Three-dimensional electronics distribution by geodesic faceting

• US 10,129,984 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lamkin, Mark A., Ringgenberg, Kyle Martin, Lamkin, Jordan David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Sherman
• Application Number:
  US15/890,776
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 174254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09027 Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09409 Multiple rows of pads, lands, terminals or dummy patterns; Multiple rows of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10121 Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10128 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10522 Adjacent components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1053 Mounted components directly electrically connected to each other, i.e. not via the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0228 Cutting, sawing, milling or shearing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/22 Secondary treatment of printed circuits H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 : Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a flexible circuit board includes a plurality of facet locations that each correspond to a particular one of a plurality of rigid sensor facets and a particular one of a plurality of rigid display facets. The flexible circuit board also includes a plurality of wire traces that serially connect the plurality of facet locations. The facet locations are arranged into a plurality of facet columns. When the flexible circuit board is flat, at least some of the facet locations are separated from one or more adjacent facet locations by a plurality of gaps. When the flexible circuit board is formed into a three-dimensional shape, the plurality of gaps are substantially eliminated, thereby permitting the plurality of rigid sensor facets to form a continuous sensing surface and the plurality of rigid display facets to form a continuous display surface.

Claims

1. An electronic assembly comprising:

a flexible circuit board; and

a first plurality of facets coupled to a first side of the flexible circuit board, each facet of the first plurality of facets being rigid and comprising a first plurality of pixels;

wherein;

each of the plurality of facets are in a shape of a polygon;

the flexible circuit board comprises a plurality of facet locations that each correspond to one of the facets, the plurality of facet locations arranged into a plurality of facet columns;

when the flexible circuit board is flat, at least some of the facet locations are separated from one or more adjacent facet locations by a plurality of gaps; and

when the flexible circuit board is formed into a three-dimensional shape, the plurality of gaps are substantially eliminated, thereby forming a continuous surface across at least some of the plurality of facets.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a semispherical shape.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the polygon comprises a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, or an octagon.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first plurality of facets are sensor facets and the plurality of pixels of the first plurality of facets are sensor pixels;

or

the first plurality of facets are display facets and the plurality of pixels of the first plurality of facets are display pixels.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a second plurality of facets coupled to a second side of the flexible circuit board that is opposite from the first side, each facet of the second plurality of facets being rigid and comprising a second plurality of pixels.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 5, wherein:

the first plurality of facets are sensor facets;

the second plurality of facets are display facets; and

each particular facet location is configured to transmit signals between a particular sensor facet coupled to the particular facet location and a particular display facet coupled to the particular facet location, thereby displaying light from the particular display facet corresponding to light captured by the particular sensor facet.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of logic facets, each logic facet being rigid and in the shape of the polygon.

8. A flexible circuit board, comprising:

a plurality of facet locations that each correspond to;

a particular one of a plurality of rigid sensor facets; and

a particular one of a plurality of rigid display facets; and

a plurality of wire traces that serially connect the plurality of facet locations;

wherein;

the plurality of facet locations are arranged into a plurality of facet columns;

when the flexible circuit board is flat, at least some of the facet locations are separated from one or more adjacent facet locations by a plurality of gaps; and

when the flexible circuit board is formed into a three-dimensional shape, the plurality of gaps are substantially eliminated, thereby permitting;

the plurality of rigid sensor facets to form a continuous sensing surface; and

the plurality of rigid display facets to form a continuous display surface.

9. The flexible circuit board of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a spherical or semispherical shape.

10. The flexible circuit board of claim 8, wherein the plurality of rigid sensor facets and the plurality of rigid display facets are in the shape of a polygon.

11. The flexible circuit board of claim 10, wherein the polygon comprises a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, or an octagon.

12. The flexible circuit board of claim 8, wherein each facet location further corresponds to one of a plurality of logic facets, each logic facet being rigid and in the shape of a polygon.

13. The flexible circuit board of claim 8, wherein each particular facet location is configured to transmit signals between a particular sensor facet electrically coupled to the particular facet location and a particular display facet electrically coupled to the particular facet location, thereby displaying light from the particular display facet corresponding to light captured by the particular sensor facet.

14. A method of manufacturing an electronic assembly, comprising:

forming a plurality of facet locations on a flexible circuit board, each facet location corresponding to one of a plurality of sensor facets and one of a plurality of display facets, the plurality of facet locations arranged into a plurality of facet columns;

cutting the flexible circuit board into a pattern that permits the flexible circuit board to be later formed into a three-dimensional shape, wherein;

when the flexible circuit is flat, at least some of the facet locations are separated from one or more adjacent facet locations by a plurality of gaps; and

when the flexible circuit board is formed into the three-dimensional shape, the plurality of gaps are substantially eliminated;

assembling the electronic assembly by coupling a first plurality of rigid facets to a first side of the flexible circuit board, each rigid facet being coupled to a respective one of the facet locations; and

forming the assembled electronic assembly into the three-dimensional shape.

15. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the rigid facets comprises a logic unit.

16. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 14, further comprising printing the flexible circuit board.

17. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a spherical or semispherical shape.

18. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of rigid facets are in the shape of a polygon.

19. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein the polygon comprises a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, or an octagon.

20. The method of manufacturing the electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein:

the first plurality of rigid facets are rigid sensor facets;

the method further comprises coupling a plurality of rigid display facets to a second side of the flexible circuit board that is opposite the first side, each rigid display facet being coupled to a respective one of the facet locations; and

each particular facet location is configured to transmit signals between a particular rigid sensor facet electrically coupled to the particular facet location and a particular rigid display facet electrically coupled to the particular facet location, thereby displaying light from the particular rigid display facet corresponding to light captured by the particular rigid sensor facet.