Flexible Display Touch Control During Extension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible displays in mobile terminals can malfunction when users interact with them during extension or contraction, as existing methods lack effective solutions to prevent touch-related issues during these processes.

Innovation Solution

A mobile terminal with a controller that manages the activation and deactivation of touch and output functions in conjunction with the display's extension and contraction, ensuring the touch function is only activated after the display is fully extended and deactivated before contraction, thereby preventing user input malfunctions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the touch function is activated during display extension or contraction, then user interaction is enabled, but malfunction occurs due to touch operations during flexible display deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction capabilityVSAvoidtouch function reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The controller deactivates the touch function before the display extension or contraction process begins, and only reactivates it after the process is complete. This preliminary deactivation prevents user touches during the vulnerable deformation phase, eliminating the malfunction risk while preserving full touch functionality when the display is stable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary between the display deformation process and the touch function activation. It monitors the display state and automatically adjusts touch function availability, blocking touch inputs during extension/contraction while allowing them during stable states, thus mediating between operational needs and reliability requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display size is made changeable using flexible display, then adaptability is improved, but touch-related malfunctions increase during extension or contraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay size adaptabilityVSAvoidtouch function reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the touch function state based on the display's physical state. The controller continuously monitors whether the flexible display is in extension, contraction, or stable configuration, and automatically enables or disables touch functionality accordingly, creating a dynamic adaptation that maintains reliability across different display configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Before the flexible display begins extension or contraction, the controller preliminarily deactivates the touch function to prevent malfunctions. After the deformation process completes and the display reaches its new stable configuration, the touch function is reactivated, ensuring adaptability without compromising reliability during transitions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11595510B2Mobile terminal and control method therefor

Publication Date: 2023.02.28 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A mobile terminal and a control method therefor are disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a body, an input unit configured to receive a user input, a display coupled to the body to vary a display region viewed from a front of the body according to switching between an enlarged display mode and a reduced display mode, and a controller. The controller controls the display to be extended by a first region upon receiving a first signal, and controls the display to activate a touch function of the first region after activating an output function of the first region, based on extension of the display by the first region.