公开(公告)号：US20250028157A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-23

申请号：US18480695

申请日：2023-10-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Seung Hoon Lee ,  Fuyi Yang ,  Hanyang Huang ,  Se Hyun Ahn ,  Wentao Li ,  Young Cheol Yang ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Dagny Fleischman

IPC: G02B17/08 ,  G02B25/00

Abstract: An electronic device may include a display system and an optical system that are supported by a housing. The optical system may be a catadioptric optical system having one or more lens elements. The optical system may include a wave plate stack with one or more wave plates. The display system may also include a wave plate stack with one or more wave plates. Each wave plate stack may include a positive dispersion quarter wave plate and a positive dispersion half wave plate. Each wave plate stack may include a negative dispersion quarter wave plate and a negative dispersion half wave plate. Each wave plate stack may include a biaxial quarter wave plate and a biaxial half wave plate.

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.

公开(公告)号：US11796872B1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-24

申请号：US17459718

申请日：2021-08-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ziqian He ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Kaikai Guo ,  Yuan Chen

IPC: G02F1/135 ,  G02B6/10 ,  G02F1/13363 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G02F1/139

CPC classification number: G02F1/135 ,  G02B6/10 ,  G02B27/0101 ,  G02F1/0136 ,  G02F1/1396 ,  G02F1/133638 ,  G02F2203/01 ,  G02F2413/01 ,  G02F2413/05 ,  G02F2413/12

Abstract: A display may include illumination optics, a ferroelectric liquid crystal on silicon (fLCOS) panel, and a waveguide. A twisted nematic cell may be optically interposed between the fLCOS panel and the waveguide. A birefringent crystal may be optically interposed between the cell and the waveguide. The cell may have a first state in which the cell transmits the image light with a first polarization and a second state in which the cell transmits the image light with a second polarization. The crystal may transmit the image light within spatially offset beams based on polarization. In another arrangement, a quarter waveplate may be optically interposed between the cell and the waveguide and a geometric phase grating may be optically interposed between the quarter waveplate and the waveguide. Control circuitry may toggle the cell between the first and second states to maximize the effective resolution of images at an eye box.

公开(公告)号：US11778858B1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-03

申请号：US17517463

申请日：2021-11-02

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yuan Chen ,  Tae Woon Cha ,  Jie Li ,  Junhwan Lim ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Guanjun Tan ,  Giovanni Carbone ,  Jose A. Dominguez-Caballero ,  Thanh Son Nguyen

IPC: H10K50/858 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  H10K59/38 ,  H10K59/35

CPC classification number: H10K50/858 ,  G02F1/133514 ,  G02F1/133526 ,  H10K59/353 ,  H10K59/38

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with an array of display pixels. To increase the efficiency of the display, the display may also include an array of microlenses. Each microlens may overlap and focus light from a respective pixel. Pixels for one of the colors of light may have a high aspect ratio. These pixels may be covered by two microlenses or a single cylindrical microlens. The microlens dimensions may be tuned to mitigate non-uniformities in the brightness profiles of the pixels. The microlens edges may be laterally shifted towards or away from the center of the light-emitting areas to either reduce or increase the focusing power of the microlens. The microlenses and color filter elements in each pixel may also be shifted to account for the chief ray angle of the display.

公开(公告)号：US11754886B1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-12

申请号：US17516499

申请日：2021-11-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang ,  Yuechen Wu ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Cheng-Ho Yu ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/1343 ,  G02F1/1335

CPC classification number: G02F1/134309 ,  G02F1/133514 ,  G02F1/133553

Abstract: Increasing resolution of liquid crystal displays may result in small distances between adjacent liquid crystal display pixels. This tight pixel spacing may reduce transmission through the liquid crystal display pixels and may result in cross-talk between the liquid crystal display pixels. To increase transmission and, correspondingly, display efficiency, a reflective layer may be included in the liquid crystal display. The reflective layer recycles backlight that may otherwise be absorbed, improving transmittance and efficiency. To reduce color shift and color mixing caused by cross-talk, the pixels may have their pixel electrodes arranged in a zigzag layout. Each pixel electrode may have a height that is less than or equal to the total height of the pixel divided by two. The pixel electrodes in a given row are also alternatingly coupled to first and second gate lines. This zigzag layout results in an increased distance between adjacent pixel electrodes, mitigating pixel cross-talk.

公开(公告)号：US20230152620A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-18

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

CPC classification number: G02F1/1334 ,  G02F1/13737 ,  G02F1/133365 ,  G02F1/0121 ,  G02F1/13725 ,  B60J3/007 ,  B60J3/04 ,  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：US11105963B1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-31

申请号：US15454195

申请日：2017-03-09

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yuan Chen ,  Bennett S. Wilburn ,  Cheng Chen ,  Michael Slootsky ,  Shuang Wang ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: G02F1/29 ,  G02B3/14 ,  G02B5/20 ,  G02B15/14 ,  G02B27/28 ,  G02B30/25

Abstract: Optical systems may have tunable lenses with focal lengths that are adjusted by control circuitry. A display may produce image light that is received by a tunable lens. The display may be transparent so that light from objects can pass through the display and be received by the tunable lens. The tunable lens may include a birefringent lens element and a polarization rotator and may receive light that has been linearly polarized by passing through a linear polarizer. The polarization rotator may be operable in a first state in which the polarization of light passing through the polarization rotator is not rotated and a second state in which the polarization of light passing through the polarization rotator is rotated by 90°. The birefringent lens element may be formed from a cured liquid crystal polymer or other polymer and may have a liquid crystal additive to enhance birefringence.

公开(公告)号：US10943959B1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US16270142

申请日：2019-02-07

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Aaron L. Holsteen ,  Chaohao Wang ,  Cheng Chen ,  Jun Li ,  Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang ,  Xiaokai Li ,  Young Cheol Yang ,  Zhibing Ge

IPC: H01L27/32 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  G02F1/13363 ,  G02F1/1333 ,  G02F1/1347

Abstract: An optical system may include equipment with a housing that is configured to receive external equipment such as a cellular telephone. The external equipment may include a display. To control the persistence of the display, the optical system may include a light modulating layer. The light modulating layer may switch between a transparent state in which display image light is passed through the light modulating layer to reach the viewer and an opaque state in which display image light is blocked by the light modulating layer from reaching the viewer. The light modulating layer may be placed in the transparent state for a portion of each display frame and the opaque state for the remaining portion of each display frame. The light modulating layer may be formed in the housing of the equipment that receives the external equipment or may be formed with the external equipment directly.

公开(公告)号：US10690970B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-23

申请号：US15260082

申请日：2016-09-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Chia Hsuan Tai ,  Cheng Chen ,  Da Yu ,  Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov ,  Sang Un Choi ,  Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang ,  Tae Woon Cha ,  Yeon Sik Ham ,  Yuan Chen ,  Zhibing Ge ,  Hossein Nemati

IPC: G02F1/1339 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  G02F1/1337 ,  G02F1/1343 ,  G02F1/1368 ,  G02F1/1362 ,  G02F1/1333 ,  G02F1/137 ,  G06F3/041

Abstract: A liquid crystal display may have main column spacers and subspacer column spacers. The column spacers may have cross shapes formed from overlapping perpendicular rectangular column spacer portions respectively located on a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. The column spacers may have a hybrid configuration in which some of the rectangular portions on the thin-film transistor layer extend vertically and some extend horizontally. Column spacers may be formed from planarization layer material, may be formed from locally thickened portions of a planarization layer, and may have circular shapes.