Electronic devices with curved display surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630537-B2
Application number	US-202117558103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device may have light-emitting devices. A light-emitting device may include light-emitting diodes, a display, or other components that emit visual output. One or more image transport layers may be included in the electronic device. An image transport layer may have an input surface that receives an image and an output surface to which the image transport layer transports the image for viewing by a user. The image transport layers may have areas with compound curvature and other shapes. Deformed image transport layer structures such as deformed fibers in a coherent fiber bundle may be configured to hide gaps in displays and other structures. Displays may include light detectors that serve as a two-dimensional touch sensor. The touch sensor may detect touch input on an output surface of an image transport layer. Image transport layer material may be incorporated into buttons, elongated housings, wearable devices, and other equipment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an image transport layer having a first surface facing an interior region of the electronic device and a second surface facing an exterior of the electronic device;
an opaque layer adjacent to the first surface and having an optical window, wherein the optical window is aligned with a portion of the first surface of the image transport layer; and
an optical sensor in the interior region that operates based on light conveyed through the optical window and through the portion of the first surface of the image transport layer.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:
a display configured to provide an image to the first surface of the image transport layer, wherein the image transport layer is configured to transport the image from the first surface to the second surface.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical window passes visible light.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical window passes infrared light.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: an infrared proximity sensor, a health sensor, an ambient light sensor, and an image sensor.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor receives light through the optical window and the portion of the first surface of the image transport layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor comprises a photodiode.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor emits light through the optical window and the portion of the first surface of the image transport layer.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the optical sensor comprises a light-emitting device selected from the group consisting of: a light-emitting diode and a laser.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a block of image transport layer material having an input surface and an output surface, wherein the input surface lies in a first plane and the output surface lies in a second plane that is non-parallel to the first plane and wherein the output surface of the block of image transport layer material is planar; and
a visual output device configured to emit light into the input surface, wherein the block of image transport layer material transports the light received at the input surface to the output surface.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising:
a window in a housing, wherein the window overlaps the output surface of the block of image transport layer material.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising:
a housing having an exterior surface, wherein the output surface of the block of image transport layer material is at the exterior surface of the housing.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 10 , wherein the visual output device comprises a light-emitting device selected from the group consisting of: a display, a light-emitting diode, and a laser.

14. An electronic device comprising:
head-mounted support structures having a main portion and a side portion;
a display in the side portion of the head-mounted support structures; and
an image transport layer having an input surface at the side portion of the head-mounted support structures that receives image light from the display and having an output surface at the main portion of the head-mounted support structures configured to provide the image light to an eye box, wherein the image transport layer comprises a coherent fiber bundle having fibers that extend from the input surface at the side portion of the head-mounted support structures to the output surface at the main portion of the head-mounted support structures.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising:
a lens mounted in the main portion of the head-mounted support structures and disposed between the output surface of the image transport layer and the eye box.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14 , wherein the side portion of the head-mounted support structures comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of: a strap, a headband, and an eyeglass temple.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14 , wherein the head-mounted support structures have an additional side portion, the electronic device further comprising:
an additional display in the additional side portion of the head-mounted support structures; and
an additional image transport layer having an input surface at the additional side portion of the head-mounted support structures that receives image light from the additional display and having an output surface at the main portion of the head-mounted support structures configured to provide the image light from the additional display to an additional eye box.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 , wherein the main portion of the head-mounted support structures extends between the side portion of the head-mounted support structures and the additional side portion of the head-mounted support structures.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wittenberg Michael B
• Barrett Daniel J
• De Jong Erik G
• Browning Lucy E
• Rammah Marwan
• Phouthavong Rasamy
• Pandya Sameer

Classifications

• G06F2203/04102

  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 title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/04164 Primary

  Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads · CPC title