Last week we posted a report titled "Top Industry Players are mapping out the Future of Dual Display Devices," that covered dual display and flexible display patents from Sony, Samsung and Microsoft. Today, we're uncovering the basics of an all-new patent filing from Microsoft that describes future devices that may incorporate a pull-out or slide-out extendable flexible display; something that most of us have seen over the years in science fiction movies and/ or TV series. The new design somewhat parallels one that we covered back in March from Samsung.
Microsoft Invents Flexible Display Extendable Assemblies
Microsoft's invention generally relates to a flexible display extendable assembly as presented in their patent FIG. 1 above. The extendable assembly includes a slideable display guide integrated in a first housing that's part of an extendable electronic device.
Microsoft's patent figure 4 is another angle of the flexible display hidden within the portable device and then a second position of the flexible device extended to form a display area that's twice as large. Patent figure 5 provides just one scenario flowchart of the process of extending the flexible display.
According to Microsoft's filing, the next-generation devices that could take advantage of the extendable display design include any form of a portable consumer computer such as a phone, navigation system, television, appliance, gaming device, media playback device and others.
Microsoft states that one advantage of flexible OLED displays over LCD is that they self-emit light without the need for a flexible backlight. This would help to keep the dual display based device designs thinner than they would otherwise be if LCDs were adopted. It should be noted that the next generation of OLED displays are already in the works that will provide even better backlighting dynamics. By the time these new devices are ready to come to market, many advances like this are bound to be incorporated.
Microsoft's patent application was originally filed under serial number 154876 in Q2 2011. For further details, see Microsoft's patent application.
NOTICE: The Patent Bolt blog presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. Revelations found in patent applications shouldn't be interpreted as rumor or fast-tracked according to rumor timetables. About Comments: Patent Bolt reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.
Notice to Patent Bolt Facebook Fans
Due to constructive feedback from our many Facebook fans, we've now added the handy "Subscribe" button to our Facebook page as of December 10, 2012.
