U.S. patent application number 14/894934 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-08 for multi-purpose conference terminal.
The applicant listed for this patent is BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Youmei DONG, Xuewen LV, Jing SU.
Application Number | 20160357489 14/894934 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53430758 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160357489 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DONG; Youmei ; et
al. |
December 8, 2016 |
MULTI-PURPOSE CONFERENCE TERMINAL
Abstract
The invention discloses a multi-purpose conference terminal. The
multi-purpose conference terminal comprises: a display device and a
bending structure provided on the display device, the display
device comprising a first display area and a second display area,
the bending structure being connected between the first display
area and the second display area so that the first display area can
be bent or flattened relative to the second display area. This
invention improves the user experience of the multi-purpose
conference terminal, provides ease of storage thereof, and saves
the occupied storage space.
Inventors: |
DONG; Youmei; (Beijing,
CN) ; SU; Jing; (Beijing, CN) ; LV;
Xuewen; (Beijing, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD. |
Beijing |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
53430758 |
Appl. No.: |
14/894934 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
May 12, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2015/078748 |
371 Date: |
November 30, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1635 20130101;
G06F 1/1641 20130101; G06F 1/1652 20130101; G06F 3/04886 20130101;
G09G 2380/02 20130101; G06F 3/1423 20130101; H04N 7/15 20130101;
G06F 1/1666 20130101; H04N 7/142 20130101; G06F 1/1677 20130101;
G06F 1/1649 20130101; G09G 2340/0492 20130101; G06F 1/1673
20130101; H04N 2007/145 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/14 20060101
G06F003/14; G06F 3/0488 20060101 G06F003/0488; H04N 7/15 20060101
H04N007/15; G06F 1/16 20060101 G06F001/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 16, 2015 |
CN |
201520033291.4 |
Claims
1. A multi-purpose conference terminal, comprising: a display
device and a bending structure provided on the display device, the
display device comprising a first display area and a second display
area, the bending structure being connected between the first
display area and the second display area so that the first display
area can be bent or flattened relative to the second display
area.
2. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
wherein, when the first display area is bent relative to the second
display area, the first display area and the second display area
display information contents independently of each other; and when
the first display area is flattened relative to the second display
area, the first display area and the display area is combined as
one display area.
3. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
wherein, when the first display area is flattened relative to the
second display area, there is a set distance between the bending
structure and the display device's display surface.
4. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
wherein, the display device is a flexible display, and the first
display area and the second display area are formed integrally.
5. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
further comprising a frame for fixing the display device, the frame
comprising a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame, the first
display area is set in the first sub-frame, and the second display
area is set in the second sub-frame.
6. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
further comprising: a foldable keyboard movably connected with the
first display area, for protecting the first display area in a
folded state, and for use by a conference participant in an
expanded state.
7. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
further comprising: a projector, a first control module and a
sensing device; the projector being for projecting a virtual
keyboard on the placement surface where the multi-purpose
conference terminal is placed; the sensing device being for
identifying operations of a conference participant on the projected
virtual keyboard; the first control module being for mapping
one-to-one the operations of the conference participant to specific
input characters or commands.
8. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
further comprising a protection board movably connected with the
display device; the protection board being for protecting the first
display area or the second display area in a folded state.
9. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 8,
wherein, the protection board is provided with a charging module
for supplying power to the multi-purpose conference terminal in
real time.
10. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 1,
further comprising: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area and a second
gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second display
area; the first gravity sensor being for detecting the direction of
the plane of the first display area; the second gravity sensor
being for detecting the direction of the plane of the second
display area; the second control module being for determining
whether the angle between the direction of the plane of the first
display area and the direction of the plane of the second display
area is greater than or equal to a set threshold, and if
determining that the angle is greater than or equal to the
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in opposite
directions, and if determining that the angle is less than the set
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in the same
direction.
11. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 2,
wherein, the display device is a flexible display, and the first
display area and the second display area are formed integrally.
12. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 3,
wherein, the display device is a flexible display, and the first
display area and the second display area are formed integrally.
13. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 2,
further comprising: a foldable keyboard movably connected with the
first display area, for protecting the first display area in a
folded state, and for use by a conference participant in an
expanded state.
14. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 3,
further comprising: a foldable keyboard movably connected with the
first display area, for protecting the first display area in a
folded state, and for use by a conference participant in an
expanded state.
15. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 2,
further comprising: a projector, a first control module and a
sensing device; the projector being for projecting a virtual
keyboard on the placement surface where the multi-purpose
conference terminal is placed; the sensing device being for
identifying operations of a conference participant on the projected
virtual keyboard; the first control module being for mapping
one-to-one the operations of the conference participant to specific
input characters or commands.
16. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 3,
further comprising: a projector, a first control module and a
sensing device; the projector being for projecting a virtual
keyboard on the placement surface where the multi-purpose
conference terminal is placed; the sensing device being for
identifying operations of a conference participant on the projected
virtual keyboard; the first control module being for mapping
one-to-one the operations of the conference participant to specific
input characters or commands.
17. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 2,
further comprising a protection board movably connected with the
display device; the protection board being for protecting the first
display area or the second display area in a folded state.
18. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 3,
further comprising a protection board movably connected with the
display device; the protection board being for protecting the first
display area or the second display area in a folded state.
19. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 2,
further comprising: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area and a second
gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second display
area; the first gravity sensor being for detecting the direction of
the plane of the first display area; the second gravity sensor
being for detecting the direction of the plane of the second
display area; the second control module being for determining
whether the angle between the direction of the plane of the first
display area and the direction of the plane of the second display
area is greater than or equal to a set threshold, and if
determining that the angle is greater than or equal to the
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in opposite
directions, and if determining that the angle is less than the set
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in the same
direction.
20. The multi-purpose conference terminal according to claim 3,
further comprising: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area and a second
gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second display
area; the first gravity sensor being for detecting the direction of
the plane of the first display area; the second gravity sensor
being for detecting the direction of the plane of the second
display area; the second control module being for determining
whether the angle between the direction of the plane of the first
display area and the direction of the plane of the second display
area is greater than or equal to a set threshold, and if
determining that the angle is greater than or equal to the
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in opposite
directions, and if determining that the angle is less than the set
threshold, controlling so that the first display area and the
second display area display the information contents in the same
direction.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the display technical
field, and in particular to a multi-purpose conference
terminal.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] At present, electronic table cards, as conference terminals,
has begun to appear in various meetings. An existing electronic
table card comprises a fixing frame and two display devices, the
two display devices are both set in the fixing frame and are set
relative to each other. Among them, one display device can be used
to show participants information, and the other display device can
be used to display conference-related information for conference
participants to read.
[0003] However, existing electronic table cards have the following
technical problems:
[0004] 1) The structure of the fixing frame is fixed, and the
positions of the two display devices are fixed, so the placement
angle of each display device is also fixed, and the display area of
a single display device installed in the fixing frame is limited,
thus negatively affecting conference participants' operations;
[0005] 2) Since the two display devices are installed in the fixing
frame, and the structure of the fixing frame is fixed, when the
number of the electronic table cards used in the conference is
large, this is not conducive to storage of the multiple electronic
table cards, and to store the multiple electronic table cards will
take up a lot of space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides a versatile conference
terminal, which can improve the user experience of the
multi-purpose conference terminal, provide ease of storage thereof,
and save the occupied storage space.
[0007] To achieve the above purpose, this invention provides a
multi-purpose conference terminal, comprising: a display device and
a bending structure provided on the display device, the display
device comprising a first display area and a second display area,
the bending structure being connected between the first display
area and the second display area so that the first display area can
be bent or flattened relative to the second display area.
[0008] Optionally, when the first display area is bent relative to
the second display area, the first display area and the second
display area display information contents independently of each
other; and when the first display area is flattened relative to the
second display area, the first display area and the display area is
combined as one display area.
[0009] Optionally, when the first display area is flattened
relative to the second display area, there is a set distance
between the bending structure and the display device's display
surface.
[0010] Optionally, the display device is a flexible display, and
the first display area and the second display area are formed
integrally.
[0011] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises a frame for fixing the display device, the frame
comprising a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame, the first
display area is set in the first sub-frame, and the second display
area is set in the second sub-frame.
[0012] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises a foldable keyboard movably connected with the first
display area, for protecting the first display area in a folded
state, and for use by a conference participant in an expanded
state.
[0013] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises: a projector, a first control module and a sensing
device; the projector being for projecting a virtual keyboard on
the placement surface where the multi-purpose conference terminal
is placed; the sensing device being for identifying operations of a
conference participant on the projected virtual keyboard; and the
first control module being for mapping one-to-one the operations of
the conference participant to specific input characters or
commands.
[0014] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises a protection board movably connected with the display
device; the protection board being for protecting the first display
area or the second display area in a folded state.
[0015] Optionally, the protection board is provided with a charging
module for supplying power to the multi-purpose conference terminal
in real time.
[0016] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area and a second
gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second display
area;
[0017] the first gravity sensor being for detecting the direction
of the plane of the first display area;
[0018] the second gravity sensor being for detecting the direction
of the plane of the second display area;
[0019] the second control module being for determining whether the
angle between the direction of the plane of the first display area
and the direction of the plane of the second display area is
greater than or equal to a set threshold, and if determining that
the angle is greater than or equal to the threshold, controlling so
that the first display area and the second display area display the
information contents in opposite directions, and if determining
that the angle is less than the set threshold, controlling so that
the first display area and the second display area display the
information contents in the same direction.
[0020] The invention has the following advantages: the present
invention provides a multi-purpose conference terminal, in which
the two display areas of the display device can be bent or
flattened relative to each other through a bending structure; in
addition, the first display area and the second display area can
display the information contents independently in a bent state and
be combined into one display area in a flattened state. Therefore,
the user experience of the multi-purpose conference terminal is
improved, ease of storage thereof is provided, and the occupied
storage space is saved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in FIG. 1 in a bent state.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the bending structure of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in FIG. 1 in a folded state.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a folded state of the
multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 5.
[0027] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a use state of the
multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 5.
[0028] FIG. 8 is schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0029] FIG. 9 schematic diagram of a bent state of the
multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 8.
[0030] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the bending structure of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 8.
[0031] FIG. 11 is a view in direction A of the bending structure of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 10.
[0032] FIG. 12 is a section view of the flattened state of the
multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 8.
[0033] FIG. 13 is an exemplary functional block diagram of the
multi-purpose conference terminal provided by the invention.
[0034] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a
multi-purpose conference system in which the multi-purpose
conference terminal provided by this invention is applied.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0035] For those skilled in the art to better understand the
technical solution of the invention, a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by the present invention provides is described
below in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-purpose conference terminal
comprises: a display device 12 and a bending structure set on the
display device 12 (see the bending structures 13 in FIG. 3 or FIG.
10). The display device 12 comprises a first display area 121 and a
second display area 122. The bending structure is connected between
the first display area 121 and the second display area 122 and 121,
so that the first display area 121 can be bent or flattened
relative to the second display area 122. In other words, the first
display area 121 is movably connected with the second display area
of 122 through the bending structure.
[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a bent state of the
multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2,
when the first display area 121 is bent relative to the second
display area 122, the multi-purpose conference terminal can be
placed on the placement surface through the support of the first
display area 121 and the second display area 122 bent relative to
each other. At this time the first display area 121 and the second
display area 122 display information contents independently of each
other. The angle between the plane of the first display area 121
and the plane of the second display area 122 can be a set angle.
The information contents may comprise first information contents
and second information contents. The first display area 121 can be
used to display the first information contents. The first
information contents may be conference-related information, such as
the conference schedule or contents to be presented. The second
display area 122 can be used to display second information
contents. The second information contents may be, for example, the
participants' names, positions and other information. At this
point, the multi-purpose conference terminal can be used as an
electronic table card for use by the conference participants,
wherein the placement surface may be a desktop. The display device
12 may include a frameless display device and a framed display
device. In this embodiment, the display device 12 is a framed
display device, thus the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises a frame 11 for fixing the display device 12, with the
display device 12 set within the frame 11. Optionally, the part of
the frame 11 to be in contact with the placement surface when the
multi-purpose conference terminal is in the bent state is provided
with an anti-slip mat (not shown in the Figure), so that when being
placed on the placement surface such as a desktop, the bent posture
of the multi-purpose conference terminal can remain stable.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, when the multi-purpose conference
terminal is flattened, the first display area of 121 and the second
display area 122 can be combined into one display area so that the
multi-purpose conference terminal can be used as a tablet-type
portable electronic device, such as a tablet computer. Preferably,
the bending structure is configured to make the first display area
121 and the second display area 122 to be in the same plane when
the multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flattened state, so
that the first display area 121 and the second display area 122 are
merged into one display area to display a full picture together,
thus the multi-purpose conference terminal can have a larger
display area and can display more contents in a display area. At
this time, the conference participant can hold in hand and operate
the multi-purpose conference terminal at any angle.
[0039] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the bending structure of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.
3, the bending structure 13 is between the first display area 121
and the second display area 122. In this embodiment, the bending
structure 13 is set on the frame 11. The bending structure 13 is a
structure that can make the multi-purpose conference terminal
collapse. Preferably, the bending structure 13 is a hinge. Or, the
bending structure for example can also be two pieces of rigid
plates connected with a flexible material. Or, the bending
structure can be composed of multiple sections of rigid parts
nested together that can change positions relative to each other,
for example similar to a flexible arm lamp. The rigid parts of the
bending structure can be fixed to the display device by various
means such as adhesion, buckle, embedding etc.
[0040] In this embodiment, the frame 11 comprises a first sub-frame
111 and a second sub-frame 112. The first display area 121 is set
in the first sub-frame 111, and the second display area 122 is set
in the second sub-frame 112. The first display area 121 and the
second display area 122 are two separate displays, which may be a
variety of types of display, such as electronic paper displays, LCD
or OLED displays, etc.
[0041] Preferably, the multi-purpose conference terminal may
further comprise: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area 121, and a
second gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second
display area 122. For example, the first gravity sensor can be set
on the top edge of the first display area 121, and the second
gravity sensor can be set on the top edge of the second display
area 122. As shown in FIG. 3, the top edge of the first display
area 121 and the top edge of second display area 122 are the upper
edge of the first display area 121 and the second display area 122
when the multi-purpose conference terminal is bent and placed
normally on the placement surface, that is, their respective edges
connected by the bending structure. The second control module, the
first gravity sensor and the second gravity sensor are not shown in
the Figure.
[0042] The gravity sensor can sense the angle between its own set
direction and that of gravity. The first gravity sensor and the
second gravity sensor are fixed to and can operate synchronously
with the first display area and the second display area
respectively, thus the first gravity sensor is for detecting the
direction of the plane of the first display area 121, and the
second gravity sensor is for detecting the direction of the plane
of the second display area of 122.
[0043] The control circuit is used to determine whether the angle
between the direction of the plane of the first display area 121
and the direction of the plane of the second display area 122 is
greater than or equal to a set threshold. If determining that the
angle is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the control
circuit controls so that the information contents shown on the
first display area 121 and the second display area 122 are
displayed in opposite directions; if determining that the angle is
less than the set threshold, the control circuit controls so that
the information contents shown on the first display area 121 and
the second display area 122 are displayed in the same direction.
Specifically, the direction of the plane of the first display area
121 can be represented by the direction of the normal line of the
plane of the first display area 121, and the direction of the plane
of the second display area 122 can be represented by the direction
of the normal line of the plane of the second display area 122. The
threshold can be set to any value between 0.degree. to 180.degree.;
preferably, the threshold can be set to any value between
90.degree. to 160.degree.. When the second control module
determines that the angle is greater than or equal to the set
threshold, the multi-purpose conference terminal is in a bent
state. At this time, the multi-purpose conference terminal is as an
electronic table card for use by conference participants.
Correspondingly, the control circuit makes the first display area
121 and the second display area 122 to display information contents
in opposite directions and to display different information
contents, so that the conference participant using the
multi-purpose conference terminal and other conference participants
can view the information contents on the first display area 121 and
the second display area 122 respectively. Here, "display . . . in
opposite directions" refers to that the top (upper edge) of the
information contents displayed on the first display area 121 and
that on the second display area 122 are both near the bending
structure, so that when the bent multi-purpose conference terminal
is placed normally on a placement surface, the screens shown on the
first display area 121 and on the second display area 122
respectively are both upright. When the second control module
determines that the angle is less than the set threshold, the
multi-purpose conference terminal is close to or in a flattened
state. At this time, the multi-purpose conference terminal can be
used as a portable flat panel electronic device such as a tablet by
conference participants. At this time, the first display area 121
and the second display area 122 are treated as one display area.
The second control module will make the information contents shown
on the first display area 121 and those on the second display area
122 to be displayed in the same direction, showing different parts
of the same screen. Here, "displayed in the same direction" refers
to that the second control module controls so that the screen shown
on the first display area 121 and the screen shown on the second
display area 122 form a complete screen, so that conference
participants can view the information contents displayed
continuously on the multi-purpose conference terminal.
[0044] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in FIG. 1 in the folded state. As shown in FIG.
4, when the multi-purpose conference terminal needs to be stored,
with the direction of the plane of the first display area 121 being
represented by the direction of the normal line of the plane of
first display area 121, and the direction of the plane of the
second display area 122 being represented by the direction of the
normal line of the plane of second display area 122, through the
bending structure, for example, the angle between the direction of
the plane of the first display area 121 and the direction of the
plane of the second display area may be adjusted to 180.degree.,
that is, the backs of the first display area 121 and the second
display area 122 fully fit together. By providing the bending
structure, collapsing of the multi-purpose conference terminal is
realized, and such collapsing can save the occupied storage
space.
[0045] The embodiment provides a multi-purpose conference terminal
which can shift between bent and flattened states through a bending
structure. When the multi-purpose conference terminal is in a bent
state, the first display area and the second display area may be
made to display information independently of each other, and when
the multi-purpose conference terminal is in a flattened state, the
first display area and the second display area may be made to form
one display area, thus improving the user experience of the
multi-purpose conference terminal, providing ease of storage
thereof, and saving the occupied storage space.
[0046] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose conference
terminal in FIG. 5 in a folded state. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG.
6, in this embodiment, based on the first embodiment described
above, the multi-purpose conference terminal may further comprise:
a foldable keyboard 14 movably connected with the first display
area 121. In this embodiment, the foldable keyboard 14 is movably
connected with the frame near the first display area 121 in order
to achieve movable connection with the first display area 121.
Specifically, the foldable keyboard 14 is movably connected with
the first sub-frame 111. As shown in FIG. 6, the foldable keyboard
14 is for protecting the first display area 121 when in a folded
state. When the multi-purpose conference terminal is folded, the
front side of the first display area 121 faces outwards, and the
foldable keyboard 14 cover the front side of the first display area
121 after being folded, thus protecting the first display area 121.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose conference
terminal in FIG. 5 in use state. As shown in FIG. 7, the foldable
keyboard 14 is for use in an expanded state by a conference
participant; and when it is needed to use the multi-purpose
conference terminal, the foldable keyboard 14 can be expanded and
placed flat on the placement surface to allow the conference
participant to use the foldable keyboard 14.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, optionally, the multi-purpose
conference terminal may also comprise: a protection board 15
movably connected with the display device 12. The protection board
15 is used to protect the first display area 121 or the second
display area 122 in the folded state. In this embodiment, the
number of the protection board 15 is one, and the protection board
15 is movably connected with the frame near the second display area
122. Specifically, the protection board 15 is movably connected
with the second sub-frame 112. When the multi-purpose conference
terminal is folded, the front side of the second display area 122
faces outward, and the protection board 15 will cover the front
side of the second display area 122, so as to realize protection of
the second display area 122. When the multi-purpose conference
terminal needs to be used, the protection board 15 is expanded, 15
and placed flat on the placement surface.
[0048] In practical applications, optionally, the number of the
protection boards 15 may also be two, among which, one protection
board 15 is for protecting the first display area 121 in the folded
state, the other protection board 15 is for protecting the second
display area 122 in the folded state. More preferably, the foldable
keyboard 14 may be set on the protection board 15.
[0049] Optionally, a charging module may also be set on the
protection board 15, the charging module can be used for providing
power to the multi-purpose conference terminal in real time.
[0050] In practical applications, as an alternative to the foldable
keyboard 14, the multi-purpose conference terminal may comprise a
projector, a first control module and a sensing device. The
projector may be set on the multi-purpose conference terminal, such
as on the display device 12. The projector is for projecting a
virtual keyboard on the placement surface. The sensing device is
for identifying operations of conference participants on the
projected virtual keyboard. The first control module is for mapping
one-to-one the operations of the conference participants to
specific input characters or instructions, thus obtaining the
information input by the conference participants. The technology of
projecting an image of a keyboard on a surface such as a placement
surface to realize the functions of real keyboard is known. The
virtual keyboard may also be called a projected keyboard. For
example, it is an image of a standard keyboard projected on a
surface of an object using a red laser transmitter, and the
infra-red technology may be used to track finger movements to
obtain the input information. The projector, the first control
module and the sensing device are not shown in the schematic
diagram.
[0051] In this embodiment, the multi-purpose conference terminal
can switch between the bent and flattened state through the setting
of the bending structure. When the multi-purpose conference
terminal is in the bent state, the first display area and the
second display area can display information contents independently
of each other. When the multi-purpose conference terminal is in the
flattened state, the first display area and the second display area
can be combined into one display area, thus improving the user
experience of the multi-purpose conference terminal, providing ease
of storage thereof, and saving the occupied storage space. When the
multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flattened state,
conference participants can operate the multi-purpose conference
terminal as a handheld tablet electronic device, such as a tablet
computer, and can change the angle of holding the electronic device
at will.
[0052] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose conference
terminal provided by a third embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, the multi-purpose conference terminal
comprises: a display device 12 and a bending structure set on the
display device 12, the display device 12 comprising a first display
area 121 and a second display area 122. The bending structure is
set between the first display area 121 and the second display area
122, so that the first display area 121 can be bent or flattened
relative to the second display area 122.
[0053] In this embodiment, the display device 12 is a flexible
display, and the first display area 121 and the second display area
122 are formed integrally.
[0054] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in FIG. 8 in the bent state. As shown in FIG.
9, when the multi-purpose conference terminal is in the state bent,
the multi-purpose conference terminal is placed on the placement
surface through the support of the outer edges of the first display
area 121 and the second display area 122. At this time the first
display area 121 and the second display area 122 can display
information contents independently of each other. The angle between
the plane of the first display area 121 and the plane of the second
display area 122 can be a set angle. The information contents may
comprise first information contents and second information
contents, the first display area 121 can be used to display the
first information contents, which may be conference-related
information, such as a conference schedule or contents to be
presented. The second display area 122 can be used to display
second information contents, such as the participants' names,
positions and other information. At this time, the multi-purpose
conference terminal can be used as an electronic table card for use
by conference participants, wherein the placement surface may be
the desktop. The display device 12 may include a frameless display
device or a framed display device. In this embodiment, the display
device 12 is a framed display device, so the multi-purpose
conference terminal further comprises a frame 11 for fixing the
display device 12, with the display device 12 set within the frame
11. Optionally, the part of the frame 11 for contacting with the
placement surface when the multi-purpose conference terminal is in
the bent state is provided with an anti-slip mat (not shown in the
Figure), so that when the multi-purpose conference terminal is
placed on the placement surface such as a desktop, the
multi-purpose conference terminal's bent posture can remain
stable.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 8, when the multi-purpose conference
terminal is in the flattened state, the first display area of 121
and the second display area 122 form into one display area, so that
the multi-purpose conference terminal can be used as a tablet-type
portable electronic device, such as a tablet computer. Preferably,
the bending structure is configured to make the first display area
121 and the second display area 122 to be in the same plane when
the multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flat state, so that
the first display area 121 and the second display area 122 are
merged into one display area to collectively display a full screen,
thus enabling the multi-purpose conference terminal to have a
larger display area and can display more contents in a display
area. At this time, the conference participant can hold the
multi-purpose conference terminal at any angle to operate it.
[0056] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the bending structure of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 8, FIG. 11 is a view
in direction A of the bending structure of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view of
the multi-purpose conference terminal in FIG. 8 in the flattened
state. As shown in FIGS. 10 through 12, the bending structure 13 is
between the first display area 121 and the second display area 122.
The bending structure 13 in this embodiment is set on the frame 11.
The bending structure 13 is a structure that can make the
multi-purpose conference terminal folded. Preferably, the bending
structure 13 is a hinge. Using a hinge ensures that the flexible
display can be bent at a preset position, rather than being bent
into an arch-shape randomly, thus facilitating bending the
multi-purpose conference terminal into a stand type needed. Or, the
bending structure can also be two pieces of rigid plates connected
with flexible material, for example. Or, the bending structure can
be composed of multiple sections of rigid parts nested together
that can change positions relative to each other, for example
similar to a flexible arm lamp. The rigid parts of the bending
structure may be fixed to the display device through various means
such as adhesion, buckle, embedding etc.
[0057] The bending structure 13 can be set to have a set distance
with the display surface of the display device 12 when the
multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flattened state. That
is, as shown in FIG. 12, the display surface of the display device
12 is higher than the highest point of the bending structure 13, so
that when the multi-purpose conference terminal is in a bent state,
there is a clearance between the display surface of the display
device 12 and the bending structure 13, to avoid damage caused to
the screen (i.e., display surface) of the display device and
displayed picture distortion due to big tension.
[0058] Preferably, the multi-purpose conference terminal may
further comprise: a second control module, a first gravity sensor
operating synchronously with the first display area 121, and a
second gravity sensor operating synchronously with the second
display area 122. For example, the first gravity sensor can be set
on the top edge of the first display area 121, and the second
gravity sensor can be set on the top edge of the second display
area 122. As shown in FIG. 3, the top edges of the first display
area 121 and the second display area 122 refer to the upper edges
of the first display area 121 and the second display area 122 when
the multi-purpose conference terminal is bent and placed normally
on the placement surface, that is, their respective edges connected
through the bending structure. The second control module, the first
gravity sensor and the second gravity sensor are not shown in the
schematic diagram.
[0059] The gravity sensors can sense the angles between their own
set directions and the direction of gravity. The first gravity
sensor and the second gravity sensor remain fixed to the first
display area and the second display area and can operate
synchronously therewith respectively, thus the first gravity sensor
is for detecting the direction of the plane of the first display
area 121, and the second gravity sensor is for detecting the
direction of the plane of the second display area 122.
[0060] The control circuit is used to determine whether the angle
between the direction of the plane of the first display area 121
and the direction of the plane of the second display area 122 is
greater than or equal to a set threshold. If determining that the
angle is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the control
circuit controls so that the information contents shown on the
first display area 121 and the second display area 122 are
displayed in opposite directions; if determining that the angle is
less than the set threshold, the control circuit controls so that
the information contents shown on the first display area 121 and
the second display area 122 are displayed in the same direction.
Specifically, the direction of the plane of the first display area
121 can be represented by the direction of the normal line of the
plane of the first display area 121, and the direction of the plane
of the second display area 122 can be represented by the direction
of the normal line of the plane of the second display area 122. The
threshold can be set to any value between 0.degree. to 180.degree.;
preferably, the threshold can be set to any value between
90.degree. to 160.degree.. When the second control module
determines that the angle is greater than or equal to the set
threshold, the multi-purpose conference terminal is in a bent
state. At this time, the multi-purpose conference terminal is as an
electronic table card for use by conference participants.
Correspondingly, the control circuit makes the first display area
121 and the second display area 122 to display information contents
in opposite directions and to display different information
contents, so that the conference participant using the
multi-purpose conference terminal and other conference participants
can view the information contents on the first display area 121 and
the second display area 122 respectively. Here, "display . . . in
opposite directions" refers to that the top (upper edge) of the
information contents displayed on the first display area 121 and
that on the second display area 122 are both near the bending
structure, so that when the bent multi-purpose conference terminal
is placed normally on a placement surface, the screens shown on the
first display area 121 and on the second display area 122
respectively are both upright. When the second control module
determines that the angle is less than the set threshold, the
multi-purpose conference terminal is close to or in a flattened
state. At this time, the multi-purpose conference terminal can be
used as a portable flat panel electronic device such as a tablet by
conference participants. At this time, the first display area 121
and the second display area 122 are treated as one display area.
The second control module will make the information contents shown
on the first display area 121 and those on the second display area
122 to be displayed in the same direction, showing different parts
of the same screen. Here, "displayed in the same direction" refers
to that the second control module controls so that the screen shown
on the first display area 121 and the screen shown on the second
display area 122 form a complete screen, so that conference
participants can view the information contents displayed
continuously on the multi-purpose conference terminal.
[0061] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal in the
embodiment may also comprise a foldable keyboard, a detailed
description of which may be found in the above description of the
second embodiment.
[0062] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal in the
embodiment of may also comprise a protection board, a detailed
description of which may be found in the above description of the
second embodiment.
[0063] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal in the
embodiment may also comprise a projector for projecting a virtual
keyboard on the placement surface, a detailed description of which
virtual keyboard may be found in the above description of the
second embodiment.
[0064] A description of the folded state of the multi-purpose
conference terminal in this embodiment may be found in the above
description of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and
will not be repeated here.
[0065] In this embodiment, the multi-purpose conference terminal
can switch between the bent and flattened state through the bending
structure. When the multi-purpose conference terminal is in the
bent state, the first display area and the second display area can
display information contents independently of each other. When the
multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flattened state, the
first display area and the second display area can be combined into
one display area, thus improving the user experience of the
multi-purpose conference terminal, providing ease of storage
thereof, and saving the occupied storage space. When the
multi-purpose conference terminal is in the flattened state, the
multi-purpose conference terminal can be operated as a handheld
tablet electronic device, such as a tablet computer, and conference
participants can change the angle of holding the electronic device
at will.
[0066] The multi-purpose conference terminal provided by the
present invention may have applications as follows.
[0067] FIG. 13 is a schematic functional block diagram of the
multi-purpose conference terminal provided by the invention. As
shown in FIG. 13, each multi-purpose conference terminal
corresponds to a specific conference participant. The multi-purpose
conference terminal may comprise a display device 12 and a control
circuit 16, the control circuit 16 may comprise a wireless
communication module 161, and the multi-purpose conference terminal
may communicate with a mobile terminal of a conference participant
through the wireless communication module 161.
[0068] In this embodiment, the wireless communication module 161
may comprise a call module, a SMS module, a Bluetooth module, an
infrared module, a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) access
module or a WIFI module. Accordingly, the mobile terminal of the
conference participant may also have a wireless communication
function, in order to realize communication with the multi-purpose
conference terminal. For example, the mobile terminal may comprise
a mobile phone or a tablet computer.
[0069] The display 12 is for displaying conference information. In
this embodiment, the conference information may comprise
conference-related information and/or conference participant
information, such as the conference participants' names, titles,
affiliations, and so on, or conference materials, conference
schedule, conference seating, etc. A conference main server may
transmit information related to the conference participant to a
control circuit of the multi-purpose conference terminal through a
wireless transmission method, the control circuit may transmit the
information related to conference participant to the display
device, and the display device may display the information related
to the conference participant. The display device may include a
liquid crystal display device, an OLED display device, a flexible
display device or an electronic paper display device.
[0070] Preferably, the control circuit 16 is used to establish
communication connection with the corresponding mobile terminal of
the conference participant through a wireless communication module
161, and to obtain stored terminal information from the mobile
terminal. The display device 12 is used to display the obtained
terminal information. The control circuit 16 may find the mobile
terminals located nearby through the wireless communication module
161, and from the found mobile terminals located nearby identify
the corresponding mobile terminal of conference participant, thus
allowing the control circuit 16 to establish communication
connection with the corresponding mobile terminal of the conference
participant through the wireless communication module 161. The
method through which the control circuit 16 obtains terminal
information from the mobile terminals may include: the mobile
terminal pushes terminal information stored directly to the control
circuit 16; or the control circuit 16 sends a request to the mobile
terminal, and the mobile terminal, upon receiving the request,
returns terminal information 16 to the control circuit. The
terminal information may be various types of information stored in
the mobile terminal. For example, the terminal information may
comprise short messages, WeChat messages or calls, and so on. Thus,
in the conference, the conference participant may view and edit the
terminal information in the mobile terminal via the multi-purpose
conference terminal.
[0071] Preferably, the multi-purpose conference terminal
communicates with the main server of the conference. The control
circuit 16 is used to receive server information from the master
server, and to send the server information to the mobile terminal
through the wireless communication module 161. The server
information may comprise a variety of conference-related
information, such as conference materials, conference schedule
and/or conference reminders, and so on. In real applications, the
server information may also comprise other types of information,
which are no longer listed here. The mobile terminal, upon
receiving the server information, may display the server
information. Thus, the conference participant in the conference may
view and edit the server information on the multi-purpose
conference terminal via the mobile terminal.
[0072] Preferably, the multi-purpose conference terminal comprises
a person detection device 17, and the control circuit 16 comprises
a first judging module 162 and a recording module 163. The person
detection device 17 is used to obtain images and send the obtained
images to the first judging module 162; the first judging module
162 is used to determine whether the conference participant has
left based on the obtained images. The recording module 163 is used
to record conference contents according to preset instructions upon
the first judgment module 162 determining that the corresponding
conference participant has left. The person detection device 17 can
be set on the display device 12, for example, on the top of the
display device 12 when the multi-purpose conference terminal is in
a bent state and placed normally on the placement surface.
Optionally, the person detection device 17 may comprise a binocular
camera, that is, two cameras, with a set distance between the two
cameras, and the set distance being known. The two cameras and the
corresponding conference participant (target) constitute the three
vertices of a triangle, each camera captures an image and sends the
image to the first judging module 162. According to the two images,
the first judging module 162 computes the angle of the target in
the two images relative to the cameras respectively. Due to the
distance between the two cameras and the set angle are known, the
angle between the connection line between the target relative and a
camera and the connection line between the two camera can also be
calculated, that is, the base of the triangle (the line between the
two cameras) and two base angles are known, so the lengths of the
other side of the triangle can be calculated. Due to the distance
between the two cameras being relatively small, the average of the
lengths of the other two sides is close to the distance of the
target from the multi-purpose conference terminal. The first
judging module 162 determines if the distance is less than or equal
to a set threshold. If the distance is less than or equal to the
set threshold, it determines that the target is the corresponding
conference participant and the conference participant is sitting in
front of the multi-purpose conference terminal, that is,
determining the conference participant has not left. If determining
that the distance is greater than the set threshold, it determines
that the target is not the corresponding conference participant and
the corresponding conference participant has left. Alternatively,
the person detection device 17 may comprise only one camera, which
captures an image and sends the image to the first judging module
162. The first judging module 162 calculates the viewing angle of
the target formed at the camera according to the area size of the
outline of the person in the image, and then estimates the distance
between the target in the image and the camera, and judges if the
distance between the target and the camera is less than or equal to
a set threshold. If the distance is less than or equal to the set
threshold, it determines that the target is the corresponding
conference participant and the conference participant is sitting in
front of the multi-purpose conference terminal, that is,
determining that the conference participant has not left. If
judging that the distance between the target and the camera is
greater than the set threshold, it determines that the target is
not the corresponding conference participant and the corresponding
conference participant has left. Preferably, when judging the
corresponding conference participant has left, the control circuit
16 may control the recording module 163 to record the conference in
audio or video according to preset instructions. That is, the
record module 163 is configured to record the conference in audio
or video when the first judgment module 162 determines that the
corresponding conference participant has left, thus allowing
automatically recording conference contents when the conference
participant leaves the conference hall temporarily.
[0073] Optionally, the multi-purpose conference terminal further
comprises a physical parameter measurement device 18, and the
control circuit 16 comprises a second judging 164 and a reminding
module 165. The physical measurement module 4 is used to measure
body information of the corresponding conference participant; the
second judging module 164 is used to determine the conference
participant's physical status based on the physical information;
the reminding module 165 is used to issue alert information
according to the conference participant's physical state. The
physical parameter measurement module 4 can be set on the display
device 12. The physical information may comprise eye movements,
body temperature and/or complexion. When the physical information
is eye movements, the physical parameter measurement module 4 may
comprise a camera, which captures the conference participant's eye
or eyelid movements. The second judging module 164 judges whether
the conference participant's eye or eyelid movement frequency is
less than or equal to a set frequency. If judging the eye or eyelid
movement frequency is less than or equal to the set frequency, it
determines that the conference participant's physical status is
fatigued. If judging the eye or eyelid movement frequency is
greater than the set frequency, it determines that conference
participant's physical status is not fatigued. When the physical
information is the body temperature, the physical parameter
measurement module 4 may comprises an infrared thermometer, which
measures the body temperature of the conference participant. The
second judging module 164 may judge whether the conference
participant's body temperature is greater than or equal to a set
temperature. If judging that the conference participant's body
temperature is greater than or equal to the set temperature, it
determines the conference participant's physical status is
unhealthy. If judging that the body temperature of the conference
participant is less than the set temperature, it determines that
the physical status of the conference participant is healthy. When
the body information is the complexion, the physical parameter
measurement module 4 may comprise a camera, which captures the
facial images of the conference participant. The second judging
module 164 may judge the color value of the facial image of the
conference participant. If determining that the color value of the
facial image is less than or equal to a set color value, it
determines that the conference participant's physical state is
unhealthy. If determining that the color value of the facial image
is greater than the set color value, it determines that the
physical status of the conference participant is healthy. The
reminding module 165 is configured to issue alert information when
the second judgment module 164 determines that the physical status
is fatigued or unhealthy. The alert information may be information
reminding the conference controller to control the rhythm of the
conference and/or information reminding of the conference
participant's physical discomfort. Preferably, the alert
information may be sound or text. If the alert information is
information reminding the conference controller to control the
rhythm of the conference, the alert information can be sent to the
main server of the conference.
[0074] Preferably, the control module 16 may comprise an
interference module 166, which is for causing interference to a
mobile terminal under a preset condition. The preset condition may
include a confidential conference beginning or the conference
entering a confidential stage. Specifically, the interference
module 166 may be used to cause interference to mobile network
signals of a mobile terminal so that the mobile terminal cannot
communicate normally with other communications devices outside the
venue.
[0075] Preferably, the control circuit 16 comprises an access
authentication module 167 for authenticating a mobile terminal, and
after authentication, allowing the mobile terminal to communicate
other communications devices outside the venue. The access
authentication module 167 may be a card information authentication
module, wherein after a conference participant with specific
permissions swipes the card, the card information authentication
module performs access authentication; or the access authentication
167 may be a fingerprint authentication module, wherein after a
conference participant with specific permissions presses a
fingerprint, the fingerprint authentication module performs access
authentication with the fingerprint information. In addition, the
access authentication module may also be other authentication
modules, such as those of speech recognition, facial recognition,
etc.
[0076] Preferably, the control circuit 16 comprises a positioning
module 168 and an alarm module 169, wherein the positioning module
168 is used to detect the location of the multi-purpose conference
terminal; and the alarm module 169 is used to issue alarm
information after the positioning module 168 detects that the
multi-purpose conference terminal has been taken out of the
conference hall within a set period of time, thus allowing the
multi-purpose conference terminal to have anti-theft and anti-loss
functions. The positioning module for example may be a GPS (Global
Positioning System) positioning module, an A-GPS (assisted GPS)
module, etc.; and the alarm module for example may be a speaker, a
semaphore, a message transmitting module, etc.
[0077] In this embodiment, the control circuit may comprise a
processor, a memory, an input/output module and a power supply
module (not specifically shown in the Figure). The processor may be
a CPU chip, the memory may be a memory chip, the input/output
module is for information input and output, and the power supply
module may comprise a charging circuit and a rechargeable battery.
Preferably, the charging circuit may be a wireless charging
circuit, and the rechargeable battery may be a lithium-ion battery,
a solar rechargeable battery or other types of rechargeable
battery. By using the wireless charging circuit in combination with
the rechargeable battery to power the multi-purpose conference
terminal, the need for power cables is eliminated, which makes the
multi-purpose conference terminal more portable. The input and
output module can be used in conjunction with a SD card or USB
interface, or it can be used in conjunction with a physical
keyboard or a virtual touch keyboard, allowing the multi-purpose
conference terminal to have a good information input function; the
input and output module can be used in conjunction with a display
device for video output, or it can be used in conjunction with a
speaker for audio output. The control circuit can also be used in
conjunction with a voter, a call service module, an identity
module, a camera, a simultaneous interpretation module,
constituting a comprehensive conference terminal. The multi-purpose
conference terminal can interact with participants conveniently
through the input and output module.
[0078] The control circuit in the multi-purpose conference terminal
may comprise a communication module, and the multi-purpose
conference terminal may communicate with a mobile terminal of a
conference participant through the wireless communication module,
thus realizing communication between the multi-purpose conference
terminal and the mobile terminal.
[0079] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a
multi-purpose conference system in which the multi-purpose
conference terminal provided by this invention is applied. As shown
in FIG. 14, the multi-purpose conference system comprises: a
plurality of multiple-purpose conference terminal 19 and at least
one mobile terminal 20 of a conference participant corresponding to
one of the multi-purpose conference terminal 19. The multi-purpose
conference terminal 19 may be a multi-purpose conference terminal
provided in first embodiments, and will not be described in
detailed here. FIG. 14 shows a solution wherein each multi-purpose
conference terminal 5 corresponds to a mobile terminal 20. A
multi-purpose conference terminal may communicate with the
corresponding mobile terminal of the conference participant through
the wireless communication module 161 in its control circuit
16.
[0080] Preferably, between the multi-purpose conference terminals
19, instant communication may be performed. Specifically, between
the multi-purpose conference terminals 19, instant text
communication, instant voice communication or instant video
communication may be performed. The multi-purpose conference
terminal 19 may display information of all the participants of the
conference, and the conference participant using the multi-purpose
conference terminal 19 can find out a specific conference
participant from all the conference participants according to the
information of all the conference participants, and initiate
instant communication with the multi-purpose conference terminal 19
that corresponds to the specific conference participant.
[0081] Preferably, the multi-purpose conference system further
comprises: a main server 21 of the conference for sending commands
information or server information to the multi-purpose conference
terminals 19, and/or receiving data information from multi-purpose
conference terminals 19 and to process the data information, which
may be any type of information that needs to be processed by the
main server 21.
[0082] Preferably, the circuit module 16 of the multi-purpose
conference terminal 19 further comprises a guide signal module 30,
which is used to issue guide information to guide the conference
participant to take seat according to commands information sent by
the main server. The guide information may comprise response
information and/or display information. For example, the response
information may comprise a sound response or a light response, and
the display information may be the conference participant's name.
In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 20 of the conference
participant issues a request for guidance after communicating with
the main server; and the master server, after receiving the request
for guidance from the mobile terminal 20 of the conference
participant, issues commands information instructing the
multi-purpose conference terminal corresponding to the mobile
terminal 20 to perform guidance.
[0083] It is understandable that the implementation described above
is only exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the
invention, however the invention is not confined to this. For those
skilled in the art, variations and improvements can be made without
departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, and these
variations and improvements are also within the scope of protection
of the invention.
* * * * *