Hollowed electronic display

• US 10,068,931 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matthew, Miao, Xiaoyu, Tate, Joseph Anthony, Gagne-Keats, Jason Sean, Zavin, Rebecca Schultz
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Bo
• Application Number:
  US15/626,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170358612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 438618, 438198, 438 24, 600459, 257421
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/56 Substrates having a particular shape, e.g. non-rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1262 with a particular formation, treatment or coating of the substrate

Abstract

Presented here are manufacturing techniques to create an irregularly shaped electronic display, including a hollow within which a sensor, such as a camera, can be placed. The manufacturing techniques enable the creation of the hollow anytime during the manufacturing process. The resulting electronic display occupies the full side of the mobile device, with the sensors placed within and surrounded by the display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a mask associated with a plurality of layers in an electronic display, wherein the plurality of layers comprises a display layer and an activating layer;

forming a hollow corresponding to the mask within a display substrate associated with the display layer, and an activating substrate associated with the activating layer to create a hollowed substrate, the hollowed substrate comprising a hollowed display substrate and a hollowed activating substrate;

distributing a plurality of row and column electrodes associated with the display layer, wherein the plurality of row electrodes and column electrodes are distributed on the display substrate in a modified grid-like pattern circumventing the hollow corresponding to the mask;

combining the display layer and the activating layer to obtain the electronic display, wherein the electronic display comprises the hollow; and

disposing a sensor inside the hollow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating layer comprises a plurality of thin film transistors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display layer comprises at least one of an organic light emitting diode or a liquid crystal.

4. The method of claim 1, said sealing the display layer and the activating layer, comprising:

depositing a sealant on a layer in the plurality of layers, said depositing comprising tracing an outline associated with the hollowed substrate.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

depositing a plurality of liquid crystal beads inside the outline.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming the hollow comprises:

defining with a laser the hollow within the display layer and the activating layer, wherein the hollow associated with the display layer and the activating layer corresponds to the mask.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask comprises a quadrilateral shape with at least two rounded corners.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask is disposed proximate to a top edge associated with the electronic display.

9. A method comprising:

providing a mask corresponding to a plurality of layers in an electronic display, wherein the plurality of layers comprises a display layer, and an activating layer;

providing the display layer comprising a plurality of display elements configured to transmit light;

providing the activating layer comprising an activating substrate and a plurality of activating elements disposed on the activating substrate;

forming a hollow within the display layer and the activating layer, the hollow corresponding to the mask;

distributing a plurality of row and column electrodes associated with the activating layer, wherein the plurality of row electrodes and column electrodes are distributed on the activating substrate in a modified grid-like pattern circumventing the hollow corresponding to the mask;

sealing the display layer, and the activating layer to obtain a combined layer; and

disposing a sensor inside the hollow.

10. The method of claim 9, said providing the activating layer comprising:

distributing a plurality of thin film transistors on the hollowed activating substrate; and

distributing a plurality of row and column electrodes corresponding to the plurality of thin film transistors such that each row and column electrode in the plurality of row and column electrodes interrupted by the hollow circumvents the hollow.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

depositing a colored photoresist coating onto a CF substrate;

based on the mask, modifying a photomask to comprise a plurality of protected areas, and a plurality of unprotected areas, wherein the mask is associated with the plurality of unprotected areas; and

removing the plurality of unprotected areas to leave the colored photoresist coating disposed on the CF substrate in the plurality of protected areas.

12. The method of claim 9, said providing the display layer comprising:

depositing a sealant on a layer in the plurality of layers, said depositing comprising tracing at least a partial outline associated with the electronic display and an outline associated with the mask; and

depositing a plurality of liquid crystal beads inside the outline.

13. The method of claim 9, said providing the activating layer comprising:

depositing a plurality of thin film transistors onto the activating substrate, wherein the activating substrate comprises glass;

depositing a photoresist coating on the plurality of thin film transistors;

modifying a photomask to include the mask, wherein the modified photomask comprises a plurality of protected areas and a plurality of unprotected areas, and wherein the mask is associated with the plurality of unprotected areas; and

removing the plurality of unprotected areas to leave the plurality of thin film transistors disposed on the activating substrate in the plurality of protected areas.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said forming the hollow comprises:

laser cutting the hollow from the display layer, and the activating layer, wherein the hollow corresponds to the mask.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said forming the hollow comprises:

depositing an etching-resistant sealant on the plurality of layers, wherein the etching-resistant sealant is not deposited on the hollow corresponding to the mask, and wherein the etching-resistant sealant protects the plurality of layers from an etcher;

submerging the plurality of layers in the etcher; and

etching the hollow from the the display layer, and the activating layer, wherein the hollow corresponds to the mask.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said forming the hollow comprises:

upon said sealing the display layer, and the activating layer, forming the hollow within the combined layer, wherein the hollow corresponds to the mask.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said sealing the display layer, and the activating layer comprises:

upon said forming the hollow, combining the display layer, and the activating layer to obtain the combined layer.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said forming the hollow comprises:

cutting with a diamond cutter the hollow in the display layer, and the activating layer, wherein the hollow corresponds to the mask.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the mask comprises a quadrilateral shape with at least one rounded corner.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the mask comprises a trapezoidal shape with at least one rounded corner.

21. The method of claim 9, the sensor comprising at least one of a camera, an ambient light sensor, or a proximity sensor.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the display layer comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer, the LCD layer comprising an LCD substrate and a plurality of liquid crystals disposed on the LCD substrate.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein the display layer comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) layer, the OLED layer comprising an OLED substrate and a plurality of OLEDs disposed on the OLED substrate.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein the display layer comprises a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) layer, the MEMS layer comprising a MEMS substrate and a plurality of MEMS disposed on the MEMS substrate.

25. The method of claim 9, said forming the hollow comprising:

forming the hollow within a polarizer layer, the display layer, and the activating layer, wherein the hollow corresponds to the mask.