# US 10,373,591 B2 · Display device

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- Number: US 10,373,591 B2
- Document ID: US10373591B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/207,522
- Filed: 2016-07-12
- Published: 2017-05-18
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-18
- Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sungyeon Cho; Taejin Kim; Hui Nam; Myungho Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373591B2

## CPC

- G09G 3/035: {for flexible display surfaces}
- G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable}
- G09G 3/001: {using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background (slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP)}
- G09G 5/37: Details of the operation on graphic patterns (G09G5/38 takes precedence)
- G09G 2300/0413: Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
- G09G 2320/029: by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
- G09G 2340/0407: Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
- G09G 2340/0464: Positioning
- G09G 2340/14: Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
- G09G 2360/144: the light being ambient light
- G09G 2360/145: the light originating from the display screen
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A display device includes a housing, a flexible display panel, a light receiving sensor, and an area calculator. The flexible display panel is coupled to the housing and displays a reference image and an output image. The flexible display panel has an exposed area with a size that varies with movement of the flexible display panel in a first direction relative to the housing. The sensor senses the reference image and generates sensing data based on the reference image. The area calculator calculates the exposed area of the flexible display panel based on the sensing data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display device, comprising:
a housing;
a flexible display panel, coupled to the housing, to display a reference image and an output image, the flexible display panel having an exposed area with a size that varies with movement of the flexible display panel in a first direction;
a light receiving sensor to sense the reference image and to generate sensing data based on the reference image, the light receiving sensor being in the housing; and
an area calculator to calculate the exposed area of the flexible display panel based on the sensing data, the area calculator connected to the light receiving sensor, wherein
the flexible display panel includes a plurality of sensing blocks arranged in the first direction, and the reference image is to be displayed through the plurality of sensing blocks,
the plurality of sensing blocks include first to Nth sensing blocks sequentially arranged in a third direction opposite to the first direction,
first to Mth sensing blocks among the first to Nth sensing blocks are externally exposed from the housing and (M+1)th to Nth sensing blocks among the first to Nth sensing blocks are in the housing, wherein N≥2 and 2≤M<N and wherein the first to Nth sensing blocks are to be sequentially turned off after block reference images are simultaneously displayed by the first to Nth sensing blocks,
the light receiving sensor is in the housing and faces the (M+1)th sensing block, the light receiving sensor is to sense turning off of the (M+1)th sensing block to generate the sensing data, and
the area calculator is to:
count from 1 to M+1 in synchronization with sequential turning off of the block reference images of the first to (M+1)th sensing blocks,
stop counting in response to the sensing data and calculate a previously counted number M+1 as a turn-off number, and
calculates the exposed area based on the turn-off number.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a controller to convert input image data to output image data based on the calculated exposed area, wherein the flexible display panel is to display the output image based on the output image data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible display panel is to display the output image through an exposed part.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible display panel includes:
a plurality of gate lines extending in a second direction different from the first direction and arranged in the first direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of sensing blocks corresponds to a plurality of pixel rows.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the sensing data is to be output to the area calculator at an output time,
the output time satisfies t1<t0<t2, where t0 represents the output time, t1 represents a turn-off time of the (M+1)th sensing block, and t2 represents a turn-off time of the (M+2)th sensing block.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible display panel is to display the reference image in sensing periods.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The display device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensing period corresponds to a predetermined number of frames.

### Claim 9

A display device comprising:
a housing;
a flexible display panel, coupled to the housing, and is to display a reference image and an output image, the flexible display panel having an exposed area with a size that varies with movement of the flexible display panel in a first direction;
a light receiving sensor to sense the reference image and to generate sensing data based on the reference image, the light receiving sensor being in the housing; and
an area calculator to calculate the exposed area of the flexible display panel based on the sensing data, the area calculator connected to the light receiving sensor, wherein
the flexible display panel includes a first display region to display the reference image and a second display region to display the output image,
the first display region includes first to Nth dummy blocks,
the reference image is to be displayed through the first to Nth dummy blocks,
the first to Nth dummy blocks are sequentially arranged in a third direction opposite to the first direction,
the first to Mth dummy blocks among the first to Nth dummy blocks are externally exposed from the housing, and the (M+1)th to Nth dummy blocks among the first to Nth dummy blocks are in the housing, wherein N≥2 and 2≤M<N,
the reference image includes block reference images sequentially and respectively displayed by the first to Nth dummy blocks,
the light receiving sensor is in the housing and faces the (M+1)th dummy block, the light receiving sensor to sense turning on of the (M+1)th dummy block to generate the sensing data, and
the area calculator is to:
count from 1 to M in synchronization with sequential turning on of the block reference images of the first to Mth dummy blocks,
stop counting in response to the sensing data and calculate a previously counted number M as a block reference image displaying number, and
calculate the exposed area based on the block reference image displaying number.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
the sensing data is output at an output time,
the output time satisfies t1<t0<t2, where t0 represents the output time, t1 represents a turn-off time of the (M+1)th dummy block, and t2 represents a turn-off time of the (M+2)th dummy block.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first display region is to redisplay the reference image immediately after the Nth dummy block is turned off.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first display region and the second display region are to simultaneously display the reference image and the output image.