Display apparatus having a bendable substrate and control method of the display apparatus

A display apparatus, comprising:

• a display unit having a display area to display at least one image, the display unit including:
• (a) a bendable substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposite to the first side, the substrate that when bent has a curved portion and an uncurved portion, the uncurved portion including a planar portion of the substrate, the curved portion (i) being that portion of the substrate bent away from the planar portion by more than a predetermined threshold and (ii) comprising a concave or convex portion;
• (b) light-emitting elements carried on the substrate;
• and
• (c) a plurality of sensors, each of which is configured to detect bending of the substrate;
• and
• a display controller configured to control the light-emitting elements at least in part based upon the bending of said substrate detected by the plurality of sensors,
• wherein,
• each sensor comprises a transparent electrode and is configured to detect a location of the curved portion,
• the substrate is configured to be freely bent such that the curved portion is enabled to occur at any position along the substrate,
• the display controller is configured to control the light-emitting elements to provide the display area of active light-emitting elements,
• the display controller controls a size of the display area in accordance with the location of the curved portion,
• the display controller is configured to control the size of the display area differently for a same amount of curvature when the first side is determined to be convex than when the first side is determined to be concave, and
• the display controller is configured to control a size of an image to match the size of the display area so that all content of the image is displayed in the display area regardless of the size of the display area.

A display apparatus comprising:

• a display unit having a display area to display at least one image, said display unit including:
• a bendable substrate configured to bend and flex into a number of different positions and that when bent has a curved portion and an uncurved portion, the uncurved portion including a planar portion of the substrate, the curved portion (a) being that portion of the substrate bent away from the planar portion by more than a predetermined threshold and (b) comprising a concave or convex portion;
• display elements carried on said substrate;
• and
• a plurality of sensors, each of which is configured to detect a location of the curved portion,
• wherein,
• each sensor comprises a transparent electrode,
• the substrate is configured to be freely bent such that the curved portion is enabled to occur at any position along the substrate,
• the display area comprises active display elements on a display surface,
• a size of the display area is controlled based upon the location of curved portion along the substrate,
• the display area is confined to the uncurved portion when the curved portion is detected and surfaces of the curved and uncurved portions do not overlap, and
• a size of an image is controlled to match the size of the display area so that all content of the image is displayed regardless of the size of the display area.

A method for controlling a display unit, said method comprising:

• detecting, by each of a plurality of sensors of the display unit, a location of bending that is enabled to occur at any position on a bendable substrate of the display unit, the substrate when bent has a curved portion and an uncurved portion, the uncurved portion including a planar portion, the curved portion (a) being that portion of the substrate bent away from the planar portion by more than a predetermined threshold and (b) comprising a concave or convex portion;
• controlling light-emitting elements to provide a display area of active light-emitting elements;
• and
• controlling a size of the display area in part based upon the location of the curved portion along the substrate;
• and
• controlling a size of an image to match the size of the display area so that all content of the image is displayed regardless of the size of the display area,
• wherein,
• each sensor comprises a transparent electrode, and
• the display area is confined to the uncurved portion when the curved portion is detected and surfaces of the curved and uncurved portions do not overlap.