Displays With Polarizer Windows and Opaque Masking Layers for Electronic Devices

• US 20130265708A1
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Dinesh C., Hendren, Keith J., Qi, Jun, Yin, Victor H., Garelli, Adam T., Wilson, Thomas Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133538 with spatial distribution of the polarisation direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details

Abstract

An electronic device may have a display. Inactive portions of the display such as peripheral portions of the display may be masked using an opaque masking layer. An opening may be provided in the opaque masking layer to allow light to pass. For example, a logo may be viewed through an opening in the opaque masking layer and a camera may receive light through an opening in the opaque masking layer. The display may include upper and lower polarizers, a color filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. The opaque masking layer may be formed on the upper polarizer, may be interposed between the upper polarizer and the color filter layer, or may be interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. The upper polarizer may have unpolarized windows for cameras, logos, or other internal structures.

Claims

1. A computer, comprising:

a display having a polarizer layer, a color filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer; and

a housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the polarizer layer comprises at least one unpolarized window.

2. The computer defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a camera, wherein the camera receives light through the at least one unpolarized window.

3. The computer defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a logo, wherein the logo is visible through the at least one unpolarized window.

4. The computer defined in claim 3 wherein the logo is formed on a surface of the color filter layer.

5. The computer defined in claim 4 wherein the display further comprises an opaque masking layer formed over the logo.

6. The computer defined in claim 5 wherein the logo is formed from material that is interposed between the opaque masking layer and the color filter layer.

7. The computer defined in claim 1 wherein the unpolarized window comprises a bleached portion of the polarizer layer.

8. The computer defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a camera; and

a logo, wherein the at least one polarized window comprises first and second unpolarized windows in the polarizer layer, wherein the camera receives light through the first unpolarized window, and wherein the logo is visible through the second unpolarized window.

9. A portable computer, comprising:

upper and lower housing structures coupled by a hinge;

a display in the upper housing structure that includes a color filter layer, a thin-film transistor layer, and at least one polarizer layer attached to the color filter layer, wherein the polarizer layer has a circular opening from which portions of the polarizer layer have been removed; and

a camera in the upper housing structure that receives unpolarized light through the circular opening in the polarizer layer.

10. The portable computer defined in claim 9 wherein the display has a rectangular active region surrounded by an inactive border region and wherein the display further comprises an opaque masking layer in the inactive border region.

11. The portable computer defined in claim 10 wherein the opaque masking layer is formed on top of the polarizer layer.

12. The portable computer defined in claim 10 wherein the opaque masking layer is formed on a lower surface of the polarizer layer.

13. The portable computer defined in claim 10 wherein the opaque masking layer is formed on a top surface of the color filter layer.

14. The portable computer defined in claim 10 wherein the opaque masking layer is formed on a lower surface of the color filter layer.

15. A portable computer, comprising:

a display having a polarizer and a color filter layer, wherein the polarizer includes an unpolarized window and wherein the color filter layer includes a recess;

opaque masking material in the recess in the color filter layer; and

an opening in the opaque masking material that is aligned with the unpolarized window in the polarizer.

16. The portable computer defined in claim 15, further comprising:

filler material in the opening in the opaque masking material.

17. The portable computer defined in claim 16 wherein the filler material comprises a transparent adhesive material.

18. The portable computer defined in claim 16 wherein the filler material comprises a transparent polymer.

19. The portable computer defined in claim 16 wherein the opaque masking layer has an outermost surface, wherein the filler material has an outermost surface, wherein the color filter layer has an outermost surface, and wherein the outermost surface of the opaque masking material and the outermost surface of the filler material are flush with the outermost surface of the color filter layer.

20. The portable computer defined in claim 15 wherein the opaque masking layer has an outermost surface, wherein the color filter layer has an outermost surface, and wherein the outermost surface of the opaque masking material is flush with the outermost surface of the color filter layer.