PORTABLE COMPUTER DISPLAY STRUCTURES

• US 20180032105A1
• Filed: 10/12/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Dinesh C., Wilson, JR., Thomas W., Yin, Victor H., Posner, Bryan W., Ligtenberg, Chris, Degner, Brett W., Augenbergs, Peteris K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,353,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133317 Intermediate frames, e.g. between backlight housing and front frame
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13332 Front frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units

Abstract

An electronic device housing may have upper and lower portions that are attached with a hinge. At least one portion of the housing may have a rear planar surface and peripheral sidewalls having edges. A display module may be mounted in the housing. The display module may have glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor substrate. The color filter glass layer may serve as the outermost glass layer in the display module. The edges of the display module may be aligned with the edges of the peripheral housing sidewalls to create the appearance of a borderless display for the electronic device. The display module may be provided with an opening that allows a camera or other electronic components to receive light. Traces may be provided on the underside of the thin-film transistor substrate to serve as signal paths for the electrical components.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display having an active area and an inactive area, the display comprising;

a thin-film transistor layer;

a polarizer that overlaps the active area and the inactive area, wherein the polarizer has an opening in the inactive area; and

an opaque border in the inactive area, wherein the opaque border has an opening in the inactive area; and

a light-sensing component in the inactive area, wherein the light-sensing component receives light through the opening in the polarizer and the opening in the opaque border.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the light-sensing component is a camera.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the light-sensing component is an ambient light sensor.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the light-sensing component is a proximity sensor.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the display is an organic light-emitting diode display.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the thin-film transistor layer overlaps the opening in the polarizer, and wherein the light-sensing component receives light through the thin-film transistor layer.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a display comprising;

a polarizer layer having an opening; and

a thin-film transistor layer that overlaps the opening in the polarizer layer; and

a light-sensing component that receives light through the thin-film transistor layer and through the opening in the polarizer layer.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the display is an organic light-emitting diode display.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the organic light-emitting diode display has an active area and an inactive area, and wherein the polarizer layer overlaps the active area and the inactive area.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the light-sensing component is mounted in the inactive area and wherein the opening in the polarizer layer is formed in the inactive area.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising:

an opaque border in the inactive area, wherein the opaque border has an opening that is aligned with the opening in the polarizer layer.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the light-sensing component is a camera.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the light-sensing component is an ambient light sensor.

14. An electronic device comprising:

an organic light-emitting diode display comprising;

a thin-film transistor layer;

a polarizer having an opening; and

an opaque border having an opening that is aligned with the opening in the polarizer; and

a light-sensing component that receives light through the opening in the polarizer.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the opening in the polarizer does not extend into the thin-film transistor layer, and wherein the light-sensing component receives light through the thin-film transistor layer and through the opening in the opaque border.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15, wherein the organic light-emitting diode display has an active area and an inactive area, and wherein the light-sensing component is mounted in the inactive area.

17. The electronic device defined in 16, wherein the polarizer and the opaque border overlap the inactive area.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising:

a housing in which the organic light-emitting diode display and the light-sensing component are mounted.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18, wherein the light-sensing component is a camera.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 18, wherein the light-sensing component is an ambient light sensor.