Patent Publication Number: US-11662869-B2

Title: Electronic devices with sidewall displays

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/588,072, filed Jan. 28, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17,164,611, filed Feb. 1, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,237,685, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/720,257, filed Dec. 19, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,936,136, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/421,892, filed May 24, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,521,034, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/105,744, filed Aug. 20, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,318,029, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/783,272, filed Oct. 13, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,055,039, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/692,365, filed Apr. 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,411,451, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/602,199, filed Jan. 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,791,949, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/273,315, filed May 8, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,976,141, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/246,510, filed Sep. 27, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,723,824, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to flexible displays, and more particularly, to electronic devices with flexible displays. 
     Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with rigid displays made from rigid display structures. For example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be formed from a stack of rigid display structures such as a thin-film transistor glass layer with display pixels for providing visual feedback to a user, a color filter glass layer for providing the display pixels with color, a touch screen panel for gathering touch input from a user, and a cover glass layer for protecting the display and internal components. 
     Conventional devices may also have input-output components such as buttons, microphones, speakers, and other components that receive or transmit tactile input from a user mounted on edges of the device away from the display. Tactile input components are often formed from sliding or reciprocating button members and associated electrical components such as switches. 
     Flexible display technologies are available that allow displays to be flexed. For example, flexible displays may be formed using flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. 
     It would be desirable to be able to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices such as electronic devices with input-output components. 
     SUMMARY 
     Electronic devices may be provided with flexible displays. The flexible displays may include one or more flexible layers and may be mounted under a transparent display cover layer such as a layer of clear glass or plastic. For example, a flexible display may be mounted on the underside of a cover layer. Flexible displays may include a touch-sensitive layer that allows a user to provide touch input to an electronic device. Display pixels on a flexible display may be used to display visual information to the user. 
     An electronic device may have a housing in which a flexible display is mounted. The housing and flexible display may be configured to form planar front and rear surfaces and sidewall surfaces for the device. A flexible display may be mounted so that at least a first portion of the flexible display is mounted on the front surface of the device and forms part of the front surface. The flexible display may have a bend that allows a second portion of the flexible display to cover some of the sidewall surfaces of the device. 
     The flexible display may be used for displaying information and visual feedback to a user and for accepting input from a user. Active portions of the display configured for user input and output functions may be separated from inactive portions of the display using an opaque masking layer. The opaque masking layer may be formed on an inner surface of the cover layer. 
     Openings may be formed in the opaque masking layer on the front and sidewall surfaces of the device. The front portion of the flexible display may be viewed through an opaque masking layer opening on the front of the device. Sidewall portions of the flexible display may be viewed through one or more sidewall openings in the opaque masking layer. 
     Active portions (illuminated regions of pixels) on the sidewall edges of an electronic device may be used to create virtual user interface controls such as buttons. The buttons or other user input interface elements may be reconfigured during use of the electronic device. For example, the user input interface elements on the sidewall of an electronic device may be repurposed for supporting user input operations in different operating modes of the electronic device. Virtual buttons on the edge of a device may be provided in place of tactile input/output components such as physical buttons and switches or may be formed as part of a dummy button structure or other mechanical feature. 
     During operation of an electronic device, a virtual button may be, for example, a virtual volume button for controlling audio output volume and may be repurposed based on user input to become a virtual camera shutter button for taking a picture or may be reconfigured to serve as a controller for another device function. Images displayed on the flexible display may indicate to a user which function is currently being performed by the virtual button. Predetermined inputs to the touch-sensitive layer on the edge of the device (e.g., tapping, sliding, swiping, or other motions of an external object such as a finger across the edge of the device) may be used to change the operating mode of the device. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with a flexible display having portions on multiple surfaces of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a diagram of an illustrative set of display layers that may be used to form a flexible display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing touch-sensitive edge displays on an edge of the device formed from a portion of a bent flexible display and a patterned housing member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing touch-sensitive edge displays on an edge of the device formed from a portion of a bent flexible display and an opaque masking layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing touch-sensitive edge displays on an edge of the device formed from a portion of a bent flexible display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a virtual button having a transparent button member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a virtual button having an internal component in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a side view of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user input may be used to change the operating mode of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9    is a side view of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how portions of the edge display may be repurposed based on user input in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a virtual button having a transparent button member and a tactile feedback member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a virtual button having an associated lens in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  12    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a virtual button having a transparent button member with a lens in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  13    is a diagram of illustrative control circuitry coupled to a touch-sensitive flexible display having a front surface display portion and a sidewall surface display portion with illuminated touch-sensitive regions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device showing how virtual sidewall buttons may form a portion of a gaming controller when the device is operated in a landscape position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  15    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may include virtual buttons for selecting a software application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  16    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may include virtual buttons specific to a software application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  17    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may include virtual buttons specific to a software application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  18    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may include a scrollable list that is scrollable in multiple dimensions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  19    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may display a different list based on a user touch-input to the edge display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  20    is a side view of a portion of an illustrative edge display portion of a flexible display showing how user the edge display portion may display a different list entry based on a user touch-input to the edge display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may be provided that has a flexible display with bent edges. Bent edges of the flexible display may be visible along a sidewall or edge of the electronic device. 
     Flexible displays may be formed from flexible layers such as a flexible display layer (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting diode array), a flexible touch-sensitive layer (e.g., a sheet of polymer with an array of transparent capacitor electrodes for a capacitive touch sensor), a flexible substrate layer, etc. These flexible layers may, if desired, be covered by a flexible or rigid cover layer (sometimes referred to as a cover glass) or may be supported by a support structure (e.g., a rigid support structure on the underside of the flexible layers). 
     Portions of the flexible display may be visible on multiple surfaces of an electronic device. For example, a planar portion of the display may be visible on a front or back surface of the device while an edge portion that has been bent along a sidewall of the electronic device may be visible on the edge of the device. 
     Portions of the flexible display that are visible from the side of the device may be used to display information and virtual buttons for output and input of information to and from a user, respectively. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with a flexible display having bent edges visible along an edge of the device is shown in  FIG.  1   . Electronic device  10  may be a portable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. For example, electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media player, etc. 
     Device  10  may include a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In some situations, parts of housing  12  may be formed from dielectric or other low-conductivity material. In other situations, housing  12  or at least some of the structures that make up housing  12  may be formed from metal elements. 
     Device  10  may have a flexible display such as flexible display  14 . Flexible display  14  may be formed from multiple layers of material. These layers may include a touch sensor layer such as a layer on which a pattern of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes or other suitable transparent electrodes have been deposited to form a capacitive touch sensor array. These layers may also include a layer that contains an array of display pixels. The touch sensor layer and the display layer may be formed using flexible sheets of polymer or other substrates having thicknesses of 10 microns to 0.5 mm or other suitable thicknesses (as an example). 
     The display pixel array may be, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) array. Other types of flexible display pixel arrays may also be formed (e.g., electronic ink displays, etc.). The use of OLED technology to form flexible display  14  is sometimes described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Flexible display  14  may be formed using any suitable flexible display technology. The use of flexible displays that are based on OLED technology is merely illustrative. 
     Display  14  may have portions that are visible on a front side such as front surface  22  of device  10  and portions that are bent so that they are visible on edges such as sidewall surfaces  24  of device  10 . If desired, display  14  may be bent such that portions of display  14  are visible from a back side (e.g., a surface opposing front surface  22 ) of device  10 . 
     In addition to functional display layers (i.e., the OLED array and the optional touch sensor array), display  14  may include one or more structural layers. For example, display  14  may be covered with a flexible or rigid cover layer and/or may be mounted on a support structure (e.g., a rigid support). Layers of adhesive may be used in attaching flexible display layers to each other and may be used in mounting flexible display layers to rigid and flexible structural layers. 
     In configurations for display  14  in which the cover layer for display  14  is flexible, input-output components that rely on the presence of flexible layers may be mounted at any suitable location under the display (e.g., along peripheral portions of the display, in a central portion of the display, etc.). In configurations for display  14  in which the flexible layers are covered by a rigid cover glass layer or other rigid cover layer, the rigid layer may be provided with one or more openings and electronic components may be mounted under the openings. For example, a rigid cover layer may have openings for components such as button  17  and speaker component  19  (e.g., for an ear speaker for a user). Device  10  may also have other openings (e.g., openings in display  14  and/or housing  12  for accommodating volume buttons, ringer buttons, sleep buttons, and other buttons, openings for an audio jack, data port connectors, removable media slots, etc.). 
     Housing  12  may have openings such as openings  18  that allow bent portions of display  14  to be visible through openings  18 . In the example of  FIG.  1   , housing  12  has three openings  18  for portions of display  14  that may be configured to be virtual buttons, virtual switches, scrolling displays, etc. This is merely illustrative. If desired, all of display  14  may be visible through housing  12  (e.g., using a transparent material to form housing  12 ), housing  12  may have more than three openings, less than three openings, round openings, rectilinear openings, oval shaped or oddly shaped openings, etc. If desired, a transparent cover layer may extend over edges  24  of device  10  forming a continuous display around device  10 . Portions of a continuous display around device  10  may be configured to be virtual buttons, virtual switches, scrolling displays, etc. In configurations in which device  10  is provided with a continuous transparent cover layer, portions of display  14  may be separated from other portions of display  14  using a printed or painted mask on an internal surface of the cover layer or may be separated by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels to create virtual borders, virtual sections, or other visual delineations between portions of display  14 . 
     In some embodiments, portions of flexible display  14  such as peripheral regions  20 I may be inactive and portions of display  14  such as rectangular central portion  20 A (bounded by dashed line  20 ) may correspond to the active part of display  14 . In active display region  20 A, an array of image pixels may be used to present text and images to a user of device  10 . In active region  20 A, display  14  may include touch-sensitive components for input and interaction with a user of device  10 . If desired, regions such as regions  20 I and  20 A in  FIG.  1    may both be provided with display pixels (i.e., all or substantially all of the entire front planar surface of a device such as device  10  may be covered with display pixels). Edge portions of display  14  along edges  24  of device  10  may form a part of active regions  20 A. Edge portions of display  14  forming part of active region  20 A may contain portions of the array of image pixels for presenting to present text and images to a user of device  10  and touch-sensitive components for input and interaction with a user of device  10 . 
     By folding the edges of flexible touch-sensitive display  14  (e.g., a flexible display layer and a flexible touch-sensitive layer), customizable illuminated touch-sensitive regions such as virtual buttons may be displayed along edges  24  of device  10 . Providing customizable virtual buttons may reduce system overhead costs and delays associated with creating and assembling individual physical buttons and switches. 
     Customizable virtual buttons can be repurposed during normal operation of device  10 . Graphical and text displays on display  14  may indicate the current purpose and location of a virtual button to a user of device  10 . As an example, round virtual buttons indicating a “+” and “−” for raising and lowering audio output volume may be replaced by an image of a camera when a user changes from an audio mode of operation to an image capture mode of operation of device  10 . Virtual buttons may include buttons specific to a particular software application installed on device  10 . Virtual buttons may include locking and unlocking buttons. Locking and unlocking buttons may be operated using a swipe, pinch, or other touch action by a user of device  10 . Virtual buttons may include buttons specific to gaming software installed on device  10 . For example, virtual buttons may include buttons on edges  24  that may be operated by a user when holding device  10  in a landscape orientation during operation of device  10  in a gaming mode. Virtual buttons may be operated using touch, tap, swipe, pinch or other touch inputs to virtual buttons. Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly provided on a full sized computer keyboard (e.g., caps lock, shift, control, delete, page up/down, number lock, function specific buttons, escape, enter, etc.). Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly found on a calculator (e.g., multiply, add, divide, subtract, memory storage, clear, all clear, percent, square root, or other calculator buttons). Virtual buttons may include buttons for selecting specific software application available on device  10  (e.g., text messaging, calendar, calculator, media player, web browser, email client, cellular telephone, or other software applications). Virtual buttons may include images or icons that indicate the current function of the virtual button. Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly found on cellular telephone such as a menu button, a ringer on/off switch, a ringer on/off/vibrate switch, a lock/unlock button, a call button, an end-call button, or any other button associate with a cellular telephone. 
     During normal operation, when virtual buttons are not needed, portions of display  14  that display virtual buttons along edges  24  of device  10  may be reassigned as an additional display for displaying text and image information to a user of device  10  or may be inactivated. Additional edge displays may be used to display scrollable lists such as artist lists, song lists, album lists, playlist lists, video lists, genre lists, webcast lists, audio book lists, or other scrollable lists. User touch input to edge displays may cause information to scroll vertically or horizontally across edge displays. As an example, in a media player mode of operation, a horizontal swipe may cause circuitry associated with device  10  to change an edge display from an artist list to a song list. A vertical swipe may cause circuitry associated with device  10  to scroll through a song list, an artist list, or other list. These examples are merely illustrative. Displays that are visible on edges of device  10  may be used to display any information or to form any virtual button function. 
     If desired, device  10  may include one or more sensors such as proximity sensor  124  for preventing erroneous inputs to virtual buttons such as virtual buttons  52  on a sidewall of device  10 . For example, in some modes of operation for device  10 , device  10  may be held in a portrait (e.g., vertical) orientation, while in other modes of operation for device  10 , device  10  may be held in a landscape orientation (e.g., a horizontal orientation). Holding device  10  in a portrait or landscape orientation may result in a user&#39;s hands covering different portions of device  10 . Sensors such as proximity sensor  124  may be used to determine whether a touch input to virtual buttons  52  is an intended touch by a finger or, for example, an unintended touch by the palm of a hand. This is merely illustrative. Other device components such as light sensors, motion sensors (accelerometers), capacitance sensors, etc. may be included and used to determine the orientation of device  10  and the intent of a touch input to virtual buttons  52 . Software running on device  10  may be configured to accept input from components such as proximity sensor  124  or other components to determine whether a touch-input to virtual buttons  52  is intended or unintended. Touch-inputs to virtual buttons  52  that are determined to be unintended may be ignored. 
     An exploded perspective view of an illustrative display is shown in  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  2   , flexible display  14  may be formed by stacking multiple layers including flexible display layer  14 A, touch-sensitive layer  14 B, and a transparent display cover layer such as cover layer  14 C. Cover layer  14 C may form a planar front surface of device  10 . Cover layer  14 C may have a thickness of, for example, 0.1 mm to 3 mm, 0.1 to 1.5 mm, 0.1 to 2 mm, 1 to 2 mm, 0.7 to 2 mm, more than 0.1 mm or less than 2 mm. Flexible display  14  may also include other layers of material such as adhesive layers, optical films, or other suitable layers. Flexible display layer  14 A may include image pixels formed form light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells, electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, or other suitable image pixel structures compatible with flexible displays. 
     Touch-sensitive layer  14 B may incorporate capacitive touch electrodes such as horizontal transparent electrodes  32  and vertical transparent electrodes  34 . Touch-sensitive layer  14 B may, in general, be configured to detect the location of one or more touches or near touches on touch-sensitive layer  14 B based on capacitive, resistive, optical, acoustic, inductive, or mechanical measurements, or any phenomena that can be measured with respect to the occurrences of the one or more touches or near touches in proximity to touch-sensitive layer  14 B. 
     Software and/or hardware may be used to process the measurements of the detected touches to identify and track one or more gestures. A gesture may correspond to stationary or non-stationary, single or multiple, touches or near touches on touch-sensitive layer  14 B. A gesture may be performed by moving one or more fingers or other objects in a particular manner on touch-sensitive layer  14 B such as tapping, pressing, rocking, scrubbing, twisting, changing orientation, pressing with varying pressure and the like at essentially the same time, contiguously, or consecutively. A gesture may be characterized by, but is not limited to a pinching, sliding, swiping, rotating, flexing, dragging, or tapping motion between or with any other finger or fingers. A single gesture may be performed with one or more hands, by one or more users, or any combination thereof. 
     Cover layer  14 C may be formed from or glass (sometimes referred to as display cover glass) or plastic and may be flexible or rigid. If desired, the interior surface of peripheral inactive portions  20 I of cover layer  14 C may be provided with an opaque masking layer such as black ink, black plastic film, silver ink, silver plastic film or opaque masking layer of another color. 
     Touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be formed from display pixel array layer  14 A and optional touch sensor layer  14 B. 
       FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a portion of device  10  in the vicinity of openings  18  in housing  12 . As shown in  FIG.  3   , cover layer  14 C may form a front side  22  of device  10 . Cover layer  14 C may be mounted to housing  12 . Housing  12  may have portions that form a sidewall  24  (also referred to herein as an edge or edge portion, housing sidewall, sidewall surface, etc.) of device  10 . Edge portions  24  of device  10  may be substantially planar and may have portions that are substantially perpendicular to cover layer  14 C. Portions of housing  12  that form edges  24  of device  10  may be provided with openings such as openings  18 . Openings  18  may be partially or substantially filled by a transparent material such as transparent material  33 . Transparent material  33  may be formed form plastic, glass or any other suitable transparent material. Transparent material  33  may be flexible or rigid. Transparent material  33  may allow portions of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB to be accessible through openings  18  in housing  12 . Touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be attached to housing  12  and cover layer  14 C using an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  36 . Adhesive layer  36  may be formed from any suitable transparent adhesive. As shown in  FIG.  3   , portions of display  14  may be visible on top side  22  of device  10  (e.g., a front side display) and portions of display  14  may be visible on edge  24  of device  10  (e.g., an edge display). Portions of display  14  visible on edge  24  of device  10  may be virtual user input-output components such as touch-sensitive edge display portions  52  (also sometimes referred to herein as touch-sensitive edge displays, virtual buttons, virtual interfaces, edge displays, edge interfaces, illuminated touch-sensitive display regions, or virtual switches). If desired, all or substantially all of edge  24  of device  10  may be used as an edge display. If desired control circuitry such as conductive traces  122 , may be formed in portions of display  14  that are hidden from view by housing  12 . Conductive traces  122  may provide control lines, drive lines, or other electrical connections for display pixels in display  14 . 
     During manufacturing of device  10 , display pixels in display  14  that are positioned under openings  18  in housing  12  may be calibrated as button pixels (i.e., pixels that correspond to a virtual button such as virtual button  52 ). During normal operation of device  10 , display pixels calibrated as button pixels may be configured to be illuminated and may be configured to display an image indicating the current function of the indicated pixels. User input (e.g., touch input using a finger) in the vicinity of button pixels of display  14  may activate the virtual button. A user of device  10  may change the function of button pixels by changing the operational mode of device  10 . Users may change the operational mode of device  10  using buttons such as button  17  of  FIG.  1    or using virtual buttons on front side  22  or edge  24  of device  10 . User input that changes the operational mode of device  10  may be touch input (e.g., tapping, swiping, pinching, etc.) to touch-sensitive layer  14 B of flexible display  14 . Users may change the mode of operation of device  10  together with the display function of edge displays  52  or may change the mode display function of edge displays  52  without changing the mode of operation of device  10 . For example, during operation of device  10  in a cellular telephone or audio playback mode, edge displays  52  may function as virtual buttons for changing the volume of the audio output from device  10 . If desired, a user may change the display function of edge displays  52  to display the name of a caller or a song name, artist name, album name or other information related to a song, video or other media on device  10 . In some configurations, device  10  may be provided with multiple edge displays  52  as shown in  FIG.  3   . In configurations in which device  10  includes multiple edge displays  52 , some edge displays  52  may be configured to operate as virtual buttons while other edge displays  52  are configured to operate as informational or graphical displays. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , flexible display  14  may be bent so that a portion such as portion  40  is parallel to front side  22  of device  10  and a portion such as portion  42  is parallel to edge  24  of device  10 . This is merely illustrative. Portions of flexible display  14  may, if desired, be parallel to any side of device  10  or may have a curved shape that conforms to non-planar portions of housing  12  or cover layer  14 C (e.g., convex or concave portions of device  10 ). 
     If desired, cover layer  14 C may be extended around a corner of device  10  from front side  22  to edge  24  of device  10  as shown in  FIG.  4   . In the example of  FIG.  4   , housing  12  and cover layer  14 C form an interface  48  on sidewall surface  24  of device  10 . Touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be attached to cover layer  14 C using an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  36  interposed between touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB and cover layer  14 C. Portions of an internal surface of cover layer  14 C may be patterned with a masking material to form a patterned opaque masking layer such as patterned opaque masking layer  46 . Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may be formed from any suitable masking material (e.g., black ink, silver ink, black or silver plastic film, etc.). Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may be painted, printed or otherwise deposited on inner surface  50  of cover layer  14 C so that active portions  20 A may be delineated from inactive portions  20 I of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB. As shown in  FIG.  4   , one or more illuminated touch-sensitive regions (edge displays)  52  may be formed from active regions  20 A on edge  24  of device  10 . Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may be provided with openings such as openings  51  that define active display regions  20 A on front surface  22  and sidewall surface  24  of device  10 . Portions of display  14  may be visible through openings  51 . Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may have portions interposed between portions of display cover layer  14 C on front side  22  of device  10  and flexible display  14 . Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may have portions interposed between portions of display cover layer  14 C on sidewall surface  24  of device  10  and flexible display  14 . Patterned opaque masking layer  46  may have openings  51  under display cover layer  14 C on both front side  22  and sidewall surface  24  of device  10 . Touch-sensitive flexible display layers  14 AB may be visible through openings  51 . Display pixels in touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB in active regions  20 A on edge  24  may be pre-calibrated during manufacturing of device  10  as button pixels associated with virtual interfaces  52 . Virtual interfaces  52  may be virtual buttons (e.g., for raising or lowering audio volume, for activating an electronic or mechanical camera shutter, for changing operational modes, etc.), may be virtual switches, or may be supplemental displays for displaying text, image, video or other information for users of device  10 . Active region  20 A on front side  22  of device  10  may form a front surface display portion of display  14  and illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  on sidewall  24  of device  10  may be formed from a sidewall surface portion of display  14 . The front surface display portion may be visually separated from illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  using patterned opaque masking layer  46 . If desired control circuitry such as conductive traces  122 , may be formed in portions of display  14  that are hidden from view by patterned opaque masking layer  46 . Conductive traces  122  may provide control lines, drive lines, or other electrical connections for display pixels in display  14 . 
     If desired, active portions  20 A and inactive portions  20 I of display  14  may be defined using active portions  54  and inactive portions  56  of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB as shown in  FIG.  5   . In inactive portions  56  of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB, display pixels in display layer  14 A and touch-sensitive elements in touch-sensitive layer  14 B may be temporarily or permanently disabled. Inactive portions  56  and active portions  54  of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be configured to create edge displays  52  on edge  24  of device  10 . In configurations in which edge displays  52  are created using active portions  54  and inactive portions  56  of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB, virtual user interfaces  52  may be repositioned, resized, or otherwise reallocated by changing the distribution of inactive and active display pixels and touch-sensitive elements. As an example, one or more virtual buttons  52  may be moved and resized to position  60  along edge  24  of device  10 . Alternatively, an additional virtual button  52  may be added at position  60  on sidewall surface  24  of device  10 . 
     Touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be attached to cover layer  14 C using any suitable transparent adhesive  36 . Providing device  10  with a flexible display such as flexible display  14  that conforms to inner surface  50  of cover layer  14 C may allow substantially all of front side  22  and edge  24  of device  10  to be part of active display area  20 A and to be used for display and user interface purposes. Active regions  20 A on edge  24  of device  10  may be used as a display that is supplemental to active portions  20 A on front side  22  of device  10 . Supplemental displays on edge  24  of device  10  may be virtual user interface components, scrolling displays, may display information about media (e.g., songs or movies) currently playing or currently stored on device  10 , may display information about current or recent cellular telephone calls, text messages, email updates, webpage updates, etc. 
     Portions of display  14  may interchangeably be allocated to active regions  20 A and inactive regions  20 I. Portions of display  14  that form virtual buttons during one mode of operating device  10  may be repurposed to form a portion of an informational display during another mode of operation of device  10 . Virtual buttons that are created in a portion of display  14  that is repurposed may be reallocated to another portion of display  14 . If desired control circuitry such as conductive traces  122 , may be formed in inactive region  20 I. Conductive traces  122  may provide control lines, drive lines, or other electrical connections for display pixels in display  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , virtual buttons  52  on edge  24  of device  10  may have an associated transparent button member. Virtual buttons  52  formed from active portions of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be formed in openings such as openings  18  in a structural member such as structural member  68 . Structural member  68  may be formed from a portion of housing  12 , may be formed from a portion of cover layer  14 C or may be formed from another structural member of device  10 . A button member such as button member  62  may be mounted in opening  18 . Button member  62  may be a dummy button member that serves as a tactile indicator for a user of device  10  indicating the location of virtual button  52 . Button member  62  may be formed from a transparent material such as plastic, glass, or other transparent material. Light such as light  64  generated by display pixels in display layer  14 A may pass through button member  62  so that virtual button  52  may be visible through button member  62 . Providing virtual button  52  with a transparent button member such as button member  62  may provide a user with a tactile button indicator while allowing virtual button  52  to be repurposed for different operating modes of device  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  7   , virtual buttons  52  on edge  24  of device  10  may have an associated feedback element for providing tactile and/or audio feedback to a user of device  10  during activation of virtual buttons such as virtual buttons  52 . As shown in  FIG.  7   , feedback components such as feedback component  70  may be mounted to flexible display  14  in the at the location of one or more of virtual interfaces  52 . Feedback component  70  may generate a haptic, audio or other feedback response when virtual button  52  is activated. Virtual button  52  may be activated by a response to a touch or near touch in the vicinity of an active portion of touch-sensitive layer  14 B of display  14  associated with virtual button  52 . Feedback component  70  may be an actuator such as a motor, solenoid, vibrator, or piezoelectric actuator, an audio component such as a speaker, or other component. In configurations in which cover layer  14 C is rigid, feedback component  70  may be an audio feedback component such as a speaker that produces a sound when virtual button  52  is activated. In configurations in which cover layer  14 C is flexible, component  70  may contain an actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator  70 . Piezoelectric actuators may vary in shape (e.g., thickness) in response to applied control voltages and may produce an output voltage when compressed (i.e., the piezoelectric element in component  70  may serve as a force sensor in addition to serving as a controllable actuator). A user of device  10  may exert force on flexible display  14  in direction  72 . If desired, flexible display  14  may be deformed to exert a mechanical pressure on component  70 , inducing a voltage which may be transmitted to device  10 . Conversely, component  70  may be used to provide tactile feedback to a user of device  10 . A voltage difference applied to the surfaces of component  70  may induce an expansion of a piezoelectric actuator. Component  70  may then deform flexible display  14  in a direction outward of device  10  providing tactile feedback to a user of device  10 . 
       FIG.  8    shows a how portions of an edge display such as edge display  52  may be repurposed from virtual buttons to an informational display. As shown in  FIG.  8   , in one functional mode, edge display  52  may display virtual button icons such as icons  80 . In the example of  FIG.  8   , icons  80  include a “+” and a “−” symbol surrounded by a circular border. In this example, icons  80  may indicate portions of display  14  that may be touched or tapped in order to raise (“+”) or lower (“−”) the volume of audio output from device  10 . Audio output may be associated with the voice of a caller on a cellular phone, with music or other medial playback from device  10 . Audio output may be output from speakers such as speaker  19  ( FIG.  1   ) or from speakers associated with headphones or other remotely connected speakers attached (using wired or wireless connections) to device  10 . This is merely illustrative. Virtual button icons  80  may be any suitable icon associated with any operational mode of device  10 . As another example, icons  80  may be a camera icon indicating the location of a virtual camera shutter button when device  10  is operated as in a picture capturing mode. 
     As indicated by arrows  86 , a user of device  10  may swipe edge display  52  (e.g., a single swipe in a single direction, multiple swipes in multiple directions, etc.) using a finger. Swiping edge display  52  may change the function of edge display  52 . Changing the function of edge display  52  using a swipe of edge display  52  is merely illustrative. The function of edge display  52  may be changed using any suitable touch input to display  14  (e.g., single tap, multiple taps, pinching, circular motions, etc.) 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , swiping edge display  52  may cause virtual buttons  80  to be replaced by an informational display such as informational display  82 . In the example of  FIG.  8   , informational display  82  is a “NOW PLAYING” text display associated with a media file being played back to a user of device  10 . This is merely illustrative. Informational display  82  may be any text, image or other graphical display. If desired, informational display  82  may be a flashing display, may appear temporarily and return to a virtual button display, may scroll across edge display  52  in direction  84 , direction  88  or in a direction perpendicular to directions  84  and  88 . 
     If desired, when changing operating modes of device  10  or when changing the function of edge display  52 , virtual button icons  80  may be repositioned to another portion of edge display  52  or to another edge display  52  as shown in  FIG.  9   . In the example of  FIG.  9   , virtual volume button icons  80  may occupy a first region of edge display  52  such as region  90 . When a user changes the function of edge display  52  or changes the mode of operation of device  10  (e.g., by swiping edge display  52  as indicated by arrows  86 ), region  90  may be repurposed as an informational display or as a virtual button with a different function (e.g., a virtual camera shutter button). When a user changes the function of edge display  52  or changes the mode of operation of device  10 , virtual button icons  80  may be moved to a different portion of edge display  52  such as portion  92 . Moving icons  80  to portion  92  may allow device  10  to use region  90  for another purpose (e.g., as a camera shutter or informational display) while still providing a user of device  10  with the ability to (for example) change audio output volume. 
       FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device  10  in the vicinity of a virtual button  52  having a biasing member  94 . In the example of  FIG.  10   , biasing member  94  is a dome-shaped biasing member that pushes transparent button member  62  outward in direction  96  when the user releases pressure from button member  62 . Other types of biasing members may used if desired, such as spring-based biasing members or other biasing structures that bias button members such as button member  62 . The use of a dome-shaped biasing structure is merely illustrative. If desired, transparent button member  62  may include a conductive material such as conductive material  98 . Conductive material  98  may form a portion touch-sensitive circuit that detects a touch of button member  62  by a user of device  10 . Positioning biasing member  94  between flexible display  14  and button member  62  is merely illustrative. Because display  14  is flexible, biasing member  94  may be placed in a position behind flexible display  14  such as position  100 . In configurations in which biasing member  94  is positioned behind flexible display  14 , button member  62  may deform flexible display  14  when pushed by a user of device  10 . Deforming flexible display  14  with button member  62  may compress biasing member  94 . When released, biasing member  94  may push flexible display  14  against transparent button member  62  pushing button member  62  outward in direction  96 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  11   , touch-sensitive flexible display regions  52  on edge  24  of device  10  may have an associated lens for magnifying or otherwise altering the path of light  64  emitted by display layer  14 A of display  14 . For example, lens  102  may magnify text or other information displayed on sidewall (edge) display  52 ). Edge displays  52  formed from active portions of touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be formed in openings such as openings  18  in a structural member such as structural member  68 . Structural member  68  may be formed from a portion of housing  12 , may be formed from a portion of cover layer  14 C or may be formed from another structural member of device  10 . A lens such as lens  102  may be mounted in opening  18 . Lens  102  may be formed from a transparent material such as plastic, glass, or other transparent material. Light such as light  64  generated by display pixels in display layer  14 A may pass through lens  102  so that edge display  52  may be visible through lens  102 . Providing edge display  52  with a lens such as lens may provide a brighter edge display, may cause a virtual button to appear larger than its physical size or may otherwise enhance the function of edge display  52 . 
     If desired, lens  102  may be formed as a portion of a transparent button member such as transparent button member  62 , as shown in  FIG.  12   . Lens  102  may be formed as an integral portion of button member  62  or may be a separate lens member that is mounted to button member  62 . Providing device  10  with edge displays  52  that form virtual buttons having transparent button members  62  with lenses  102  may provide a brighter edge display or may cause a virtual button to appear larger than its physical size while providing a tactile indicator to a user of device  10  of the location of virtual button  52 . 
       FIG.  13    shows how touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB may be coupled to control circuitry such as control circuitry  120 . Control circuitry  120  may include storage such as flash memory, hard disk drive memory, solid state storage devices, other nonvolatile memory, random-access memory and other volatile memory, etc. Control circuitry  120  may also include processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of control circuitry  120  may include digital signal processors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits, microprocessors, power management unit (PMU) circuits, and processing circuitry that is part of other types of integrated circuits. 
     Control circuitry  120  may be used to run software on device  10 , such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, operating system functions, etc. Control circuitry  120  may be used to configure and operate display pixels and touch-sensitive elements associated with touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB. For example, control circuitry  120  may be used to illuminate or inactivate portions of display  14  to create active and inactive regions. As another example, control circuitry  120  may be used to change the operating mode of device  10  and/or the functional mode of edge displays  52  based on touch-input to touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB or other user input. When a user touches virtual button  52 , control circuitry  120  can take suitable action. As examples, contact between a user&#39;s finger or other external object and virtual button  52  may direct device  10  to take actions such as displaying information for a user, making a volume adjustment to media that is being played to the user, controlling media playback, taking an action associated with a wireless communications session, or otherwise taking suitable action. 
     One or more virtual buttons such as virtual button  52  may be used to form volume adjustment switches (e.g., sliding controls), ringer buttons, on/off buttons, sleep buttons, customized buttons (e.g., buttons that are specific to a particular program or operating system that is running on device  10  and that change in real time during use of device  10 ), etc. If desired, virtual buttons may be labeled with particular colors, patterns, icons, text, or other information to assist a user in identifying the function of the button. 
     Touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB may include front surface display portions  112  and one or more sidewall surface (edge) display portions  114 . Sidewall surface display portions  114  may, if desired, be separated from front surface display portion  112  by regions  118 . Regions  118  may be blocked from view using masking structures such as portions of a device housing or a patterned opaque masking layer. Regions  118  may be regions of unilluminated (inactive) pixels. Control circuitry  120  may be used to configure touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB to have regions  118  with inactive pixels. As shown in  FIG.  13   , regions  118  may, if desired, include control circuitry such as conductive traces  122 . Conductive traces  122  may be electrically coupled to control circuitry  120 . Conductive traces  122  may be control lines for display pixels in regions  112  and  114 . Display  14  may have additional control circuitry (e.g., control lines, drive lines, etc.) along a peripheral edge of display  14 . Providing display  14  with control circuitry in regions  118  may reduce the area required for control circuitry on the peripheral edge of display  14 . Providing display  14  with control circuitry in regions  118  may allow multiple displays (i.e., displays  112  and  114 ) to be coupled to control circuitry  120  using a common interconnect (e.g., a common flex circuit that interconnects display  14  with control circuitry  120 . Connecting multiple displays to control circuitry  120  using a common interconnect may help reduce the space required for interconnects, thereby reducing, for example, the size, production cost and complexity of devices such as device  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  13   , sidewall surface display portions  114  may include illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52 . Control circuitry  120  may be used to configure touch-sensitive flexible display  14 AB to illuminate pixels in illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  and to turn off (or inactivate) remaining pixels in sidewall surface display portions  114 . Illuminating pixels in illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  and inactivating other pixels in sidewall surface display portions  114  may separate front surface display portion  112  from illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52 . Illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  may be configured to remain stationary in sidewall surface display portions  114  or may be repositioned in sidewall surface display portions  114  during normal use of device  10  using control circuitry  120 . If desired, illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  may occupy all or substantially all of sidewall surface display portions  114 . Virtual buttons  52  may be reconfigured during use of device  10 . For example, device  10  may use sidewall region  114  to display a first set of buttons when operated in one mode and may use region  114  to display a second (different) set of buttons when operated in another mode. 
       FIG.  14    is a perspective view of device  10  showing how virtual buttons  52  may form a portion of a gaming controller when device  10  is operated in a landscape position. As shown in  FIG.  14   , sidewall surface  24  may include one or more virtual buttons  52 . During operation of device  10  in a gaming mode, portions of display  14  that are visible on front surface  22  of device  10  may display additional virtual buttons such as additional virtual buttons  126 . Virtual buttons  52 , additional virtual buttons  126  and other components of device  10  (e.g., accelerometers) may be used in combination to deliver user input to device  10  for gaming software applications. Virtual buttons  52  may be operated by a touch, swipe, multiple touches or other touch inputs to virtual buttons  52  and  126 . Virtual buttons  52  may be used separately (i.e., one at a time) or in combination (e.g., simultaneously) to produce different inputs to device  10 . Virtual buttons  126  may be used separately (i.e., one at a time) or in combination (e.g., simultaneously) to produce different inputs to device  10 . Virtual buttons  52  and  126  may be used separately (e.g., one at a time, two at a time, etc.) or in combination (e.g., combinations of two virtual buttons, three virtual buttons four virtual buttons, or more than four virtual buttons simultaneously) to produce different inputs to device  10 . 
     In order to prevent erroneous inputs to virtual buttons such as virtual buttons  52  on a sidewall of device  10 , device  10  may be provided with one or more sensors such as proximity sensor  124 . As an example, while device  10  is in a gaming mode of operation, device  10  may be temporarily held in palm of a user, in a pocket of a user&#39;s clothing, may be held in an orientation typically associated with using device  10  during a cellular telephone call, etc. Sensors such as proximity sensor  124  may be used to determine whether a touch input to virtual buttons  52  is an intended touch by a finger or, for example, an unintended touch by the palm of a hand. This is merely illustrative. Control circuitry  120  (see  FIG.  13   ) may be configured to use other device components such as light sensors, motion sensors (accelerometers), capacitance sensors, etc. to determine the orientation of device  10  and the intent of a touch input to virtual buttons  52 . Software running on control circuitry  120  may be configured to accept input from components such as proximity sensor  124  or other components to determine whether a touch input to virtual buttons  52  is intended or unintended. Touch inputs to virtual buttons  52  that are determined to be unintended may be ignored. 
       FIG.  15    is a side view of a portion of an illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  on a sidewall portion  24  of display  14  showing how illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  may be used to form one or more selection buttons  127  for selecting a software application to be run on device  10  using control circuitry  120 . As shown in  FIG.  15   , selection buttons  127  may include illuminated icons  128  associate with selected software applications such as text messaging, calendar, camera, calculator, media player, web browser, email client, cellular telephone, or other software applications. A selected software application may be activated using a touch input to a portion of illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  associated with a selected selection button  127 . As an example, selecting a camera application button may cause selection buttons  127  on illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  to be replaced by function buttons associated with the selected application. 
     As shown in  FIG.  16   , function buttons such as function buttons  130  associated with a selected application may include touch buttons having icons  132  displayed that indicate the function of function button  130  and slider buttons such as slider button  130  that have multiple associated icons  132  that indicate a function associated with multiple positions of slider button  130 . In the example of  FIG.  16   , function buttons  130  include camera function buttons such as a button for turning on, off or setting to automatic setting for a camera flash. Function buttons  130  may include a button with a camera icon  132  indicating a camera shutter button. Function buttons  130  may include a slider switch with a first position  136  for selecting (for example) a snapshot mode and a second position  138  for selecting (for example) a video mode. This is merely illustrative. Slider buttons  130  may have a continuously changing function with the continuously changing position of the slider button (e.g., a continuous zooming control, focus control, light level control, exposure control, etc.). 
     As shown in  FIG.  17   , function buttons  130  may display a portion of a calendar. Calendar function buttons  130  may include visible indicators  134  of an appointment associated with a selected, displayed calendar day. Function buttons  130  associated with a calendar application may include arrows for causing edge display  52  to display adjacent calendar days. Illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  may allow scrolling of calendar function buttons vertically or horizontally along illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  in response to a swipe input by a user of device  10  in a vertical or horizontal direction respectively. Some software applications such as media player applications may have associated lists in addition to or instead of function buttons  130 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  18   , illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  may display a list associated with a media player software application for device  10 . In the example of  FIG.  18   , illuminated touch-sensitive region  52  displays a scrollable list of song titles  140 . Swiping edge display  52  in a vertical direction (as indicated by arrows  144 ) may cause edge display  52  to display song titles  140  above or below the currently displayed song title  140  in the list of song titles. Swiping edge display  52  in a horizontal direction (as indicated by arrows  146 ) may cause edge display  52  to display a different list associated with the same software application such as artist lists, album lists, playlist lists, video lists, genre lists, webcast lists, audio book lists, etc. 
     In the example of  FIG.  19   , swiping edge display  52  in a horizontal direction (as indicated by arrows  146 ) may cause edge display  52  to display a list of artists  142  associated with media files stored on circuitry  120  of device  10 . After swiping edge display  52  to cause edge display  52  to display a list of artists  142 , swiping edge display  52  in a vertical direction (as indicated by arrows  144 ) may cause edge display  52  to display artist names  142  above or below the currently displayed artist name  142  as shown in  FIG.  20   . The examples of  FIGS.  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19   , and  20  are merely illustrative. In general, illuminated touch-sensitive regions  52  on a sidewall surface  24  of device  10  may be virtual buttons such as caps lock, shift, control, delete, page up/down, number lock, function-specific buttons, escape, enter, multiply, add, divide, subtract, memory storage, clear, all clear, percent, square root, other calculator buttons, text messaging, calendar, calculator, media player, web browser, email client, cellular telephone, or other software applications, menu, ringer on/off, ringer on/off/vibrate, lock/unlock, call, an end-call, or any other button or other visual information display. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.