Displays with coherent fiber bundles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435939-B2
Application number	US-201213564995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2012
Priority date	Aug 2, 2012
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A display may have an array of display pixels that generate an image. A coherent fiber bundle may be mounted on the display pixels. The coherent fiber bundle may have a first surface that is adjacent to the display pixels and a second surface that is visible to a viewer. The coherent fiber bundle may contain fibers that carry light from the first surface to the second surface. The second surface may be planar or may have a central planar region and curved edge regions that run along opposing sides of the central planar region. The fibers may have cross-sectional surface areas with a first aspect ratio on the first surface and a second aspect ratio that is greater than the first aspect ratio on the second surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing having first and second ends and having first and second sidewalls that run parallel to each other between the first and second ends, wherein the first and second sidewalls have respective first and second top surfaces;
display structures that include an array of display pixels interposed between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the array of display pixels are positioned below the respective first and second top surfaces of the first and second sidewalls; and
a fiber bundle on the array of display pixels, wherein the fiber bundle has edge portions that overlap the first and second sidewalls, wherein the edge portions are positioned above the respective first and second top surfaces of the first and second sidewalls, wherein the fiber bundle forms a display surface which is viewed by a user, and wherein the display surface is curved in the edge portions of the fiber bundle.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber bundle has a lower surface adjacent to the display structures and an upper surface, wherein the display pixels are configured to display an image, and wherein the fiber bundle is configured to route the image from the lower surface to the upper surface.

3. The display defined in claim 1 wherein each display pixel provides light to a respective plurality of the fibers in the fiber bundle.

4. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of fibers, wherein each fiber of the plurality of fibers includes an upper surface with a first cross-sectional area and a lower surface with a second cross-sectional area, and wherein the first cross-sectional area has a larger aspect ratio than the second cross-sectional area.

5. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber bundle includes a central portion with a planar surface.

6. The display defined in claim 5 wherein the fiber bundle has a first edge portion that runs along one side of the central portion and a second edge portion that runs along an opposing side of the central portion and wherein the first and second edge portions have curved surfaces.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the display surface has a planar portion interposed between the edge portions of the fiber bundle.

8. A display, comprising:
a display layer that includes an array of display pixels;
at least one component in an inactive edge portion of the display layer; and
a fiber bundle having a first plurality of fibers that overlap only the display pixels and a second plurality of fibers that overlap the display pixels and the inactive edge portion of the display layer, wherein each fiber of the first plurality of fibers has a first surface adjacent the display pixels and a second surface at a display surface of the fiber bundle, wherein each fiber of the first plurality of fibers has a first cross-sectional area on the first surface and a second cross-sectional area on the second surface, wherein the first cross-sectional area has the same aspect ratio as the second cross-sectional area, wherein each fiber of the second plurality of fibers has a third surface adjacent the display pixels and a fourth surface at the display surface of the fiber bundle, wherein each fiber of the second plurality of fibers has a third cross-sectional area on the third surface and a fourth cross-sectional area on the fourth surface, wherein the fourth cross-sectional area has a larger aspect ratio than the third cross-sectional area, wherein the fiber bundle forms a display surface which is viewed by a user, and wherein the display surface is curved in portions of the fiber bundle formed by the second plurality of fibers.

Assignees

• Yang Tseng-Mau
• Prest Christopher D
• Memering Dale N
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Yang Tseng-Mau
• Prest Christopher D
• Memering Dale N

Classifications

• G02F1/3137

  with intersecting or branching waveguides, e.g. X-switches and Y-junctions · CPC title

• G02B6/08 Primary

  with fibre bundle in form of plate · CPC title

• G02B6/0078 Primary

  Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays · CPC title

• G02B2006/12145

  Switch · CPC title

• G02F2001/0142

  Physics · mapped topic