US 12,756,813 B2Granted

Stimulus-responsive depth-changing display

AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.

InventorWilfred I. Tucker

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This document describes techniques, apparatuses, and systems for a stimulus-responsive depth-changing display. An electronic device includes a flexible display and a stimulus-responsive material disposed at least partially under the display. The electronic device receives image data and determines depth data associated with the image data. An image is displayed on the flexible display based on the image data. While displaying the image on the flexible display, the stimulus-responsive material can be activated by a stimulus to cause the stimulus-responsive material to change from a first shape to a second shape. In changing from the first shape to the second shape, the stimulus-responsive material displaces at least a portion of the flexible display. In doing so, the shape of the flexible display can be reconfigured to add depth to a displayed image.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

a flexible display having a front surface;
a stimulus-responsive material disposed at least partially under the flexible display,
wherein the stimulus-responsive material comprises one or more layers, each of the one or more layers arranged to enable displacement of the flexible display along an axis substantially perpendicular to the front surface, and each of the one or more layers having one or more activatable portions configurable to transition from an initial shape to one or more different shapes based on a presence or level of a stimulant,
wherein the one or more activatable portions of a first layer of the one or more layers comprises a first portion of the stimulus-responsive material, and
wherein the one or more activatable portions of a second layer of the one or more layers comprises a second portion of the stimulus-responsive material;
at least one processor;
and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive image data;
determine or receive depth data relating to the image data;
display, on the flexible display, an image based on the image data;
and
activate, using a stimulant, the stimulus-responsive material based on the depth data to cause the stimulus-responsive material to transition from the initial shape to the one or more different shapes,
wherein activating the stimulus-responsive material causes the first portion of the stimulus-responsive material to displace by a first amount and causes the second portion of the stimulus-responsive material to displace by a second amount,
wherein activating the stimulus-responsive material is at least partially concurrent with displaying the image and comprises activating at least one of the one or more layers, and
wherein the stimulus-responsive material displaces at least a portion of the flexible display in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front surface when transitioning from the initial shape to the one or more different shapes.

13 more elements

A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving image data;
determining depth data associated with the image data;
displaying, on a flexible display of an electronic device, an image based on the image data;
and
activating a material of the electronic device that is disposed at least partially under the flexible display based on the depth data to cause a first portion of the material to displace by a first amount and cause a second portion of the material to displace by a second amount,
wherein the material is activated by a stimulant,
wherein the material comprises one or more layers, each of the one or more layers arranged along an axis substantially perpendicular to a front surface of the flexible display and having different arrangements, each of the one or more layers having one or more activatable portions configurable to transition from an initial shape to one or more different shapes based on a level or presence of the stimulant,
wherein the one or more activatable portions of a first layer of the one or more layers comprises the first portion of the material,
wherein the one or more activatable portions of a second layer of the one or more layers comprises the second portion of the material,
wherein activating the material is at least partially concurrent with displaying the image, and
wherein the material displaces at least a portion of the flexible display from a rest configuration and into a first configuration when activated based on the depth data.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/081,802Filed 17 Mar 2025 · continuation
Priority: 9 May 2023
Published: US 2025/0220153 A13 Jul 2025
Granted: 6 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04N 13/393
Volumetric displays, i.e. systems where the image is built up from picture elements distributed through a volume: the volume being generated by a…
G06T 7/50
Image analysis: depth or shape recovery
G09G 3/32
Using electroluminescent panels: semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
G06T 15/04
Three-dimensional [3D] image rendering: texture mapping

Family

Application18/314,605Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2023
US 2025/0220153 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jul 2025
US 12,256,059 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2024/0380877 A1Published application
US 12,756,813 B2This patent

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