公开(公告)号：US12007639B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-11

申请号：US18156587

申请日：2023-01-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yuan Chen ,  Donald R. Monroe ,  Peter F. Masschelein ,  Stephen B. Lynch ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/1333 ,  B60J3/00 ,  B60J3/04 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G02F1/1334 ,  G02F1/137

CPC classification number: G02F1/1334 ,  B60J3/007 ,  B60J3/04 ,  G02F1/0121 ,  G02F1/133365 ,  G02F1/13725 ,  G02F1/13737 ,  G02F2203/01

Abstract: A system such as a vehicle, building, or electronic device system may have a support structure with one or more windows. The support structure and window may separate an interior region within the system from a surrounding exterior region. Control circuitry may receive input such as user input and may adjust an adjustable layer in the window based on the input. The adjustable layer may have a polymer matrix layer with embedded cells. The cells may include intermixed guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells. The guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells may have different liquid crystal materials and/or different sizes that allow the guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells to electrically switch states at different respective threshold voltages. Based on the user input or other input the control circuitry can adjust a drive signal across the adjustable layer to change light transmittance and haze.

公开(公告)号：US20240045128A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-08

申请号：US18328290

申请日：2023-06-02

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Guolin Peng ,  Elson Y Liu ,  Yuan Chen ,  Khoa Nguyen ,  Kaikai Guo ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Seung Hoon Lee ,  Se Hyun Ahn

IPC: G02B5/30 ,  G02B17/08 ,  G06F1/16

CPC classification number: G02B5/3083 ,  G02B17/08 ,  G06F1/163

Abstract: An electronic device may include a display panel configured to produce light and a lens assembly that receives the light from the display panel. The lens assembly may include a first lens and a second lens. The second lens may be a removable lens that is configured to be selectively attached to the lens assembly. The lens assembly may also include a partially reflective mirror that is interposed between the first lens and the display panel, a reflective polarizer that is interposed between the first lens and the second lens when the second lens is attached to the lens assembly, and a quarter wave plate that is interposed between the reflective polarizer and the second lens when the second lens element is attached to the lens assembly.

公开(公告)号：US20240004125A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-04

申请号：US18469110

申请日：2023-09-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： David E Kingman ,  Clarisse Mazuir ,  Lai Wang ,  Se Hyun Ahn ,  Yongxing Hu ,  Yuan Chen

IPC: F21V8/00 ,  B60Q3/208

CPC classification number: G02B6/0095 ,  B60Q3/208 ,  G02B6/0041 ,  G02B6/0091

Abstract: A system may have windows. A window in the system may have first and second window layers such as structural layers of glass. The window may have a light guide layer between the first and second window layers. The light guide layer may have cladding layers and a core layer between the cladding layers. The core and cladding refractive index values may be selected so that the refractive index of the core is greater than the refractive index of the structural layers of glass while the refractive index of the claddings is less than the refractive index of the structural layer of glass. Light-scattering structures may be formed on the light guide to extract some of the light within the light guide and thereby provide illumination for the system.

公开(公告)号：US11693279B1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-04

申请号：US17683731

申请日：2022-03-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yunseok Lee ,  Haiqing Xianyu ,  Junhwan Lim ,  Peter F Masschelein ,  Sang Un Choi ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/1339 ,  B60J3/04 ,  G02F1/137 ,  G02F1/1343

CPC classification number: G02F1/1339 ,  B60J3/04 ,  G02F1/13725 ,  G02F1/134309

Abstract: A system may have windows. The window may have first and second window layers and a layer of material such as guest-host liquid crystal material between the first and second window layers. Electrodes on the window layers may be used to apply electric fields to the guest-host liquid crystal material to adjust the light transmission properties of the window. To ensure that a desired gap between the first and second window layers is maintained, spacers may be formed between the first and second window layers. The spacers may include key-and-lock spacers that have interlocking portions located, respectively, on the first and second window layers. Spacers such as photoresist posts can be attached using adhesive. Hybrid arrangements may also be used in which key-and-lock spacer structures are attached using adhesive bonds.

公开(公告)号：US20180164882A1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-14

申请号：US15835046

申请日：2017-12-07

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Paul V. Johnson ,  Yuan Chen ,  Bryan W. Posner ,  Cheng Chen ,  Chia Hsuan Tai ,  Jiaying Wu ,  Robert Y. Cao ,  Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang ,  Shih-Wei Chang ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Dinesh C. Mathew

IPC: G06F3/01 ,  G02F1/00 ,  G02F1/1333 ,  G02F1/1335

CPC classification number: G06F3/013 ,  G02F1/0045 ,  G02F1/0063 ,  G02F1/13338 ,  G02F1/133536 ,  G02F1/13475 ,  G06F3/01

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. Input-output circuitry in the electronic device may be used to gather input from a viewer of the display. The input-output circuitry may include a gaze tracking system that gathers point-of-gaze information, vergence information, and head position information, may be a biometric sensor, may be an input device such as a button or touch sensor, may capture hand gestures, and/or may gather other information. The display may include a pixel array for producing images. An adjustable reflectance and transmittance layer may overlap the pixel array. Control circuitry in the electronic device may individually adjust different areas of the adjustable reflectance and transmittance layer. The control circuitry may place each area in a reflective mirror more or in a content-displaying mode and may move the areas in response to the information.

公开(公告)号：US09829740B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-28

申请号：US14339263

申请日：2014-07-23

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shang-Chih Lin ,  Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/1333 ,  G02F1/1335

CPC classification number: G02F1/133514 ,  G02F1/133512 ,  G02F1/133516

Abstract: A display may have a thin-film transistor layer formed from a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on a substrate, a color filter layer, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the color filter layer. The thin-film transistor layer, the liquid crystal layer, and the color filter layer may be sandwiched between upper and lower polarizers. A backlight unit may supply backlight illumination for pixels in the display. The color filter layer may have a black matrix with an array of openings. Color filter elements of different colors may be formed in the openings. The black matrix may have sidewalls that are steep or that are undercut. The profile of the black matrix helps block improperly colored off-axis light and thereby reduces undesired color mixing in the display.

公开(公告)号：US20160259215A1

公开(公告)日：2016-09-08

申请号：US14850015

申请日：2015-09-10

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Adria Fores Herranz ,  Chia Hsuan Tai ,  Hossein Nemati ,  Jun Jiang ,  Cheng Chen

IPC: G02F1/1343 ,  G02F1/1368 ,  G02F1/1335

CPC classification number: G02F1/134309 ,  G02F1/133345 ,  G02F1/133371 ,  G02F1/133512 ,  G02F1/133514 ,  G02F1/133707 ,  G02F1/133753 ,  G02F2001/133519 ,  G02F2001/133757 ,  G02F2001/134345 ,  G02F2201/52

Abstract: A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between display layers. The display layers may include thin-film transistor circuitry having subpixel electrodes for applying electric fields to subpixel portions of the layer of liquid crystal material. Subpixels of different colors may have different shapes and may have different liquid crystal layer thicknesses. These subpixel differences may be configured to slow the switching speed of subpixels of a certain color relative to other subpixels to reduce color motion blur when an object is moved across a black or colored background. The subpixels may have chevron shapes. Subpixels of a first color may have chevron shapes that are less bent than subpixels of second and third colors. In configurations with varying liquid crystal layer thicknesses, the subpixels of the first color may have thicker liquid crystal layers than the subpixels of the second and third colors.

公开(公告)号：US20160026037A1

公开(公告)日：2016-01-28

申请号：US14339263

申请日：2014-07-23

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shang-Chih Lin ,  Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/1335 ,  G02F1/1368

CPC classification number: G02F1/133514 ,  G02F1/133512 ,  G02F1/133516

Abstract: A display may have a thin-film transistor layer formed from a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on a substrate, a color filter layer, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the color filter layer. The thin-film transistor layer, the liquid crystal layer, and the color filter layer may be sandwiched between upper and lower polarizers. A backlight unit may supply backlight illumination for pixels in the display. The color filter layer may have a black matrix with an array of openings. Color filter elements of different colors may be formed in the openings. The black matrix may have sidewalls that are steep or that are undercut. The profile of the black matrix helps block improperly colored off-axis light and thereby reduces undesired color mixing in the display.

Abstract translation: 显示器可以具有薄膜晶体管层，该薄膜晶体管层由介于薄膜晶体管层和滤色器层之间的衬底，滤色器层和液晶材料层上的薄膜晶体管电路层形成。 薄膜晶体管层，液晶层和滤色器层可夹在上下偏振器之间。 背光单元可以为显示器中的像素提供背光照明。 滤色器层可以具有带有开口阵列的黑色矩阵。 可以在开口中形成不同颜色的滤色器元件。 黑色矩阵可以具有陡峭或被切削的侧壁。 黑色矩阵的轮廓有助于阻挡不正确地着色的离轴光，从而减少显示器中的不期望的颜色混合。

公开(公告)号：US11829039B1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-28

申请号：US17412107

申请日：2021-08-25

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ziqian He ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Aaron L. Holsteen

IPC: G02B27/28 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G02F1/135 ,  G02B6/10 ,  G02F1/13357 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  G02F1/133 ,  G09G3/34 ,  G09G3/36

CPC classification number: G02F1/135 ,  G02B6/10 ,  G02B27/0172 ,  G02F1/13312 ,  G02F1/133615 ,  G02F1/133622 ,  G09G3/3413 ,  G09G3/36 ,  G02B2027/0112 ,  G02F2202/10 ,  G09G2320/0242 ,  G09G2330/021 ,  G09G2360/144

Abstract: A display may include illumination optics, a ferroelectric liquid crystal on silicon (fLCOS) panel, and a waveguide. The illumination optics may include a red, green, and blue light sources. The fLCOS panel may produce image light by modulating a series of image frames onto illumination light. Control circuitry may control the illumination optics to produce the illumination light for each image frame in the series of image frames according to a green-heavy illumination sequence that includes first, second, and third time periods. The green light source may be active during each of the first, second, and third time periods. This may allow the green light source to be driven with a lower current density than the other light sources without significantly reducing image quality at an eye box. The lower current density may match the peak efficiency of the green light source, thereby minimizing power consumption by the display.

公开(公告)号：US11822165B1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US16875891

申请日：2020-05-15

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Cihan Yilmaz ,  Supriya Goyal ,  Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang ,  Paul V. Johnson ,  Se Hyun Ahn ,  Cheng Chen ,  Yuan Chen ,  Hyungryul Choi ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Christiaan A. Ligtenberg ,  Dinesh C. Mathew ,  Hyunmin A. Song ,  Chaohao Wang ,  Jiaying Wu

IPC: G02F1/13 ,  G02F1/163 ,  G02F1/1523 ,  G02F1/1343 ,  G02F1/1524 ,  G02F1/155

CPC classification number: G02F1/1323 ,  G02F1/13439 ,  G02F1/155 ,  G02F1/1524 ,  G02F1/1525 ,  G02F1/163

Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. An angle-of-view adjustment layer may overlap the display layers. The angle-of-view adjustment layer may include an array of adjustable light blocking structures formed from electrochromic material. The electrochromic material may be interposed between first and second electrode layers. When it is desired to operate the display in a private viewing mode, control circuitry may apply a current to the first and second electrodes that causes the electrochromic material to become more opaque, thereby restricting the angle of view of the display. When it is desired to operate the display in a public viewing mode, control circuitry may apply a current to the first and second electrodes that causes the electrochromic material to become more transparent, thereby opening up the angle of view of the display.