ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH WRAP AROUND DISPLAY

• US 20190324503A1
• Filed: 07/03/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Myers, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 11,137,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/06 on insulating boards , e.g. wiring harnesses for printed circuits H05K1/18, H05K3/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

A consumer electronic product includes at least a transparent housing and a flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing. In the described embodiment, the flexible display assembly is configured to present visual content at any portion of the transparent housing.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a front surface, comprising:

a transparent structure having a first portion located on the front surface of the electronic device, a second portion that bends away from the first portion, and a rounded corner; and

a display that displays images through the first portion of the transparent structure, the second portion of the transparent structure, and the rounded corner, wherein the display has a folded portion that conforms to the rounded corner of the transparent structure.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent structure forms a continuous loop around a periphery of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the display displays the images across the continuous loop.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the transparent structure is planar.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the rounded corner has a curvature that is different from a curvature of the second portion.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display is laminated to an interior surface of the transparent structure.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent structure has a third portion located on a rear surface of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the display displays the images through the third portion.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the third portion is planar.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent structure comprises glass.

11. An electronic device, comprising;

a transparent housing that forms a loop around a perimeter of the electronic device;

a flexible display that is folded within the transparent housing and that displays images across the loop; and

electrical components within the transparent housing.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the transparent housing has a planar portion and a curved portion.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the planar portion is located on a front surface of the electronic device and the curved portion is located on a side surface of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the transparent housing has rounded corners and wherein the flexible display displays the images across the rounded corners.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the transparent housing comprises a layer of glass having an interior surface and wherein the flexible display conforms to the interior surface.

16. An electronic device having a front surface and a side surface, comprising:

a layer of glass having a curved portion interposed between first and second planar portions, wherein the first planar portion is located on the front surface of the electronic device and the second planar portion is located on the side surface of the electronic device; and

a flexible display that is folded against an interior surface of the layer of glass and that displays images through the first planar portion, the second planar portion, and the curved portion.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the layer of glass has a rounded corner and wherein the flexible display displays the images across the rounded corner.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the layer of glass forms a loop that extends around an entire perimeter of the electronic device and wherein the flexible display displays the images across the loop.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the layer of glass has a third planar portion that is located on a rear surface of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the flexible display displays the images through the third planar portion.