Flexible Display Touchscreen Region Reconfiguration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrating a touchscreen into flexible displays is challenging due to their deformable nature, which changes the acceptable regions for touch input, requiring a system that can provide contextual information about the device's orientation and configuration to modify the touchscreen regions accordingly.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a flexible display and a touchscreen control module that reconfigures the touchscreen based on the orientation determined by an orientation module, using null regions and activators on the perimeter when the display is bent around a main housing, allowing for valid touch events to be processed while masking invalid ones.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a touchscreen is integrated into a flexible display, then user interaction capability is enhanced, but the acceptable regions for touch input become variable and difficult to define

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouchscreen functionalityVSAvoidtouch input region management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the touchscreen regions dynamic and reconfigurable based on display orientation. The system continuously adapts the valid touch input regions according to the flexible display's current configuration, allowing the touchscreen to remain functional despite the variable geometry of the flexible display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the orientation module to continuously monitor display orientation and automatically adjusts the touchscreen valid regions accordingly. This closed-loop approach ensures that the touchscreen control module always knows which regions are currently valid for touch input based on real-time orientation data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Volume of moving object

If the flexible display is bent around the main housing, then device compactness is improved, but invalid touch events increase due to perimeter display coverage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoidinvalid touch events

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by defining different properties for different regions of the touchscreen. Specifically, it creates null regions in areas where the flexible display wraps around the housing, preventing touch events in those specific locations from being processed. This allows the system to maintain compactness while eliminating invalid touch inputs from perimeter areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If touchscreen regions are reconfigured based on orientation, then touch event processing accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional control modules

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch event processing accuracyVSAvoidcontrol module architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The orientation module serves multiple functions: it determines display orientation for touchscreen region configuration, and potentially for other display-related adjustments. The touchscreen control module also performs multiple tasks including receiving touch events, determining validity based on current configuration, and processing only valid events. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10175806B2Touchscreen for use with flexible display

Publication Date: 2019.01.08 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device, that includes a circuit board coupled to a plurality of electronic components (which includes any type of components, elements, circuitry, etc.). One particular example implementation of the electronic device may include a main housing, a flexible display, and a touchscreen, wherein regions of the touchscreen can be reconfigured based on an orientation of the flexible display.