Apple has patented a method that would see traditional glass screens found on a smartphone turned into a flexible display.
The new patent has been awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. patent 8,336,334 explains a method of utilizing heat while bending glass over a mold to achieve a particular shape.
Samsung recently confirmed its plans to show a 5.5-inch flexible smartphone screen during CES, with fellow handset manufacturer Nokia having also tested flexible phones.
Part of the 'slumping' process, which is the way the glass is bent over a mold, Apple's patent details how the method can be used to change glass shapes in order to create a bend or curve. The method would prevent the overstretching of the glass or potentially causing cracks created by air vacuums.
The patent also points towards the method, system and tools required for high-temperature processing; Apple said it can be applied to "small factor electronic devices," including phones and user input devices.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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Humans were able to bend glass for thousand of years, so why would the patent office award something that the ancient Roman/Greek/Chinese/Hindu civilizations were able to do, is quite sad and scary.Reply
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can someone please make any computer chips and patents it as A7 so make sure that apple will end of it A serial CPU production line at A6. hey. you want to get a big cut from apple. be patent smart.Reply
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assasin32 jtarids887can someone please make any computer chips and patents it as A7 so make sure that apple will end of it A serial CPU production line at A6. hey. you want to get a big cut from apple. be patent smart.Reply
No I'd rather just patent the letter A and than patent/trademark Apple as in the fruit. Than work my way up on letter B-Z so I can go after everyone. I also like to patent the way you file patents to the patent office via mail, email, in person, courier pigeon, etc. So I can go after more people as well.
Next stop law school, not sure why though considering this might just work with how things have been going lately. -
CrArC assasin32 I also like to patent the way you file patents to the patent office via mail, email, in person, courier pigeon, etc. So I can go after more people as well. I thought IBM tried those shenanigans already?Reply
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panini The patent isn't for the bending of glass itself, it's for a specific procedure. Obviously, this uses new technology and modern methods, something that hasn't been done for "thousands of years."Reply
This means other companies can still make bendable glass they may just have to come up with their own way of doing it even if it may be less efficient.
You guys need to chill when it comes to patents. -
Afrospinach Urm. Flexible glass I do not see. I generally do not heat my phone up to 500-800 degrees during the course of my day as described by the patent(there was this one time after mexican). The Wired article states nothing of flexible displays only curved. What is this leap of faith?Reply