IP Library Granted Patent US 11,556,148
Granted Patent B2
US 11,556,148 · App. 17/154,201 · Granted Jan 17, 2023

Foldable display for an information handling system

Inventors: Yagiz C. Yildiz (Austin, TX); Stefan Peana (Austin, TX); Philip M. Seibert (Austin, TX); Kevin M. Turchin (Cedar Park, TX); Gerald R. Pelissier (Mendham, NJ); Christopher A. Torres (San Marcos, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/1618G06F1/1641G06F1/1652G06F1/1675G06F1/1681G06F3/04886G09G3/035G09G3/2003G09G3/3233G09G3/3406G06F2203/04102G09G2300/0866G09G2320/0233G09G2320/0626G09G2320/0666G09G2320/0686
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,556,148
App. No.
17/154,201
Granted
Jan 17, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for managing visual uniformity in a foldable display includes identifying a hinge angle of the foldable display, the hinge angle indicating a degree to which the foldable display is opened or closed; receiving surface curvature data from a plurality of sensors of the foldable display, the surface curvature data indicating a mechanical state of a surface of the foldable display; accessing a plurality of surface maps stored in a display database of the foldable display, each of the plurality of surface maps indicating one or more display settings associated with a respective mechanical state of the surface of the foldable display; retrieving the one or more display settings from the display database based on the hinge angle and the surface curvature data; and causing a plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more display settings.

Claims (70)

1. A foldable display for an information handling system, the foldable display comprising:

a display database; a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of sensors;

a display controller; and

a memory medium coupled to the display controller that includes instructions executed by the display controller causing the foldable display to:

identify a hinge angle of the foldable display, the hinge angle indicating a degree to which the foldable display is opened or closed;

receive surface curvature data from the plurality of sensors, the surface curvature data indicating a mechanical state of a surface of the foldable display;

access a plurality of surface maps stored in the display database, each of the plurality of surface maps indicating one or more display settings associated with a respective mechanical state of the surface of the foldable display;

retrieve the one or more display settings from the display database based on the hinge angle and the surface curvature data; and

cause a subset of pixels of the plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more display settings, including:

identify a first brightness level of the subset of pixels;

determine an updated brightness level of the subset of pixels based on i) the first brightness level of the subset of pixels and ii) an increase in brightness level for the subset of pixels indicated by the one or more display settings;

compare the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels to a maximum brightness level;

determine, based on the comparing, that the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels is greater than the maximum brightness level, and in response:

decrease the first brightness level of the plurality of pixels to a second brightness level less than the first brightness level; and

update the second brightness level of the subset of pixels based on the increase in brightness level indicated by the one or more display settings.

2. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the foldable display to:

identify a viewing position of a user in relation to the surface of the foldable display;

retrieve one or more additional display settings from the display database based on the viewing position of the user; and

cause the plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more additional display settings.

3. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein the one or more display settings include a brightness setting and a color setting.

4. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of surface maps stored in the display database corresponds to a respective hinge angle of a plurality of hinge angles of the foldable display.

5. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein the foldable display includes a plurality of display zones, each of the plurality of display zones encompassing a portion of the plurality of pixels of the foldable display.

6. The foldable display of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of display zones includes a sensor of the plurality of sensors, the sensor embedded underneath the surface of the foldable display.

7. A method for managing visual uniformity in a foldable display for an information handling system, the method comprising:

identifying, by a display controller of the foldable display, a hinge angle of the foldable display, the hinge angle indicating a degree to which the foldable display is opened or closed;

receiving, by the display controller, surface curvature data from a plurality of sensors of the foldable display, the surface curvature data indicating a mechanical state of a surface of the foldable display;

accessing, by the display controller, a plurality of surface maps stored in a display database of the foldable display, each of the plurality of surface maps indicating one or more display settings associated with a respective mechanical state of the surface of the foldable display;

retrieving, by the display controller, the one or more display settings from the display database based on the hinge angle and the surface curvature data; and

causing, by the display controller, a subset of pixels of a plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more display settings, including:

identifying a first brightness level of the subset of pixels;

determining an updated brightness level of the subset of pixels based on i) the first brightness level of the subset of pixels and ii) an increase in brightness level for the subset of pixels indicated by the one or more display settings;

comparing the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels to a maximum brightness level;

determining, based on the comparing, that the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels is greater than the maximum brightness level, and in response:

decreasing the first brightness level of the plurality of pixels to a second brightness level less than the first brightness level; and

updating the second brightness level of the subset of pixels based on the increase in brightness level indicated by the one or more display settings.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying a viewing position of a user in relation to the surface of the foldable display;

retrieving one or more additional display settings from the display database based on the viewing position of the user; and

causing the plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more additional display settings.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more display settings include a brightness setting and a color setting.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of surface maps stored in the display database corresponds to a respective hinge angle of a plurality of hinge angles of the foldable display.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the foldable display includes a plurality of display zones, each of the plurality of display zones encompassing a portion of the plurality of pixels of the foldable display.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of display zones includes a sensor of the plurality of sensors, the sensor embedded underneath the surface of the foldable display.

13. A computing environment, comprising:

an information handling system including one or more processors; and

a foldable display including:

a display database;

a plurality of pixels;

a plurality of sensors;

a display controller; and

a memory medium coupled to the display controller that includes instructions executed by the display controller causing the foldable display to:

identify a hinge angle of the foldable display, the hinge angle indicating a degree to which the foldable display is opened or closed;

receive surface curvature data from the plurality of sensors, the surface curvature data indicating a mechanical state of a surface of the foldable display;

access a plurality of surface maps stored in the display database, each of the plurality of surface maps indicating one or more display settings associated with a respective mechanical state of the surface of the foldable display;

retrieve the one or more display settings from the display database based on the hinge angle and the surface curvature data; and

cause a subset of pixels of the plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more display settings, including:

identify a first brightness level of the subset of pixels;

determine an updated brightness level of the subset of pixels based on i) the first brightness level of the subset of pixels and ii) an increase in brightness level for the subset of pixels indicated by the one or more display settings;

compare the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels to a maximum brightness level;

determine, based on the comparing, that the updated brightness level of the subset of pixels is greater than the maximum brightness level, and in response:

decrease the first brightness level of the plurality of pixels to a second brightness level less than the first brightness level; and

update the second brightness level of the subset of pixels based on the increase in brightness level indicated by the one or more display settings.

14. The computing environment of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the foldable display to:

identify a viewing position of a user in relation to the surface of the foldable display;

retrieve one or more additional display settings from the display database based on the viewing position of the user; and

cause the plurality of pixels to illuminate using the one or more additional display settings.

15. The computing environment of claim 13 , wherein the one or more display settings include a brightness setting and a color setting.

16. The computing environment of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of surface maps stored in the display database corresponds to a respective hinge angle of a plurality of hinge angles of the foldable display.

17. The computing environment of claim 13 , wherein the foldable display includes a plurality of display zones, each of the plurality of display zones encompassing a portion of the plurality of pixels of the foldable display.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2021
From: YILDIZ, YAGIZ C.; PEANA, STEFAN; SEIBERT, PHILIP M.; TURCHIN, KEVIN M.; PELISSIER, GERALD R.; TORRES, CHRISTOPHER A.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054983/0709 →