motion vector generated by a controller and a calculated velocity vector provided by some embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 7A In the embodiment, the foldable touch display 101 detects the movement of the user's finger and measures the following measurement values: denoted as x n and n The position coordinates, denoted as z n The finger pressure (also called pressure), denoted as t n The controller 102 generates a timestamp of the position coordinates represented by s according to the following formula: n The moving vector of:

[0077]

[0078] Then, the controller 102 is expressed as s according to the following formula n Each motion vector is calculated as v n The velocity vector is Figure 7B As shown:

[0079]

[0080] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 102 presents a graphical user interface of a virtual slider on the foldable touch display in response to detecting the touch event for switching the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state. The virtual slider is an image presented on the display with which the user interacts. The user interacts with the virtual slider by moving one or more fingers along the virtual slider to fold / unfold the foldable touch display. In this way, the touch event for folding / unfolding the foldable touch display is distinguished from the touch for operating the foldable touch display. In addition, in this way, with the help of the virtual slider, the foldable touch display will not accidentally open in response to an accidental touch event in the foldable touch display.

[0081] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the user needs to use at least one finger (especially, 1 finger or 2, 3, 4 or 5 fingers) to touch the foldable touch display and move the at least one finger on the foldable touch display. This touch and move gesture is also commonly referred to as "swiping".

[0082] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the finger movement controls the motor 104 using a finger velocity vector, which determines the speed at which the foldable touch display is folded or unfolded.

[0083] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the display is folded or unfolded, the controller 102 instructs the tactile actuator 105 to generate tactile feedback during the rolling motion or stepping motion. When a given finger touches the virtual slider to fold / unfold the foldable touch display, the virtual slider communicates with the tactile actuator 105. In this case, the tactile actuator 105 receives the actuation signal and then dynamically plays a tactile (tactile) pattern with a varying frequency and amplitude. Figure 4 An example of tactile feedback provided by the tactile actuator 105 in response to a user's touch event provided by some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown. The tactile feedback can be dynamically generated according to the finger input parameters. This means that the stored tactile pattern is not used, so there is no need to pre-store the tactile pattern, but the tactile feedback is always constantly adjusted according to the finger movement.

[0084] The finger input parameters include:

[0085] The coordinates of the finger movement;

[0086] the pressure of finger movement;

[0087] The speed at which the finger moves;

[0088] The direction in which the finger is moving (used to determine the direction to scroll the display).

[0089] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the foldable touch display detects the direction, distance, speed and / or acceleration of the finger movement. The controller 102 can use the detected speed and direction of the finger movement to calculate the velocity vector. In addition, the pressure sensor under the foldable touch display determines different pressure levels and changes in these pressure levels to determine the pressure of the finger movement.

[0090] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the foldable touch display is folded / unfolded, the controller 102 instructs the speaker 106 to play a sound effect during the rolling motion or stepping movement of the foldable touch display 101. The controller 102 is used to dynamically select the sound effect from a set of sound effects that are pre-stored or dynamically generated based on the user input.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sound effect is provided to mask the noise and vibration caused by the gear movement. It is worth noting that the user can use different finger movement patterns when swiping to perform the touch event, such as slow and fast sliding, heavy and light pressure, etc. In addition, the user can even randomly change the finger movement pattern. The selection of sound effects is adjusted according to the dynamic changes of the touch input or event.

[0092] When the foldable touch display is folded / unfolded or opened / closed, the controller provides dedicated dynamic tactile feedback and / or sound effects during the rolling motion or stepping movement of the foldable touch display. The tactile feedback provides additional feedback information to the user as to whether the user input is correctly received and interpreted to put the display in the correct movement. The tactile feedback improves the sensitivity, reliability and correct operation of the foldable touch display. The sound effects played during the rolling motion or stepping movement of the foldable touch display mask or reduce the jerky vibrations and discordant noises caused by the gear movement.

[0093] According to some embodiments of the present invention, various combinations of the pressure of the finger movement and other attributes of the finger touch event (especially the coordinates and speed) can trigger countless combinations of tactile feedback and sound effects.

[0094] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the user input for folding / unfolding the foldable touch display is a freehand gesture. Figure 5 An exemplary freehand gesture is schematically shown. The device having the foldable touch display includes a motion sensor for detecting motion and freehand gestures proximate to the front side of the device. The front side of the device (e.g. Figure 2A The user performs the freehand gesture, which is a contactless gesture for folding or unfolding the foldable touch display near the front side of the smart device. Examples of motion sensors may be: motion sensing cameras, digital cameras, millimeter wave (mmWave) sensors, time of flight cameras, and infrared sensors.

[0095] According to some embodiments of the invention, a freehand gesture may be defined by one or more of the following constraints:

[0096] Number of fingers used: two, three, four, and / or five fingers;

[0097] Mobile mode: slide your finger in the air, parallel to the front side of the smart device;

[0098] and / or

[0099] Moving direction: from the gear shaft side to the other side of the foldable touch display, and from the other side of the foldable touch display to the gear shaft side.

[0100] Fig. 9 The directions of folding and unfolding a foldable touch display using a freehand gesture provided by some embodiments of the present invention are schematically shown. When the freehand gesture starts from the gear shaft 901 side and moves to the other side of the foldable touch display, the foldable touch display is unfolded to its maximum extent. When the freehand gesture moves toward the gear shaft 901, the foldable touch display is folded.

[0101] The constraints of the freehand gesture provide a check for accidental folding and / or unfolding of the foldable touch display. According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the user performs a freehand gesture, the controller checks all constraints of the freehand gesture and requires all of these constraints to be satisfied in order to fold and / or unfold the foldable touch display, otherwise the foldable touch display will not fold and / or unfold.

[0102] Now refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 A schematic flow chart of a method for controlling a foldable touch display from a folded state to an unfolded state and from an unfolded state to a folded state through user input is provided for some embodiments of the present invention.

[0103] At 601, the motor 104 controls a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display 101 between an unfolded state and a folded state in a rolling motion. The mechanism may include: a gear; a gear shaft, which is controlled by the motor 104 to cause movement of the foldable touch display during the rolling motion, optionally in both directions. In some embodiments of the present invention, the gears are arranged at two edges of a rotating hinge below the foldable touch display 101, so that when the motor moves the gear shaft, the foldable touch display can be switched between the folded state and the unfolded state and between the unfolded state and the folded state. At 602, the controller 102 detects a user input. The user input may be an input provided by a stylus or an input provided by a user gesture. The user gesture may be a touch event in which the user touches the foldable touch display during the gesture or a freehand gesture or the user does not touch the foldable touch display during the gesture. At 603, the controller 102 calculates a velocity vector based on the detected user input. The velocity vector is calculated based on a motion vector, which is generated based on a measurement value determined by a touch sensor located in the foldable touch display. The measured values ​​are the position coordinates of the finger during the gesture, the pressure of the finger, the speed of the finger, and the direction of the finger. At 604, the controller 102 controls the motor according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input, so that when the velocity vector is higher, the movement of the motor is faster, and the rolling movement of the foldable touch display when folding / unfolding is higher.

[0104] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the foldable touch display is folded or unfolded, the tactile actuator 105 generates tactile feedback during the rolling motion. The tactile feedback includes a dynamic tactile pattern with varying amplitude and frequency. The amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern dynamically change according to the user touch event as a function of the measured values ​​of the position coordinates, pressure, velocity and direction of the finger during the touch event.

[0105] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the foldable touch display is folded / unfolded, a speaker plays sound effects to mask the vibration and noise caused by the gear movement during the rolling motion.

[0106] According to some embodiments of the invention, the duty cycle of the motor is dynamic and based on the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic haptic pattern, thereby varying the speed of the scrolling motion of the foldable touch display according to the user input.

[0107] According to some embodiments of the present invention, generating the dynamic tactile pattern according to the speed of the finger movement and the user touch event comprises the following steps: calculating a finger movement vector for each finger, wherein the finger movement vector is a function of the horizontal coordinate (x-axis coordinate) of the finger touch, the vertical coordinate (y-axis coordinate) of the finger touch, the pressure of the finger touch, and the timestamp of the finger touch. Generating a separate finger movement vector for each finger of the user that touches the foldable touch display to perform the touch event for folding or unfolding the foldable touch display;

[0108] The velocity vector of the finger movement is calculated for each finger movement vector; the dynamic tactile pattern is generated using the following principles:

[0109] - the amplitude of the tactile pattern is proportional to the pressure of the finger touch, which means that the greater the pressure of the finger touch, the longer the amplitude of the tactile pattern;

[0110] - The pause time between the individual tactile patterns is inversely proportional to the velocity vector, which means that the longer the pause time between tactile pattern generation, the velocity vector increases, and the shorter the pause time between tactile pattern generation, the velocity vector decreases.

[0111] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C A diagram depicting how tactile patterns are generated, provided by some embodiments of the present invention, is schematically shown. Fig. 7A The finger movement is schematically shown, where a user performs a swipe touch gesture on the foldable touch display at x, y, z, t. Where x represents the horizontal coordinate, y represents the vertical coordinate, z represents the finger pressure, and t represents the timestamp of the touch coordinate. The movement vector is generated according to the following formula:

[0112]

[0113] Figure 7B The velocity vectors of the finger movement are schematically shown, and the controller calculates the velocity vector for each finger movement vector according to the following formula:

[0114]

[0115] Among them, s n represents the movement vector calculated from the xy coordinates, and the calculation is represented as v n The velocity vectors of .

[0116] Figure 7C The appropriate dynamic tactile pattern determined by shape, amplitude and duration is schematically shown. Then, by using v n The velocity vector and the pause time t between each tactile mode are set nTo control the duration of the entire tactile pattern. In this way, the speed is expressed as t n The pause time is in reverse synchronization, when the speed is low the pause time is longer, when the speed is high the pause time is shorter. n Represents the pressure value of the touch measurement, which determines the amplitude of the tactile pattern for each pulse.

[0117] According to some embodiments of the invention, a duty cycle of the motor is generated based on the dynamic haptic pattern. Thus, the dynamic haptic pattern controls the speed of the motor according to the user input.

[0118] Figure 8 Schematically illustrates some embodiments of the present invention based on Figure 7C An example of a DC motor duty cycle generated by a dynamic tactile pattern is shown. The ON / OFF duty cycle controls the motor speed, where the ON time of the dynamic duty cycle corresponds to the time when tactile feedback is generated, and the OFF time of the dynamic duty cycle corresponds to the time when tactile feedback is not generated. Figure 8 As shown, the dynamic tactile pattern 801 controlled by the user input of the finger touch movement includes the variation amplitude and frequency. First, the duration t_n0 between the two first pulses of the dynamic tactile pattern is longer than t_n1, and t_n1 is longer than t_n2. This means that the user's finger is accelerating (i.e., moving faster and faster), so that the duration t_n between the pulses is reduced. As a result, the DC motor duty cycle 802 controlled by the dynamic tactile pattern includes an OFF time, which is reduced, so the motor speed increases. In addition, when t_n of the dynamic tactile pattern increases, the OFF time of the DC motor increases, which means that the motor speed decreases and the motor slows down. Figure 8 In the dynamic duty cycle 802 of the DC motor shown in FIG. 8 , the ON time is represented as “a”; Figure 8 In the dynamic duty cycle 802 of the DC motor shown in FIG. 8 , the OFF time is represented as “b”. The duty cycle β of the DC motor is defined by the following formula:

[0119] β = a / (a+b).

[0120] From the above formula, it can be seen that the longer the ON time of the DC motor voltage (denoted as "a"), the faster the motor speed.

[0121] Therefore, the duty cycle can be dynamically controlled by using the time between pulses of the dynamic haptic pattern as the OFF time of the duty cycle of the motor. Figure 8 It is schematically shown how the pause time t_n between pulses of the dynamic haptic pattern 801 is decoded into the OFF time (denoted as “b”) in the duty cycle 802 of the motor.

[0122] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tactile feedback is played by the tactile actuator. The faster the finger slides, the faster the foldable touch display folds or unfolds.

[0123] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller controls the haptic actuator and the motor in series or in parallel.

[0124] When the control series connection is completed, the foldable touch display recognizes touch events such as finger movement on the foldable touch display. A signal is sent from the foldable touch display to the controller, which includes a driver for the tactile actuator and a driver for the motor. The driver controls the tactile actuator and the motor, and changes the state of the tactile actuator and the state of the motor respectively. The controller 102 generates the movement vector and calculates the velocity vector. The driver of the tactile actuator uses the velocity vector to determine the frequency t_n of the dynamic tactile pattern, and uses the pressure parameter z to determine the amplitude of the dynamic tactile pattern. Then, the driver of the motor uses the dynamic tactile pattern frequency to determine the ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor.

[0125] When the control parallel is completed, the foldable touch display detects a touch event, and the controller generates the movement vector and calculates the velocity vector. Then, the driver of the tactile actuator uses the velocity vector to determine the frequency t_n of the dynamic tactile pattern and uses the pressure parameter z to determine the amplitude of the dynamic tactile pattern. At the same time, the driver of the motor determines the dynamic tactile pattern frequency to determine the ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor.

[0126] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this specification and within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the following claims.

[0127] The description of the embodiments of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and these descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles, practical applications, or technological advances of the embodiments, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein, compared to the technology available on the market.

[0128] It is expected that during the life of a patent that matures from this application, many related controllable foldable touch displays will be developed, and the scope of the term "controllable foldable touch display" is intended to include a priori all such new technologies.

[0129] As used herein, the term "about" refers to ± 10%.

[0130] The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including, but not limited to." The terms encompass the terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of.

[0131] The phrase "consisting essentially of means that the composition or method may include additional ingredients and / or steps, but only if the additional ingredients and / or steps do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition or method.

[0132] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, the term "a compound" or "at least one compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.

[0133] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any “exemplary” embodiment is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments, and / or does not exclude the incorporation of features from other embodiments.

[0134] The word “optionally” is used herein to mean “provided in some embodiments and not provided in other embodiments.” Any particular embodiment of the present invention may include multiple “optional” features, unless such features conflict with each other.

[0135] Throughout this application, embodiments of the present invention can be presented in range format. It should be understood that the description of range format is only for convenience and brevity, and should not be interpreted as a fixed limitation to the scope of the invention. Therefore, the description of the range should be deemed to have specifically disclosed all possible sub-ranges and individual numerical values ​​within the range. For example, the description of a certain range (e.g., from 1 to 6) should be deemed to have specifically disclosed sub-ranges, such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6, etc., and individual numbers within the range, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Regardless of the width of the range, this applies.

[0136] Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is intended to include any recited numeral (fractional or integer) within the indicated range. The phrases "in the range between the first indicated numeral and the second indicated numeral" and "in the range from the first indicated numeral to the second indicated numeral" are used interchangeably herein and are intended to include the first and second indicated numerals and all fractions and integers therebetween.

[0137] It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, certain features of the present invention described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for the sake of brevity, the various features of the present invention described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination or as any suitable other embodiment of the present invention. Certain features described in the context of each embodiment should not be considered as essential features of these embodiments, unless the embodiment described without these elements is invalid.

[0138] As used herein, the entire contents of all publications, patents, and patent applications referred to in this specification are incorporated by reference into this specification to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference herein. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference may be used as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they shall not be construed as necessary limitations.

Claims

1. A device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A foldable touch display (101); A motor (104) for controlling a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display (101) between an unfolded state and a folded state by a rolling motion; A controller (102) for: Detect user input; Calculating a velocity vector input by the user; Controlling the motor (104) to switch the foldable touch display (101) between the unfolded state and the folded state according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input; The apparatus further comprises a haptic actuator for generating haptic feedback to the user input during the scrolling motion; the haptic feedback comprises a dynamic haptic pattern defined by a set of amplitudes and frequencies, wherein the set of amplitudes and frequencies varies according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input; The controller is configured to: control a dynamic duty cycle of the motor based on the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern, thereby varying a scrolling motion speed of the foldable touch display according to the user input; wherein the controller includes a driver for the tactile actuator and a driver for the motor, the driver for the tactile actuator using the velocity vector to determine the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern; The driver of the motor uses the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern to determine an ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor; or, the driver of the motor determines the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern to determine an ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller is configured to adjust the dynamic duty cycle of the motor to correspond to the generated tactile feedback.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller is configured to control a speed of the motor to correspond to at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The mechanism for switching the foldable touch display includes: a plurality of gears; a gear shaft driven by the motor to cause bidirectional movement of the foldable touch display.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The motor is selected from the group consisting of: a voltage controlled motor, a direct current (DC) motor, and a stepper motor.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The user input is a touch event detected by the foldable touch display and / or a freehand gesture detected by a motion sensor or a camera.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The controller is used to calculate the velocity vector according to at least one of the pressure, velocity, direction and coordinates of the touch event.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The controller is used to present a graphical user interface on the foldable touch display in response to detecting the touch event for switching the foldable touch display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The user input includes a plurality of touch events detected by the foldable touch display, and the velocity vector is calculated based on the plurality of touch events.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller is used to instruct a speaker to play a sound effect during the scrolling motion of the foldable touch display.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The controller is used to dynamically select the sound effect from a group of sound effects based on the user input.

12. A method, characterized in that The method comprises: The motor (104) controls a mechanism for switching the foldable touch display (101) between an unfolded state and a folded state in a rolling motion; The controller (102) detects user input, and is used to: calculating a velocity vector based on the detected user input; controlling the motor (104) based on the calculated speed vector of the user input; The method further includes: a tactile actuator generating tactile feedback to the user input during the scrolling motion; the tactile feedback having a dynamic tactile pattern, the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern being set according to the calculated velocity vector of the user input; The controller is configured to: control a dynamic duty cycle of the motor based on the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern, thereby varying a scrolling motion speed of the foldable touch display according to the user input; wherein the controller includes a driver for the tactile actuator and a driver for the motor, the driver for the tactile actuator using the velocity vector to determine the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern; The driver of the motor uses the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern to determine an ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor; or, the driver of the motor determines the frequency of the dynamic tactile pattern to determine an ON / OFF ratio for controlling the speed of the motor.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method also includes adjusting, by the controller, the dynamic duty cycle to correspond to the generation of the tactile feedback.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method also includes controlling a speed of the motor to correspond to at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the dynamic haptic pattern.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The user input is a touch event detected by the display and / or a free-hand gesture detected by a motion sensor.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The velocity vector is calculated according to at least one of pressure, velocity, direction, and coordinates of the touch event.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further includes presenting a graphical user interface on the display in response to detecting the touch event for switching the foldable touch-enabled display between the unfolded state and the folded state and between the folded state and the unfolded state.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The user input includes a plurality of simultaneous touch events detected by the display, and the velocity vector is calculated based on a plurality of velocities of each of the plurality of simultaneous touch events.

19. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method also includes playing a sound effect during the scrolling motion of the foldable touch display, and dynamically selecting the sound effect from a set of sound effects based on the user input.

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