公开(公告)号：US10739908B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-11

申请号：US16421886

申请日：2019-05-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

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

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

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：US10735569B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-04

申请号：US15879307

申请日：2018-01-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: G02F1/1333 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F1/16

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A 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 structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.

公开(公告)号：US10713998B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-14

申请号：US16105812

申请日：2018-08-20

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：US10401904B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-03

申请号：US16008151

申请日：2018-06-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

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

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

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：US20190152129A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-23

申请号：US16251931

申请日：2019-01-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  John Raff

IPC: B29C53/04

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a bent portion such as one or more bent edge portions. The display may be formed from a flexible display layer such as an organic light-emitting-diode layer. The organic light-emitting-diode layer may include a substrate layer such as a sheet of polymer. The flexible display may be attached to a support structure such as a flexible support layer using adhesive. To facilitate bending, the display may be heated. Bending and heating equipment may simultaneously heat the display layer and the flexible support layer to form a bent edge portion for the display. The bending and heating equipment may include heated structures for pressing the display layer into a desired shape.

公开(公告)号：US20190035329A1

公开(公告)日：2019-01-31

申请号：US16148928

申请日：2018-10-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

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

IPC: G09G3/3225 ,  G09G3/20 ,  G09G3/30 ,  H01L27/32 ,  H01L51/52

CPC classification number: G09G3/3225 ,  G09G3/20 ,  G09G3/2003 ,  G09G3/30 ,  G09G2300/0408 ,  G09G2300/0439 ,  G09G2300/0465 ,  G09G2310/0232 ,  G09G2320/0233 ,  G09G2320/0686 ,  H01L27/3216 ,  H01L27/3218 ,  H01L27/326 ,  H01L51/524 ,  H01L51/5262

Abstract: A system and methods to extending the overall display area for a device. At or near the borders of a device, pixel pitch between adjacent pixels may be increased such that overall pixel placement may be provided closer to a border of a display of a device. In one embodiment, pixel drive circuitry may be located in the spacing between adjacent pixels. Additionally, various optical systems and techniques may be utilized to provide an appearance of a lack of a border around the display such as decreasing the size of border pixels, overdriving the border pixels, or utilizing a light pipe on a surface above the border pixels.

公开(公告)号：US20180357954A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-13

申请号：US16105812

申请日：2018-08-20

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：US10070025B2

公开(公告)日：2018-09-04

申请号：US15388890

申请日：2016-12-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Emery A. Sanford ,  David G. Havskjold ,  Teodor Dabov ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Erik G. P. de Jong ,  Tyson B. Manullang ,  Anthony S. Montevirgen

IPC: H04N5/225

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing such as a metal housing. Openings may be formed in the housing to accommodate a button, to form a camera window, to form a microphone port, and to form a camera flash window. An input-output component mounting member may be used to mount input-output components to the housing of the electronic device. The input-output component mounting member may have a recess that mates with a corresponding protrusion on the housing. Screws may attach the input-output component mounting member to the housing. The protrusion and recess in the input-output component mounting member may ensure that the input-output component mounting member is accurately aligned with respect to the housing. Input-output components such as a microphone, button switch, camera, and camera flash may be mounted to the electronic device with the input-output component mounting member.

公开(公告)号：US20170367190A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-21

申请号：US15690146

申请日：2017-08-29

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: H05K1/18 ,  G09G3/20 ,  G02F1/1345

CPC classification number: H05K1/189 ,  G02F1/13452 ,  G09G3/20 ,  G09G2300/0408 ,  G09G2300/0426 ,  H05K2201/10128

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and a multi-layer printed circuit. Integrated circuits and other components may be mounted to the multi-layer printed circuit. The display and multi-layer printed circuit may share a common layer formed from a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate may have portions that are integrated into the display and portions that are integrated into the multi-layer printed circuit board. The flexible substrate may contain patterned conductive traces that are used to route signals from components in the multi-layer printed circuit to display circuitry such as a display driver integrated circuit. An array of thin-film transistors may be used to control the emission of light from the display and may be formed on portions of the flexible substrate that are integrated into the display. The display may be a flexible display that includes an array of organic light-emitting diodes.

公开(公告)号：US09823708B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-21

申请号：US14242704

申请日：2014-04-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Paul Zadesky ,  Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: H05K5/00 ,  G06F1/16 ,  H04M1/02

CPC classification number: G06F1/1684 ,  G06F1/1635 ,  H04M1/0202 ,  H04M1/026 ,  H04M1/0277 ,  Y10T29/49002 ,  Y10T29/49126 ,  Y10T29/4913 ,  Y10T29/49169 ,  Y10T29/49208 ,  Y10T29/49826 ,  Y10T29/5313

Abstract: A handheld computing device and handheld music player are disclosed. The handheld computing device includes a seamless enclosure formed from an extruded tube. The extruded tube includes open ends and internal rails which serve as a guide for slidably assembling an operational assembly through the open ends of the extruded tube, a reference surface for positioning the operational assembly relative to an access opening in the seamless enclosure, and a support structure for supporting the operational assembly during use. The handheld music player includes an elongated extruded tube extending along a longitudinal axis. The elongated extruded tube has a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end, and defines an internal lumen which is sized and dimensioned for slidable receipt of operational components of the handheld music player. The lumen includes rails for guiding the operational components to their desired position within the lumen.