Flexible Display Touch Control via Bending State Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible displays with touch sensors face challenges in preventing erroneous operations due to folding or bending after deployment, as existing technologies do not adequately address the issue of maintaining accurate touch detection and operation validity in various shapes and environments.

Innovation Solution

A flexible display apparatus with integrated touch and bending detection units, where a control unit differentiates touch operations based on the bending state, validating or invalidating touch detection depending on the bending amount and area, and calibrates sensor settings for optimal performance in different shapes and environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the display is stored wound around a winding shaft and becomes usable when deployed, then the display achieves flexibility and portability, but erroneous touch detection occurs when the display is folded or bent after deployment

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidtouch detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs preliminary validation of touch operations by checking the bending state before executing the touch response. This preliminary check prevents erroneous operations from being processed, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and touch detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the bending state of the display through the bending detection unit and uses this feedback to dynamically control touch operation validation. When bending exceeds the threshold, touch validation is deactivated, providing real-time feedback-based control to prevent erroneous operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If touch operation validation is continuously enabled, then touch responsiveness is maintained, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch responsivenessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuously validating touch operations, the system performs periodic validation based on bending state changes. The control unit validates touch operations only when the bending state is within the acceptable range, reducing power consumption while maintaining responsiveness when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The touch validation state is dynamically adjusted based on the bending state of the display. When the display is bent beyond the threshold, touch validation is deactivated; when the display is straightened, validation is reactivated. This dynamic control optimizes power consumption while maintaining operational responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9898131B2Display apparatus and control method of display apparatus

Publication Date: 2018.02.20 CANON KK

AI summary

A display apparatus including a flexible display device includes a touch detection unit that detects a touch operation to the display device, a bending detection unit that detects a bending state of the display device, and a control unit that controls an operation according to a touch operation depending on the detected bending state, where the control unit differentiates the operation according to the touch operation between a case where a portion of the display device, which is less than a predetermined bending amount, is a greater than a predetermined threshold area and a case where the portion that is less than the predetermined bending amount is less than the predetermined area.