Nokia patent application points to flexible phone displays
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 19th 2010 12:15AM
posted January 19th 2010 12:15AM
It may still be quite a ways from realizing its ambitious Morph concept, but it looks like Nokia has been toying around with the idea of flexible displays as of late, as evidenced by a just-published patent application (first filed back in 2008). Covering a "user interface, device and method for a physically flexible device," the application details (among other things) how a flexible display might be used on a phone to do things other than make it more portable. Most interestingly, that includes bending the phone into a particular shape to perform a specific task -- Nokia suggests rolling it into a can to search for a bar or pub, or bending it into a bowl to search for a restaurant. Not exactly the most imaginative examples, to be sure, although we're sure Nokia will have plenty of time to come up with some more interesting uses before any such phones actually hit the market.
[Thanks, Anand]
[Thanks, Anand]
I want to wrap this around my wrist.
Wristphone, please.
@Cence
Umm LG is already their....
@Federaly
That's not a wristphone. It's a watchphone! And it sucks. :(
Not alot of gesture options available, really.
"Fold into an origami swan for directions to the nearest BBQ chicken takeaway"
@Gregorian
Fold into a pikachu to launch the gameboy emulator.
Is this going to be another resistive screen, because that is one of the things that turned me away from the 900. Nokia, hopefully this will get you into 2010 for screen technology.
@FauxNews
This simply shows that you do not "get" the N900 and haven't actually tried it. Sure resistive isn't as touch sensitive as capacitive. The screen on N900 is very sensitive for a resistive though. Best I have used.
However the best thing about N900 is the browser that beats everything else out there. Part of the browser experience is the super high resolution screen without any need for zooming. You simply cannot achieve that without the higher accuracy of resistive screen and support for stulys or nail.
With my fingers, any real accuracy on capacitive screen is simply impossible. Hell the tip covers one tenth of the screen. How am I supposed to press on something with it when there are 5 different links hidden behind it.
@fatslug
LOL
2020: Nokia sues Apple over use the use of a flexible phone display claiming Apple did not pay them and they hold the patent.
@SteveJobsCEO
Exactly. That's the point of this. Get in first on the patent.
They don't have a serious use for it yet, but they're grabbing legal control of the idea in case one day they do find a use.
@SteveJobsCEO
2020? I hope it is sooner than that! The tech, not the lawsuit.
@SteveJobsCEO
With the multitude of phones that Nokia release every year, it is not unlikely that they could actually produce a phone with this in the next year or so. With Apple however, since they release only a couple of gadgets every year or so, it would be more unlikely that Apple could do anything with this patent in the next few years.
If Nokia makes the patent, people call them a patent troll. If Apple patents something, people would call it the next best thing.
@fisher
we all know who's the biggest patent troll.
@Gregorian
I recall seeing this nearly 2 years ago:
http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia/research/demos/the-morph-concept
evidenced here:
http://www.gtfrc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=242232&highlight=morph
Nokia are doing far more than any other Manufacturer.
@Avaviel 2020 is when Apple release *their* device with that tech; the Nokia one would come much sooner.
Haha oh man, I wish those notes (i.e. "can") on the shapes were actually part of the patent.
@COCOViper
I thought is was a UI for the more primitive men amongst us.
Bend into a Can for BEER.
Bend into a Bowl for TOILET.
Bend into a Curve for WOMAN.
There. Most of a man's needs dealt with in a simple gesture UI.
@Gregorian What is the gesture for pornography?
@FauxNews You need the can form and some accelerometers for that gesture.
@FauxNews
Bend it into a pipe then do the backward-forward grip with your hand 10x.
I seriously hope this hits the markets soon, but i know it'll take years.
@iamgatowi
'this'? what do you mean? Its not a product. its a patent.
as for flexible displays, yea sure, they already exist.. whatever. we can't figure out what to do with them..
When I first saw that I thought that Nokia was trying to patent the bowl.
Flexible....fold out and roll out screens are closer to reality than you think.
@(Unverified)
They are already real. Working demonstrations have been shown off for years- i.e. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtN_TkZUOt4
The problem is they can't get these things into a range where 1 million can be manufactured for $10 each and that is what's needed.
It's the same thing with the battery prototypes and research. Great, another group figured out a way to increase battery performance by 2x. Now show me how to take those lab techniques and translate them into a manufacturable and low cost product. *crickets*
@COCOViper
Well Nokia is probably the world leader in making high tech cheap. I mean have you seen the 20$ phones that gets you maybe USB cable from Apple. They are pretty much on par with smartphones from 4 years back.
@fatslug
introducing the Nokia Njoint
I wonder how long it will take Apple to use this patent without permission.
I guess they have finally got some way with the Morph concept.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs
What a great idea. Well done Nokia. I want this as wallpaper in my house - all over the walls.
Now we wait for Apple to rip it off, market a product quickly saying, aren't we clever and then try to get the Nokia product banned in the US when Nokia uses their own technology.
.
This reminds me of Nokia's nanotechnology prototype, Morph.
actuly nokia all ready has this already
it was part of a design competition that nokia put on few years ago
i think some chick from M.I.T won at least i think she was from M.I,T any how the concept phones was known then as
Nokia 888 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G32JmZkRddc
watch video enjoy
That's not a bowl, it's a trough, and not a tent but an arch, and not a can but a tube.
..but maybe apple patented those words? ;)