公开(公告)号：US11792309B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-17

申请号：US17378695

申请日：2021-07-17

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Matthew D. Hill ,  Derek C. Krass ,  Benjamin Shane Bustle ,  Lucy Elizabeth Browning ,  Michael Benjamin Wittenberg ,  James B. Smith ,  Ashutosh Y. Shukla ,  Scott A. Myers

IPC: H04B1/38 ,  H04M1/02 ,  H04M1/23

CPC classification number: H04M1/0249 ,  H04M1/02 ,  H04M1/0202 ,  H04M1/0247 ,  H04M1/23

Abstract: An enclosure and a method for forming an enclosure are disclosed. The enclosure may be formed from metal, such as aluminum, and further include a non-metal portion allowing for transmission and receipt of electromagnetic waves. The non-metal portion may be interlocked to the enclosure and in particular, to a region within the enclosure including a first material having a relatively high strength and stiffness compared to the non-metal portion. Interlocking means may include forming dovetail cuts into the enclosure to receive the non-metal portion, a hole or cavity drilled into the enclosure which includes internal threads, and a rod inserted into the first material to provide a tension to the non-metal portion. Methods of assembling internal components using anodization are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11700760B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-11

申请号：US17115547

申请日：2020-12-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Richard P. Howarth ,  Julian Hoenig ,  Christopher Stringer ,  John P. Ternus ,  Stephen Brian Lynch

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  H10K59/60 ,  G06F3/01 ,  H10K59/40 ,  H10K77/10 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G09G3/3208 ,  H04R1/02 ,  G02B5/20

CPC classification number: H10K59/60 ,  G02B5/208 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G06F1/169 ,  G06F1/1626 ,  G06F1/1637 ,  G06F1/1641 ,  G06F1/1686 ,  G06F1/1688 ,  G06F1/1698 ,  G06F3/011 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G09G3/3208 ,  H04R1/028 ,  H05K999/99 ,  H10K59/40 ,  H10K77/111 ,  G02B2027/014 ,  G02B2027/0138 ,  G06F2203/04101 ,  G06F2203/04108 ,  G09G2320/0626 ,  G09G2360/144 ,  H04R2499/15

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.

公开(公告)号：US20230043311A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-09

申请号：US17973658

申请日：2022-10-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Myers ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Anthony S. Montevirgen

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/04817 ,  G06F3/0488 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/04886

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.

公开(公告)号：US11487330B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-01

申请号：US17481812

申请日：2021-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Myers

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F3/01 ,  H05K7/06 ,  H05K13/00 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/04817 ,  G06F3/0487 ,  G06F3/14

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.

公开(公告)号：US11429158B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-30

申请号：US17192722

申请日：2021-03-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Lucy Elizabeth Browning ,  Benjamin J. Pope ,  Paul U. Leutheuser ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Richard Hung Minh Dinh ,  Edward S. Huo

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  H03K17/96 ,  H03K17/975 ,  G06V40/13 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G06F3/16

Abstract: Sensor assemblies for electronic devices are described. According to some embodiments, the sensor assemblies include solid-state sensors, such as capacitive sensors, piezoelectric sensors or piezoresistive sensors. The sensor assemblies can include a number of features that provide a compact profile, making them well suited for integration into small spaces of electronic device enclosures. The sensor assemblies can also include features that isolate movement of various parts of the sensor assemblies, allowing for accurate detection of a sensing event. According to some embodiments, the sensor assemblies are coupled to haptic actuators, speaker, or both, which mimic the feel of a mechanical button and enhance a user's experience.

公开(公告)号：US20210157453A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-27

申请号：US17164611

申请日：2021-02-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Myers ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Anthony S. Montevirgen

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/0481 ,  G06F3/0488 ,  G06F3/041

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.

公开(公告)号：US10942412B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US16808911

申请日：2020-03-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Michael W. Firka ,  Ashley E. Fletcher ,  Benjamin J. Pope ,  Lee E. Hooton ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin Shane Bustle ,  Garam Young ,  Blake M. Coughenour

IPC: G02F1/137 ,  G02F1/133 ,  G02B26/00 ,  G09G3/36 ,  G09G3/34

Abstract: An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.

公开(公告)号：US20210063804A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-04

申请号：US17080705

申请日：2020-10-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Paul S. Drzaic ,  Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  John P. Ternus

IPC: G02F1/1345

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display having a thin-film transistor layer. One or more holes in the thin-film transistor layer may be used to form pathways from display circuitry to other circuitry underneath the display. One or more conductive bridges may pass through holes in the thin-film transistor layer and may have one end that couples to the display circuitry and a second end that couples to a printed circuit underneath the display. These conductive bridges may be formed from wire bonding. Wire bond connections may be encapsulated with potting material to improve the reliability of the wire bond and increase the resiliency of the display. Display signal lines may be routed through holes in a thin-film transistor layer to run along a backside of the display thereby reducing the need for space in the border region for display circuitry.

公开(公告)号：US10739908B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-11

申请号：US16421886

申请日：2019-05-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Jeremy C. Franklin ,  Scott A. Myers ,  Benjamin M. Rappoport ,  Stephen Brian Lynch ,  John P. Ternus ,  Justin R. Wodrich

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  H01M2/16 ,  H01M2/18 ,  H01M10/04 ,  G06F1/16 ,  H01M2/10 ,  H04M1/02 ,  G06F1/3234 ,  G09G3/20 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G09G3/3208 ,  H01L27/32 ,  H01L51/00 ,  H01M2/02

Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery. A flexible printed circuit may include flexible and rigid portions or openings that allow some rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions.

公开(公告)号：US10713998B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-14

申请号：US16105812

申请日：2018-08-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Brian Lynch ,  Paul Stephen Drzaic ,  Benjamin Mark Rappoport ,  Fletcher R. Rothkopf ,  John Patrick Ternus ,  Scott A. Myers

IPC: G09G3/3208 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/042

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided in which photodetectors disposed throughout a display are used to control the display brightness. The photodetectors are to be used for ambient light sensing, proximity sensing, or to compensate for aging OLEDs. In some embodiments, photodiodes are fabricated with OLEDs during the TFT fabrication process. In some embodiments, the photodetectors may be disposed throughout the display in zones containing OLEDs. The photodetectors are used to control the display brightness and color for the OLEDs in areas around each photodetector based on ambient light, aging, and/or nearby objects. A controller makes driving strength adjustments to the OLEDs in each zone independent of other zones. Photodetectors disposed throughout the display may improve proximity sensing and provide additional functionality to the device.