Electronic devices with flexible displays

• US 10,088,927 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Myers, Scott A., Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US14/467,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345174, 345169, 345156, 345108
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays and internal components. An internal component may be positioned under the flexible display. The internal component may be an output device such as a speaker that transmits sound through the flexible display or an actuator that deforms the display in a way that is sensed by a user. The internal component may also be a microphone or pressure sensor that receives sound or pressure information through the flexible display. Structural components may be used to permanently or temporarily deform the flexible display to provide tactile feedback to a user of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a substrate and an array of display pixels formed on the substrate, wherein the display comprises an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes; and

an electrical component mounted behind a portion of the substrate, wherein the electrical component comprises a force sensor that gathers user input by detecting a localized deformation of the portion of the substrate, wherein the portion of the substrate transitions from a flat configuration to a deformed configuration during the localized deformation while the rest of the substrate remains undeformed, and wherein the force sensor is located behind the array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an active area and an inactive area, wherein the array of display pixels is formed in the active area, and wherein the electrical component is mounted behind the active area.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the electrical component comprises a button and wherein the localized deformation of the portion of the substrate actuates the button.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the localized deformation comprises a vibration of the portion of the substrate in response to sound waves passing through the display from an exterior of the electronic device and wherein the electrical component comprises a microphone that gathers the user input by detecting the vibration of the portion of the substrate.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the microphone comprises a laser microphone.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the substrate is interposed between the array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes and the electrical component.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes is formed on a flexible sheet of polymer.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical component comprises a pressure sensor and wherein the localized deformation of the portion of the substrate exerts pressure on the pressure sensor.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the pressure sensor comprises a piezoelectric actuator and wherein the mechanical pressure induces a voltage on the piezoelectric actuator.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed in an active area of the flexible substrate;

an input component mounted behind the active area of the flexible substrate; and

a touch-sensitive layer that gathers touch input, wherein the flexible substrate is interposed between the touch-sensitive layer and the input component, wherein the input component gathers user input by detecting a localized deformation of a portion of the touch-sensitive layer and the flexible substrate while the rest of the touch-sensitive layer and the flexible substrate remain undeformed.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the portion of the flexible substrate has a natural shape and a deformed shape, wherein the external forces cause the portion of the flexible substrate to transition from the natural shape to the deformed shape.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the external forces are associated with sound waves, wherein the sound waves cause a vibration of the flexible substrate, wherein the input component comprises a microphone, and wherein the microphone gathers the user input by detecting the vibration of the flexible substrate.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the input component comprises a button.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the button comprises a dome switch mounted to a printed circuit substrate and wherein the dome switch is actuated by the localized deformation of the portion of the flexible substrate.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed in an active area of the flexible substrate, wherein the display displays a virtual button in a region of the active area;

an electrical component mounted behind the region of the active area where the virtual button is displayed, wherein the electrical component gathers user input by detecting a deformation of the flexible substrate and provides output by vibrating a localized portion of the flexible substrate; and

a touch-sensitive layer, wherein the flexible substrate is interposed between the touch-sensitive layer and the electrical component, wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises a flexible sheet of polymer and a plurality of capacitive touch-sensing electrodes on the flexible sheet of polymer.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the electrical component comprises a button and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate actuates the button.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the electrical component comprises a pressure sensor and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate exerts pressure on the pressure sensor.