Electronic devices with sidewall displays

• US 10,055,039 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Myers, Scott A., Lynch, Stephen Brian, Montevirgen, Anthony S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US15/783,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

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.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an array of display pixels;

a layer of glass that covers the array of display pixels, wherein the layer of glass has an opening;

a transparent layer in the opening;

an input component that detects finger press input on the transparent layer, wherein the input component comprises a force sensor that measures a force associated with the finger press input; and

control circuitry that provides haptic output through the transparent layer in response to the force measurement.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a vibrator that generates the haptic output.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry provides audio output in response to the force measurement.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent layer comprises glass.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry displays information on the array of display pixels in response to the force measurement.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the input component comprises a touch-sensitive layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising additional capacitive touch sensor electrodes that overlap the array of display pixels.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of glass has a bend.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the array of display pixels is located on a front region of the electronic device and the input component is located on an edge region of the electronic device.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a cover layer and an array of pixels configured to display a virtual button;

a force sensor that measures a force associated with finger press input on the virtual button, wherein the force sensor directly overlaps the virtual button on the display and wherein the cover layer deforms in response to the finger press input;

capacitive touch sensor electrodes that overlap the force sensor; and

control circuitry that provides tactile feedback through the cover layer in response to the force measurement.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the cover layer has a curved edge.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising an actuator that generates the tactile feedback.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the actuator comprises a vibrator.

15. An electronic device having a display, wherein the display includes an active area and an inactive area, comprising:

a cover layer;

an array of display pixels in the active area including a first group of display pixels that display images through a first portion of the cover layer and a second group of display pixels that displays images through a second portion of the cover layer;

a touch-sensitive layer that detects user input on the first and second portions of the cover layer;

an opaque masking layer located in the inactive area between the first and second groups of display pixels;

a light-emitting diode in the inactive area between the first and second groups of display pixels; and

an output component that generates haptic output in response to the user input.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises a force sensor that measures a force associated with the user input.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the output component comprises a vibrator.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the opaque masking layer surrounds at least a portion of the touch-sensitive layer.