On July 3 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Samsung Continues to Push the Concept of Foldable Smartphones and Tablets." Days later, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published yet another pair of new patent applications from Samsung concerning flexible, bendable smartphones, an area of technology that Samsung has been working for many years as proven in our Patently Mobile archives. Samsung's inventions cover flex displays with artificial muscles and a method of allowing multitasking users to quickly switch between multiple favorite apps with a simple bend of their smartphones.

Flex Displays with built-in Artificial Muscles

Samsung's first patent covers a flex display that uses a new artificial muscle concept. Samsung's patent FIG. 30 noted above you're able to see a perspective view of a shape of display panel support member #1540 applied to the display apparatus which is transformed by an external force. The panel support member includes a plurality of plates #1541 arranged parallel in the form of a matrix on the X-Y plane, and a plurality of artificial muscles #1542 connecting the plates. In accordance with which direction what artificial muscle #1542 is transformed, the panel support member #1540 may be bent in various forms.

Bend the Smartphone to Get a 'Quick View' of another Key App

Samsung's second patent covers a flex display concept that allows a user to bend the top half of a smartphone with a single finger with ease. Such an action is set to trigger a user's app to change to another favorite in a 'Quick View' mode.

As noted in the example above, a user is able to switch from one app, like a clock app, to a calendar app with just a simple push of their finger on the backside of the smartphone. Users will be able to set which apps they wish to be a part of the Quick View feature. 

To learn more about these new patents, see our full Patently Mobile report here.

Patently Mobile 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. About Posting Comments: Patently Mobile reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments.