Samsung Invents a Smartphone-Like Device with a 360° Camera and Projector with a Virtual Keyboard
May 15, 2017

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that reveals a new kind of cylindrical mobile device that is designed to take advantage of flexible displays. The device could take on different functions and Samsung doesn't want the device to be labeled something with a narrow definition. It could be a smartphone or a mobile TV or a gaming device or a peripheral.
  
Figure 1: Samsung’s Cylindrical Mobile Device

Source: U.S. PTO, PATENTLY MOBILE, OLED-A

Samsung notes that the device could deploy a flexible display by using a mechanical force or a shape memory alloy. The shape memory alloy remembers at least one shape and is adapted to maintain a shape of the flexible display. The new device could also introduce a few new ideas such as integrating a 360 degree camera that could be used in sync with their Gear VR peripheral and use a projection system to present users with a virtual keyboard as noted in our cover graphic. According to Samsung, the electronic device (#703) illustrated in FIG. 7B may include a housing
 
Figure 2: Samsung’s Cylindrical Mobile Device with Flexible Display

Source: U.S. PTO, PATENTLY MOBILE, OLED-A

#710, a support structure #720, and a flexible display #730. In one or more embodiments, an upper end of the support structure may include an infrared ray output unit (or an infrared ray sensor) #720c. 

​In addition, the infrared ray output unit may output a specific pattern through an infrared ray. For example, the infrared ray output unit may output a keyboard pattern 750c. The electronic device may recognize an operation of the user and a change of the keyboard pattern by using the infrared ray output unit or another sensor. Various pieces of information, such as texts and symbols, which are inputted by the user, may be outputted on the flexible display. 

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