U.S. patent application number 17/680109 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-09 for electronic devices having peripheral display regions.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Tyler S. Bushnell, Richard A. Davis, Christopher M. Werner.
Application Number | 20220179265 17/680109 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006165012 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220179265 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bushnell; Tyler S. ; et
al. |
June 9, 2022 |
Electronic Devices Having Peripheral Display Regions
Abstract
An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display
may be mounted in a housing. Electronic components may be mounted
in an interior region of the device. The display may have an array
of pixels configured to display an image. A border region such as a
ring-shaped border may run along the outermost peripheral edge of
the array of pixels. The display may be covered by a transparent
display cover layer. The transparent display cover layer may have
opposing inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface may face the
interior region of the device. A laser-marked light-scattering
structure may be embedded within an interior portion of the display
cover layer between the inner and outer surfaces. The
light-scattering structure may be located in the border region and
may be illuminated by a light-emitting device.
Inventors: |
Bushnell; Tyler S.; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Davis; Richard A.; (San Carlos,
CA) ; Werner; Christopher M.; (San Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006165012 |
Appl. No.: |
17/680109 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16513270 |
Jul 16, 2019 |
11287697 |
|
|
17680109 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02F 1/133388 20210101;
G06F 1/163 20130101; G02F 1/133615 20130101; G06F 1/1641 20130101;
H04M 1/0268 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02F 1/13357 20060101
G02F001/13357; G06F 1/16 20060101 G06F001/16; H04M 1/02 20060101
H04M001/02 |
Claims
1. An electronic device, comprising: an array of pixels having an
outermost edge; a border region adjacent to the outermost edge; a
display cover layer having a first portion that overlaps the array
of pixels and a second portion that overlaps the border region,
wherein the display cover layer includes a light-scattering
structure that is embedded within the second portion of the display
cover layer; and a light-emitting device that is configured to
produce light that illuminates the light-scattering structure.
2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the array of
pixels and the light-emitting device are formed on a shared
substrate.
3. The electronic device defined in claim 2, wherein the
light-emitting device is one of the pixels in the array of
pixels.
4. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the array of
pixels are formed on a first substrate and the light-emitting
device is formed on a second substrate that is separate from the
first substrate.
5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the
light-scattering structure is configured to form a visual element
selected from the group consisting of: an alphanumeric character
and an icon.
6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the
light-scattering structure is configured to form an abstract
pattern.
7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising
control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to
display content on the array of pixels in coordination with
controlling the light-emitting device.
8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising
control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to
turn on the light-emitting device to produce a visual
notification.
9. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising: a
housing wall coupled to the display cover layer; a wristband
coupled to the housing wall; and wireless transceiver circuitry
configured to transmit and receive wireless signals.
10. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the
light-emitting device comprises a device selected from the group
consisting of: a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, and a
crystalline semiconductor die.
11. An electronic device, comprising: a housing; a display in the
housing; and a display cover layer coupled to the housing, wherein
the display cover layer overlaps the display, the display cover
layer has opposing inner and outer surfaces, and a light-scattering
structure is embedded within the display cover layer between the
inner and outer surfaces.
12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the
light-scattering structure is configured to be illuminated by a
light source.
13. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the display
comprises an array of pixels, and the light source is adjacent to
the array of pixels.
14. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the
light-scattering structure comprises a laser-marked interior
portion of the display cover layer.
15. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the light
source is a light-emitting diode configured to emit light that is
scattered by the laser-marked interior portion.
16. The electronic device defined in claim 11, further comprising a
wristband coupled to the housing.
17. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the display
comprises an active area and an inactive area, and the
light-scattering structure overlaps the inactive area.
18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the
light-scattering structure surrounds the active area.
19. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the
light-scattering structure is one of a plurality of
light-scattering structures that are formed in a ring around the
active area.
20. An electronic device, comprising: a housing; an array of pixels
in the housing configured to display an image; a display cover
layer coupled to the housing, wherein the display cover layer has a
first portion that overlaps the array of pixels and a second
portion that overlaps a region adjacent to the array of pixels, and
the display cover layer comprises an embedded light-scattering
structure in the second portion; and a light-emitting device
configured to produce light that illuminates the light-scattering
structure.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/513,270, filed Jul. 16, 2019, which is
hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more
particularly, to electronic devices with displays.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Electronic devices such as cellular telephones, tablet
computers, and other electronic equipment may include displays for
presenting images to a user.
[0004] If care is not taken, electronic devices with displays may
not have a desired appearance or may be difficult to use
satisfactorily. For example, it may be difficult to efficiently use
displays to present certain visual information to a user.
SUMMARY
[0005] An electronic device may be provided with a display. The
display may be mounted in a housing. Electronic components may be
mounted in an interior region of the device. The display may have
an array of pixels configured to display an image. A border region
such as a ring-shaped border may run along the outermost peripheral
edge of the array of pixels and may be free of image-producing
pixels.
[0006] In order to provide a user with supplemental visual
information in the border region, illuminated visual elements may
be provided in the border. These visual elements can be controlled
separately from the image displayed using the array of pixels.
[0007] The display may be covered by a transparent display cover
layer. The transparent display cover layer may have opposing inner
and outer surfaces. The inner surface may face the interior region
of the device. A laser-marked light-scattering structure associated
with a visual element such as an icon or other visual element may
be embedded within an interior portion of the display cover layer
between the inner and outer surfaces. The central portion of the
display cover layer may overlap the pixel array, so that the image
on the pixels array may be viewed through the display cover layer.
The light-scattering structure may be located in the border region
and may be illuminated by a light-emitting device separate from the
array of pixels. In some configurations, an opaque coating layer
may be located beneath the light-scattering structure to help hide
the light-scattering structure from view in the absence of light
from the light-emitting device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a top view of an illustrative electronic device in
accordance with an embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic
device in accordance with an embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of portion of a
display and internal components in an illustrative electronic
device in accordance with an embodiment.
[0011] FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional side views of illustrative
edge portions of a display layer for an electronic device in
accordance with an embodiment.
[0012] FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are plan views of portions of illustrative
electronic devices in accordance with embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] An electronic device may be provided with a display. The
display may have an array of pixels that forms an active area of
the display in which an image is displayed. A transparent display
cover layer may overlap the array of pixels to protect the pixels
from damage. Laser marking techniques or other processing
techniques may be used to create light-scattering structures within
the display cover layer. For example, a hazy area may be formed
along a border region of the display cover layer that runs along
the outer peripheral edge of the active area. During operation, the
pixels display an image on the display in the active area. When
desired to produce visual output using the border region, a
light-emitting device may illuminate the light-scattering
structures in the border region. The light-emitting device can be
operated independently from the pixels in the active area that are
displaying the image.
[0014] The light-scattering structures in the border region may be
patterned to form text (e.g. alphanumeric characters such as number
and/or letters), symbols, graphics (e.g., an icon), abstract
elements, or any other suitable visual elements. By placing the
light-scattering structures in the border region, the visual
elements associated with the light-scattering structures do not
overlap the pixels in the active area. This allows the visual
elements to be displayed at the same time as an image in the active
area or to be displayed separately (e.g., when the image is not
present because the pixels in the active area are all off).
[0015] A top view of an illustrative electronic device with a
display is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, device 10 may have
a display such as display 14 mounted in housing 12. Housing 12,
which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be
formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g.,
stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, gold, etc.), other suitable
materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials.
Housing 12 may be formed using a unibody configuration in which
some or all of housing 12 is machined or molded as a single
structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an
internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior
housing surfaces, etc.). Display 14 may have a rectangular outline
(e.g., a square outline with rounded corners as shown in FIG. 1),
may have a circular outline, or may have other suitable shapes.
[0016] If desired, a band (strap) such as band 30 or other external
structures may be coupled to housing 12 (e.g., using spring bars,
magnets, threaded fasteners, clips, or other coupling structures).
Band 30 may be a wristband with a clasp such as clasp 32 that is
configured to allow device 10 to be worn by a user. Band 30 may be
formed from metal, fabric, natural materials such as leather,
polymer, or other materials. Clasp 32 may be a magnetic clasp, a
mechanical clasp, or other suitable clasp. Device 10 may be a
wristwatch that is worn on a user's wrist or other wearable device.
If desired, device 10 may be a cellular telephone, tablet computer,
desktop computer, display device, or other suitable equipment
including a display. The use of display 14 in a wearable portable
device such as a wristwatch device is sometimes described herein as
an example.
[0017] Display 14 may be a liquid crystal display, an organic
light-emitting diode display having an array of thin-film organic
light-emitting diode pixels on a flexible substrate, or a display
based on other display technologies (e.g., an electrophoretic
display, a display having an array of crystalline semiconductor
light-emitting diodes on a flexible substrate, etc.). Display 14
may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of
conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor
components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch
sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based
touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not
touch-sensitive. Touch sensor structures such as capacitive touch
sensor electrodes may be formed as part of a thin-film organic
light-emitting diode display panel or other pixel array for display
14 or may be formed using a separate touch sensor panel that
overlap a display panel.
[0018] Display 14 may include one or more layers of transparent
protective material. For example, the outermost layer of display
14, which may sometimes be referred to as a display cover layer,
may be formed from a hard transparent material such as glass, rigid
polymer, sapphire or other crystalline material, or other clear
material to help protect display 14 from damage.
[0019] A schematic diagram of electronic device 10 is shown in FIG.
1. Device 10 may include control circuitry 20. Control circuitry 20
may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the
operation of device 10. The storage and processing circuitry may
include storage such as nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or
other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form
a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic
random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control
circuitry 20 may be used to gather input from sensors and other
input devices and may be used to control output devices. The
processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors,
microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors
and other wireless communications circuits, power management units,
audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc.
[0020] To support communications between device 10 and external
equipment, control circuitry 20 may communicate using
communications circuitry 22. Circuitry 22 may include antennas,
wireless transceiver circuitry such as radio-frequency transceiver
circuitry, and other wireless communications circuitry and/or wired
communications circuitry. Circuitry 22, which may sometimes be
referred to as control circuitry and/or control and communications
circuitry, may support bidirectional wireless communications
between device 10 and external equipment over a wireless link
(e.g., circuitry 22 may include radio-frequency transceiver
circuitry such as wireless local area network transceiver circuitry
configured to support communications over a wireless local area
network link, near-field communications transceiver circuitry
configured to support communications over a near-field
communications link, cellular transceiver circuitry such as
cellular telephone transceiver circuitry configured to support
voice and/or data communications over a cellular telephone link, or
transceiver circuitry configured to support communications over any
other suitable wired or wireless communications link). Wireless
communications may, for example, be supported over a Bluetooth.RTM.
link, a WiFi.RTM. link, a millimeter wave link, a cellular
telephone link handling voice and/or data, or other wireless
communications link. Device 10 may, if desired, include power
circuits for transmitting and/or receiving wired and/or wireless
power and may include batteries or other energy storage devices.
For example, device 10 may include a coil and rectifier to receive
wireless power that is provided to circuitry in device 10.
[0021] Device 10 may include input-output devices such as devices
24. Input-output devices 24 may be used in gathering user input, in
gathering information on the environment surrounding the user,
and/or in providing a user with output. During operation, control
circuitry 20 may use sensors and other input devices in devices 24
to gather input and can control output devices in devices 24 to
provide desired output.
[0022] Devices 24 may include one or more displays such as display
14. Display 14 may have an array of pixels configured to display
images for a user. The display pixels may be formed on a substrate.
The substrate may be a flexible substrate (e.g., display 14 may be
formed from a flexible display panel) or a rigid substrate.
Conductive electrodes for a capacitive touch sensor in display 14
and/or an array of indium tin oxide electrodes or other transparent
conductive electrodes overlapping display 14 may be used to form a
two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor for display 14 (e.g.,
display 14 may be a touch sensitive display). If desired,
capacitive touch sensor electrodes may be formed from thin-film
circuitry on the same substrate as the display pixels. In some
configurations, a separate two-dimensional touch sensor layer
(e.g., a polymer film or other layer with an array of capacitive
touch sensor electrodes) may overlap the array of pixels.
[0023] Sensors 16 in input-output devices 24 may include force
sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive
force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch
and/or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors (e.g., a
two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor integrated into display 14,
a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor overlapping display 14,
and/or a touch sensor that forms a button, trackpad, or other input
device not associated with a display), and other sensors. If
desired, sensors 16 may include optical sensors such as optical
sensors that emit and detect light, ultrasonic sensors, optical
touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and/or other touch
sensors and/or proximity sensors, monochromatic and color ambient
light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, temperature
sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional non-contact
gestures ("air gestures"), pressure sensors, sensors for detecting
position, orientation, and/or motion (e.g., accelerometers,
magnetic sensors such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, and/or
inertial measurement units that contain some or all of these
sensors), health sensors, radio-frequency sensors, depth sensors
(e.g., structured light sensors and/or depth sensors based on
stereo imaging devices), optical sensors such as self-mixing
sensors and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors that gather
time-of-flight measurements, humidity sensors, moisture sensors,
gaze tracking sensors, and/or other sensors. In some arrangements,
device 10 may use sensors 16 and/or other input-output devices to
gather user input (e.g., buttons may be used to gather button press
input, touch sensors overlapping displays can be used for gathering
user touch screen input, touch pads may be used in gathering touch
input, microphones may be used for gathering audio input,
accelerometers may be used in monitoring when a finger contacts an
input surface and may therefore be used to gather finger press
input, etc.).
[0024] If desired, electronic device 10 may include additional
components (see, e.g., other devices 18 in input-output devices
24). The additional components may include haptic output devices,
audio output devices such as speakers, light-emitting devices such
as light-emitting diodes or lasers (e.g., thin-film organic
light-emitting diodes, crystalline semiconductor light-emitting
diodes, semiconductor lasers such as vertical cavity surface
emitting laser diodes, other laser diodes formed from crystalline
semiconductor dies, etc.), other optical output devices, and/or
other circuitry for gathering input and/or providing output. If
desired, light-emitting devices may be used that illuminate
translucent (hazy) portions of a display cover layer that are
configured to form visual elements such as icons, text, abstract
patterns, or other structures. Device 10 may also include a battery
or other energy storage device, connector ports for supporting
wired communication with ancillary equipment and for receiving
wired power, and other circuitry.
[0025] A cross-sectional side view of an edge portion of an
illustrative display and associated internal components in device
10 is shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, device 10 may have
housing walls that separate an interior region such as interior 60
from the exterior region surrounding device 10. Device 10 may
include electrical components 50 mounted on one or more printed
circuits such as printed circuit 48. Components 50 may include
integrated circuits and other devices. Components 50 may form
control circuitry 20, communications circuitry 22, input-output
devices 24 such as sensors 16 and devices 18 (e.g., light-emitting
devices such as light-emitting diodes and lasers), and other
circuitry. Components 50 may, if desired, include light-emitting
components such as light-emitting device 50' on printed circuit
48.
[0026] As shown in the illustrative configuration of FIG. 3,
display 14 may be formed on front face FR of device 10. Display 14
may include a display layer such as display layer 42. Display layer
42, which may sometimes be referred to as a pixel array or display
panel, may have an array of pixels P. Pixels P may be formed from
crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes, thin-film organic
light-emitting diodes, and/or other pixel structures (e.g., liquid
crystal display structures). In the illustrative configuration of
FIG. 3, pixels P are thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels
that are formed from thin-film circuitry on substrate 44. Substrate
44 may be a flexible substrate (e.g., a flexible polyimide
substrate or other flexible polymer layer) or may be a rigid
substrate. One or more optical films such as optical layer 46 may
be included in display 14. Layer 46 may be, for example, a circular
polarizer 46 for suppressing ambient light reflections. In the
illustrative configuration of FIG. 3, display 14 includes an
optional two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor layer 62. If
desired, optically clear adhesive layer 64 may be interposed
between layer 62 and display cover layer 40 and optically clear
adhesive layer 66 may be interposed between layer 62 and display
layer 42.
[0027] The housing for device 10 may include rear housing wall
structures such as a portion of housing 12 forming a rear housing
wall on rear face RR of device 10. The housing for device 10 may
also include side housing wall structures such as a portion of
housing 12 on side E of device 10 and may include structures that
form display cover layers such as display cover layer 40 on front
face FR of device 10. Portions of display cover layer 40 may, if
desired, extend over part or all of edge E and/or may wrap to the
rear of device 10 (as examples). Display cover layer 40 (which may
sometimes be referred to as a transparent housing wall or
transparent housing structure) overlaps an array of pixels P
forming an active area AA for display 14. When it is desired to
provide a user such as viewer 68 who is viewing device 10 in
direction 70 with visual content, control circuitry 20 may display
an image in active area AA of display 14 using pixels P.
[0028] An inactive display area is formed along the peripheral
border of active area AA. This border region may contain display
driver circuitry and encapsulation structures, but does not contain
pixels P for displaying the active area image. The image displayed
in active area AA therefore does not extend into the border region
that runs along the outermost edge of active area AA.
[0029] Supplemental visual information may be provided to viewer 68
using illuminated visual elements in the display border region.
These visual elements may be formed by one or more light-scattering
structures in display cover layer 40. Display cover layer may have
an exterior surface that faces the exterior of device 10 and an
opposing inner surface that faces interior 60. The light-scattering
structures may be formed in an interior portion of display cover
layer 40 (e.g., a region that is between the outwardly facing and
inwardly facing surfaces of display cover layer 40).
[0030] In the example of FIG. 3, display cover layer 40 has
illustrative light-scattering structures 72 and light-scattering
structures 74 embedded in display cover layer 40. These
light-scattering structures may be formed by laser marking
techniques (sometimes referred to as laser internal engraving) or
other fabrication techniques. With an illustrative arrangement,
picosecond pulses of ultraviolet laser light are focused within the
interior of display cover layer 40, thereby locally damaging the
glass or other material forming display cover layer 40 and creating
light-scattering structures that scatter light that is incident on
these structures. The laser may be scanned and/or the focus of the
laser can be adjusted during laser marking operations, so that
desired visual elements can be created from the light-scattering
structures in the interior of display cover layer 40. The outer and
inner surfaces of display cover layer 40 can remain undamaged and
smooth.
[0031] When illuminated, the light-scattering structures in an
interior portion of the display cover layer scatter light and
thereby light up for viewing by the user. As a result, the visual
elements formed from the light-scattering structures become visible
to the user in the border region. In the absence of the
light-scattering structures, illumination would pass through this
interior portion of the display cover layer without being scattered
and no visual elements would be visible.
[0032] Examples of visual elements that can be created include text
(e.g., a person's name, a descriptive label, a trade name,
instructions, numbers, alphanumeric strings of letters and/or
numbers, text symbols, and/or other alphanumeric character
strings), graphics (e.g., icons such as trademarks, descriptive
icons that serve as status indicator icons such as a battery charge
state icon, a power on/off icon, a silent-mode icon, a mute icon, a
wireless signal strength icon, etc., and/or other graphical
elements), and abstract elements such as continuous and
discontinuous lines, line segments, rectangular blocks, and/or
other abstract shapes.
[0033] Portions of display cover layer 40 and/or other structures
in device 10 can be provided with opaque masking materials. The
opaque masking materials may include black polymer (e.g., polymer
containing black pigment and/or dye) and/or other opaque polymer.
In an illustrative configuration, a layer of opaque material such
as black ink or other opaque coating 78 may be formed on a portion
of inner surface 79 of display cover layer 40 in the border region
of display 14. This opaque material may help hide internal
components in interior 60 from view by viewer 68. In scenarios in
which light-scattering structures such as illustrative structures
72 and/or 74 visually overlap opaque coating 78, the presence of
opaque border structures such as coating 78 may make it difficult
or impossible to view structures 72 and/or 74 in the absence of
illumination from a light-emitting device. This makes the visual
elements associated with structures 72 and/or 74 invisible to the
naked eye when light-emitting devices are not producing
illumination for structures 72 and/or 74. Accordingly, control
circuitry 20 can make visual elements associated with
light-scatting structures such as structures 72 and/or 74 in the
display border either visible or invisible by turning on or off
corresponding light-emitting devices.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, for example, light-emitting device 84
may produce light 80 to illuminate light-scattering structure 72
and/or light-emitting device 50' may produce light 82 to illuminate
light-scattering structure 74. Light-emitting devices such as
light-emitting device 84 and/or light-emitting device 50' may
produce white light or light with a non-neutral color (e.g., red
light, blue light, green light, etc.). The light produced may be
steady (e.g., a fixed intensity) and/or variable (e.g., pulsed or
otherwise changing in intensity). If desired, light-emitting device
84 may be adjustable and may emit light of different intensities
and/or colors under control of control signals from control
circuitry 20. Light-emitting device 84 may be formed on the same
substrate as pixels P or on a different substrate. When one or more
light-emitting devices such as light-emitting device 84 are formed
on a common substrate with pixels P such as substrate 44, signal
lines formed from thin-film metal traces in the thin-film circuitry
on substrate 44 may be used in providing control signals to
light-emitting device 84. Light-emitting device 50' may be mounted
on printed circuit 48 and may be provided with control signals
using metal traces on printed circuit 48.
[0035] When it is desired to view a visual element associated with
a light-scattering structure embedded in layer 40 in the border
region of display 14, the corresponding light-emitting device in
device 10 may be used to generate illumination for that
light-scattering structure. In the example of FIG. 3, light 82
passes through opening 76 in coating 78. Light 80 may pass through
an opening in coating 78 or may, as shown in FIG. 3, pass to
light-scatting structure 74 along the inner edge of coating 78. If
desired, structures in display layer 42 may help direct light 80
away from active area AA, so that light 80 does not visually
encroach on the image displayed in active area AA.
[0036] When it is desired to illuminate light-scattering structures
72 and thereby make a visual element associated with
light-scattering structures 72 visible to viewer 68, control
circuitry 20 can turn on light-emitting device 84 (e.g., a
light-emitting diode or laser) to produce light 80. Light 80 may
illuminate light-scattering structure 72 so that viewer 68 may view
the visual element formed from light-scatting structure 72. When it
is desired to hide this light-scatting element from view,
light-emitting device 84 may be turned off. Because coating 78 is
located behind light-scattering structure 72 when light-scattering
structure is being viewed in direction 70 by viewer 68, the visual
element formed from light-scattering structure 72 may be invisible
to viewer 68 in the absence of light 80. When it is desired to
illuminate light-scattering structures 74, device 50' may be turned
on to produce light 82. Light-scattering structures 74 may be
hidden from view by turning off device 50'.
[0037] Any suitable mounting arrangement may be used for the
light-emitting devices that produce illumination for
light-scattering structures in display cover layer 40. In the
example of FIG. 3, light-emitting device 50' is mounted on printed
circuit 48 and is located in the border region of display 14 (e.g.,
light-emitting device 50' is not overlapped by active area AA). If
desired, light-emitting device 50' may be formed under active area
AA (e.g., behind active area AA when viewed in direction 70). In
this type of arrangement, light-emitting device 50' may be located
near to the edge of device 10 so that light 82 from light-emitting
device 50' passes through opening 76 in coating 78 and illuminates
light-scattering structure 74.
[0038] If desired, a light-emitting device may be mounted on top of
a display layer. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, display layer 42
may include an array of pixels P configured to display an image. No
pixels P for displaying the image are present in inactive border
region 92. Pixels P may be thin-film organic light-emitting diode
pixels or other pixels. If desired, light-emitting device 90 (e.g.,
a light-emitting diode die, a laser diode die, or other
light-emitting component) may be mounted (e.g., using solder,
conductive adhesive, etc.) to layer 42 (e.g., to metal traces or
other conductive signal paths in layer 42). With this type of
arrangement, thin-film circuitry (e.g., interconnect paths formed
form metal traces in border region 92 of display layer 42) may be
used to help route signals to light-emitting device 90. During
operation, light-emitting device 90 may provide light that
illuminates a light-scattering structure in display cover layer 40
(e.g., through an opaque coating opening such as opening 76 of FIG.
3).
[0039] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of display layer 42 in
an illustrative configuration in which light-emitting device 84 is
formed from a portion of display layer 42. For example, pixels P of
display layer 42 of FIG. 5 may be light-emitting diode pixels such
as thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels or pixels with
light-emitting diodes formed from crystalline semiconductor dies.
Light-emitting device 84 may be formed from a light-emitting
structure of the same type as pixels P, but may be located in
border region 92. For example, if pixels P are formed from organic
light-emitting diodes, light-emitting device 84 may be formed from
an organic light-emitting diode and may be controlled using
thin-film circuitry on display layer 42. If pixels P are formed
from crystalline semiconductor dies, light-emitting device 84 may
also be formed from a crystalline semiconductor die (as an
example). As shown in FIG. 5, device 84 may be separated from the
outermost edge of pixels P in active area AA by a gap (e.g., a gap
of at least two or more pixels in width or other suitable
width).
[0040] Light-scattering structures may be illuminated along some or
all of border 92. Border 92 may extend along one or more edges of
display 14. Border 92 may, for example, have four segments running
along four respective peripheral edges of device 10 (e.g., border
92 may form a rectangular ring about active area AA). In the
example of FIG. 6, light-scattering structure 96 is formed in a
middle portion of a segment of border 92 that runs along one of the
edges of device 10 (e.g., the right-hand edge, lower edge, etc.).
Light-scattering structure 62 may form text, graphics (e.g., status
indicator icons, logos, trademarks, tradenames, symbols, etc.),
abstract patterns (e.g., squares, circles, lines, wavy lines,
and/or other abstract shapes), and/or other suitable visible
elements. In the example of FIG. 7, light-scattering structures 98
run along multiple edges (or the entire periphery of device 10) and
are separated by respective areas 100 that are free of
light-scattering structures 98. Each of light-scattering structures
98 may, if desired, be illuminated by a separate individually
controlled light-emitting device (e.g., to implement chasing light
effects, flashing lights, etc.). Light-scattering structures 98 may
be abstract shapes, text, graphics, or other suitable content.
[0041] FIG. 8 shows how a light-scattering structure (structure
102) may, if desired, run along the entire periphery of device 10
(e.g., border 92 may form a ring around active area AA).
Light-scattering structure 102 may be illuminated by one or more
light-emitting devices.
[0042] In some configurations, light-scattering structures form
visual elements that are illuminated to provide labeling (e.g.,
text labeling, trademark labeling, brand name labeling, etc.). In
other configurations, visual elements formed from light-scattering
structures may form an abstract shape and can be illuminated to
serve as a visual notification (e.g., by flashing or illuminating
with a particular color) and/or decorative trim.
[0043] Visual elements may be illuminated in coordination with
content in active area AA. As an example, an image in active area
AA may contain a visual item that moves from the center of active
area AA to a location where the visual item contacts the outer edge
of active area AA. When the visual item contacts this edge, a
ring-shaped border surrounding active area AA may be illuminated to
serve as visual feedback (e.g., a light-scattering structure such
as structure 102 of FIG. 8 may be illuminated whenever a moving
visual item touches the outer edge of active area AA).
[0044] Visual elements formed from light-scattering structures may
be illuminated in response to changes in device operating
conditions. For example, the illumination for a light-scattering
structure may be adjusted in response to expiration of a timer,
determination that a sensor reading has exceeded a predetermined
threshold, receipt of user input, receipt of a wireless message or
incoming telephone call, determination that a particular geographic
location has been reached by device 10, and/or in response to
satisfaction of criteria associated with one or more other
operating conditions. Criteria for illuminating visual elements may
be provided to device 10 during manufacturing and/or may be
user-defined settings. In some arrangements, visual elements may be
illuminated to provide a user with assistance in using device 10.
For example, if device 10 is waiting for a user to supply input
with a button, a visual element such as text stating "press the
button to start" or a flashing green icon may be displayed by using
a light- emitting device to supply illumination to a
light-scattering structure. In general, visual elements in border
92 may be used for any suitable function (e.g., to supply visual
feedback, decoration, a notification, instructions, labeling,
etc.).
[0045] Device 10 may be operated in a system that uses personally
identifiable information. It is well understood that the use of
personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies
and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding
industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy
of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data
should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of
unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of
authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.
[0046] The foregoing is merely illustrative and various
modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The
foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any
combination.
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