US 12,707,000 B2Granted

Augmented display expansion for a mobile device

AssigneeLepton Computing LLC

InventorStephen E. Delaporte

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An expandable touch screen display device made up of a flexible display that can be reconfigured from a compact state to a plurality of expanded states. The form factor of the compact state is roughly the size of a typical handheld phone or smaller. The form factor of each of the expanded states is roughly the size of a tablet computer. An internal mechanism is provided for synching the motion of the device's expansion with the motion of the flexible display's end plate which provides a force to guide the display around the roller located at the edge of the device. The device may further include an integrated speaker and microphone, and sensors to indicate the expanded position of the display. In one embodiment, a module attached to, situated within, or otherwise associated with the device may contain all or substantially all processing and memory, along with a communications system.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

(a) a flexible touch-sensitive display composed of a first end and a second end;
wherein:
(1) the first end is attached to a first structural support;
(2) the second end is attached to a material which is attached to a spool housed within a second structural support;
(3) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fully retracted state;
(4) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a partially expanded state;
and
(5) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fully expanded state;
and
(b) a rack attached to the first structural support is mechanically engaged with a pinion gear which is mechanically linked to the spool and housed within the second structural support such that as the first structural support and the second structural support are moved to expand or retract the flexible touch-sensitive display, the sliding motion of the structural supports and the rack activates the rotational motion of the pinion gear so that it forces the spool to rotate within the second structural support to wrap or unravel the attached material from around the spool.

7 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

(a) a flexible touch-sensitive display composed of a first end and a second end;
wherein:
(1) the first end is attached to a first structural support;
(2) the second end is attached to a material which is attached to a spool housed within a second structural support;
(3) the first structural support and the second structural support integrate a third structural support which can slide parallel between the first structural support and the second structural support;
(4) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fully retracted state;
(5) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a partially expanded state;
and
(6) the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fully expanded state;
and
(b) a first rack is attached to the first structural support and a second rack is attached to the third structural support such that the first rack and the second rack can be mechanically engaged with a pinion gear which is mechanically linked to the spool and housed within the second structural support such that as the first structural support and the third structural support are moved against each other to expand or retract the flexible touch-sensitive display, the sliding motion of the structural supports and the second rack activates the rotational motion of the pinion gear so that it forces the spool to rotate within the second structural support to wrap or unravel the attached material from around the spool, and as the first structural support and the second structural support are moved against each other to expand or retract the flexible touch-sensitive display, the sliding motion of the structural supports and the first rack activates the rotational motion of the pinion gear so that it forces the spool to rotate within the second structural support to wrap or unravel the attached material from around the spool.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/892,951Filed 23 Sep 2024 · continuation
Priority: 25 Mar 2021
Published: US 2025/0016258 A19 Jan 2025
Granted: 11 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04M 1/0237
Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation…
H04M 1/0268
For a display module assembly: including a flexible display panel
G06F 1/1624
With several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function: with sliding enclosures, e.g.…
G06F 1/1652
Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing: the display being flexible,…

Family

Application63/166,172Us provisional application · filed 25 Mar 2021
Application17/705,195Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Mar 2022
Application18/121,159Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Mar 2023
US 11,632,452 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Apr 2023
US 2025/0016258 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Jan 2025
US 12,101,425 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0311848 A1Published application
US 2023/0239383 A1Published application
US 12,707,000 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.