Using a shape-changing display as an adaptive lens for selectively magnifying information displayed onscreen

1. A method of displaying information on a display of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising steps of:

determining a target area to be visually magnified; and

causing a shape-changing zone of the display to physically change shape in the target area to form a lens for visually magnifying information displayed in the target area.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the target area comprises steps of:

detecting that the device is operating in navigation mode in which a map of a current position of the device is displayed on the display of the device;

identifying the current position of the device onscreen; and

defining the target area to encompass the current position of the device onscreen.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the target area comprises steps of:

detecting a route on a map that is displayed on a display of the device;

identifying a starting point of the route and a destination point of the route;

defining the target area to encompass the starting point; and

dynamically redefining the target area as the target area is displaced over the route from the starting point to the destination point.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the target area comprises steps of:

detecting a route on a map that is displayed on a display of the device; and

statically defining the target area as encompassing an entire onscreen length of the route.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the target area comprises steps of:

receiving touchscreen input at an onscreen location of the display; and

defining the target area to encompass the onscreen location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising steps of:

receiving another touchscreen input at another onscreen location of the display;

and

dynamically displacing the target area to encompass the other onscreen location.

7. A computer program product comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a handheld electronic device, is adapted to display information on a touchscreen display of the handheld electronic device by performing steps of:

determining a target area to be visually magnified; and

causing a shape-changing zone of the display to physically change shape in the target area to form a lens for visually magnifying information displayed in the target area.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code is further adapted to perform steps of:

detecting that the device is operating in navigation mode in which a map of a current position of the device is displayed on the display of the device;

identifying the current position of the device onscreen; and

defining the target area to encompass the current position of the device onscreen.

9. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code is further adapted to perform steps of:

detecting a route on a map that is displayed on a display of the device;

identifying a starting point of the route and a destination point of the route;

defining the target area to encompass the starting point; and

dynamically redefining the target area as the target area is displaced over the route from the starting point to the destination point.

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code is further adapted to perform the steps of:

detecting a route on a map that is displayed on a display of the device; and

statically defining the target area as encompassing an entire onscreen length of the route.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code is further adapted to perform the steps of:

receiving touchscreen input at an onscreen location of the display; and

defining the target area to encompass the onscreen location.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the code is further adapted to perform the steps of:

receiving another touchscreen input; and

dynamically displacing the target area to encompass the other touchscreen input.

13. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a shape-changing touch-sensitive display screen comprising an array of shape-changing zones, each shape-changing zone being individually electrically actuatable to expand into a convex shape defining an adaptive magnifying lens that visually magnifies an area of the display screen beneath the lens; and

a processor operatively coupled to memory for executing an application configured to present information on the touch-sensitive display screen of the device and for controlling actuation of the one or more shape-changing zones of the touch-sensitive display screen.

14. The handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a radiofrequency transceiver for requesting and downloading map data for displaying a map on the touch-sensitive display screen.

15. The handheld electronic device as claims in claim 14 further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for determining a current position of the device and for supplying the current position to a map application executing on the processor in order to download and display the map of the current position on the touch-sensitive display screen, wherein the processor causes actuation of the shape-changing zones to form a lens above the current position to thereby magnify the current position on the map.

16. The handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to display a route on a map and to cause a plurality of shape-changing zones all along the route to concurrently expand into a magnifying lens.

17. The handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to display a route on a map and to sequentially actuate a plurality of shape-changing zones along the route to form a moving lens that moves along the route from a starting point to a destination point.

18. The handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 13 wherein one or more shape-changing zones are actuated at an onscreen location of the touch-sensitive display screen in response to touchscreen input received at the onscreen location.

19. The handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 13 wherein one or more shape-changing zones are actuated sequentially in response to receipt of multiple sequential touchscreen inputs due to touching and dragging over the display.