U.S. patent application number 15/809936 was filed with the patent office on 2018-06-14 for electronic device having bended display and method for controlling the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jungchul An, Seungbum Choi, Yonghwa Kim, Junghoon Park, Hyunwoo Sim, Dongil Son.
Application Number | 20180164850 15/809936 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60409146 |
Filed Date | 2018-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180164850 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sim; Hyunwoo ; et
al. |
June 14, 2018 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING BENDED DISPLAY AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING
THE SAME
Abstract
An electronic device having a bended display and a method for
controlling the same. The electronic device includes a front
display area and at least two separate side display areas that are
physically connected with at least one side of the front display
area and form a convex curved surface in at least one space between
the front and the rear of the electronic device. The electronic
device also includes and a non-display area that physically
connects at least two side display areas of the at least two
separate side display areas and forms a convex double curvature
surface in at least another space between the front and the rear of
the electronic device. The at least two physically connected side
display areas may be bent in directions so that an acute angle, a
right angle or an obtuse angle is formed.
Inventors: |
Sim; Hyunwoo; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Kim; Yonghwa; (Hwaseong-si, KR) ; Park;
Junghoon; (Incheon, KR) ; An; Jungchul;
(Yongin-si, KR) ; Choi; Seungbum; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Son; Dongil; (Hwaseong-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Suwon-si |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
60409146 |
Appl. No.: |
15/809936 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/165 20130101;
H04M 2250/16 20130101; G06F 2200/1614 20130101; G06F 1/1626
20130101; G09G 2340/0492 20130101; G09G 2354/00 20130101; H04M
1/0268 20130101; G09G 5/14 20130101; G06F 1/1652 20130101; G06F
1/1647 20130101; G09G 2360/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16; G09G 5/14 20060101 G09G005/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 8, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0166941 |
Claims
1. An electronic device comprising: a front display area; at least
two separate side display areas that are physically connected with
at least one side of the front display area and form a convex
curved surface in at least one space between the front and a rear
of the electronic device; and a non-display area that physically
connects adjacent two side display areas among the at least two
separate side display areas and forms a convex double curvature
surface in at least another space between the front and the rear of
the electronic device, wherein the adjacent two side display areas
are bent in directions and form at least one of an acute angle, a
right angle or an obtuse angle.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least two
separate side display areas include side display areas bent in
opposite directions and side display areas bent in directions
perpendicular to each other.
3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one display
area among the front display area and the at least two separate
side display areas includes an external interface.
4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the external interface
includes at least one of a USB terminal, a microphone hole, a
speaker hole, a key button, and an earphone interface.
5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the front display area
includes a plurality of fine holes in at least one space.
6. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising at least
one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a sensor at a
position corresponding to the fine holes.
7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the front display area
is connected with one of the at least two separate side display
areas and a physically separate space is included there
between.
8. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising at least
one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a sensor at a
position corresponding to the physically separate space.
9. An electronic device comprising: a display; and at least one
display driver chip (DDI) to drive the display, wherein the display
includes a transparent window enclosing a front and at least a
portion of the lateral side of the electronic device, a
three-dimensional film of a shape corresponding to the shape of the
transparent window, and a flexible panel including a front display
area and at least two separate side display areas, wherein adjacent
two side display areas among the at least two separate side display
areas are bent in directions and form at least one of an acute
angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle.
10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional
film includes a region corresponding to a display area and a region
corresponding to a non-display area and the regions are marked to
visually distinguished from each other.
11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the region of the
three-dimensional film corresponding to a display area is
transparent, and the region corresponding to a non-display area is
at least opaque.
12. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising at least
one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a sensor.
13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the speaker or the
microphone includes a piezo element that converts electric
vibrations into sound waves.
14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the camera is
included in the flexible panel.
15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the display includes
a plurality of fine holes in at least one region, and wherein at
least one of the speaker, the microphone, the camera, and the
sensor is disposed close to a position corresponding to the fine
holes.
16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the display includes
a physically separate space between the front display area and one
of the at least two separate side display areas, and wherein at
least one of the speaker, the microphone, the camera, and the
sensor is disposed close to a position corresponding to the
physically separate space.
17. A method for an electronic device including a front display
area and at least two separate side display areas to control the
display areas, the method comprising: receiving an input for
setting a display mode; and controlling each display area to
display specific content according to the display mode set by the
received input.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprises: when the received
input sets a full vertical display mode, displaying one piece of
content is in both the front display area and at least one side
display area, and arranging the content on each of the display
areas where a long sides among the sides of the front display area
are parallel to a vertical direction of each of the display areas
displaying the content.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprises: when the received
input sets a full horizontal display mode, displaying one piece of
content in both the front display area and at least one side
display area, and arranging the content on each of the display
areas where a long sides among the sides of the front display area
are parallel to a horizontal direction of each of the display areas
displaying the content.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: when the received
input sets a stereoscopic effect mode, displaying on the front
display area a piece of content containing an object, and
displaying on the at least two separate side display areas, side
portions corresponding to the object displayed in the front display
area.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] The present application is related to and claims the benefit
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No.
10-2016-0166941 filed Dec. 8, 2016, the entire disclosure of which
is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device
having a bended display and a control method therefor. More
particularly, the present disclosure relates to an electronic
device including a front display area and at least two separate
side display areas, and a control method therefor.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Recent advances in digital technologies have enabled
development of various types of electronic devices that enable
users on the move to communicate and process personal information,
such as mobile communication terminals, personal digital assistants
(PDA), electronic schedulers, smartphones, and tablet personal
computers. Electronic devices have evolved into mobile convergence
devices supporting heterogeneous functions having originated from
distinct fields. For example, such an electronic device may support
various functions related to voice or video calls, text or
multimedia messages, electronic organizers, image capture,
electronic mail, broadcast reception, video playback, Internet
access, electronic commerce, music playback, schedule management,
social networking services (SNS), friend finder services,
messengers, and dictionaries.
[0004] As electronic devices support diverse functions, various
types of information are simultaneously generated. To visually
represent such electrical information signals, display technologies
are rapidly developing.
[0005] In recent years, there have been introduced flexible panels
that use flexible substrates made of flexible materials such as
plastic and are capable of maintaining display performance even
when bent like a sheet of paper.
[0006] Such a flexible panel may be used to form a bended display,
so that the outer edge area of an electronic device (i.e. bezel
area) can be reduced and the display area can be relatively
widened. This may raise the value of the product due to esthetics
and utility.
[0007] A double curvature surface may be formed at the connection
portion connecting separate bended displays bent in different
directions. For example, the connection portion connecting a bended
display bent toward the top side of the electronic device and a
bended display bent toward the right side thereof may have a double
curvature surface of negative Gaussian curvature given by the
product of two principal curvatures.
SUMMARY
[0008] To address the above-discussed deficiencies, it is a primary
object to provide a method of implementing an electronic device
having a double curvature surface by using a single flexible
panel.
[0009] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an electronic device. The electronic device may
include: a front display area; at least two separate side display
areas that are physically connected with at least one side of the
front display area and form a convex curved surface in at least one
space between the front and the rear of the electronic device; and
a non-display area that physically connects at least two side
display areas among the at least two separate side display areas
and forms a convex double curvature surface in at least another
space between the front and the rear of the electronic device,
wherein the at least two physically connected side display areas
are bent in directions so that an acute angle, a right angle or an
obtuse angle is formed.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an electronic device. The electronic device may
include: a display; and at least one display driver chip (DDI) to
drive the display. The display may include: a transparent window
enclosing the front and at least a portion of the lateral side of
the electronic device; a three-dimensional film having a shape
corresponding to the shape of the transparent window; and a
flexible panel including a front display area and at least two
separate side display areas. At least two side display areas among
the at least two separate side display areas may be bent in
directions so that an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle
is formed.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method for an electronic device including a
front display area and at least two separate side display areas to
control the display areas. The method may include: receiving an
input for setting a display mode; and controlling each display area
to display specific content according to the display mode set by
the received input.
[0012] In a feature of the present invention, there is provided an
electronic device that's all or at least a portion of the outer
edge region is implemented as a bended display.
[0013] In addition, the electronic device may provide various user
interfaces by utilizing at least a portion of a bended display
installed at the outer edge region of the display area.
[0014] Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be
advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases
used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and
"comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without
limitation; the term "or," is inclusive, meaning and/or; the
phrases "associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as
derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within,
interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or
with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with,
interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,
have a property of, or the like; and the term "controller" means
any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one
operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware
or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It
should be noted that the functionality associated with any
particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether
locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are
provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill
in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances,
such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such
defined words and phrases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure
and its advantages, reference is now made to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which like reference numerals represent like parts:
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment including
electronic devices according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0018] FIGS. 3A to 3E illustrate the appearance of an electronic
device according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of a display according to
various embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method for manufacturing
a display according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a thermoforming process that shapes a
flat film into a three-dimensional film according to various
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a process of laminating a
three-dimensional film on a transparent window according to various
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0023] FIG. 8 illustrates a process of laminating a flexible panel
on a transparent window on which a three-dimensional film is
laminated according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 9 illustrates a flexible panel in a wide quad high
definition (WQHD) environment according to various embodiments of
the present disclosure;
[0025] FIGS. 10 to 13 illustrate an electronic device including
electronic components according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 14 illustrates a flowchart of a method for controlling
display areas of the electronic device according to various
embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0027] FIGS. 15 to 20 illustrate display modes according to various
embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] FIGS. 1 through 20, discussed below, and the various
embodiments used to describe the principles of the present
disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only
and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the
disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the
principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any
suitably arranged electronic device.
[0029] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present
specification will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings. However, it should be understood that there is no intent
to limit the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed
herein; rather, the present disclosure should be construed to cover
various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of
embodiments of the present disclosure. In describing the drawings,
similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar
constituent elements.
[0030] As used herein, the expression "have", "may have",
"include", or "may include" refers to the existence of a
corresponding feature (e.g., numeral, function, operation, or
constituent element such as component), and does not exclude one or
more additional features.
[0031] In the present disclosure, the expression "A or B", "at
least one of A or/and B", or "one or more of A or/and B" may
include all possible combinations of the items listed. For example,
the expression "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least
one of A or B" refers to all of (1) including at least one A, (2)
including at least one B, or (3) including all of at least one A
and at least one B.
[0032] The expression "a first", "a second", "the first", or "the
second" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may
modify various components regardless of the order and/or the
importance but does not limit the corresponding components. For
example, a first user device and a second user device indicate
different user devices although both of them are user devices. For
example, a first element may be termed a second element, and
similarly, a second element may be termed a first element without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0033] It should be understood that when an element (e.g., first
element) is referred to as being (operatively or communicatively)
"connected," or "coupled," to another element (e.g., second
element), it may be directly connected or coupled directly to the
other element or any other element (e.g., third element) may be
interposer between them. In contrast, it may be understood that
when an element (e.g., first element) is referred to as being
"directly connected," or "directly coupled" to another element
(second element), there are no element (e.g., third element)
interposed between them.
[0034] The expression "configured to" used in the present
disclosure may be exchanged with, for example, "suitable for",
"having the capacity to", "designed to", "adapted to", "made to",
or "capable of" according to the situation. The term "configured
to" may not necessarily imply "specifically designed to" in
hardware. Alternatively, in some situations, the expression "device
configured to" may mean that the device, together with other
devices or components, "is able to". For example, the phrase
"processor adapted (or configured) to perform A, B, and C" may mean
a dedicated processor (e.g. embedded processor) only for performing
the corresponding operations or a generic-purpose processor (e.g.,
central processing unit (CPU) or application processor (AP)) that
can perform the corresponding operations by executing one or more
software programs stored in a memory device.
[0035] The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to
describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the
present disclosure. As used herein, singular forms may include
plural forms as well unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein,
including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as
those commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which
the present disclosure pertains. Such terms as those defined in a
generally used dictionary may be interpreted to have the meanings
equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and
are not to be interpreted to have ideal or excessively formal
meanings unless clearly defined in the present disclosure. In some
cases, even the term defined in the present disclosure should not
be interpreted to exclude embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0036] In this disclosure, an electronic device may be a device
that involves a communication function. For example, an electronic
device may be a smart phone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a
mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a
laptop PC, a netbook computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant),
a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), an MP3 player, a portable
medical device, a digital camera, or a wearable device (e.g., an
HMD (Head-Mounted Device) such as electronic glasses, electronic
clothes, an electronic bracelet, an electronic necklace, an
electronic accessory, an electronic tattoo, a smart mirror, or a
smart watch).
[0037] According to another embodiment, the electronic device may
include at least one of various medical devices (e.g., various
portable medical measuring devices (a blood glucose monitoring
device, a heart rate monitoring device, a blood pressure measuring
device, a body temperature measuring device, etc.), a Magnetic
Resonance Angiography (MRA), a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a
Computed Tomography (CT) machine, and an ultrasonic machine), a
navigation device, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an
Event Data Recorder (EDR), a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a Vehicle
Infotainment Devices, an electronic devices for a ship (e.g., a
navigation device for a ship, and a gyro-compass), avionics,
security devices, an automotive head unit, a robot for home or
industry, an automatic teller's machine (ATM) in banks, point of
sales (POS) in a shop, or internet device of things (e.g., a light
bulb, various sensors, electric or gas meter, a sprinkler device, a
fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlamp, a toaster, a sporting
goods, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, etc.)
[0038] According to some embodiments, an electronic device may be
furniture or part of a building or construction having a
communication function, an electronic board, an electronic
signature receiving device, a projector, or various measuring
instruments (e.g., a water meter, an electric meter, a gas meter, a
wave meter, etc.). An electronic device disclosed herein may be one
of the above-mentioned devices or any combination thereof.
[0039] Hereinafter, an electronic device according to various
embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings. As used herein, the term "user" may indicate a person who
uses an electronic device or a device (e.g., an artificial
intelligence electronic device) that uses an electronic device.
[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment including an
electronic device according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 101, in a network
environment 100, includes a bus 110, a processor 120, a memory 130,
an input/output interface 150, a display 160, and a communication
interface 170. According to some embodiment, the electronic device
101 may omit at least one of the components or further include
another component.
[0042] The bus 110 may be a circuit connecting the above described
components and transmitting communication (e.g., a control message)
between the above described components.
[0043] The processor 120 may include one or more of central
processing unit (CPU), application processor (AP) or communication
processor (CP). For example, the processor 120 may control at least
one component of the electronic device 101 and/or execute
calculation relating to communication or data processing.
[0044] The memory 130 may include volatile and/or non-volatile
memory. For example, the memory 130 may store command or data
relating to at least one component of the electronic device 101.
According to some embodiment, the memory may store software and/or
program 140. For example, the program 140 may include a kernel 141,
middleware 143, an application programming interface (API) 145,
and/or an application 147 and so on. At least one portion of the
kernel 141, the middleware 143 and the API 145 may be defined as
operating system (OS).
[0045] The kernel 141 controls or manages system resources (e.g.,
the bus 110, the processor 120, or the memory 130) used for
executing an operation or function implemented by the remaining
other program, for example, the middleware 143, the API 145, or the
application 147. Further, the kernel 141 provides an interface for
accessing individual components of the electronic device 101 from
the middleware 143, the API 145, or the application 147 to control
or manage the components.
[0046] The middleware 143 performs a relay function of allowing the
API 145 or the application 147 to communicate with the kernel 141
to exchange data. Further, in operation requests received from the
application 147, the middleware 143 performs a control for the
operation requests (e.g., scheduling or load balancing) by using a
method of assigning a priority, by which system resources (e.g.,
the bus 110, the processor 120, the memory 130 and the like) of the
electronic device 101 may be used, to the application 147.
[0047] The API 145 is an interface by which the application 147 may
control a function provided by the kernel 141 or the middleware 142
and includes, for example, at least one interface or function
(e.g., command) for a file control, a window control, image
processing, or a character control.
[0048] The input/output interface 150 may be interface to transmit
command or data inputted by a user or another external device to
another component(s) of the electronic device 101. Further, the
input/output interface 150 may output the command or data received
from the another component(s) of the electronic device 101 to the
user or the another external device.
[0049] The display 160 may include, for example, liquid crystal
display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED), organic LED (OLED), or
micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) display, or electronic paper
display. The display 160 may display, for example, various contents
(text, image, video, icon, or symbol, and so on) to a user. The
display 160 may include a touch screen, and receive touch, gesture,
approaching, or hovering input using a part of body of the
user.
[0050] The communication interface 170 may set communication of the
electronic device 101 and external device (e.g., a first external
device 102, a second external device 104, or a server 106). For
example, the communication interface 170 may be connected with the
network 162 through wireless communication or wire communication
and communicate with the external device (e.g., a second external
device 104 or server 106).
[0051] Wireless communication may use, as cellular communication
protocol, at least one of LTE (long-term evolution), LTE-A (LTE
Advance), CDMA (code division multiple access), WCDMA (wideband
CDMA), UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system), WiBro
(Wireless Broadband), GSM (Global System for Mobile
Communications), and the like, for example. A short-range
communication 164 may include, for example, at least one of Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS), and the like.
[0052] The GNSS may include at least one of, for example, a Global
Positioning System (GPS), a Global navigation satellite system
(GLONASS), a Beidou Navigation Satellite System (hereinafter,
referred to as "BEIDOU"), and GALILEO (European global
satellite-based navigation system). Hereinafter, the "GPS" may be
interchangeably used with the "GNSS" in the present disclosure.
Wired communication may include, for example, at least one of USB
(universal serial bus), HDMI (high definition multimedia
interface), RS-232 (recommended standard-232), POTS (plain old
telephone service), and the like. The network 162 may include
telecommunication network, for example, at least one of a computer
network (e.g., LAN or WAN), internet, and a telephone network.
[0053] Each of the first external device 102 and the second
external device 104 may be same type or different type of device
with the electronic device 101. According to some embodiment, the
server 106 may include one or more group of servers. According to
various embodiments, at least one portion of executions executed by
the electronic device may be performed by one or more electronic
devices (e.g., external electronic device 102, 104, or server 106).
According to some embodiments, when the electronic device 101
should perform a function or service automatically, the electronic
device 101 may request performing of at least one function to the
another device (e.g., external electronic device 102, 104, or
server 106). For the above, cloud computing technology, distributed
computing technology, or client-server computing technology may be
used, for example.
[0054] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device 201 may configure,
for example, a whole or a part of the electronic device 101
illustrated in FIG. 1. The electronic device 201 includes one or
more APs 210, a communication module 220, a subscriber
identification module (SIM) card 224, a memory 230, a sensor module
240, an input device 250, a display 260, an interface 270, an audio
module 280, a camera module 291, a power managing module 295, a
battery 296, an indicator 297, and a motor 298.
[0056] The AP 210 operates an OS or an application program so as to
control a plurality of hardware or software component elements
connected to the AP 210 and execute various data processing and
calculations including multimedia data. The AP 210 may be
implemented by, for example, a system on chip (SoC). According to
an embodiment, the processor 210 may further include a graphics
processing unit (GPU) and/or image signal processor. The AP 210 may
include at least one portion of components illustrated in FIG. 2
(e.g., a cellular module 221). The AP 210 may load command or data
received from at least one of another component (e.g., non-volatile
memory), store various data in the non-volatile memory.
[0057] The communication module 220 may include same or similar
components with the communication interface 170 of FIG. 1. The
communication module 220, for, example, may include the cellular
module 221, a Wi-Fi module 223, a BT module 225, a GPS module 227,
a NFC module 228, and a radio frequency (RF) module 229.
[0058] The cellular module 221 provides a voice, a call, a video
call, a short message service (SMS), or an internet service through
a communication network (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS,
WiBro, GSM and the like). Further, the cellular module 221 may
distinguish and authenticate electronic devices within a
communication network by using a SIM (e.g., the SIM card 224).
According to an embodiment, the cellular module 221 performs at
least some of the functions which may be provided by the AP 210.
For example, the cellular module 221 may perform at least some of
the multimedia control functions. According to an embodiment, the
cellular module 221 may include a CP.
[0059] Each of the Wi-Fi module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS
module 227, and the NFC module 228 may include, for example, a
processor for processing data transmitted/received through the
corresponding module. Although the cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi
module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS module 227, and the NFC
module 228 are at least some (e.g., two or more) of the cellular
module 221, the Wi-Fi module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS module
227, and the NFC module 228 may be included in one integrated chip
(IC) or one IC package according to one embodiment. For example, at
least some (e.g., the CP corresponding to the cellular module 221
and the Wi-Fi processor corresponding to the Wi-Fi module 222 of
the processors corresponding to the cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi
module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS module 227, and the NFC
module 228 may be implemented by one SoC.
[0060] The RF module 229 transmits/receives data, for example, an
RF signal. Although not illustrated, the RF module 229 may include,
for example, a transceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency
filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA) and the like. Further, the RF
module 229 may further include a component for
transmitting/receiving electronic waves over a free air space in
wireless communication, for example, a conductor, a conducting
wire, and the like. Although the cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi
module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS module 227, and the NFC
module 228 share one RF module 229 in FIG. 2, at least one of the
cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi module 223, the BT module 225, the
GPS module 227, and the NFC module 228 may transmit/receive an RF
signal through a separate RF module according to one
embodiment.
[0061] The SIM card 224 is a card including a SIM and may be
inserted into a slot formed in a particular portion of the
electronic device. The SIM card 224 includes unique identification
information (e.g., integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID)) or
subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber
identity (IMSI).
[0062] The memory 230 (e.g., memory 130) may include an internal
memory 232 or an external memory 234. The internal memory 232 may
include, for example, at least one of a volatile memory (e.g., a
random access memory (RAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a static RAM
(SRAM), a synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), and the like), and a
non-volatile Memory (e.g., a read only memory (ROM), a one time
programmable ROM (OTPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable
and programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable and
programmable ROM (EEPROM), a mask ROM, a flash ROM, a not and
(NAND) flash memory, a not or (NOR) flash memory, and the
like).
[0063] According to an embodiment, the internal memory 232 may be a
solid state drive (SSD). The external memory 234 may further
include a flash drive, for example, a compact flash (CF), a secure
digital (SD), a micro-SD, a mini-SD, an extreme digital (xD), or a
memory stick. The external memory 234 may be functionally connected
to the electronic device 201 through various interfaces. According
to an embodiment, the electronic device 201 may further include a
storage device (or storage medium) such as a hard drive.
[0064] The sensor module 240 measures a physical quantity or
detects an operation state of the electronic device 201, and
converts the measured or detected information to an electronic
signal. The sensor module 240 may include, for example, at least
one of a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, an atmospheric
pressure (barometric) sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an
acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor
240G, a color sensor 240H (e.g., red, green, and blue (RGB) sensor)
240H, a biometric sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J,
an illumination (light) sensor 240K, and a ultraviolet (UV) sensor
240M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 240 may
include, for example, an E-nose sensor, an electromyography (EMG)
sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram
(ECG) sensor, an photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor, an infrared (IR)
sensor, an iris sensor, a fingerprint sensor (not illustrated), and
the like. The sensor module 240 may further include a control
circuit for controlling one or more sensors included in the sensor
module 240.
[0065] The input device 250 includes a touch panel 252, a (digital)
pen sensor 254, a key 256, and an ultrasonic input device 258. For
example, the touch panel 252 may recognize a touch input in at
least one type of a capacitive type, a resistive type, an infrared
type, and an acoustic wave type. The touch panel 252 may further
include a control circuit. In the capacitive type, the touch panel
252 may recognize proximity as well as a direct touch. The touch
panel 252 may further include a tactile layer. In this event, the
touch panel 252 provides a tactile reaction to the user.
[0066] The (digital) pen sensor 254 may be implemented, for
example, using a method identical or similar to a method of
receiving a touch input of the user, or using a separate
recognition sheet. The key 256 may include, for example, a physical
button, an optical key, or a key pad. The ultrasonic input device
258 is a device which may detect an acoustic wave by a microphone
(e.g., a microphone 288) of the electronic device 201 through an
input means generating an ultrasonic signal to identify data and
may perform wireless recognition. According to an embodiment, the
electronic device 201 receives a user input from an external device
(e.g., computer or server) connected to the electronic device 201
by using the communication module 220.
[0067] The display 260 (e.g., display 160) includes a panel 262, a
hologram device 264, and a projector 266. The panel 262 may be, for
example, a LCD or an active matrix OLED (AM-OLED). The panel 262
may be implemented to be, for example, flexible, transparent, or
wearable. The panel 262 may be configured by the touch panel 252
and one module. The hologram device 264 shows a stereoscopic image
in the air by using interference of light. The projector 266
projects light on a screen to display an image. For example, the
screen may be located inside or outside the electronic device 201.
According to an embodiment, the display 260 may further include a
control circuit for controlling the panel 262, the hologram device
264, and the projector 266.
[0068] The interface 270 includes, for example, a HDMI 272, an USB
274, an optical interface 276, and a D-subminiature (D-sub) 278.
The interface 270 may be included in, for example, the
communication interface 170 illustrated in FIG. 1. Additionally or
alternatively, the interface 270 may include, for example, a mobile
high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD card/multi-media card
(MMC), or an infrared data association (IrDA) standard
interface.
[0069] The audio module 280 bi-directionally converts a sound and
an electronic signal. At least some components of the audio module
280 may be included in, for example, the input/output interface 150
illustrated in FIG. 1. The audio module 280 processes sound
information input or output through, for example, a speaker 282, a
receiver 284, an earphone 286, the microphone 288 and the like.
[0070] The camera module 291 is a device which may photograph a
still image and a video. According to an embodiment, the camera
module 291 may include one or more image sensors (e.g., a front
sensor or a back sensor), an image signal processor (ISP) (not
shown) or a flash (e.g., an LED or xenon lamp).
[0071] The power managing module 295 manages power of the
electronic device 201. Although not illustrated, the power managing
module 295 may include, for example, a power management integrated
circuit (PMIC), a charger IC, or a battery or fuel gauge.
[0072] The PMIC may be mounted to, for example, an integrated
circuit or a SoC semiconductor. A charging method may be divided
into wired and wireless methods. The charger IC charges a battery
and prevent over voltage or over current from flowing from a
charger. According to an embodiment, the charger IC includes a
charger IC for at least one of the wired charging method and the
wireless charging method. The wireless charging method may include,
for example, a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction
method and an electromagnetic wave method, and additional circuits
for wireless charging, for example, circuits such as a coil loop, a
resonant circuit, a rectifier and the like may be added.
[0073] The battery fuel gauge measures, for example, a remaining
quantity of the battery 296, or a voltage, a current, or a
temperature during charging. The battery 296 may store or generate
electricity and supply power to the electronic device 201 by using
the stored or generated electricity. The battery 296 may include a
rechargeable battery or a solar battery.
[0074] The indicator 297 shows particular statuses of the
electronic device 201 or a part (e.g., AP 210) of the electronic
device 201, for example, a booting status, a message status, a
charging status and the like. The motor 298 converts an electrical
signal to a mechanical vibration. Although not illustrated, the
electronic device 201 may include a processing unit (e.g., GPU) for
supporting a module TV. The processing unit for supporting the
mobile TV may process, for example, media data according to a
standard of digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital video
broadcasting (DVB), media flow and the like.
[0075] Each of the components of the electronic device according to
various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by
one or more components and the name of the corresponding component
may vary depending on a type of the electronic device. The
electronic device according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure may include at least one of the above described
components, a few of the components may be omitted, or additional
components may be further included. Also, some of the components of
the electronic device according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure may be combined to form a single entity, and
thus may equivalently execute functions of the corresponding
components before being combined.
[0076] FIGS. 3A to 3E illustrate the appearance of an electronic
device 300 according to various embodiments.
[0077] FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the electronic device
300. In various embodiments, the electronic device 300 may include
various electronic components and a housing for protecting them.
The housing may include a front side, a rear side facing the front
side, and lateral sides (e.g. top side, bottom side, left side, and
right side) surrounding the space formed between the front side and
the rear side to form the appearance of the electronic device 300.
At least a portion of the housing may be composed of a display. For
example, the front side and/or lateral sides of the electronic
device 300 may be enclosed by displays, or the front side, lateral
sides and rear side of the electronic device 300 may be enclosed by
displays.
[0078] In various embodiments, the display may include a display
area and a non-display area. The display area indicates an area of
the display for actually displaying an image, and the non-display
area 360 indicates an area of the display excluding the display
area. The non-display area 360 may be used to mount, for example,
various driving circuits, antennas or coils, and external
interfaces for connecting to external circuits or external
electronic devices. In one embodiment, the non-display area 360 may
further include an opaque mechanism for distinguishing it from the
display area.
[0079] FIG. 3B shows a front view of the electronic device 300. In
various embodiments, the front and lateral sides of the electronic
device 300 may be enclosed by displays. The lateral sides of the
electronic device 300 may be enclosed by bended displays, which are
bendable to have a given curvature. For example, when the
electronic device 300 is viewed from the front, at least a part of
the side display area can be seen as well as the front display
area. Although not shown, when the electronic device 300 is viewed
from the back, at least a portion of the side display area as well
as the rear of the electronic device 300 can be seen due to the
curvature of the side display area.
[0080] With reference to FIG. 3B, the electronic device 300 may
include a front display area 310 having four sides. A bended
display may be physically connected to at least one of the four
sides of the front display area 310 so as to extend in the lateral
direction of the electronic device in a bent form. The bended
displays connected respectively to the individual sides may be
divided into a top-side display area 320, a bottom-side display
area 340, a left-side display area 330, and a right-side display
area 350 with respect to the front of the electronic device 300.
The side display areas may operate independently and may display
different screens. For example, while the front display area 310
displays specific content, at least one side display area may
display an icon capable of executing an application. At the same
time, another at least one side display area may display a control
button for controlling the content displayed in the front display
area 310. At the same time, another at least one side display area
may display a toolbar for a particular situation. At the same time,
another at least one side display area may display a notification
for a received message, call or latest news.
[0081] FIGS. 3C and 3D show a side view of the electronic device
300. With reference to FIG. 3C, the top-side display area may be
composed of a bended display, which is bendable to have a given
curvature. Although the entire top side of the electronic device
300 is shown in FIG. 3C as being covered with the top-side display
area, only a part of the top side may be covered with a banded
display and the remaining part thereof may be filled with specific
mechanisms (the same applies to the bottom-side display).
[0082] In various embodiments, the side display areas, which are
bent in different directions, may be physically connected through
the non-display areas 360. For example, the non-display area 360
between the left-side display area 330 and the top-side display
area 320 has a double curvature and is curved in two directions to
form a corner portion of the electronic device 300 by physically
connecting the two side display areas.
[0083] With reference to FIG. 3D, like the top-side display area
320, the right-side display area 350 may be composed of a bended
display, which is bendable to have a given curvature. Similarly to
the top-side display area 320, the right-side display area 350 may
be configured to fully or partially cover the right side of the
electronic device 300 (the same applies to the left-side display).
That is, some of the side display areas may be configured to fully
cover their corresponding sides, and the remaining side display
areas may be configured to partially cover their corresponding
sides.
[0084] FIG. 3E illustrates a side display area including external
interfaces. The external interfaces 370 may be an external path of
an electronic component (e.g. speaker (receiver), microphone,
camera, or sensor) included in the electronic device, or a path for
connecting to an external device. The external interfaces 370 may
include, for example, a USB terminal, a microphone hole, a speaker
hole, a key button, and an earphone interface. To accommodate the
external interface 370, at least a portion of the side display area
corresponding to the external interface 370 may be cut. Although
FIG. 3E shows only external interfaces 370 included in one side
display area, the front display area may also include external
interfaces similarly to the side display area.
[0085] In various embodiments, the display area including an
external interface may operate in the same way as the display area
not including an external interface. For example, content can be
displayed and a touch can be detected and recognized as an input in
the same manner.
[0086] FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of a display according to
various embodiments.
[0087] In various embodiments, the display may include a
transparent window 410, a three-dimensional film 420, and a
flexible panel 430.
[0088] The transparent window 410 may be configured to enclose, for
example, the front and at least some of the lateral sides of the
housing of the electronic device. The transparent window 410 may
protect electronic components inside the electronic device by
dispersing or absorbing the pressure applied from the inside and
the outside. The transparent window 410 may be made of a
transparent material (e.g. glass or plastic) so that the electrical
information signal displayed on the flexible panel 430 can be
recognized from the outside.
[0089] The three-dimensional film 420 may have a three-dimensional
shape corresponding to, for example, the shape of the transparent
window 410. The three-dimensional film 420 may be fabricated by
molding a flat film into a shape corresponding to the transparent
window 410, to which the three-dimensional film 420 will be
laminated. The three-dimensional film 420 may be made of a plastic
transparent film that is excellent in impact resistance and light
in weight. The three-dimensional film 420 may be made of a
thermoplastic polymer resin such as polycarbonate (PC), polyimide
(PI), polyethersulfone (PES), polyarylate (PAR), polyethylene
naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or cycloolefin
copolymer, or a thermosetting polymer resin such as epoxy or
unsaturated polyester.
[0090] The three-dimensional film 420 may be divided into a display
area and a non-display area. For example, the portion of the
three-dimensional film 420 corresponding to the flexible panel 430
(e.g. display area) may be substantially transparent, and the
portion corresponding to the non-display area may be at least
opaque. However, the entire three-dimensional film 420 may be
transparent.
[0091] The flexible panel 430 may include, for example, a flat
display device to maintain a flat shape. The flat display device
may include a liquid crystal display device (LCD), plasma display
panel device (PDP), field emission display device (FED), electro
luminescence display device (ELD), electro-wetting display device
(EWD), or organic light emitting display device (OLED). In
particular, such a flat display device may include a flexible
substrate made of a flexible material such as plastic. The flexible
panel 430 may include a front display area and at least two
separate side display areas in accordance with the electronic
device having a double curvature surface.
[0092] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a
display according to various embodiments.
[0093] With reference to FIG. 5, at operation 510, a flat film may
be molded into a three-dimensional film in accordance with the
shape of the transparent window.
[0094] FIG. 6 illustrates a thermoforming process that shapes a
flat film into a three-dimensional film according to various
embodiments.
[0095] When the flat film is directly laminated on the transparent
window having a double curvature surface, there may be a problem
that a part of the flat film is lifted or bubbles are generated.
Hence, the flat film needs to be shaped into a three-dimensional
film corresponding to the shape of the transparent window having a
double curvature surface. A thermoforming or vacuum forming
technique can be used to shape a flat film into a three-dimensional
film. Thermoforming is used in FIG. 6.
[0096] With reference to FIG. 6, at step (a), a flat film 630
prepared in advance may be located between the upper mold 610 and
the lower mold 620. In one embodiment, the flat film 630 may be
sufficiently preheated before step (a) so as to prevent ripping and
folding due to the compression of the mold. At step (b), the upper
mold 610 and the lower mold 620 can be compressed to shape the flat
film 630. During this time, sufficient heat can be supplied to
allow the flat film 630 to be freely deformed. At step (c), the
upper mold 610 and the lower mold 620 may be released for
decompression to obtain a film having a fixed three-dimensional
shape.
[0097] With reference back to FIG. 5, at operation 520, the molded
three-dimensional film may be laminated on the transparent
window.
[0098] FIG. 7 illustrates a process of laminating a
three-dimensional film on a transparent window according to various
embodiments.
[0099] With reference to FIG. 7, at step (a), the transparent
window 740 may be positioned at the upper mold 710 and the molded
three-dimensional film 730 may be positioned at the lower silicone
pad 720. At step (b), the upper mold 710 and the lower silicone pad
720 may be compressed so that the molded three-dimensional film 730
is completely laminated on the transparent window 740. The lower
silicone pad 720 fills the empty space when the upper mold 710 is
compressed, assisting in complete lamination between the
transparent window 740 and the three-dimensional film 730.
[0100] With reference back to FIG. 5, at operation 530, the
flexible panel may be laminated on the transparent window in which
the three-dimensional film is laminated.
[0101] FIG. 8 illustrates a process of laminating a flexible panel
on a transparent window in which a three-dimensional film is
laminated according to various embodiments.
[0102] With reference to FIG. 8, at step (a), the transparent
window 840 in which the three-dimensional film 830 is laminated may
be positioned at the upper mold 810 and the flexible panel 850 may
be positioned at the lower silicone pad 820. At step (b), the upper
mold 810 and the lower silicone pad 820 may be compressed so that
the flexible panel 850 is laminated on the transparent window 840
in which the three-dimensional film 830 is laminated. As in the
case of FIG. 7, the lower silicone pad 820 fills the empty space
when the upper mold 810 is compressed, assisting in complete
lamination between the transparent window 840, the
three-dimensional film 830, and the flexible panel 850.
[0103] FIG. 9 illustrates a flexible panel in a wide quad high
definition (WQHD) environment according to various embodiments.
[0104] As shown in part (a) of FIG. 9, a flexible panel in the WQHD
environment may be fabricated based on the standard resolution
(2560*1440). The flexible panel may have a substantially
rectangular front display area 910. To manufacture an electronic
device having a front display area with curved corners, the front
display area 910 having a substantially rectangular shape may be
extended by a given length (e.g. 100 pixels) in directions
perpendicular to the sides thereof. By processing the adjacent
edges of each side extended in the vertical direction in a smoothly
curved shape, it is possible to manufacture a flexible panel
including the front display area 910 based on the standard
resolution (2560*1440). The flexible panel thus manufactured may
include at least one side display area extended from each side. For
example, the flexible panel may include at least one of the
top-side display area 920, the bottom-side display area 940, the
left-side display area 930, and the right-side display area 950,
which are physically connected to the front display area. The side
display areas may be extended by the same length (e.g. 100 pixels),
and may be extended by different lengths if necessary.
[0105] As shown in part (b) of FIG. 9, to fabricate a flexible
panel with curved corners based on the standard resolution
(2560*1440) in the WQHD environment, at least a portion of the
front display area 910' may be removed. For example, the edges of
the substantially rectangular front display area may be processed
to have a given curvature, so that some portions of the display
area may be removed. The flexible panel may include the front
display area 910' and at least two side display areas extended from
each side of the front display area 910'. For example, the flexible
panel may include at least one of the top-side display area 920',
the bottom-side display area 940', the left-side display area 930',
and the right-side display area 950', which are physically
connected to the front display area. These side display areas are
substantially the same as the side display areas described in part
(a) of FIG. 9.
[0106] The flexible panel shown in part (a) or (b) of FIG. 9 may be
driven by one display driver chip (DDI) 970 or 970' through an
interface 960 or 960'. For example, the front display area 910 or
910', the top-side display area 920 or 920', the bottom-side
display area 940 or 940', the left-side display area 930 or 930',
and the right-side display area 950 or 950' may be driven by the
same display driver chip so that they display different pieces of
content independently. Although not shown, the flexible panel may
be driven by at least two display driver chips, and different
display areas may be controlled by different display driver
chips.
[0107] FIGS. 10 to 13 illustrate an electronic device including
electronic components according to various embodiments.
[0108] FIG. 10 depicts an electronic device including an electronic
component 1040 (e.g. speaker (receiver), microphone, camera, and
sensor) without an external interface.
[0109] The electronic device 1000 without an external interface may
include, for example, a speaker (or receiver) and/or a microphone
including a piezo element (piezoelectric element). A piezo element
is an element that uses piezoelectric phenomena to convert electric
vibrations into sound waves. The speaker and microphone including a
piezo element may receive a sound signal from the outside of the
electronic device 1000 and output a sound signal to the outside
without use of an external interface.
[0110] The electronic device 1000 without an external interface may
include a camera and/or a sensor that may receive light from the
outside through a portion of, for example, the front display area
1010. Specifically, the camera and/or the sensor disposed adjacent
to the display area can receive light from the outside through the
display. For example, in the case of a transparent display, the
transparent display may receive light from the outside. In the case
of an opaque display, the pixel structure of the flexible panel
and/or the structure of the touch panel may be changed so that the
opaque display can receive light from the outside. As another
example, a camera and/or a sensor may be configured to be directly
included in the flexible panel (referred to as a panel-embedded
camera). The panel-embedded camera may be formed by including image
sensor pixels in at least a portion of the flexible panel. The
panel-embedded camera may be configured to receive light from the
outside of the electronic device 1000. These techniques are well
known to those skilled in the art, and a detailed description
thereof will be omitted.
[0111] As shown in FIG. 11, the display of an electronic device
1100 may include a plurality of fine holes 1150, and the electronic
device 1100 may include an electronic component 1140 (e.g. speaker
(receiver), microphone, camera, or sensor) at a position
corresponding to the fine holes 1150. The display including the
fine holes 1150 at a position corresponding to the electronic
component 1140 may utilize the fine holes 1150 as an external
interface. Here, a fine hole may refer to a small hole with a
diameter of 0.1mm or less. As the size of a fine hole is smaller,
the portion where fine holes are formed is recognized as similar to
the portion where fine holes are not formed, so that the whole
design can provide a sense of unity. That is, when a plurality of
fine holes 1150 are formed in a region corresponding to electronic
components 1140 (e.g. speaker (receiver), microphone, camera, and
sensor), the electronic components 1140 may input and output a
sound signal from and to the outside and receive light from the
outside through the fine holes 1150. The fine holes 1150 can serve
as an interface for connecting the inside and the outside of the
electronic device 1100.
[0112] As shown in FIG. 12, at least one display area of an
electronic device 1200 may be connected with at least another
display area so that a physically separate space 1250 is included
there between. For example, the side display area 1220 physically
connected with the front display area 1210 may include the
physically separate space 1250. The physically separate space 1250
can serve as an interface for connecting the inside and the outside
of the electronic device 1200. That is, when an electronic
component 1240 (e.g. speaker, camera, or sensor) is disposed close
to the physically separate space 1250, the electronic component
1240 may output a sound signal to the outside or receive light from
the outside through the physically separate space 1250. Hence, the
speaker and/or the camera may operate smoothly.
[0113] FIG. 13 shows a display area including an external interface
1310. The external interface 1310 may be an external path of an
electronic component (e.g. speaker (receiver), microphone, camera,
or sensor) included in the electronic device, or a path for
connecting to an external device. The external interface 1310 may
include, for example, a USB terminal, a microphone hole, a speaker
hole, or an earphone interface. The display area may further
include a key button 1320. To accommodate the external interface
1310 or the key button 1320, at least a portion of the display area
may be cut.
[0114] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the display area including an
external interface needs to be cut. For example, the display
process may further include a step of cutting for the external
interface after the steps shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, after the
flexible panel is laminated on the transparent window in which the
three-dimensional film is laminated, a step of forming fine holes
or a step of cutting at least a portion between physically
connected display areas may be included in addition. This cut
portion may be used as an external passage for an electronic
component, as a passage for connecting to an external device, and
as a region where a button key is to be mounted.
[0115] The methods described in FIGS. 10 to 13 may be applied in an
individual and selective manner, but the methods may also be
applied in an overlapping and simultaneous manner. They may be
applied in various ways in consideration of the aesthetics of the
electronic device and the performance of electronic components.
[0116] According to various embodiments, an electronic device may
include: a front display area; at least two separate side display
areas that are physically connected with at least one side of the
front display area and form a convex curved surface in at least one
space between the front and the rear of the electronic device; and
a non-display area that physically connects at least two side
display areas of the at least two separate side display areas and
forms a convex double curvature surface in at least another space
between the front and the rear of the electronic device, wherein
the at least two physically connected side display areas are bent
in directions so that an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse
angle is formed.
[0117] In one embodiment, the at least two separate side display
areas may each include side display areas curved in opposite
directions and side display areas curved in directions
perpendicular to each other.
[0118] In one embodiment, at least one display area among the front
display area and the at least two separate side display areas may
include an external interface.
[0119] In one embodiment, the external interface may include at
least one of a USB terminal, a microphone hole, a speaker hole, a
key button, and an earphone interface.
[0120] In one embodiment, the front display area may include a
plurality of fine holes in at least one space.
[0121] In one embodiment, the electronic device may include at
least one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a sensor at a
position corresponding to the fine holes.
[0122] In one embodiment, the front display area may be connected
with one of the at least two separate side display areas so that a
physically separate space is included there between.
[0123] In one embodiment, the electronic device may include at
least one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a sensor at a
position corresponding to the physically separate space.
[0124] According to various embodiments, an electronic device may
include: a display; and at least one display driver chip (DDI) to
drive the display, wherein the display may include a transparent
window enclosing the front and at least a portion of the lateral
side of the electronic device, a three-dimensional film having a
shape corresponding to the shape of the transparent window, and a
flexible panel including a front display area and at least two
separate side display areas, and wherein at least two side display
areas among the at least two separate side display areas are bent
in directions so that an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse
angle is formed.
[0125] In one embodiment, the three-dimensional film may be divided
into a region corresponding to a display area and a region
corresponding to a non-display area and the regions are marked so
that they can be visually distinguished from each other.
[0126] In one embodiment, the region of the three-dimensional film
corresponding to a display area may be transparent, and the region
corresponding to a non-display area may be at least opaque.
[0127] In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include
at least one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a
sensor.
[0128] In one embodiment, the speaker or the microphone may include
a piezo element that converts electric vibrations into sound
waves.
[0129] In one embodiment, the camera may be included in the
flexible panel.
[0130] In one embodiment, the display may include a plurality of
fine holes in at least one region, and at least one of the speaker,
the microphone, the camera, and the sensor may be disposed close to
a position corresponding to the fine holes.
[0131] In one embodiment, the display may include a physically
separate space between the front display area and one of the at
least two separate side display areas, and at least one of the
speaker, the microphone, the camera, and the sensor may be disposed
close to a position corresponding to the physically separate
space.
[0132] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for controlling display
areas of the electronic device according to various
embodiments.
[0133] The electronic device including a front display area and at
least two separate side display areas may separately control and
operate the individual display areas to display different screens.
For example, while the front display area displays specific
content, at least one side display area may display an icon capable
of executing an application. At the same time, another at least one
side display area may display a control button for controlling the
content displayed in the front display area. At the same time,
another at least one side display area may display a toolbar for a
particular situation. At the same time, another at least one side
display area may display a notification for a received message,
call or latest news.
[0134] With reference to FIG. 14, at operation 1410, the electronic
device may receive an input for setting the display mode.
[0135] The input for setting the display mode can be received in
various ways. For example, an input may be received from the user
to set the display mode. An input for setting the display mode may
be received based on the state of the electronic device. For
example, the state of the electronic device may be identified based
on a gyro sensor included in the electronic device, and an input
may be automatically generated to set the display mode appropriate
for the identified state. In addition, an input for setting the
display mode may be received when a specific event occurs. At
operation 1420, based on the received input, the electronic device
may control each display area to display specific content according
to the display mode.
[0136] In various embodiments, the electronic device may have a
substantially rectangular front display area. For example, the
length of the left side and the right side of the front display
area may be larger than the length of the upper side and the lower
side. Hence, content may be displayed in various ways according to
the display mode by using the rectangular front display area and
the at least two separate side display areas. For example, the
display mode may include at least one of horizontal display mode,
vertical display mode, full horizontal display mode, full vertical
display mode, and stereoscopic effect mode.
[0137] FIG. 15 illustrates the horizontal display mode according to
various embodiments. For an electronic device having a rectangular
front display area 1510, in the horizontal display mode, the
content 1520 is displayed on the screen so that the long sides
among the sides of the front display area 1510 are parallel to the
horizontal direction of the screen. For example, in the horizontal
display mode, when the front display area 1510 has a resolution of
1440*2560, the content may be displayed using 2560 pixels in the
horizontal direction and 1440 pixels in the vertical direction.
[0138] FIG. 16 illustrates the vertical display mode according to
various embodiments. For an electronic device having a rectangular
front display area 1610, in the vertical display mode, the content
1620 is displayed on the screen so that the long sides among the
sides of the front display area 1610 are parallel to the vertical
direction of the screen. For example, in the vertical display mode,
when the front display area 1610 has a resolution of 1440*2560, the
content may be displayed using 1440 pixels in the horizontal
direction and 2560 pixels in the vertical direction.
[0139] In various embodiments, the electronic device may utilize
the front display area and at least one of the side display areas
physically connected with the front display area as a single
display area. For example, in the horizontal display mode or
vertical display mode, content may be displayed in an expanded
display area obtained by extending the front display area by at
least one side display area physically connected with the front
display area.
[0140] FIG. 17 illustrates the full horizontal display mode
according to various embodiments. In the full horizontal display
mode, the front display area 1710 and at least one side display
area 1720 are used as a single display area on the basis of the
horizontal display mode.
[0141] With reference to FIG. 17, the electronic device including a
front display area 1710 having a resolution of 1440*2560 may
further include at least one side display area 1720 having a
resolution of 1440*200 extended toward the top side 1721 or the
bottom side 1722. Upon receiving an input for setting the full
horizontal display mode, the electronic device may display the
content 1730, which has been displayed in the front display area
1710 according to the horizontal display mode, in both the front
display area 1710 and the at least one side display area 1720. For
example, upon receiving an input for setting the full horizontal
display mode, the same content may be displayed by using the front
display area 1710, the top-side display area 1721, and the
bottom-side display area 1722 as a single display area. For
example, for the electronic device having the above resolution, one
piece of content can be displayed in one display area being 2960
pixels wide and 1440 pixels high. In another embodiment, upon
receiving an input for setting the full horizontal display mode,
the electronic device may display the content, which has been
displayed in the front display area according to the horizontal
display mode, in both the front display area 1710 and the side
display area (e.g. left-side display area 1723 or right-side
display area 1724) extended toward the left and right of the
electronic device.
[0142] FIG. 18 illustrates the full vertical display mode according
to various embodiments. In the full vertical display mode, the
front display area 1810 and at least one side display area 1820 are
used as a single display area on the basis of the vertical display
mode.
[0143] With reference to FIG. 18, the electronic device including a
front display area 1810 having a resolution of 1440*2560 may
further include at least one side display area 1820 having a
resolution of 200*2560 extended toward the left side 1823 or the
right side 1824. Upon receiving an input for setting the full
vertical display mode, the electronic device may display the
content 1830, which has been displayed in the front display area
1810 according to the vertical display mode, in both the front
display area 1810 and the at least one side display area 1820. For
example, for the electronic device having the above resolution, one
piece of content can be displayed in one display area being 1840
pixels wide and 2560 pixels high. In another embodiment, upon
receiving an input for setting the full vertical display mode, the
electronic device may display the content, which has been displayed
in the front display area according to the vertical display mode,
in both the front display area and the side display area (e.g.
top-side display area 1821 or right-side display area 1822)
extended toward the top and bottom of the electronic device.
[0144] FIG. 19 illustrates the full display mode according to
various embodiments. In the full display mode, the front display
area 1910 and all the side display areas 1920 are used as a single
display area.
[0145] In FIG. 19, for the full display mode, the electronic device
may display the content 1930, which has been displayed in the front
display area 1910, in both the front display area 1910 and all the
side display areas 1920. The full display mode can be used to give
various effects to the displayed content 1930. For example, when
the content 1930 includes an object, the object may be displayed in
the front display area 1910 and the shadow of the object may be
displayed in the side display areas 1920, thereby giving a feeling
of liveliness to the object. In another embodiment, the side
display areas 1920 can be used to represent the stereoscopic effect
or texture of an object.
[0146] FIG. 20 illustrates the stereoscopic effect mode according
to various embodiments. In the stereoscopic effect mode, an object
contained in the content may be displayed three-dimensionally based
on, for example, the full display mode.
[0147] As shown in FIG. 20, the side display areas 2020 can be used
to represent a three-dimensional effect of the object 2030. For
example, when the front display area 2010 displays the object 2030
(e.g. front 2031 of the object), the side display area 2020 may
display a side portion corresponding to the object 2030 (e.g. side
2023 or 2032 of the object), representing a three-dimensional
effect. In this way, a sense of depth, thickness, or texture of the
object 2030 can be represented. For example, the side display areas
2020 may be used to represent the texture of an object such as a
tree, glass or stone, and a sense of thickness of an object such as
paper or a book.
[0148] In various embodiments, when an object is displayed in the
front display area, to display the side portion corresponding to
the object in the side display area, the electronic device may
pre-store 3D data for the object or predict the side portion of the
object. Specifically, the electronic device can identify the
displayed object (e.g. type, species or gender), retrieve the
general shape for the identified object from a database, and
display the general shape in the side display areas. For example,
when an object displayed in the front display area is identified as
a male person, the electronic device may apply a general shape of a
male person to the object being displayed and control the side
display areas to display the side portion of the object, thereby
giving a three-dimensional feeling.
[0149] According to various embodiments, a method for an electronic
device including a front display area and at least two separate
side display areas to control the display areas may include:
receiving an input for setting the display mode; and controlling
each display area to display specific content according to the
display mode indicated by the received input.
[0150] In one embodiment, when the received input sets the full
vertical display mode, one piece of content is displayed in both
the front display area and at least one side display area, and the
content is arranged on the screen so that the long sides among the
sides of the front display area are parallel to the vertical
direction of the screen displaying the content.
[0151] In one embodiment, when the received input sets the full
horizontal display mode, one piece of content is displayed in both
the front display area and at least one side display area, and the
content is arranged on the screen so that the long sides among the
sides of the front display area are parallel to the horizontal
direction of the screen displaying the content.
[0152] In one embodiment, when the received input sets the
stereoscopic effect mode, the front display area is used to display
a piece of content containing an object and the at least two
separate side display areas are used to display a side portion
corresponding to the object displayed in the front display
area.
[0153] At least part of the method (e.g., operations) or devices
(e.g., modules or functions) according to various embodiments may
be implemented with instructions that can be conducted via various
types of computers and stored in computer-readable storage media,
as types of programming modules, for example. One or more
processors (e.g., processor 120) can execute command instructions,
thereby performing the functions. An example of the
computer-readable storage media may be memory 130.
[0154] Examples of computer-readable media include: magnetic media,
such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic media (e.g.,
magnetic tape); optical media such as Compact Disc Read Only Memory
(CD-ROM) disks and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD); magneto-optical
media, such as floptical disks; and hardware devices such as
read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory,
etc. Examples of program instructions include machine code
instructions created by assembly languages, such as a compiler, and
code instructions created by a high-level programming language
executable in computers using an interpreter, etc. The described
hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software
modules to perform the operations of various embodiments described
above, or vice versa.
[0155] Modules or programming modules according to various
embodiments may include one or more components, remove part of them
described above, or further include new components. The operations
performed by modules, programming modules, or other components,
according to various embodiments, may be executed in serial,
parallel, repetitive or heuristic fashion. Part of the operations
can be executed in any other order, skipped, or executed with
additional operations.
[0156] Although the present disclosure has been described with an
exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be
suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the
present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall
within the scope of the appended claims.
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