IP Library Granted Patent US 10,318,029
Granted Patent B2
US 10,318,029 · App. 16/105,744 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Electronic devices with sidewall displays

Inventors: Scott A. Myers (San Francisco, CA); Stephen Brian Lynch (Portola Valley, CA); Anthony S. Montevirgen (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/041G06F1/1652G06F3/044G06F3/0412G06F3/0488G06F3/04817G06F3/04886H04M1/0268G06F2203/04102G06F2203/04112H04M1/0283H04M1/236H04M2250/16H04M2250/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,318,029
App. No.
16/105,744
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.

Claims (29)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels; and

a light-emitting diode interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a cover layer that covers the array of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the light-emitting diode.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the first group of pixels displays images through a first portion of the cover layer and the second group of pixels displays images through a second portion of the cover layer, the electronic device further comprising a touch sensor that detects touch input on the first and second portions of the cover layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the touch sensor comprises capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the cover layer comprises glass.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the cover layer has a planar portion and a curved portion.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the planar portion overlaps the first group of pixels.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the curved portion is located at an edge of the display.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opaque masking layer is located at an edge of the display.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising circuitry between the first and second groups of pixels that is hidden from view by the opaque masking layer.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels; and

an inactive pixel interposed between the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the inactive pixel is unilluminated.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a touch sensor that overlaps the array of pixels including the first and second groups of pixels.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a cover layer that covers the array of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the inactive pixel.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the cover layer has a planar portion and a curved portion, wherein the planar portion overlaps the first and second groups of pixels, and wherein the curved portion is located at an edge of the display.

16. A display having an active area and an inactive area, comprising:

an array of pixels in the active area, wherein the array of pixels includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

an opaque masking layer in the inactive area, wherein the opaque masking layer separates the first group of pixels from the second group of pixels; and

a light-emitting component in the inactive area between the first and second groups of pixels.

17. The display defined in claim 16 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode.

18. The display defined in claim 16 further comprising a cover layer that overlaps the first group of pixels, the second group of pixels, the opaque masking layer, and the light-emitting component.

19. The display defined in claim 18 wherein the cover layer has curved edges.

20. The display defined in claim 16 further comprising a capacitive touch sensor that overlaps the first and second groups of pixels.

Continuity (6)
Continuation 15783272 · Oct 13, 2017
Continuation 14692365 · Apr 21, 2015
Continuation 14602199 · Jan 21, 2015
Continuation 14273315 · May 8, 2014
Continuation 13246510 · Sep 27, 2011
Related Publication 20180356913A1 · Dec 13, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,399,665 US 12,717,431