Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays

• US 20140362020A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Myers, Scott A., Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,088,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays and internal components. An internal component may be positioned under the flexible display. The internal component may be an output device such as a speaker that transmits sound through the flexible display or an actuator that deforms the display in a way that is sensed by a user. The internal component may also be a microphone or pressure sensor that receives sound or pressure information through the flexible display. Structural components may be used to permanently or temporarily deform the flexible display to provide tactile feedback to a user of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising;

a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed on the flexible substrate; and

an electrical component mounted behind the flexible substrate, wherein the electrical component gathers user input by detecting a deformation of the flexible substrate and wherein the flexible substrate transitions from a flat configuration to a deformed configuration during the deformation.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an active area and an inactive area, wherein the array of display pixels is formed in the active area, and wherein the electrical components is mounted behind the active area.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the electrical component comprises a button and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate actuates the button.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a touch-sensitive layer, wherein the flexible substrate is interposed between the touch-sensitive layer and the electrical component.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises a flexible sheet of polymer and a plurality of capacitive touch-sensing electrodes on the flexible sheet of polymer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical component comprises a pressure sensor and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate exerts pressure on the pressure sensor.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the pressure sensor comprises a piezoelectric actuator and wherein the mechanical pressure induces a voltage on the piezoelectric actuator.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the deformation comprises a vibration of the flexible substrate in response to sound waves passing through the display from an exterior of the electronic device and wherein the electrical component comprises a microphone that gathers the user input by detecting the vibration of the flexible substrate.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the microphone comprises a laser microphone.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed in an active area of the flexible substrate; and

an input component mounted behind the active area of the flexible substrate, wherein the input component gathers user input by detecting a deformation of the flexible substrate and wherein the flexible substrate is only deformed by external forces.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the flexible substrate has a natural shape and a deformed shape, wherein the external forces cause the flexible substrate to transition from the natural shape to the deformed shape.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the external forces are associated with sound waves, wherein the sound waves cause a vibration of the flexible substrate, wherein the input component comprises a microphone, and wherein the microphone gathers the user input by detecting the vibration of the flexible substrate.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the input component comprises a button.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the button comprises a dome switch mounted to a printed circuit substrate and wherein the dome switch is actuated by the deformation of the flexible substrate.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising a touch-sensitive layer, wherein flexible substrate is interposed between the touch-sensitive layer and the input component.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed in an active area of the flexible substrate, wherein the display displays a virtual button in a region of the active area; and

an electrical component mounted behind the region of the active area where the virtual button is displayed, wherein the electrical component gathers user input by detecting a deformation of the flexible substrate in the region, and wherein the flexible substrate transitions from a planar configuration to a non-planar configuration during the deformation.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the electrical component comprises a button and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate actuates the button.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising a touch-sensitive layer, wherein the flexible substrate is interposed between the touch-sensitive layer and the electrical component.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises a flexible sheet of polymer and a plurality of capacitive touch-sensing electrodes on the flexible sheet of polymer.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the electrical component comprises a pressure sensor and wherein the deformation of the flexible substrate exerts pressure on the pressure sensor.