公开(公告)号：US20210067418A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-04

申请号：US17096769

申请日：2020-11-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Colin M. Ely ,  Erik G. de Jong ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf

IPC: H04L12/24 ,  G06F3/0488 ,  H04W16/20 ,  G06T19/00 ,  H04W76/14 ,  G06F3/0481 ,  G02B27/01

Abstract: An electronic device may include a display system and control circuitry. The user's environment may be presented on the display system. The environment on the display system may be a captured image of the environment, may be the actual real world viewed through an optical combiner, or may be a completely virtual image representing the environment. The control circuitry may gather information about external electronic devices in the user's environment, including determining a type and location of each external electronic device and a status of wireless communications links between external electronic devices. The display system may overlay computer-generated display elements onto the user's environment to indicate the status of wireless communications links between the external electronic devices. In response to touch or gesture input, the control circuitry may send control signals to the external electronic devices to establish or break wireless communications links between external electronic devices.

公开(公告)号：US10931802B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-23

申请号：US15863729

申请日：2018-01-05

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: G09G5/00 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F1/16

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with concave displays that reduce the risk of damage in the event of a drop while maximizing the internal volume of the device. Concave displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers including a flexible display layer. The flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid cover structure provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.

公开(公告)号：US20200320926A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-08

申请号：US16909519

申请日：2020-06-23

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Paul Stephen Drzaic ,  Benjamin Mark Rappoport ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  John Patrick Ternus ,  Scott A. Myers

IPC: G09G3/3208 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/042

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided in which photodetectors disposed throughout a display are used to control the display brightness. The photodetectors are to be used for ambient light sensing, proximity sensing, or to compensate for aging OLEDs. In some embodiments, photodiodes are fabricated with OLEDs during the TFT fabrication process. In some embodiments, the photodetectors may be disposed throughout the display in zones containing OLEDs. The photodetectors are used to control the display brightness and color for the OLEDs in areas around each photodetector based on ambient light, aging, and/or nearby objects. A controller makes driving strength adjustments to the OLEDs in each zone independent of other zones. Photodetectors disposed throughout the display may improve proximity sensing and provide additional functionality to the device.

公开(公告)号：US10656674B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-19

申请号：US16538696

申请日：2019-08-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Christopher M. Werner ,  Emery A. Sanford ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Teodor Dabov ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/041 ,  H04M1/02

Abstract: An electronic device having a housing structure that is configured to receive at least one glass cover is disclosed. The glass cover serves to cover a display assembly provided within the electronic device. The glass cover can be secured to the housing structure so as to facilitate providing a narrow border between an active display area and an outer edge of the housing structure. The enclosure for the electronic device can be thin yet be sufficiently strong to be suitable for use in electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices.

公开(公告)号：US10546901B2

公开(公告)日：2020-01-28

申请号：US16203410

申请日：2018-11-28

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Richard P. Howarth ,  Julian Hoenig ,  Christopher J. Stringer ,  John P. Ternus ,  Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: G02F1/1345 ,  H01L27/32 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G09G3/3208 ,  H01L51/00 ,  H04R1/02 ,  G02B5/20

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.

公开(公告)号：US10521034B2

公开(公告)日：2019-12-31

申请号：US16421892

申请日：2019-05-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Myers ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Anthony S. Montevirgen

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/0488 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/0481 ,  G06F3/044 ,  H04M1/02 ,  H04M1/23

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.

公开(公告)号：US20190212603A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-11

申请号：US16355569

申请日：2019-03-15

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Paul S. Drzaic ,  Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  John P. Ternus

IPC: G02F1/1345

CPC classification number: G02F1/13452 ,  G02F2201/42

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display having a thin-film transistor layer. One or more holes in the thin-film transistor layer may be used to form pathways from display circuitry to other circuitry underneath the display. One or more conductive bridges may pass through holes in the thin-film transistor layer and may have one end that couples to the display circuitry and a second end that couples to a printed circuit underneath the display. These conductive bridges may be formed from wire bonding. Wire bond connections may be encapsulated with potting material to improve the reliability of the wire bond and increase the resiliency of the display. Display signal lines may be routed through holes in a thin-film transistor layer to run along a backside of the display thereby reducing the need for space in the border region for display circuitry.

公开(公告)号：US20190176379A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US16278022

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Douglas Weber ,  Stephen P. Zadesky ,  Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: B29C45/16 ,  B29C45/14 ,  B23K26/382 ,  C23F1/00 ,  B29C37/00 ,  C23F1/16

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for applying internal features or complex mechanical structures to a surface of a metal part are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for creating an assembly that includes a substrate and a molded piece involves obtaining the substrate, and forming at least one binding feature on a surface of the substrate. The method also includes molding on a surface of the binding feature and the surface of the substrate. Molding on the surface of the binding feature and the surface of the substrate mechanically binds the molded piece to the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10318061B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-11

申请号：US15974545

申请日：2018-05-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  John P. Ternus ,  Justin R. Wodrich

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  G09G3/20 ,  H01M2/02 ,  H01M2/10 ,  H01M2/16 ,  H01M2/18 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/044 ,  H01L27/32 ,  H01L51/00 ,  H01M10/04 ,  G06F1/3234 ,  G09G3/3208

Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery. A flexible printed circuit may include flexible and rigid portions or openings that allow some rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions.

公开(公告)号：US20190163233A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-30

申请号：US16264340

申请日：2019-01-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Scott A. Myers ,  John Raff ,  Richard P. Howarth ,  Wei Chen ,  Christopher J. Stringer ,  Julian Hoenig

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  F21K9/60

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display cover layer mounted to the device using an adhesive bond with a display. The display may be a flexible display. The flexible display may include Organic Light Emitting Diode display technology. The display may be mounted to a rigid support structure. The rigid support structure may be mounted to a device housing member. Mounting the display cover layer to the display may eliminate the need to mount the display cover layer to the device housing and may allow active display pixels to be visible under the display cover layer closer to the device housing than in conventional devices. Providing the electronic device with active display pixels closer to the device housing may reduce the need for an inactive border around the display and may improve the aesthetic appeal of the electronic device.