Every few months we are coming across patents being filed by various companies like Samsung, OPPO, and Huawei. Foldable smartphones have been a concept for quite a few years and researchers are confident that the technology to power these phones will be ready for commercial manufacturing in the next couple of years. 

First spotted by Let's Go Digital, Motorola's patent shows a smartphone with an OLED display that folds in two places. While OLED displays can be very flexible, frequent bending can cause permanent deformations at the groove. This deformity isn't necessarily permanent and only occur after regular folding of the display, but would ultimately affect the user experience.

© Let's Go Digital

Motorola has found a novel solution to this problem; thermal element and sensors are built into the display near the folding part which increases the temperature of the OLED panel around that area and lets the display to return to its usual position whenever a deformity is registered.

The patent was filed way back in 2016 but seems to have just been revealed. The patent explains that the phone will automatically bend slightly in an opposite direction when heating the display to correct creases and other damage at the phone's hinge points.

© Let's Go Digital

After continued usage, the device will automatically know the right amount of heat required to recover the bend without actually straining the sensitive display / OLED parts.  The patent also describes the problem as being useful for displays made of plastic.

Samsung has been quite vocal about its upcoming Galaxy X which is reported to sport a bendable design. The X appears to boast a cylindrical hinge that revolves around the outside of the device.

© Let's Go Digital

“Samsung has the foldable smartphone in its roadmap for the Note series and is currently working to solve a series of hurdles before unveiling it next year.” DJ Koh, Samsung Mobile Division Head had commented. 

Huawei too recently signed an NDA with suppliers in relation to the upcoming folding phone. Development is underway, the sources say, with Huawei hoping to unveil the handset in November.

Source: Let's Go Digital