US 11520378

Patent Analysis: US Patent No. 11,520,378

Date of Analysis: May 1, 2026

This report provides a concise summary and analysis of United States Patent No. 11,520,378, titled "Flexible display computing devices."

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I. Patent Identification

• Patent Number: 11,520,378 B2
• Title: Flexible display computing devices
• Assignee: Lepton Computing LLC
• Inventor: Stephen E. Delaporte
• Filing Date: August 23, 2021
• Issue Date: December 6, 2022

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II. Abstract

The patent describes reconfigurable computing devices that utilize a flexible touch screen display composed of multiple segments. These devices can be transformed from a compact, "folded" state, comparable in size to a handheld phone, to an "expanded" state, resembling a tablet computer. In both configurations, the device presents a touch screen on one side and a protective housing on the other. The design incorporates sensors to detect the device's current state (folded or unfolded), along with mechanisms for folding, alignment, and structural support. Magnets are also included to secure the device in either its compact or expanded form. A primary processing and memory module, attached to at least one of the segments, provides the computational power and communication capabilities for the device in all its configurations.

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III. Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

US Patent 11,520,378 has two independent claims. Below is a plain-language summary of each.

Claim 1:

This claim describes a computing device with a flexible display that can be folded. The key features are:

• A Flexible Display and Housing: The device has a flexible touch screen on the front and a protective housing on the back.
• Multiple Rigid Segments: This display and housing are supported by a structure made of at least four rigid segments.
• Foldability into Two States: The device can be configured in two main ways:
  • Expanded State: The segments are arranged in a single plane to form a larger, tablet-like display.
  • Compact State: The segments are folded on top of each other to create a smaller, phone-sized device.
• Specific Folding Mechanism: The folding process involves a particular sequence of rotations along at least two parallel axes. This "asymmetrical" folding pattern ensures that when the device is in its compact state, a single segment's touch screen is exposed as the main screen, and the back of another segment forms the back of the device.
• Integrated Components: A processing and communication module is located within one of the segments. Additionally, the device includes a speaker and a microphone, making it functional as a phone in its compact state.

In essence, Claim 1 protects a multi-segment, foldable device that transforms from a tablet to a phone, with a specific folding method that ensures a usable screen and a protective back in both forms, and includes all necessary components for operation as a smartphone and a tablet.

Claim 16:

This claim focuses on a method for interacting with a reconfigurable computing device, rather than the device itself. The key aspects of the method are:

• Two Display States: The device has a compact "phone" state and an expanded "tablet" state.
• Content Resizing: When the device is changed from the compact to the expanded state, the on-screen content is automatically rescaled to fit the larger display.
• Split-Screen Functionality: If two separate areas of content are displayed on the compact screen (e.g., a video and a keyboard), they will be rescaled to occupy distinct, larger sections of the expanded screen. For example, the video might take up the top half of the tablet display, and the keyboard the bottom half, creating a laptop-like experience.
• Full-Screen Functionality: If only one area of content is displayed on the compact screen, it will be rescaled to fill the entire expanded display.
• Sensor-Driven Transitions: The device uses sensors to detect when it is being folded or unfolded, which triggers the automatic resizing and repositioning of the on-screen content.

In essence, Claim 16 protects the software and user interface method that allows the display content to intelligently adapt as the device is physically transformed between its smaller and larger screen configurations.

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IV. Legal Status

As of the date of this analysis, US Patent 11,520,378 is listed as "Active" in the USPTO database. An initial search of the CAFC dockets for cases involving "11,520,378" did not yield any publicly available information regarding litigation or disputes concerning this patent. However, this does not definitively rule out the possibility of ongoing legal proceedings that are not yet publicly indexed.