Electronic devices with sidewall displays

• US 10,318,029 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• 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 J
• Application Number:
  US16/105,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20180356913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 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:

a display having an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels; and

a light-emitting diode interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a cover layer that covers the array of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the light-emitting diode.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the first group of pixels displays images through a first portion of the cover layer and the second group of pixels displays images through a second portion of the cover layer, the electronic device further comprising a touch sensor that detects touch input on the first and second portions of the cover layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the touch sensor comprises capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the cover layer comprises glass.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the cover layer has a planar portion and a curved portion.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the planar portion overlaps the first group of pixels.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the curved portion is located at an edge of the display.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opaque masking layer is located at an edge of the display.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising circuitry between the first and second groups of pixels that is hidden from view by the opaque masking layer.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels; and

an inactive pixel interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the inactive pixel is unilluminated.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a touch sensor that overlaps the array of pixels including the first and second groups of pixels.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a cover layer that covers the array of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the inactive pixel.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the cover layer has a planar portion and a curved portion, wherein the planar portion overlaps the first and second groups of pixels, and wherein the curved portion is located at an edge of the display.

16. A display having an active area and an inactive area, comprising:

an array of pixels in the active area, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer in the inactive area, wherein the opaque masking layer separates the first group of pixels from the second group of pixels; and

a light-emitting component in the inactive area between the first and second groups of pixels.

17. The display defined in claim 16 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode.

18. The display defined in claim 16 further comprising a cover layer that overlaps the first group of pixels, the second group of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the light-emitting component.

19. The display defined in claim 18 wherein the cover layer has curved edges.

20. The display defined in claim 16 further comprising a capacitive touch sensor that overlaps the first and second groups of pixels.