Samsung patents a rollable display device with fingerprint sensor

A new patent from Samsung Display Co. Ltd has recently surfaced online. Published in the WIPO database, the application filing date was June 13, 2017. However, the original patent was filed exactly one year earlier with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

The patent shows a flexible display panel that curl around a main body. The main body will made from a metallic material and the display will include one or more magnets so that it can be easily attached to the body. The patent also shows rollable display devices with different form factors including one featuring a square and another featuring a cylindrical body.

The cylindrical model comes with a roller that can rotate to spirally wind the flexible display panel. When the flexible display panel is being spirally coiled around the main body, the display can be fixed to the body by the magnetic force of a magnet.

The patent also reveals something more interesting. Once rolled up, users will be able to carry around the rollable display device easily. The main body, which is attached to the flexible display panel will feature an integrated fingerprint scanner for added security. The display panel will get unlocked with the fingerprint scanner.

Of course, it should be kept in mind that filing of a patent doesn't necessarily mean that the product will come to life. More often than not, companies realize that what is imagined in the patent cannot be produced in reality. Having said that, it will be really exciting to see a device with a rollable display.

This is not the first time we have seen a patent like this. Last month, we came across a patent from LG showing a rollable display. Unlike Samsung, LG's patent shows a cassette that contains a rotating motor.

Other that that, many companies have showcased prototypes with flexible displays but none of them were ready for mass production.

Via