Patent ID: 12259577

REFERENCE SIGNS

100-Display screen,110-First abutting edge,120-Second abutting edge,130-Display body,131-First curved display area,132-Second curved display area,200-Refracted light guide member,210-First sub-refracted light guide member,220-Second sub-refracted light guide member,300-Flexible printed circuit board,A-Space, B-Groove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the following clearly describes the technical solutions of the present disclosure with reference to specific embodiments of the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are some rather than all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

The following describes in detail the technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring toFIG.1toFIG.5, embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a display module. The disclosed display module usually applies to an electronic device. The display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a display screen100and a refracted light guide member200.

The display screen100is a display member of the display module. The display screen100includes a first abutting edge110, a second abutting edge120, and a display body130. The display body130is located between the first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120. The display body130is connected to the first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120, and the first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120are essentially frames of the display screen100, which are configured to implement power supply connection, routing, communication connection, and the like of the display screen100. The first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120are connected to the display body130in many ways. The ways are well-known technologies and are not described herein.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the display body130is disposed through enclosure, and the first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120are located in space A enclosed by the display body130. The first abutting edge110may be connected to the second abutting edge120. Specifically, the first abutting edge110is connected to the second abutting edge120, so that an enclosure shape of the display body130can be maintained. In an alternative solution, the first abutting edge110and the second abutting edge120may be connected by an adhesive layer.

To present a better display screen, in an alternative solution, the display body130may be an annular display body. Certainly, the display body130may further be a bending structural member with another shape, and a specific shape of the display body130is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Generally, the display screen100may be a hard structural member, which may be bent through bending process (such as heat bending process), so as to achieve deformation of the display body130. In an alternative solution, the display screen disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be a flexible display screen, which can undoubtedly help to bend the display body130. Based on this, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the display body130is an annular display body formed by bending the flexible display screen.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the display body130includes a first curved display area131and a second curved display area132. Both of the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132are curved areas formed by bending the display body130. The first curved display area131is connected to the first abutting edge110, and the second curved display area132is connected to the second abutting edge120. Because the first abutting edge110is connected to the second abutting edge120, the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132can be connected, and finally a head-to-tail connection of the display body130can be implemented.

The display body130may have a variety of structures, and the display body130may usually include another display area except the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132. In a specific implementation, the display body130may further include a main display area, and the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132are connected to two opposite ends of the main display area, respectively.

The first curved display area131and the second curved display area132form a groove B. The refracted light guide member200refracts light, emitted from the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132, onto a plane in which an opening of the groove B is located, so that display content is displayed on one plane.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the refracted light guide member200may have a light refracting member made of a polymer light-transmitting material or glass. Under the regulation of the refracted light guide member200, the light emitted from the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132can be refracted onto the same plane, so that a display effect of the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132can be improved.

For the display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a structure of the display module is improved in the related art. The first curved display area131and the second curved display area132form the groove B at a joint, and the refracted light guide member200is disposed in the groove B. The refracted light guide member200can refract the light, emitted from the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132, onto the plane in which the opening of the groove B is located, so that display content can be displayed on the same plane. In this case, display content that is not easy to watch due to bending of a display screen can be presented onto a plane that is easy to watch, which can undoubtedly improve the display performance of the display module.

In an alternative solution, the display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may further include a flexible printed circuit board300. The flexible printed circuit board300may be located in space A enclosed by the display body130. One end of the flexible printed circuit board300is electrically connected to the first abutting edge110or the second abutting edge120, so as to supply power to the entire display screen100. The other end of the flexible printed circuit board300is usually electrically connected to a main board of the electronic device, so that the main board can provide power supply. Certainly, the flexible printed circuit board300may further be replaced by another flexible electric connector such as a flexible cable, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit a specific type of the flexible electric connector. The flexible electric connector is configured to achieve power supply connection and communication connection, which can undoubtedly make full use of good deformation ability of the flexible electric connector to facilitate operation.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the refracted light guide member200may have a variety of structures. Please refer toFIG.3toFIG.5again, to improve connection stability, in an alternative solution, the refracted light guide member200may include a first side surface and a second side surface which are opposite to each other. The first side surface is attached to the first curved display area131, and the second side surface may be attached to the second curved display area132. In this case, the first side surface matches the first curved display area131, and the second side surface matches the second curved display area132, so that an assembly effect can be improved.

Specifically, the first side surface may be bonded to the first curved display area131by an OCA layer or a UV adhesive layer, and the second side surface may be bonded to the second curved display area132by an OCA layer or a UV adhesive layer. Such bonding assembly method has the advantages of simple operation and easy implementation. In addition, the thickness of the adhesive layer may be easily controlled to be thinner, so that the refracted light guide member200and the display body130can be assembled more compactly. In a specific implementation, the thickness of the OCA layer or the UV adhesive layer may be 0.01 mm-0.5 mm.

To further improve a display effect, in an alternative solution, a surface that is of the refracted light guide member200and that is in the same direction as the opening of groove B is coplanar with a surface in which the opening is located, and the two surfaces are both planes. In this case, the refracted light guide member200does not protrude from the opening of the groove B, so that the appearance performance of the display module can be improved, and the electronic device provided with such display module may have good grip feeling.

For the display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the refracted light guide member200can emit light from one plane of the refracted light guide member200after refracting the light from the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132. A person of ordinary skill in the art can achieve the foregoing purpose through various optical designs, and light refraction may be designed with related technologies, which is not described herein.

There are many structures that achieve the foregoing optical functions. For example, the refracted light guide member200may be a microporous refracted light guide plate or a prismatic refractive plate.

If the refracted light guide member200is the microporous refracted light guide plate, a surface that is of the microporous refracted light guide plate and that faces the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132is a first surface, and a surface that is of the microporous refracted light guide plate and that is in the same direction as the opening of the groove B is a second surface, and both the first surface and the second surface are provided with transparent cover layers. The transparent cover layers may be transparent adhesive layers. The transparent cover layers can prevent dust from entering micropores of the microporous refracted light guide plate.

In an alternative solution, the refracted light guide member200disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first sub-refracted light guide member210and a second sub-refracted light guide member220. The first sub-refracted light guide member210is disposed opposite to the first curved display area131, and light from the first curved display area131is refracted onto the plane in which the opening of the groove B is located.

Similarly, the second sub-refracted light guide member220is disposed opposite to the second curved display area132, and light from the second curved display area132is refracted onto the plane in which the opening of the groove B is located. Surfaces that are of the first sub-refracted light guide member210and the second sub-refracted light guide member220and that face the opening of the groove B are coplanar with the plane in which the opening is located. In this case, the light from the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132are reflected onto the plane in which the opening is located, so that a display image presented by the plane may be more easily and better spliced with a display image of another area of the display body130.

In an alternative solution, at least one of a surface of the first sub-refracted light guide member210and a surface of the second sub-refracted light guide member220that abut against each other is provided with a light shielding layer. The light shielding layer can isolate light transmitted in the first sub-refracted light guide member210from light transmitted in the second sub-refracted light guide member220, so that mutual interference between them is prevented finally. In a specific implementation, the light shielding layer may be an ink layer or a light shielding film.

Based on the display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses an electronic device, including the display module described in the foregoing embodiments. The electronic device disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a game console, an in-vehicle navigator, a smart watch, or the like. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a specific type of the electronic device is not limited.

Specifically, the electronic device may further include a housing and other accessories, such as a main board, disposed in the housing, and other accessories of the electronic device may be assembled in space A enclosed by a display screen100.

Based on the display module disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a control method for the display module. The control method includes the following steps.

S101: Control the display of a display body130;

S102: Splice light refracted from a first curved display area131and a second curved display area132onto a plane into a first display image; and

S103: Splice a second display image formed in a main display area of the display body130with the first display image, to enable a display module to present continuous display patterns, where the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132are connected to two opposite ends of the main display area, respectively.

Generally, a central processing unit of the electronic device controls display of each area of the display screen in the electronic device, and a specific control process is well-known technologies, which is not described herein. Image splicing implemented in step S103may be implemented by existing splicing technologies.

Based on the control method disclosed in this embodiment of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses an apparatus for controlling a display module. The control apparatus includes:a first control unit, configured to control the display of a display body130;a second control unit, configured to splice light refracted from a first curved display area131and a second curved display area132onto a plane into a first display image; anda third control unit, configured to splice a second display image formed in a main display area of the display body130with the first display image, to enable a display module to present continuous display patterns, where the first curved display area131and the second curved display area132are connected to two opposite ends of the main display area, respectively.

Based on the control method, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses an electronic device. The electronic device may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable in the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the foregoing control method is implemented.

Based on the control method, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the foregoing control method is implemented.

A person of ordinary skill in the art may realize that units and algorithm steps of various examples described with reference to the embodiments disclosed in this specification can be implemented by using electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed by using hardware or software depends on a specific application and design constraints of the technical solutions. A person of ordinary skill in the art may use different methods to achieve the described functions for each particular application, but it should not be considered that the implementation goes beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

A person of ordinary skill in the art may clearly understand that, for convenient and simple description, for the specific working processes of the system, apparatus, and unit described above, reference may be made to a corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and details are not described herein again.

In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiment described above is only an example. For example, division into the units is only logical function division. There may be other division manners in actual implementation, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented by using some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections between the apparatuses or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, may be located in one location, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objective of the solutions of the embodiments.

In addition, function units in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each of the units may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

If the functions are implemented with a form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, the functions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essence of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the part contributing to the prior art, or some of the technical solutions may be represented in a form of software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, a network device, or the like) to perform all or some of the steps of the method described in various embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage medium includes various media that can store a program code such as a USB flash disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disc, or the like.

A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that some or all processes of the implementation of the foregoing method in the embodiments can be implemented by controlling relevant hardware through a computer program. The program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and when the program is executed, the processes of the embodiments of the foregoing methods can be included. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disc, a read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), or the like.

The foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure focus on differences between various embodiments. Different optimization features of the various embodiments can be combined to form a better embodiment as long as they are not contradictory. Considering conciseness of description, details are not described herein.

The foregoing descriptions are merely embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, the present disclosure may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, or the like made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall fall within the scope of claims of the present disclosure.