Reducing Optical Effects in a Display

• US 20120307364A1
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng, Zhong, John Z., Chen, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,885,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/503
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/005 made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13392 spacers dispersed on the cell substrate, e.g. spherical particles, microfibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13396 Spacers having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

One embodiment may take the form of a system for reducing the appearance of optical effects in a display. The system may include an enclosure with a first surface and a second surface. Furthermore, the system may include spacers that may be deposited on the bottom face of the first surface and/or the top face of the second surface, where the first surface may be a touch panel and/or cover lens and the second surface may be a display module. The spacers may be deposited in one layer with an anti-reflection coating. The thickness of the coating may be less than the diameter of the spacers.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the appearance of optical effects in a display, comprising:

providing a first surface and a second surface at least partially within an enclosure, wherein the first surface and the second surface are separated by a gap having a width; and

in response to a diminishment of the gap'"'"'s width, maintaining a minimum distance, at the spacer, between the first surface and the second surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a cover lens and the second surface is a display module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a touch panel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-reflection coating is made up of hollow beads.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacers are deposited in a random pattern on at least the front side of the second surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing an anti-reflection coating on at least one of the back of the first surface and the front of the second surface.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the anti-reflection coating is deposited by spin-coating.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the spacers and the anti-reflection coating form a single layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the spacers and the anti-reflection coating have the same refractive index.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least the anti-reflection coating is a fluorinated polymer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacers form a grid pattern on at least the front side of the second surface.

10-1. A system for modifying the appearance of a display, comprising:

a first surface and a second surface;

an enclosure at least partially surrounding the first surface and the second surface; and

a plurality of spacers located between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the plurality of spacers prevent the first surface from physically contacting the second surface at the location of each of the plurality of spacers.

11-2. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of spacers are located on at least one of the back of the first surface or the front of the second surface.