Flexible Display Input Recognition Across Fold Hinge Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with flexible displays face challenges in accurately identifying inputs, particularly in areas corresponding to the hinge portion, where inputs are difficult to detect due to the flexible nature of the display.
Innovation Solution
The electronic device employs a flexible display with distinct areas corresponding to different housings, equipped with sensors and processors to identify inputs based on contact points and hovering inputs, and provides responses accordingly, even in hinge areas, by recognizing touch and drag inputs across varying angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible display is used to enable folding states, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but input detection accuracy deteriorates in hinge areas
Solution Approach 1:
The display area is segmented into three distinct regions: first area (first housing), third area (hinge portion), and second area (second housing). Each area is processed independently with area-specific contact point determination methods, allowing accurate input detection in the challenging hinge region while maintaining functionality across all folding states
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality standards and processing methods are applied to different areas of the flexible display. The hinge area (third area) receives specialized processing including hovering input detection and virtual contact point calculation, while other areas use standard touch detection, ensuring optimal performance for each region's specific characteristics
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible display is folded at intermediate angles, then adaptability is improved, but input identification reliability deteriorates in the hinge portion
Solution Approach 1:
Hovering inputs serve as an intermediary mechanism to bridge the gap between physical contact and accurate position identification in the hinge area. By detecting hovering inputs (proximity events) in addition to contact inputs, the system can reliably determine intended contact points even when the display is folded at intermediate angles where physical contact may be ambiguous
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal and spatial dimension to input detection by tracking hovering inputs before contact occurs. This allows the system to predict and prepare for contact points in the hinge area, improving reliability by detecting input intent before physical contact is made, especially important when folded at various intermediate angles
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device and a method performed by the electronic device are provided. The method includes identifying, by the electronic device, an input with respect to a flexible display of the electronic device based on an external object, in response to the input having a first contact point on a first area of the flexible display corresponding to a first housing, recognizing, by the electronic device, the input as a touch input with respect to a first position on the first area corresponding to a position of the first contact point, in response to the input having a second contact point on a third area between the first area and a second area of the flexible display corresponding to a second housing, recognizing, by the electronic device, the input as a touch input with respect to a second position on the third area identified based on a position of the second contact point of the external object and a position of a hovering input caused by the external object, and providing, by the electronic device, a response with respect to the touch input, wherein the flexible display includes a hinge structure rotatably coupling the second housing to the first housing.