Electronic device

• US 10,671,026 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Pilgoo, Ko, Dongseuck, Cheon, Jeeyoung, Kwon, Jonghun
• Primary Examiner(s): Wicklund, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US15/860,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20180150032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• 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: G04C 17/00 Indicating the time optically by electric means G04C19/00 takes precedence; by mechanical means G04B19/00, G04B19/20
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0091 Combined electro-optical and electro-mechanical displays see provisionally also G04G9/0082
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/02 by electric lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/045 Mounting of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/06 Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0041 Illumination devices
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/06 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/12 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/122 using multiplexing techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/124 provided with date indication
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/128 using mechano-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 99/006 : Electronic time-pieces using a microcomputer, e.g. for multi-function clocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display module having a hole and including a plurality of first light sources disposed along a perimeter of one side of the display module and a plurality of second light sources which are positioned opposite the plurality of first light sources and are disposed along a perimeter of the other side of the display module, a shaft rotatably inserted into the hole of the display module, a movement which is positioned in the rear of the display module, is connected to one end of the shaft, and provides a rotational force for the shaft, a window which is separated from the display module and is positioned in front of the display module, and a hand which is positioned between the display module and the window and is fixed to the other end of the shaft.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display module having a perimeter, a front surface, and a back surface, the display module comprising;

an opening extending from the back surface of the display module to the front surface of the display module;

a plurality of first light sources disposed along a first portion of the perimeter of the display module;

a plurality of second light sources positioned opposite the plurality of first light sources and disposed along a second portion of the perimeter of the display module;

a display panel filled with liquid crystal;

a light guide plate behind the display panel;

a frame positioned behind the light guide plate;

a rear plate behind the frame, the frame positioned between the rear plate and the light guide plate; and

one or more flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) electrically connected to the plurality of first and second light sources,

a shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft rotatably inserted into the opening of the display module;

a movement behind the display module, the movement being connected to the first end of the shaft, wherein the movement is configured to provide a rotational force to the shaft;

a window in front of the display module, the window being separate from the display module;

at least one hand configured to be positioned between the display module and the window and fixed to the second end of the shaft; and

a plurality of FPCB grooves formed on at least one of the frame and the rear plate,

wherein the plurality of FPCB grooves accommodate the one or more FPCBs.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of FPCB grooves include a first FPCB groove and a second FPCB groove which is spaced apart from the first FPCB groove, wherein the first FPCB groove is formed opposite the second FPCB groove.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more FPCBs include a first FPCB and a second FPCB, wherein the first FPCB is electrically connected to the plurality of first light sources, and wherein the second FPCB is electrically connected to the plurality of second light sources.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first FPCB groove accommodates the first FPCB, and wherein the second FPCB groove accommodates the second FPCB.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources are symmetrically arranged with respect to the opening of the display module.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first light sources are arranged in an arc of about 120°

in length with respect to the opening of the display module, and

wherein the plurality of second light sources are arranged in an arc of about 120°

in length with respect to the opening of the display module and are opposite the plurality of first light sources.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a light guide plate located behind the display panel;

wherein the plurality of first light sources comprise at least three light sources sequentially positioned adjacent to a peripheral edge of the light guide plate, and

wherein the plurality of second light sources comprise at least three light sources positioned opposite the plurality of first light sources such that the opening of the display module is interposed between the plurality of the first light sources and the plurality of the second light sources, the plurality of second light sources being sequentially positioned adjacent to the peripheral edge of the light guide plate.

8. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the light guide plate is circular, wherein the frame is circular and has a diameter greater than a diameter of the light guide plate, wherein at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the plate has been removed, and wherein the plurality of FPCB grooves are positioned between the frame and the rear plate.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, the display module further comprising an active area, a first deactive area formed in an outer portion of the front surface of the display module and a second deactive area formed in the middle of the front surface of the display module, wherein the opening of the display module is located in the second deactive area.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, the display module further comprising thin film transistor (TFT) lines around the second deactive area.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, the display module further comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate opposite the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a color filter on the first substrate; and

thin film transistor (TFT) lines on the second substrate and circumventing the opening of the display module.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gear box mechanically connected to the movement; and

a crown mechanically connected to the gear box,

wherein the shaft rotates depending on a rotation of the crown.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, the shaft comprising an internal shaft and an external shaft the external shaft surrounding the internal shaft,

wherein the at least one hand comprises a first hand fixed to the internal shaft and a second hand fixed to the external shaft.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to display a clock index through the display module,

wherein the controller controls the display module to display at least one of a chronograph, a dial, data information, date information, and weather information.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display panel displays a dial along a perimeter of the display panel.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein a portion of the dial is activated in accordance with a location of the at least one hand, and wherein another portion of the dial is inactivated.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least one hand includes a first hand and a second hand, and wherein the portion of the dial includes:

a first portion of the dial positioned adjacent to the first hand; and

a second portion of the dial positioned adjacent to the second hand.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the dial includes a plurality of Arabic numerals.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first portion of the dial is a first number among a first plurality of numbers representing an hour:

1 to 12, and wherein the second portion of the dial is a second number among a second plurality of numbers representing a minute;

0 to 59.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the first hand points at a region between the first number and a number representing an hour which is next to the first number.