Abstract:
Embodiments of a deformable electronic visual display device and a deformable mobile computer having such a display device are disclosed. The basic electronic visual display device comprises a deformable display device, at least one control system, and a deformable housing containing the electronic components. In some embodiments, the deformable display device can have an adjustment means for the housing, additional sensors of various types, a wireless communication interface, and a wireless power supply. For independent use some embodiments of the deformable electronic visual display device can also comprise an electronic module including at least one processor and at least one data memory, and also at least one electrical energy storage device being contained in the deformable housing as well. This permits the deformable electronic display device to provide a broad range of functionalities and application possibilities, and to assume novel functionalities and applications.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the German Utility Model Application No. 20-2014-103-404.8, filed Jul. 23, 2014, and entitiled “Elektronische, visuelle Vorrichtung mit optischer Signalisierung, Steuerungssystem and Gehäuse”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present application relates generally to deformable display devices, deformable housings or cases containing said deformable display devices, and stationary and portable computing devices with such a display and housing. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    People are using various types of devices with display devices having various dimensions, such as a television set, a stationary all-in-one desktop computer system, and a mobile computer system, to view content and to carry out arbitrary tasks for various personal and professional reasons. The typical device is flat and rigid, and the display is either vertically standing, horizontally lying, or being held at an angle. But such devices are not bound to a flat shape and a rigid housing or case. For example, one direction of technological development are deformable devices, which can be flexed, folded, rolled, bent, twisted, stretched, or deformed in other ways. 
         [0006]    Some devices have been proposed and researched that provide deformable user interfaces, which allow other ways of interaction with the devices and the content presented on the devices&#39; displays by bending, twisting, stretching, and by other such deforming ways. However, despite all the advantages these user interfaces and related deformable devices have not found their way into everyday applications yet. A reason might be that only non-functional design concepts for marketing activities and functional prototypes for conducting related experiments of such deformable devices have been presented, but no complete marketable product with a device housing made of an elastic polymer or elastomer. 
         [0007]    In the research project “Gummi: A User Interface for Deformable Computers”, such a user interface and a related prototypical device for testing the user interface were developed. The functional Gummi prototype consists of conventional, rigid components mounted on a flexible plexiglass base. A thin-film transistor (TFT) color display is attached to the center of the base in such a way, that the base can be easily bent by the user without affecting the viewing position of the display. A trackpad is mounted on the bottom of the base and is used as a 2D position sensor. Two resistive bending sensors are mounted on opposing sides of the flexible base. Each sensor measures bending in one direction, so that the combined measurements of the opposed sensors can be interpreted as two directions of bending. 
         [0008]    Display, trackpad, and bending sensors are connected to a stationary computer system running the “Gummi” user interface software application. An analog-to-digital converter with appropriate circuitry is used as an interface between bending sensors and computer. Plastic handles on the sides of the base indicate the intended two-handed grip and make the prototype more comfortable to hold. 
         [0009]    But the functional “Gummi” prototype had no deformable housing, case, or enclosure, and the documentation gives no indication that a complete device could have a housing made of for example a rubber, despite that rubber is the English word for the German word gummi. 
         [0010]    In the research project “Twend: Twisting and Bending as new Interaction Gesture in Mobile Devices”, a user interface and two related prototypical devices for testing the user interface were developed. One “Twend” prototype has a plastic plate and a layer of a foam and the other prototype is made completely out of a foam. But the documentation gives no information about the material the foam is made of. 
         [0011]    Furthermore, in some disclosures electronic devices are described that have a flexible circuit and housing or case. 
         [0012]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,751, issued Oct. 23, 2001, and entitled “Flexible circuit assembly”, a device with a flexible circuit is disclosed, which can have a flexible display that may travel over a flexible substrate attached to the flexible display, thereby allowing at least one flexible substrate to be flexed without putting stress on the flexible display. Such a device depends on at least one layer of a flexible substrate with conductive material deposited on. As material for the housing or enclosure containing the flexible circuit or/and the flexible display only some kind of leather is specified in the case of the preferred embodiment in the shape of a wallet. 
         [0013]    Several individuals and corporations have also developed or are developing flexible, foldable, rollabble, bendable, twistable, or stretchy devices with visual displays and presented related design concepts. But the documentations of the known design concepts either describe only the display technology, the user interface, and other functionalities of a related device, give no details about the material the housing, case, or enclosure is made of, explain that the housing is not completely made out of an elastic material, or explain that related devices are only foldable. 
         [0014]    Despite flexible and deformable electronic components have been presented, especially display devices and circuit assemblies, descriptions of housings, cases, or enclosures inclusive precise specifications of the materials used for their manufacturing of a complete deformable electronic device are missing. Moreover, still not all problems have been solved with such flexible, foldable, rollabble, bendable, twistable, or stretchy electronic devices and accordingly several areas of technical problems and general demands have been determined, which can be solved with other ways of constructing flexible and deformable electronic component assemblies, that do not depend on only flexible circuits but also allow to use rigid integrated circuits as well, and with housings for such devices, which are made of one or more deformable materials, support and protect the contained electronic components against damages, and make device constructions possible that have a more aesthetical appearance. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0015]    In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention pertains to a deformable electronic visual display device, and extensions of such an electronic device to a deformable stationary computer system and a deformable mobile computer system. The disclosed electronic device comprises a deformable display, at least one control system, and a deformable housing containing the electronic components, and provides different input modalities including touching, folding, bending, stretching, and twisting, as well as further functionalities and application possibilities, which also provide the foundations for novel functionalities and applications. 
         [0016]    In order to achieve the above and other objects, several embodiments of the present invention provide different basic types of the deformable display, which can be a light-emitting diode display, a quantum dot based light-emitting diode display, a laser diode display, an electronic paper display, an interferometric modulation display, and an optoelectronic phase-changing film display, and also different functional types, which can be a touch screen and a stretch-sensitive screen, and also a three-dimensional display device, and a multi-layer display device. 
         [0017]    Furthermore, several embodiments of the present invention also provide different basic types of the deformable housing and the substrate of the drive electronics layer and the imaging layer of the deformable display, which can be a synthetic rubber, a silicone rubber, a chloroprene rubber respectively polychloroprene, a nitrile rubber, a polyurethane, a polydimethylsiloxane, and a polyimid. 
         [0018]    In some embodiments the housing has also an adjustment means for keeping the deformable device in a specific configuration. 
         [0019]    Depending on the way of construction and the properties of the used materials for the electronic components and the housing, the disclosed deformable electronic visual display device can be lightweight, slip-resistant, and shockproof, as well as dust tight, splashproof, waterproof and floatable, and even suitable for continuous immersion in water. Furthermore, it can be flexed, folded, rolled, bent, stretched, twisted, and deformed in other ways without damaging its deformable display and other electronic components mounted on or contained within the housing. 
         [0020]    Advantageously, a person, that has been hit by or has fallen on such a deformable device, cannot be injured and therefore it is ideally suited for being used by children and within vehicles. In addition, due to its low weight such a device can even fall from a great height without getting damaged, because it approaches the ground in a leaf-like movement with relatively slow velocity. Besides the low weight, easier and safer ways to transport and store a relatively large deformable electronic visual display device are also given by the possibility to fold or roll it together. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the deformable electronic visual display device can also have a wireless communication interface and a wireless power supply. For independent use some embodiments of the deformable electronic visual display device also comprises an electronic module including at least one processor and at least one data memory, and also at least one electrical energy storage device being contained in the deformable housing as well. 
         [0022]    In addition, several embodiments also provide at least one contactless sensor of various types, such as a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional sensor, and different types of related control systems. With these components the deformable electronic visual display device is able to capture various optical, acoustical, and other physical information by the sensors, and to process the captured sensor information, execute predetermined functions, and issue corresponding commands to control other electronic components of the electronic device by the related control systems accordingly. A preferred class of functionality provided in this way comprises various types of user interfaces, such as a natural user interface based on contactless gestures and a voice user interface for example, which all can be combined with each other and with the user interfaces based on other input modalities including touching, folding, bending, stretching, and twisting to realize multimodal user interfaces. 
         [0023]    The invention may be implemented in numerous ways. Exemplary preferred embodiments of the present invention is a deformable tablet computer with a three-dimensional camera that is discussed below, but not limited to such a portable electronic device. Depending on its dimension and features the disclosed invention applies to for example a mobile phone or cell phone, specifically a smartphone, an all-in-one desktop computer, a television set, a smart mat, and such alike as well. In this conjunction it has to be understood that all the components or electronic units, which form the various parts of said deformable electronic visual display devices and which are known to those skilled in the art in the field of computer engineering, will not be described in detail. Only said components necessary to the elaboration of preferred embodiments of a deformable electronic visual display device according to the invention will be described. 
         [0024]    Other systems, methods, features, advantages, objects, and further areas of applicability together with a more complete understanding of the disclosure will be, or will become, apparent and appreciated to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the following claims. Nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. Further aspects and advantages are discussed below in conjunction with the embodiments. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed, but are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
           [0026]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a deformable electronic visual display device according to a first embodiment in a bent and twisted configuration; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a top view of an example portable deformable computing device according to a second embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2B  illustrates a top view of an example deformable layer with electronic components of the portable deformable computing device shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2C  illustrates a top view of an example deformable layer with electric energy storage devices of the portable deformable computing device shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2D  illustrates a sectional view of the example portable deformable computing device along the line A-A shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a top view of an example portable deformable electronic computing device according to a third embodiment; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a side view of a portion of the portable deformable electronic computing device shown in  FIG. 3A  laying out flat; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3C  illustrates a side view of the portable deformable electronic computing device shown in  FIG. 3A  being folded; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a side view of an example deformable electronic visual display device according to a fourth embodiment in a folded configuration; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a side view of the deformable electronic visual display device shown in  FIG. 4A  in a bent configuration; 
           [0036]      FIG. 5A  illustrates a side view of a portion of an example portable deformable electronic computing device according to a fourth embodiment laying out flat; 
           [0037]      FIG. 5B  illustrates a sectional view of the portable deformable electronic computing device along the line B-B′ shown in  FIG. 5A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0038]    In order to provide various functionality described herein,  FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a deformable electronic visual display device according to a first embodiment that can be used to provide functions in accordance with various embodiments discussed and suggested herein. The deformable device comprises a deformable housing  104  and a deformable display  106 .  FIG. 1  shows in a bent configuration. 
         [0039]    As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the display device can include different basic types of display layer elements such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, quantum dot based light emitting diode (QLED) display, electronic paper display, interferometric modulator display (IMOD), and an optoelectronic phase-changing film display, and also different functional types, which can be a touch screen and a stretch-sensitive screen, and also a three-dimensional display device, and a multi-layer display device. 
         [0040]    Furthermore, the deformable housing and the substrate of the drive electronics layer and the imaging layer of the deformable display can be made of different materials, such as a synthetic rubber, a silicone rubber, a chloroprene rubber respectively polychloroprene, a nitrile rubber, a polyurethane, a polydimethylsiloxane, and a polyimid. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 2A ,  2 B,  2 C, and  2 D illustrate an example portable computing device with a deformable housing and a deformable electronic visual display according to a second embodiment that can be used to provide functions in accordance with various embodiments discussed and suggested herein. In this example, the portable deformable computing device has a housing  204  and a deformable display  206 . The housing contains the layer with electronic components  220  and the layer with electric energy storage devices  240 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 2A  shows the portable deformable computing device with the deformable housing  204  and the deformable display  206 ,  FIG. 2B  shows the layer with the electronic components  220  of the portable deformable computing device,  FIG. 2C  shows the layer with the electric energy storage devices  260  of the portable deformable computing device, and  FIG. 2D  shows the portable deformable computing device as sectional side view along the line A-A′ in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0043]      FIG. 2B  shows the layer  220  being made of a deformable substrate  222  and having arranged on it an integrated circuit with additional electronic components  224  for processing arbitrary information, a control system  225  for controlling the display and providing other basic functionalities of a computing device, a volatile data storage device  226  comprising several elements, such as a memory component  227  and a related control component  228 , and a persistent data storage device  230  comprising several elements, such as a memory component  231 , for storing arbitrary data. 
         [0044]    Single electronic components are connected by stretchy wires being configured as zigzag springs respectively s-shaped springs. In this example, the memory component  227  is connected with the related control component  228  by the stretchy wire  241  and with the next memory component by the stretchy wire  242 . In a similar way the memory component  231  is connected with the next memory component by the stretchy wire  246 . The processor module  224  and the control system module  225  are connected with each other by flexible conductive wires, which are not numerated for better illustration. The processor module  224  is connected with the volatile data storage device  226  by the conductive wires  244 ,  245 , and the control system module  225  is connected with the persistent data storage device  230  by the optical wire  248 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 2C  shows the layer  260  being made of a deformable substrate  262  and having arranged on it different types of electric energy storage devices  274 ,  275 ,  276 , and  280 , which are configured to provide the display  206  and the electronic components arranged on the layer  220  shown in  FIG. 2B  with electric power. The electric energy storage devices  274 ,  275  are deformable batteries, the electric energy storage device  276  comprises several single battery cells, such as battery cell  278 , and the electric energy storage device  280  comprises several single battery cells, such as the button cell or coin cell  281 . 
         [0046]    The battery cell  278  is connected with the next battery cell by the flexible conductive wires  291 , 292  and the button cell or coin cell  281  is connected to the next battery cells by the stretchy wires  293 ,  294 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 2D  shows the arrangement  280  of the layer with the deformable display  206 , a deformable support layer  207  for the display, the layer with the electronic components  220 , and the layer with the electric energy storage devices  260  within the deformable housing  204 . 
         [0048]      FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C illustrate an example portable computing device with a deformable housing and a deformable electronic visual display device according to a third embodiment that can be used to provide functions in accordance with various embodiments discussed and suggested herein. In this example, the portable deformable computing device has a housing comprising two deformable segments  304 ,  305 , bellows-like joint means  318 ,  319  integrated in the housing and mechanically connecting the segments  304 ,  305  with each other, a deformable display  306 , four information capture elements  308 ,  310 ,  312 ,  314  positioned at various locations on the same side of the portable deformable computing device as the deformable display  306 , and integrated dual-array microphones and speakers  316 ,  317  enabling the portable deformable computing device to capture sensor information about a user of the electronic device during typical operation where the user is at least partially in front of the deformable electronic visual display  306 , and to reproduce sound.  FIG. 3A  shows the portable deformable computing device in the flat laid out configuration  300  from the top, 
         [0049]      FIG. 3B  shows a portion of the portable deformable computing device in the flat laid out configuration  320  from the side, and  FIG. 3C  shows the portable deformable computing device in the folded configuration  340  from the side. 
         [0050]    In this example, each capture element  308 ,  310 ,  312 ,  314  is a camera capable of capturing image information over a visible or/and infrared (IR) spectrum, and in at least some embodiments can select between visible and IR operational modes. It should be understood, however, that there can be fewer or additional elements of similar or alternative types in other embodiments, and that there can be combinations of cameras, infrared detectors, sensors, and other such elements used with various devices. The device can also have a material and/or components that enable a user to provide input to the device by applying pressure at one or more locations. The device housing segments  304 ,  305  can also include touch-sensitive material that enables a user to provide input by sliding a finger or other object along a portion of the housing. Various other elements and combinations of elements can be used as well within the scope of the various embodiments as should be apparent in light of the teachings and suggestions contained herein. 
         [0051]    Not shown for better illustration are an electronic module comprising at least one integrated circuitry for processing arbitrary information and a data memory for storing arbitrary data, a wireless communication interface device connected with the electronic module, and an electric energy storage device for providing the portable deformable computing device with electric power. 
         [0052]    In modifications of the example portable computing device with a deformable housing and a deformable electronic visual display device according to the third embodiment the housing can have an adjustment means to keep the joint means  318 ,  319  or the whole deformable housing in a specific configuration as preconfigured or chosen by a user. Such an adjustment means can be constructed in various ways by a person ordinarily skilled in the art and therefore is not discussed further herein. 
         [0053]    In addition, the example display device can also include at least one motion component, such as an electronic gyroscope, kinds of inertial sensors, or an inertial measurement unit, connected to an information processing circuit of a control system to determine motion of the display device arranged in a portable variant discussed elsewhere herein for assistance in location and movement information or/and user input determination. 
         [0054]    Moreover, it is to be understood that any person skilled in the art should be able to construct a deformable electronic visual display device that provides a multi-modal user interface to the user by combining and integrating the various information capture elements and related control systems and control methods. In the same respect, it should be possible without any problems to integrate a wireless electric power link device within the horizontal surface, which is configured to wirelessly receive electric power from an external power supply, and a wireless charging means, which is configured to supply other electrically operated devices layed on the horizontal surface with electric power. 
         [0055]    In order to provide various functionality described herein,  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an example of a deformable electronic visual display device according to a fourth embodiment similar to the third embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C. The deformable housing of the electronic visual display device comprises a first deformable housing segment  404  and a second deformable housing segment  405 , which are connected by a foldabel joint means  410 .  FIG. 4A  shows the joint means of the housing respectively the electronic visual display device in a folded configuration and  FIG. 4B  shows the joint means of the housing respectively the electronic visual display device in a bent configuration. 
         [0056]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate a portion of an example portable computing device with a deformable housing and a deformable electronic visual display device, such as the device shown in  FIG. 3A  for example, according to a fifth embodiment of the deformable electronic visual display device that can be used to provide functions in accordance with various embodiments discussed and suggested herein. In this example, the portable deformable computing device has a housing containing two segments  504 ,  505 , bellows-like joint means  518 ,  519  mechanically connecting the segments  504 ,  505  with each other, a deformable display  506  with a protection layer  508  and a support layer  507  made of a deformable material, and a deformable shell  516  covering the electronic components of the portable computing device and providing protection against dust and moisture, as well as mechanical impacts. 
         [0057]      FIG. 5A  shows a portion of a portable deformable computing device similar to the deformable device shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C in the flat laid out configuration  520  as side view and  FIG. 5B  shows a sectional view of the portion of the portable deformable computing device along the line B-B′ shown in  FIG. 5A . In this sectional view the layer  522  arranged within the deformable housing can be seen, which is configured to contain the electronic components of a portable computing device, such as the components shown in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B, and  2 C for example, which can comprise solid and deformable hardware components. 
         [0058]    The specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto by those skilled in the art without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. In other words, although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, this disclosure is not limited to those. Accordingly, in various embodiments of the invention the various embodiments of the joint means, deformable device housing, and portable computing device discussed and suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A,  2 B,  2 C,  2 D,  3 A,  3 B,  3 C,  4 A,  4 B,  5 A, and  5 B can be combined with each other in appropriate ways. The scope of the present disclosure shall be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents. In addition, variations and modifications in the component parts, arrangements, or/and alternative uses must be regarded as included in the appended claims.