Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/089,882, filed on Apr. 19, 2011, entitled “DISPLAY WITH SQUARE ROOT OF TWO ASPECT RATIO”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This description relates to electronic displays and, in particular, to displays with a square root of two aspect ratio of their dimensions. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic displays may rotate an image from a portrait view to a landscape view. However, the rotation may cause some of the image to be lost in the rotated view. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to a first general aspect, an apparatus may include a housing, an electronic display region, and a controller. The electronic display region may be coupled to the housing, and may have a rectangular shape with a length and a width, the length being approximately a square root of two (√2) times longer than the width. The controller may be configured to display a first image in the display region in a first orientation with respect to an axis of the housing, where the axis of the housing lies in a plane of the image, when the housing and the display region are oriented in a portrait mode, the first image having a first aspect ratio defined by a first length of the first image divided by a first width of the first image, and automatically display, in response to an indication that the housing and the display region have been rotated from the portrait mode to a landscape mode, the first image and a second image, the first image having a second aspect ratio defined by a second length of the first image divided by a second width of the first image, wherein the second length is different from the first length, the second width is different from the first width, the second aspect ratio is substantially equal to the first aspect ratio, and the first image being rotated by ninety degrees (90°) from the first orientation with respect to the axis. 
     According to another general aspect, an apparatus may include an electronic display and a controller. The electronic display may have a rectangular shape, the electronic display having a length which is approximately a square root of two (√2) times a width of the electronic display. The controller may be configured to control an image displayed by the electronic display, the controller being configured to shift the image between a portrait mode including a single first image, the single first image occupying all of the electronic display, and a landscape mode including the first image occupying a left half or a right half of the electronic display and a second image occupying an opposite half of the electronic display, wherein all of the first image which was displayed in the portrait mode is displayed in all of the first half or the second half of the electronic display and the first image maintains a same aspect ratio in the landscape mode as in the portrait mode. 
     According to another general aspect, an apparatus may include a first electronic display and a second electronic display. The first electronic display may have a height which is approximately a square root of two (√2) times a width of the first electronic display. The second electronic display may also have a height which is approximately the square root of two (√2) times a width of the second electronic display, the second electronic display being hingedly coupled to the first electronic display so that, when the first electronic display is parallel to and in a same plane as the second electronic display, the first electronic display and second electronic display form an enlarged electronic display which has a height which is approximately the square root of two (√2) times a width of the enlarged electronic display. 
     The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a diagram showing an electronic device with a display in a portrait mode with a first image according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 1B  is a diagram showing the electronic device of  FIG. 1  with the display in a landscape mode with the first image and a second image according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing the display of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 3A  is a diagram showing a folding electronic device according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 3B  is a diagram showing the folding electronic device of  FIG. 3A  according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  shows an example of a computer device that can be used to implement the techniques described herein. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1A  is a diagram showing an electronic device  100  with a display  101  in a portrait mode with a first image  102  according to an example embodiment. In this example, the first image  102  includes text (“On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment”), and a box. The images described herein may fill substantially all of the display  101 . The display  101  may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, or other device capable of generating an image viewable by a human eye. The display  101  may be bordered by a bezel  103 . The bezel  103  may, for example, be a portion of a housing which surrounds the display  101  and encloses processing circuitry inside the electronic device  100 , such as a processor or controller, memory, and other components such as those described with reference to  FIG. 4 . The bezel  103  may not generate an image, and may serve to protect the display  101 , and/or provide a place for a user to hold the electronic device  100  without touching the display  101 . 
     The display  101 , independent of the bezel  103 , may have an aspect ratio of approximately a square root of two (√2). For example, a length of the display  101  may be the square root of two (√2) times a width of the electronic display  101 , as shown in the following equation:
 
Length=√2·Width
 
“Approximately” a square root of two (√2) may mean, for example, be 1.4142, 1.414, or 1.41; the length of the display  101  may, for example, be 1.4142, 1.414, or 1.41 times the width of the display  101 .
 
     In an example embodiment, the display  101  may have the square root of two (√2) times as many pixels along the length of the display  101  as along the width of the display  101 . For example, if the display  101  is 1,000 pixels wide, the display  101  may be 1,414 pixels long. 
     Because the length of the display  101  is the square root of two (√2) times the width of the display  101 , half of the length of the display  101  is the square root of two divided by two (√2/2) times the width of the display  101 . The width may be the square root of two (√2) times half the length of the display, as shown by the following equations:
 
Half-Length=√2/2·Width
 
Width=√2·Half-Length
 
In an example implementation, in which the width of the display  101  is 1,000 pixels wide, half of the length of the display  101  may be 707 pixels long.
 
     Because the width of the display  101  is the square root of two (√2) times half of the length of the display  101 , or the same ratio as the full length to the width of the display  101 , if the display  101  is divided widthwise, each half of the display  101  has the same aspect ratio, the square root of two (√2), as the full display  101 , rotated ninety degrees (90°). 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 1A , the display  101  may include the first image  102 . While the first image  102  shown in the display  101  of  FIG. 1A  includes text with a box, this is merely one example, and the first image  102  may include any image capable of being displayed on an electronic screen such as the display  101 . 
       FIG. 1A  shows the electronic display  101  in a “portrait mode,” in which the length of the electronic display  101  is the vertical axis, and the width of the electronic display  101  is the horizontal axis. In  FIG. 1A , the first image  102  is shown being displayed while the display  101  is in the portrait mode. The electronic display  101  may also be physically rotated so it can be viewed in a “landscape mode,” in which the width of the electronic display  101  is the vertical axis, and the length of the electronic display  101  is the horizontal axis. 
       FIG. 1B  is a diagram showing the electronic device of  FIG. 1A  with the display  101  in the landscape mode with the first image  102  and a second image  104  according to an example embodiment. While the second image  104  shown in in the display  101  includes a person and sun, this is merely an example, and the second image  104  may include any image capable of being displayed on an electronic screen. For example, the first and second images  102 ,  104  may include successive pages of a document, such as successive pages of a portable document format (pdf) file, successive pictures in a series of photographs, or successive pages of an electronic book. 
     An imaginary center line segment  110  may extend through a center of the display  101 , dividing the display  101  into a left half  106  and a right half  108 . The geometry of the electronic display  101 , including the imaginary center line segment  110 , will be explained further with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing the display  101  of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  in portrait mode according to an example embodiment. In this example, a first side  201 , or “top” of the electronic display  101  when viewed in portrait mode, may extend for the width of the electronic display  101 . A second side  202 , or “right” side of the electronic display  101 , when viewed in portrait mode, may be adjacent and perpendicular to the first side  201 , and may have a length which is the square root of two (√2) times the length of the first side  201 . A third side  203 , or “bottom” of the electronic display  101  when viewed in portrait mode, may be parallel to the first side  201  and adjacent and perpendicular to the second side  202 , and have a length which is equal to the length of the first side  201  and which is equal to the length of the second side  202  divided by the square root of two (√2). A fourth side  204 , or “left” side of the electronic display  101  when viewed in portrait mode, may be parallel to the second side  202 , adjacent and perpendicular to each of the first side  201  and third side  203 , and have a length which is equal to the length of the second side  202  and which is the square root of two (√2) times the length of the first side  201  and the third side  203 . The center line  110  may extend from a middle  212  of the fourth side  204  to a middle  214  of the second side  202 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 1B , when the display  101  is viewed in landscape mode, each of the left half  106  and the right half  108  of the display  101  may be the square root of two (√2) times as long along a vertical axis, along the width of the display  101 , as along a horizontal axis, along their respective halves of the length of the display  101 . For example, if the length of the display  101  were 1,414 pixels and the width of the display  101  were 1,000 pixels, then each of the left half  106  and right half  108  of the display  101  may, when viewed in the landscape mode, be 1,000 pixels long along the vertical axis and 707 pixels long along the horizontal axis. 
     The display  101 , and/or a controller or software embodied therein, may select the second image  104  for display in response to the shifting of the display  101  from portrait mode to landscape mode. The second image  104  may, for example, be a portable document format (pdf) page which is subsequent or sequential to, or follows, the page displayed by the first image  102 , a web page hidden by a browser shown in the first image  102 , a window which is stacked below a window displayed by the first image  102 , or an image or object selected by a user of the display  101 , according to various example embodiments. 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , when the display  101  shifts from the portrait mode shown in  FIG. 1A  to the landscape mode shown in  FIG. 1B , the first image  102  may be rotated ninety degrees (90°), the perimeter dimensions of the image may be reduced in size (or resized) by the inverse of the square root of two (√2), and reproduced in the left half  106  (or right half  108 ) of the display  101 . The first image  102  may have the same aspect ratio, or proportions, when displayed in the left half  106  (or right half  108 ) of the display  101  in landscape mode, as shown in  FIG. 1B , as when displayed in the entire display  101  portrait mode, as shown in  FIG. 1A . 
     When the electronic display  101  shifts from portrait mode to landscape mode, the first image  102  may be rotated, resized, and displayed in the left half  106  (or right half  108 ) of the display  101 , and the second image  104  may be displayed in the opposite half  106 ,  108 . Viewing  FIG. 1A  in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , when the display  101  is viewed in portrait mode, the first image  102  may include a top portion  112  extending along the first side  201  of the display  101 , a right portion  114  extending along the second side  202  of the display  101 , a bottom portion  116  extending along the third side  203  of the display  101 , and a left portion  118  extending along the fourth side  204  of the display  101 . 
     Viewing  FIG. 1A  in conjunction with  FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 2 , after the display  101  has been shifted into landscape mode, the top portion  112  of the first image  102  may extend along the second side  202  from an intersection between the first side  201  and the second side  202  to the middle  214  of the second side  202 . The right portion  114  of the first image  102  may extend along the imaginary center line segment  110 . The bottom portion  116  of the first image  102  may extend along the fourth side  204  from the middle  212  of the fourth side  204  to an intersection between the fourth side  204  and the first side  201 . The left portion  118  of the first image  102  may extend along the first side  201 . The first image  102  may maintain its aspect ratio in both the portrait mode and the landscape mode, but be reduced in size by a factor of the square root of two (√2) in both the length and width dimensions. The aspect ratio of the first image  102  may be maintained after the shift from the portrait mode to the landscape mode, all of the first image  102  which was displayed by the entire display  101  in the portrait mode may be displayed by the entire left half  106  (or right half  108 ), and all of the display  101  in the portrait mode and the left half  106  (or right half  108 ) in landscape mode may be utilized to display the first image  102 , according to an example embodiment. 
     Also after the display  101  has been shifted into the landscape mode, a top portion of the second image  104  may extend along the second side  202  from the middle  214  of the second side  202  to an intersection between the second side  202  and the third side  203 . A right portion of the second image  104  may extend along the third side  203  of the display  101 . A bottom portion of the second image  104  may extend along the fourth side  204  of the display  101  from an intersection of the third side  203  and the fourth side  204  to the middle  212  of the fourth side  204 . A left portion of the second image  104  may extend along the imaginary center line segment  110 . The left portion of the second image  104  may be adjacent to the right portion  114  of the first image  104 , all according to an example embodiment. 
     In an example embodiment, the electronic display  101  may include a tilt sensor. The tilt sensor may determine an angle at which the display  101  is held or placed relative to the surface of the earth based on the direction that the force of gravity pulls on the tilt sensor. The tilt sensor may determine whether the display  101  is being viewed from a portrait angle or a landscape angle based on a tilt of the display  101 . For example, if either the first side  201  or third side  203  of the display  101  is significantly higher than its opposite side, then the tilt sensor may determine that the display  101  is being viewed from a portrait angle, with the respective side  201 ,  203  at the top. If either the second side  202  or fourth side  204  of the display  101  is significantly higher than its opposite side, then the tilt sensor may determine that the display  101  is being viewed from a landscape angle, with the higher side  202 ,  204  at the top. 
     In an example embodiment, the display  101  may have a linear screen resolution of at least 180 dots per inch (dpi) or an area screen resolution of at least 32,400 dots per square inch. This screen resolution of 180 dpi may allow the display  101  to rotate and resize the first image  102  without a noticeable loss of image quality; differences due to rounding may be imperceptible to a human eye. In another example embodiment, the display  101  may have a linear screen resolution of at least 240 dpi, allowing the display  101  to rotate and resize the first image  102  without a noticeable loss of image quality; differences due to rounding may be imperceptible to a human eye. 
       FIG. 3A  is a diagram showing a folding electronic device  300  according to an example embodiment. The folding electronic device  300  may include a document reader, such as a reader that allows a user to view a single page when the folding electronic device  300  is folded in half, or to read two pages side-by-side when the folding electronic device  300  is unfolded. The folding electronic display  300  may include any combination of the features of the display  101  described above. According to this example, the electronic display  300  may physically fold along a center line  310 . The center line  310  may include one or more hinges or joints enabling opposite halves  306 ,  308  of the folding electronic display  300  to rotate or fold relative to each other. 
     The device  300  may comprise two primary components divided by the center line  310 , which may be referred to as a left half  306  and a right half  308 . Each half  306 ,  308  may include its own display, which may have features and properties similar to the display  101  described above. The left half  306  and right half  308  may be connected to each other by hinges, joints, or other folding means. The folding means may allow the two halves  306 ,  308  to rotate or fold relative to each other. The rotating or folding may enable the halves  306 ,  308  to rotate or move through a range of motion from the halves  306 ,  308  being parallel to each other with the display portions facing each other with the left half  306  on top of the right half  308 , to the halves  306 ,  308  being perpendicular to each other, to the halves  306 ,  308  being parallel to each other and extending along a common plane (unfolded lengthwise), to the halves  306 ,  308  being perpendicular to each other, to the halves  306 ,  308  being parallel to each other with the display portions facing away from each other with the first half  306  below the second half  308 . 
     The device  300 , and/or a controller or software embodied therein, may be shifted from the portrait mode to the landscape mode in response to changes in the angle of connection between the halves  306 ,  308 . For example, when the halves  306 ,  308  are stacked on top of each other and parallel to each other, the device  300  may display a single image, such as the first image  102 , in the portrait mode in one half of the device. In this manner, a user can use the device as a single-page document reader. When the display  300  is unfolded so that the display portions of the halves  306 ,  308  are adjacent to each other in the same plane, or in planes close enough that the displays of both halves  306 ,  308  could be viewed from a single vantage point, the display  300  may display an image in each half  306 ,  308 , such as displaying the first image  102  in the left half  306  and the second image  104  in the right half  308 . In this manner, a user can use the device  300  as a two-page document reader, so that the device  300  may appear to the user as an open book, with the images  102 ,  104  on the respective halves  306 ,  308  appearing as pages on the left and right of the book. When the two halves  306 ,  308  are not parallel to each other, the electronic device  300  can operate either as a single page document reader or a two-page document reader. 
     In an example embodiment, when the two halves  306 ,  308  are parallel to each other and in a same plane, so that the device  300  is fully open, or when the display portions of the halves  306 ,  308  approach or fold toward each other, so that the display portions of the halves  306 ,  308  can both be viewed from a same vantage point, the device  300  may operate in a “book” mode, with each half  306 ,  308  displaying its own image  102 ,  104 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     When the display portions of the halves  306 ,  308  fold away from each other, so that the display portion of only one of the halves  306 ,  308  can be seen from a single vantage point, the device  300  may exit the book mode, and enter a single page mode. In an example embodiment, if the display  300  is folded in a direction so that the display portions of the halves  306 ,  308  are facing away from each other, the display portion of one half  306 ,  308  may be turned off, so that only the other half  306 ,  308  displays an image(s) to a user. 
       FIG. 3B  is a diagram showing the folding electronic device of  FIG. 3A  according to an example embodiment. In this example, the halves  306 ,  308  are approximately perpendicular to each other, or may have been rotated beyond ninety degrees (90°), so that the portions of each half  306 ,  308  which do not include the display are facing each other, and the display portion of the right half  308  has turned off because the halves  306 ,  308  have folded away from each other beyond the parallel angle described above. The left half  306  (or right half  308 ), which is on and/or displaying image(s), may enter a landscape mode, displaying two images, one in each of a left portion  326  and a right portion  328  of the left half  306  (or right half  308 ). In this example, each of these images  102 ,  104  may be exactly half as long and half as wide as the single image (e.g., first image  102 ) was in the portrait mode which displayed a single image encompassing both halves  306 ,  308  of the display  300 , with the aspect ratio being maintained. Or, the left portion  326  of the left half  306  may display the first image  102  which was displayed by the left half  306  when both halves  306 ,  308  were viewable from the same vantage point (as shown in  FIG. 3A ), and the right portion  328  of the left half  306  may display the second image  104  which was displayed by the right half  308  when both halves  306 ,  308  were viewable from the same vantage point (as shown in  FIG. 3A ), with their sizes reduced by the ratio of the square root of two (√2). 
       FIG. 4  shows an example of a generic computer device  400 , which may include components of the electronic devices  100 ,  300  described above. Computing device  400  is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, electronic reading devices, and other appropriate computers. 
     Computing device  400  includes a processor  402 , memory  404 , a storage device  406 , a high-speed interface  408  connecting to memory  404  and high-speed expansion ports  410 , and a low speed interface  412  connecting to low speed bus  414  and storage device  406 . Each of the components  402 ,  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 , and  412 , are interconnected using various busses, and may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate. The processor  402  can process instructions for execution within the computing device  400 , including instructions stored in the memory  404  or on the storage device  406  to display graphical information for a GUI on an external input/output device, such as display  416  coupled to high speed interface  408 . In other implementations, multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with multiple memories and types of memory. 
     The memory  404  stores information within the computing device  400 . In one implementation, the memory  404  is a volatile memory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory  404  is a non-volatile memory unit or units. The memory  404  may also be another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic or optical disk. 
     The storage device  406  is capable of providing mass storage for the computing device  400 . In one implementation, the storage device  406  may be or contain a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device, a flash memory or other similar solid state memory device, or an array of devices, including devices in a storage area network or other configurations. A computer program product can be tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer program product may also contain instructions that, when executed, perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such as the memory  404 , the storage device  406 , or memory on processor  402 . 
     The high speed controller  408  manages bandwidth-intensive operations for the computing device  400 , while the low speed controller  412  manages lower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such allocation of functions is exemplary only. In one implementation, the high-speed controller  408  is coupled to memory  404 , display  416  (e.g., through a graphics processor or accelerator), and to high-speed expansion ports  410 , which may accept various expansion cards (not shown). In the implementation, low-speed controller  412  is coupled to storage device  406  and low-speed expansion port  414 . The low-speed expansion port, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet) may be coupled to one or more input/output devices, such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner, or a networking device such as a switch or router, e.g., through a network adapter. 
     The computing device  400  may be implemented in a number of different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, components from computing device  400  may be combined with other components in a mobile device (not shown), such as a laptop computer, tablet computer, or reading device. Each of such devices may contain one or more of computing device  400 , and an entire system may be made up of multiple computing devices  400 , communicating with each other. 
     Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here can be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. 
     These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” “computer-readable medium” refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor. 
     To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described here can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. 
     The systems and techniques described here can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component (e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or that includes a front end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), and the Internet. 
     The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. 
     A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 3