Compliant support for a display device

• US 10,162,442 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wen, Chien-Hui, Petri, Adam, Cummings, Stephan Alexander, Leong, Eric M., Siddiqui, Kabir
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US14/039,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A compliant support for a display device is described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes an external enclosure configured to assume a mobile computing device configuration and one or more computing components secured by and disposed within the external enclosure. The one or more computing components are configured to perform one or more operations that are specified by software. A display device is secured to the external enclosure such that the display device is viewable by a user, the display device supporting touchscreen functionality. A compliant support is disposed between the one or more computing components and the display device, the compliant support configured to reduce deflection of the display device by compression of the compliant support, the deflection caused in response to contact against a surface of the display device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an external enclosure configured as a mobile computing device configuration;

one or more computing components secured by and disposed within a cavity formed within the external enclosure, the one or more computing components configured to perform one or more operations that are specified by software;

a display device secured to the external enclosure such that the display device is viewable by a user, the display device supporting touchscreen functionality; and

a compliant support disposed between the one or more computing components and the display device, the compliant support filling-in gaps in the cavity formed within the external enclosure and reducing deflection of the display device by compression of the compliant support, the deflection caused in response to contact against a surface of the display device, wherein the compliant support includes a first zone and a second zone, each comprising a same deformable material, the first zone and the second zone having different amounts of resistance to compression, wherein;

the deformable material has a plurality of holes into which the deformable material flows when the compliant support is compressed, and

the different amounts of resistance to compression are caused by the first zone having different sizes and/or frequency of holes than the second zone.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the compliant support is configured to reduce the deflection by the contact which is part of a touch input provided to interact with the touchscreen functionality of the display device.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the compliant support is configured to reduce the deflection by the contact and thereby reduce one or more artifacts that are made visual to a user by the display device.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the one or more artifacts are caused by disruption of liquid crystals of the display device.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the compliant support is configured using a foam or gel.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the compliant support is configured as a thermal pad that is configured to conduct heat generated by the display device or the computing components.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the computing components include a processor, memory, and one or more sensors.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first zone is nested within the second zone.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the display device includes a display module configured as a liquid crystal display module or organic light emitting diode (OLED) display module.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the touchscreen functionality is supported by the display device using a touch panel assembly that is configured to detect proximity of one or more objects.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a display device tray and wherein the compliant support is disposed between the display device and the display device tray.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the compliant support is configured to deform to cause the reduction in the deflection.

13. A mobile computing device comprising:

an external enclosure configured to be held in one or more hands of a user;

one or more computing components secured by and disposed within the external enclosure;

a display device secured to the external enclosure such that the display device is viewable by a user, the display device supporting touchscreen functionality; and

a compliant support disposed between the one or more computing components and the display device, the compliant support reducing deflection of the display device by deformation of the compliant support, the deflection caused in response to contact against a surface of the display device, wherein the compliant support includes a first zone and a second zone, each comprising a same deformable material, the first zone and the second zone having different amounts of resistance to compression, wherein;

the deformable material has a plurality of holes into which the deformable material flows when the compliant support is compressed; and

the first zone has different sizes and/or frequency of holes than the second zone.

14. A mobile computing device as described in claim 13, wherein the first zone and the second zone are included in a single piece.

15. A mobile computing device as described in claim 13, wherein the external enclosure is configured as a housing for a mobile phone or tablet computer.

19. A mobile computing device as described in claim 13, wherein the first zone is nested within the second zone.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a display device tray;

a display device secured to the display device tray such that the display device is viewable by a user when secured to an external enclosure of a computing device, the display device supporting touchscreen functionality; and

a compliant support disposed to conform and fill-in spaces between the display device tray and the display device, the compliant support reducing deflection of the display device by compression of the compliant support, the deflection caused in response to contact received to interact with the touchscreen functionality of the display device, wherein the compliant support includes a first zone and a second zone, each comprising a same deformable material, the first zone and the second zone having different amounts of resistance to compression, wherein;

the deformable material has a plurality of holes into which the deformable material flows when the compliant support is compressed, and

the first zone has different sizes and/or frequency of holes than the second zone.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the external enclosure is configured as a housing for a mobile phone or tablet computer.

18. An apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the compliant support is configured to reduce the deflection in a direction that is generally perpendicular to a surface of the display device.

20. An apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the first zone is nested within the second zone.