According to a patent document, Samsung has developed a display technology that could enable it to launch tablets with expandable screens. A South Korean technology group has won a US patent for a new type of display that can be extended from the left and right sides to create a much larger screen. It was previously granted another patent for another expandable display technology in julySamsung has only launched foldable phones so far, but it may soon enter other segments too – it recently received a patent foldable handheld gaming console,
Samsung patent reveals display that can be extended from both sides
in recently published patent document ,through) On the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website, Samsung has provided several images of its latest display technology. It appears to be designed for larger-screen devices, which suggests it may debut on the company’s tablets at some point in the future.
Unlike the company’s other patents, the description of the new expandable display technology does not include details on how the technology works. Instead, it includes details of various figures in the patent document that clearly explain how the device will work.
Samsung’s extendable display as seen on a tablet-like device (tap to enlarge)
Photo Credit: USPTO/Samsung
We can see the device in its unfolded form in Figure 1 and Figure 2, and it appears to be a regular tablet-sized device. A slot on the top edge also appears to house a stylus that resembles the company’s S Pen, and the accessory is also seen in later figures in the document.
Image 3 shows the back of the alleged tablet, when it is held in a horizontal position, with two lines running along the left and right sides of the device. We can also see two circles on the rear panel, and these could represent a dual rear camera setup.
We can finally see the device extended for the first time in Figure 8, and it appears that Samsung has designed the device in such a way that it extends to the left and right sides. Figure 9 shows it’s much larger viewing area, offering a top view of the device, while Figure 10 shows us what the back panel will look like when the screen is expanded.
According to Figure 7 in the patent document, Samsung could equip this tablet-like device with a USB Type-C port as well as four pogo pin connectors that could enable support for accessories like a keyboard.