Apparatus and method for reducing current consumption in portable terminal with flexible display

An apparatus and method for reducing current consumption in a portable terminal with a flexible display are provided. The apparatus includes at least one camera mounted on a first region of the portable terminal, a flexible display including a first area defined in the first region including the mounted camera and a second area defined in a second region not including the mounted camera, when the portable terminal is bent, and a controller for controlling the flexible display. If the image photographed through the camera includes a face image when the portable terminal is bent, information data is displayed on the first area and null data is displayed on the second area. If the image photographed through the camera does not include a face image when the portable terminal is bent, the null data is displayed on the first area and the information data is displayed on the second area.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Oct. 14, 2009 and assigned Serial No. 10-2009-0097756, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing current consumption in a portable terminal including a flexible display. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing current consumption when a portable terminal including a flexible display is bent.

2. Description of the Related Art

Portable terminals, such as a mobile communication terminal, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), and the like, are becoming increasingly smaller in size for portability.

However, since users reproduce and transmit information, such as texts, moving pictures, still images, music files, games, and the like, using a screen of a portable terminal, a large size display screen has become desirable.

As the portable terminal becomes smaller, the display screen also becomes smaller, which limits the usefulness of the display screen to the user when receiving, reproducing and transmitting information.

Recently, to overcome the limitation of small display screens, a flexible display of the portable terminal has been introduced. The flexible display, which is a future generation of displays, is formed in a thin substrate such as plastic and cannot be damaged even when the display is folded or rolled.

However, since the flexible display of the portable terminal can be bent, there is an area of the display that is out of a viewing angle range of a user when the portable terminal is bent.

Accordingly, if display content is displayed on the area which is out of the viewing angle range or if the flexible display is used as a full screen, power of the portable terminal is wasted.

Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for reducing power of the portable terminal when the flexible display is in a full screen state and in a bent state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for reducing current consumption in a portable terminal including a flexible display when the portable terminal is bent.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for reducing current consumption in a portable terminal including a flexible display is provided. The apparatus includes at least one camera mounted on a first region of the portable terminal, the flexible display including a first area defined in the first region in which the camera is mounted and a second area defined in the second region in which the camera is not mounted, when the portable terminal is bent, and a controller for controlling the flexible display to display information data on the first area and null data on the second area, if an image photographed through the camera is a face image when the portable terminal is bent, and for controlling the flexible display to display the null data on the first area and the information data on the second area, if the image photographed through the camera does not include a face image when the portable terminal is bent.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method for reducing the consumption of current in a portable terminal including a flexible display is provided. The method includes photographing an image through a camera when a bent state of the portable terminal is detected, if the photographed image includes a face image, displaying information data on a first area of the flexible display located in a first region including the mounted camera and displaying null data on a second area of the flexible display located in a second region not including the mounted camera, and if the photographed image does not include a face image, displaying the null data on the first area of the flexible display and displaying the information data on the second area of the flexible display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a flexible display of a portable terminal that includes a first region in which a camera is mounted and a second region in which the camera is not mounted. The first region is located opposite to the second region when the flexible display is bent.

FIGS. 1A and 1Bare diagrams illustrating a portable terminal including a camera and a flexible display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1A, the portable terminal includes a flexible display160and a camera140.

When the portable terminal is bent as illustrated inFIG. 1B, the flexible display160includes a first region A in which the camera140is mounted and a second region B in which the camera140is not mounted.

The first region A of the flexible display160includes a first display area160-1and the second region B of the flexible display160includes a second display area160-2.

FIG. 2is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the camera140photographs an image, and includes a camera sensor for converting an optical signal of the photographed image into an electric signal and a signal processor for converting an analog image signal photographed by the camera sensor into digital data. The camera sensor may be a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) and the signal processor may be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The camera sensor and the signal processor may be integrally formed as one device or may be formed as independent devices.

In an exemplary implementation, the camera140is mounted in the first region A and is driven to take a picture of an image when the portable terminal is bent as illustrated inFIG. 1B.

An image processor150generates screen data to display an image signal generated from the camera140. The image processor150processes the image signal generated from the camera140in units of frames and generates frame image data according to characteristic and size of the flexible display160. The image processor150includes an image codec, for example, a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) codec, a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) codec, a wavelet codec and the like. The image processor150compresses the frame image data displayed on the flexible display160according to a preset method or restores the compressed image data to original frame image data. It is assumed herein that the image processor150includes an On Screen Display (OSD) function. The image processor150generates OSD data according to a screen size displayed under the control of a controller110.

The flexible display160is formed in a thin substrate such as plastic and uses a display element such as electronic paper, a Liquid Crystal Device (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), and the like. The flexible display160displays user data generated by the controller110.

When the portable terminal is bent as illustrated inFIG. 1B, an area of the flexible display160may be divided into the first area160-1, the second area160-2, and other areas.

When the portable terminal is bent, the flexible display160displays display information data (i.e., information data) on the first area160-1or the second area160-2according to whether a face image of a user is photographed through the camera140.

A memory170includes a program memory and a data memory. The program memory stores programs for controlling a general operation of the portable terminal. The data memory temporarily stores data generated while the programs are executed.

In an exemplary implementation, the memory170stores a first area value and a second area value to distinguish between the first area160-1and the second area160-2of the flexible display160when the portable display160is bent as illustrated inFIG. 1B.

In an exemplary implementation, the memory170stores a reference value for determining brightness of a photographed image when the image photographed through the camera140is not a face image under a state when the portable terminal is bent.

A bending recognition sensor120detects that the flexible display160of the portable terminal is bent when the flexible display160is changed from a state illustrated inFIG. 1Ato the state illustrated inFIG. 1B, and transmits a detected signal to the controller110.

A face recognition sensor130detects the face image of a user photographed through the camera140when the flexible display160of the portable terminal is changed from the state illustrated inFIG. 1Ato the state illustrated inFIG. 1B, and transmits a detected signal to the controller110.

The controller110controls the overall operation of the portable terminal and may include a modem and a codec.

In an exemplary implementation, if it is determined that the image photographed through the camera140is a face image when the flexible display160of the portable is changed from the state illustrated inFIG. 1Ato the state illustrated inFIG. 1B, the controller110controls the flexible display160to display information data on the first area160-1and null data on the second area160-2.

In an exemplary implementation, if it is determined that the image photographed through the camera140is not a face image or the brightness of the photographed image is less than a preset reference value, when the flexible display160of the portable terminal is changed from the state illustrated inFIG. 1Ato the state illustrated inFIG. 1B, the controller110controls the flexible display160to display null data on the first area160-1and information data on the second area160-2. The null data comprise black data (i.e., a black screen). A process for reducing the current consumption in the portable terminal including the flexible display will be described below with reference toFIG. 3.

FIG. 3is a flowchart illustrating a process for reducing current consumption in a portable terminal including a flexible display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In an exemplary implementation, one camera140is used by way of example. However, it should be understood that the portable terminal may be implemented with a plurality of cameras to more accurately measure a location of a user by photographing a face image of the user.

By bending the portable terminal as illustrated inFIG. 1B, the portable terminal may be rolled on a user's arm. If the portable terminal is rolled on the arm of the user, the portable terminal may be changed from the state illustrated inFIG. 1Ato the state illustrated inFIG. 1B, the bending recognition sensor120then detects a bent state of the portable terminal in step301and provides a detected signal to the controller110. The controller110receives the detected signal and drives the camera140in step302.

The controller110controls the camera140to photograph an image in step303. The face recognition sensor130determines whether the image is a face image and provides a detecting signal to the controller110in step304.

If it is determined in step304that the photographed image is a face image, i.e., a user looked at the first region A in which the camera is mounted, through the detecting signal received from the face recognition sensor130, the controller controls the flexible display160to display information data on the first area160-1of the flexible display160located in the first region A and to display null data on the second area160-2of the flexible display160located in the second region B opposite the first region A, in step305.

The controller110may control the flexible display160to display null data on other areas except for the first area160-1and the second area160-2.

In step304, if it is determined that the image photographed through the camera140is not a face image, the controller110determines whether the brightness of the photographed image is less than a preset reference value in step306.

In step306, if it is determined that the brightness of the photographed image is not less than the preset reference value, the controller110controls the flexible display160to display null data on the first area160-1of the flexible display160located in the first region A and to display information data on the second area160-2of the flexible display located in the second region B opposite the first region A in step307.

That is, if the image photographed through the camera140is not a user face image and the brightness of the photographed image is not less than the preset reference value, the user looked at the second region B of the flexible display160which is opposite to the first region A in which the camera140is mounted.

The controller110may control the flexible display160to display null data on the other areas except for the first area160-1and the second area160-2.

If the brightness of the photographed image is less than the preset reference value in step306, the controller110controls the flexible display160to display null data on the first area160-1of the flexible display160located in the first region A and to display information data on the second area160-2of the flexible display located in the second region B opposite the first region A in step308.

That is, if the image photographed through the camera140is not a user face image and the brightness of the photographed image is less than the preset reference value, the first region A in which the camera140is mounted of the flexible display160direction is toward the ground.

The controller110may control the flexible display160to display null data on the other areas except for the first area160-1and the second area160-2.

In an exemplary implementation, the null data indicates black data. Accordingly, the first area160-1or the second area160-2of the flexible display, which is out of a viewing angle range of a user when the portable terminal is bent, is displayed by black data, thereby reducing the current consumption.

If an OLED displays the black data, the OLED consumes little current. The black data consumes less than 10% of the current consumed by white data (i.e., a white screen).

FIG. 4is a diagram illustrating a reduction in current consumption when a flexible display of a portable terminal displays black data according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, the flexible display illustrates current consumption examples of the portable terminal when white data is displayed, black data is displayed, information data is displayed in a first region and a second region, information data is displayed in a first region, information data is displayed a second region, and the like.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method which can reduce current consumption in a portable terminal including a flexible display when the portable terminal is bent. Therefore, battery use time of the portable terminal is increased and the amount of heat generated from the battery can be reduced based on the current consumption reduction of the battery.

In addition, the portable terminal provides user convenience since a display area of the flexible display is automatically controlled based on the location of a user.