REDUCING THE BORDER AREA OF A DEVICE

• US 20130063891A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steven J. Martisauskas
• Inventors: Martisauskas, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• 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 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A circuit panel of an electronic device is disclosed. The circuit panel includes a substantially flat surface including an active area of the electronic device; a bent border area contiguous with and extending from the active area of the substantially flat surface; and a plurality of traces coupled to the active area and routed in the bent border area.

Claims

1. A circuit panel of an electronic device comprising:

a substantially flat surface including an active area of the electronic device;

a bent border area contiguous with and extending from the active area of the substantially flat surface; and

a plurality of traces coupled to the active area and routed in the bent border area.

2. The circuit panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a stress relieving area connecting the substantially flat surface and the bent border area for decreasing residual stress in the circuit panel.

3. The circuit panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of traces are routed through the stress relieving area from the flat surface to the bent border area.

4. The circuit panel of claim 2, wherein the stress-relieving area comprises a pattern of perforations on the panel.

5. The circuit panel of claim 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of traces are routed between the perforations.

6. The circuit panel of claim 2, wherein the stress-relieving area comprises one or more thinned regions.

7. The circuit panel of claim 6, wherein one or more of the plurality of traces are routed between the thinned regions.

8. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the circuit panel is made of a flexible substrate.

9. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the circuit panel comprises a touch sensor panel.

10. The circuit panel of claim 9, wherein the active area comprises a touch-active area including a plurality of conductive rows or columns.

11. The circuit panel of claim 10, wherein one or more of the plurality of traces are configured to connect to one or more of the conductive rows or columns.

12. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the active area substantially occupies the flat surface of the circuit panel.

13. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the circuit panel comprises a display panel and the active area comprises a visible area of the display panel.

14. The circuit panel of claim 13, wherein the display panel comprises an LCD panel.

15. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the bent border area is substantially perpendicular to the active area of the panel.

16. The circuit panel of claim 1, wherein the border area is folded towards a back surface of the circuit panel.

17. A tablet PC comprising the circuit panel of claim 1.

18. A smartphone comprising the circuit panel of claim 1.

19. A method of fabricating a circuit panel of an electronic device, comprising:

forming a substrate with a substantially flat active area and one or more bent areas at a perimeter of the substrate;

patterning a plurality of first traces on the substantially flat active area; and

coupling one or more of the plurality of first traces to one or more second traces routed in the one or more bent areas.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

creating a stress-relieving area in the circuit panel; and

routing the one or more of the plurality of first traces through the stress-relieving area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein creating the stress-relieving area in the circuit panel further comprises applying a pattern of perforations.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein creating the stress-relieving area in the circuit panel further comprises thinning one or more regions of the flexible substrate.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising patterning a plurality of conductive rows or columns on the circuit panel, wherein the circuit panel comprises a capacitive touch sensor panel.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the substantially flat active area is substantially perpendicular to the one or more bent areas.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more bent areas is folded towards a back surface of the circuit panel.