San Francisco, Apr 16 (IANS): Google is reportedly working on its own foldable device that would launch sometime in the future.

According to the report, the device could be a smartphone, tablet or netbook.

Google notes in its patent filing that display devices may include a flexible display coupled to a housing member, which may fold or bend in a rotating manner about a hinge assembly, reports PatentlyApple.

In some instances, the flexible display can be bent or folded such that the flexible displays can face each other. In other words, a portion of the flexible display can be bent towards a portion of the flexible display that remains fixed or stationary.

In order to resolve the outlined issues, exemplary foldable display devices, as described in Google's patent filing, may include a hinge assembly having a slider mechanism and a set of gears.

The slider mechanism and the set of gears operate to transfer a rotational movement into a translational movement of one of a first housing or a second housing, the report said.

More specifically, the hinge assembly can transfer a rotational movement of the flexible device to a translational movement and bend the flexible device without damage or breakage, it added.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, recently unveiled its first foldable smartphone, Mi Mix Fold, marking its entry into a segment dominated by Samsung.

The device features a 8.01-inch WQHD (wide quad high definition)+ resolution flexible internal display and a 6.52-inch AMOLED display as the front screen which offers a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate and HD+ resolution.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 5020mAh battery and 67W turbo charging support.