Bi-stable spring with flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12079033-B2
Application number	US-202217670002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2011
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A wearable accessory device is disclosed. The wearable accessory device includes a flexible display coupled to a bi-stable spring. Coupling the display to the bi-stable spring allows the accessory device to be easily worn in a number of convenient locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
a housing with first and second opposing surfaces;
a display attached to the first surface of the housing, wherein the display has an edge; and
a fabric substrate that covers a portion of the first surface of the housing and overlaps at least a portion of the edge of the display.

2. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device is configured to be worn on a wrist of a user, and wherein the housing is configured to contact the wrist when the electronic device is worn.

3. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the display is configured to display a virtual keyboard.

4. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the display is touch sensitive.

5. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display is coupled to the housing with an adhesive.

6. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display is touch sensitive.

7. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the display is an organic light-emitting diode display.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing has a curved housing portion and the display has a curved display portion.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a dial on the housing, wherein the dial is configured to receive user input.

10. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a curved housing portion;
a display in the housing, wherein the display has an edge;
wireless communications circuitry in the housing; and
a fabric substrate that covers a portion of the surface of the housing and overlaps at least a portion of the edge of the display.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the curved housing portion is concave.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 further comprising:
an electronic module that is configured to provide signals to the display, wherein the display is configured to display content in response to the signals.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the electronic module is flexible and is retained in a curved shape by the curved housing portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the display is touch sensitive.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the curved housing portion has a first shape, and the display has a curved display portion with a second shape that matches the first shape.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the display has a curved display portion that is maintained in a curved shape by the curved housing portion.

17. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing comprising a curved housing portion, wherein the housing is movable between a first state and a second state;
a display in the curved portion of the housing, wherein the display has a curved display portion, wherein the display emits light in first, second, third, and fourth directions, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction, the third direction is opposite the fourth direction, and the third direction is different from the first and second directions, wherein an entirety of the display is configured to emit the light when the housing is in the first state, and wherein a first portion of the display is configured to emit the light while a second portion of the display is deactivated when the housing is in the second state;
a component in the housing, wherein the component has an edge, and the display wraps around the edge; and
wireless communications circuitry in the housing.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the housing is configured to move between the first and second states by bending the housing along an axis.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the curved display portion corresponds with the curved housing portion.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the curved housing portion maintains the curved display portion in a curved shape.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rothkopf Fletcher R
• Wright Derek W
• Myers Scott A

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title