PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9575382-B2
Application Number: US-201313971405-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device having display with split driver ledges

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may be a liquid crystal display having a thin-film transistor layer and a color filter layer. The thin-film transistor layer may have diagonally opposed recesses in its edges that form diagonally opposed display driver ledges that protrude outwardly from under the color filter layer. Display driver circuitry may be mounted on the display driver ledges. Gate driver circuitry may be formed on the thin-film transistor layer. Recesses may be formed along the left and right edges of the display to form left and right display driver ledges to support the gate driver circuitry. A single display drive integrated circuit or multiple display driver integrated circuits may be mounted on each display driver ledge. The recesses may accommodate components in the electronic device such as a camera and audio jack or other components.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display, comprising:
 at least one display layer with first and second diagonally opposed recesses that form associated first and second diagonally opposed display driver ledges; 
 display driver circuitry mounted on the first and second display driver ledges; 
 a first component mounted in the first recess; and 
 a second component mounted in the second recess, wherein the first and second components are components selected from the group consisting of: a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, a memory card slot, an audio jack, a button, a camera flash, lanyard mounting hardware, an antenna structure, a vibrator, a digital data port connector, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, an integrated circuit, and a housing structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The display defined in  claim 1  wherein the display layer comprises a thin-film transistor layer. 
     
     
       3. The display defined in  claim 2  further comprising:
 a color filter layer; and 
 a layer of liquid crystal material between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer, wherein the display driver ledges extend outwards from under the color filter layer. 
 
     
     
       4. The display defined in  claim 3  wherein the display driver circuitry includes a first display driver integrated circuit mounted on the first display driver ledge and includes a second display driver integrated circuit mounted on the second display driver ledge. 
     
     
       5. The display defined in  claim 4  further comprising a third display driver integrated circuit mounted on the first display driver ledge and a fourth display driver integrated circuit mounted on the second display driver ledge. 
     
     
       6. The display defined in  claim 4  further comprising gate lines and data lines on the thin-film transistor layer. 
     
     
       7. The display defined in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second display driver integrated circuits are coupled to the data lines. 
     
     
       8. The display defined in  claim 2  wherein the thin-film transistor layer has four edge recesses respectively in upper and lower and left and right edges and wherein the display driver ledges include an upper display driver ledge formed along the upper edge, a lower display driver ledge formed along the lower edge, a left display driver ledge formed along the left edge, and a right display driver ledge formed along the right edge. 
     
     
       9. The display defined in  claim 8  wherein the display driver circuitry includes a first display driver integrated circuit on the upper edge and a second display driver circuit on the lower edge. 
     
     
       10. The display defined in  claim 9  wherein the display driver circuitry includes thin-film transistor gate driver circuitry on the left display driver edge and on the right display driver ledge. 
     
     
       11. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display comprises a thin-film transistor layer having first and second diagonally opposed display driver ledges formed from recesses in the thin-film transistor layer; 
 a first flexible printed circuit attached to the first display driver ledge; and 
 a second flexible printed circuit attached to the second display driver ledge. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display having a color filter layer on the thin-film transistor layer, wherein the display driver ledges extend out from under the color filter layer. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  wherein the recesses include a first recess adjacent to the first display driver ledge and a second recess adjacent to the second display driver ledge, wherein a first component is mounted in the first recess, and wherein a second component is mounted in the second recess. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the first component comprises a camera and wherein the second component comprises an audio jack. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  further comprising a first display driver integrated circuit mounted on the first display driver ledge and a second display driver integrated circuit mounted on the second display driver ledge. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  further comprising:
 a printed circuit in the housing; 
 components mounted on the printed circuit; 
 a display cover layer that covers the display; and 
 an opening in the display cover layer. 
 
     
     
       17. A liquid crystal display, comprising:
 an upper polarizer layer; 
 a lower polarizer layer; 
 a liquid crystal layer; 
 a color filter layer between the upper polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; 
 a thin-film transistor layer between the lower polarizer and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the thin-film transistor layer has first and second opposing edges connected by third and fourth opposing edges, a first recess in the first edge, and a second recess in the second edge, and wherein the first and second recesses form first and second diagonally opposed display driver ledges in the thin-film transistor layer that protrude from under the color filter layer; 
 gate lines and data lines on the thin-film transistor layer; 
 gate driver circuitry on the third and fourth opposing edges that is coupled to the gate lines; 
 a first display driver integrated circuit on the first display driver ledge, wherein the first display driver integrated circuit is coupled to a first portion of the data lines; and 
 a second display driver integrated circuit on the second display driver ledge, wherein the second display driver integrated circuit is coupled to a second portion of the data lines. 
 
     
     
       18. The liquid crystal display defined in  claim 17  wherein the thin-film transistor layer has an upper edge and an upper recess in the upper edge that forms the first display driver ledge and wherein the thin-film transistor layer has a lower edge and a lower recess in the lower edge that forms the second display driver edge. 
     
     
       19. The liquid crystal display defined in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a first flexible printed circuit attached to the first display driver ledge, wherein the first flexible printed circuit is configured to handle signals associated with operating the first display driver integrated circuit; and 
 a second flexible printed circuit attached to the second display driver ledge, wherein the second flexible printed circuit is configured to handle signals associated with operating the second display driver integrated circuit. 
 
     
     
       20. The liquid crystal display defined in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a first component mounted in the first recess, wherein the first component is a component selected from the group consisting of: a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, a memory card slot, an audio jack, a button, a camera flash, lanyard mounting hardware, an antenna structure, a vibrator, a digital data port connector, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, an integrated circuit, and a housing structure; and 
 a second component mounted in the second recess, wherein the second component is a component selected from the group consisting of: a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, a memory card slot, an audio jack, a button, a camera flash, lanyard mounting hardware, an antenna structure, a vibrator, a digital data port connector, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, an integrated circuit, and a housing structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays. 
     Electronic devices often include displays. For example, cellular telephones and portable computers include displays for presenting information to users. Displays such as liquid crystal displays contain multiple layers. A liquid crystal display may, for example, have upper and lower polarizer layers, a color filter layer that contains an array of color filter elements, a thin-film transistor layer that includes thin-film transistors and display pixel electrodes, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. The edge of the thin-film transistor layer may protrude from beneath the color filter layer, providing a ledge on which circuitry such as a display driver integrated circuit can be mounted. The display driver integrated circuit can receive information on images to be displayed on the display from a processor located on a printed circuit board. The display driver circuit contains drivers that drive data signals onto conductive traces on the thin-film transistor layer. The presence of the display driver ledge allows the display driver integrated circuit to be mounted in close proximity to the thin-film transistor circuitry on the thin-film transistor layer. 
     The driver ledge is generally located at one of the edges of the display. For example, in a cellular telephone display, the driver ledge may be located at the top or bottom end of the display. The use of this type of display configuration can give rise to challenges when mounting the display in the housing of an electronic device. If care is not taken, the display may need to be mounted in an off center location to provide sufficient room for the circuitry associated with the driver ledge. This type of off center positioning of the display can be aesthetically unappealing. To provide a more visually appealing layout, the housing of the electronic device can be enlarged. An enlarged electronic device housing may allow the display to be centered within the device, but adds undesirable bulk. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved electronic devices with displays. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may be a liquid crystal display having a thin-film transistor layer and a color filter layer. The thin-film transistor layer may have diagonally opposed recesses in its edges. The recesses form diagonally opposed display driver ledges that protrude outwardly from under the color filter layer. 
     Display driver circuitry may be mounted on the diagonally opposed display driver ledges. Gate driver circuitry may be formed on the thin-film transistor layer. Recesses may be formed along the left and right edges of the display to form left and right display driver ledges to support the gate driver circuitry. A single display drive integrated circuit or multiple display driver integrated circuits may be mounted on each display driver ledge. 
     The recesses in the thin-film transistor layer may be configured to accommodate components in the electronic device such as a camera and audio jack or other components, thereby facilitating placement of the display in a desired location within the electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a handheld computing device or other electronic device that may be provided with a display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device of the type that may be provided with a display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an electronic device display with a pair of diagonally opposed display layer edge recesses and a pair of associated diagonally opposed driver ledges and in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of an illustrative electronic device display with a pair of diagonally opposed display layer notches and a pair of associated diagonally opposed driver ledges in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of an illustrative electronic device display with a pair of diagonally opposed display driver ledges each of which includes a pair of display driver integrated circuits in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an illustrative electronic device display with four display driver ledges and four associated display layer corner recesses in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A display in an electronic device may be provided with driver circuitry for displaying images on an array of display pixels. The driver circuitry, which may include driver integrated circuits, may be mounted on diagonally opposed display driver ledges in the display. Recessed display portions may be used in defining the locations of the display driver ledges. Internal device space that is made available by the presence of the recessed display portions may be used to accommodate device components. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with a display is shown in  FIG. 1 . Device  10  may be computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device. 
     Device  10  may have one or more displays such as display  14  mounted in housing structures such as housing  12 . Housing  12  of device  10 , which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed of materials such as plastic, glass, ceramics, carbon-fiber composites and other fiber-based composites, metal (e.g., machined aluminum, stainless steel, or other metals), other materials, or a combination of these materials. Device  10  may be formed using a unibody construction in which most or all of housing  12  is formed from a single structural element (e.g., a piece of machined metal or a piece of molded plastic) or may be formed from multiple housing structures (e.g., outer housing structures that have been mounted to internal frame elements or other internal housing structures). 
     Display  14  may be a touch sensitive display that includes a touch sensor or may be insensitive to touch. Touch sensors for display  14  may be formed from an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, a resistive touch array, touch sensor structures based on acoustic touch, optical touch, or force-based touch technologies, or other suitable touch sensor components. 
     Display  14  for device  10  includes display pixels  30  that are formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components or other suitable display pixel structures. 
     A display cover layer may cover the surface of display  14  or a display layer such as a color filter layer (e.g., a layer formed from a clear substrate covered with patterned color filter elements) or other portion of a display may be used as the outermost (or nearly outermost) layer in display  14 . The outermost display layer may be formed from a transparent glass sheet, a clear plastic layer, or other transparent member. If desired, openings may be formed in the outermost layer of display  14  to accommodate components such as button  16  and speaker port  18  of  FIG. 1  (as examples). Buttons, connector ports, and other structures may also be accommodated using openings in housing  12 . 
     Display  14  may have an inactive portion such as inactive area IA that surrounds an active portion such as active area AA. Active area AA may, for example, form a rectangular central portion of display  14  (when viewed in direction  50  by viewer  48 ) and may be surrounded by an inactive area IA with the shape of a rectangular ring. Display  14  may have other active area shapes and inactive area shapes, if desired. Configurations in which an inactive area IA extends along each of the four edges of a rectangular active area AA may sometimes be described herein as an example. 
     Active area AA contains a rectangular array of display pixels  30  for displaying images for viewer  48 . Inactive area IA does not contain display pixels and does not display images. To block internal components from view, the underside of the outermost display layer in display  14  in inactive area IA may be coated with an opaque masking material such as a layer of opaque ink. 
     To enhance device aesthetics and to minimize device bulk, it may be desirable to mount display  14  within device  10  so that border widths such as widths YB and YT are equal and so the border widths such as widths XL and XR are equal or to otherwise place display  14  in an aesthetically pleasing location. In doing so, it may be challenging to provide sufficient space within housing  12  to accommodate components. 
     Challenges such as these may be addressed by providing one or more layers of display  14  with notches or other recesses. For example, recesses may be formed in the thin-film transistor layer of a liquid crystal display. The display layer recesses may be used to accommodate device components such as a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, a memory card slot, an audio jack, buttons, a camera flash, lanyard mounting hardware, antenna structures, printed circuit board components, a vibrator, digital data connector, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, an integrated circuit, other electrical components, housing structures, or other structures in device  10 . The recesses may be diagonally opposed from each other and may form associated diagonally opposed driver ledges for mounting display driver circuitry. Using the diagonally opposed recesses and driver ledges, display  14  may be mounted in a desired location within device  10  while accommodating device components. For example, display  14  may be mounted within housing  12  of device  10  in a position that equalizes widths YB and YT without enlarging widths XL and XR while components are received within the diagonally opposed recesses. As an example, an upper recess may be used to receive a camera while a lower recess is used to receive an audio jack and a digital data connector. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of device  10  taken along line  93  and viewed in direction  95  of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , device  10  may include a display cover layer such as display cover layer  96  mounted on the upper (front) face of device housing  12 . Display layers such as a color filter layer, thin-film transistor layer, and other layers of display  14  may be mounted below display cover layer  96 . Display cover layer  96  (which may be considered to be part of the display of device  10 ) may be formed from a layer of glass, a layer of clear plastic, or other transparent material. 
     Internal components  88  in device  10  may be mounted on substrates such as substrate  94 . Substrate  94  may be a rigid printed circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board formed from fiberglass-filled epoxy) or may be a flexible printed circuit (e.g., a flex circuit formed from a flexible layer of polyimide or a flexible sheet of other polymer material). Using patterned metal traces and other signal lines, circuitry (e.g., electrical components  88  and other circuits in device  10 ) may be interconnected within device  10 . Components  88  may include integrated circuits, connectors, sensors, display components, audio components, switches, discrete components such as inductors, capacitors, and resistors, buttons, a camera flash (e.g., a light-emitting diode), antennas, integrated circuits, vibrator motors and other actuators, cameras, SIM cards, memory cards, and other electrical components. Mechanical components such as lanyard mounting hardware, internal housing frame structures, and other components may also be mounted in housing  12  in a location that protrudes partly or fully into the recesses formed in a display layer. 
     In general, any suitable number of display layers (e.g., one or more than one) may be provided with recesses to help accommodate mechanical and electrical components such as components  88  so that display  14  may be mounted in a desired position within housing  12 . For example, a thin-film transistor substrate in a liquid crystal display or other display layer in display  14  may be provided with multiple recesses to help accommodate the mounting of components in device  10 . The recesses may be provided on opposing ends (edges) of the thin-film transistor layer. 
     A cross-sectional side view of display  14  taken along line  90  of  FIG. 1  and viewed in direction  92  is shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , display  14  may include backlight structures such as backlight unit  42  for producing backlight  44 . During operation, backlight  44  travels outwards (vertically upwards in dimension Z in the orientation of  FIG. 3 ) and passes through display pixels  30  in display layers  46 . In this way, backlight  44  illuminates images on display layers  46  that are being viewed by viewer  48  in direction  50 . 
     Display layers  46  may be mounted in chassis structures such as a plastic chassis structure and/or a metal chassis structure to form a display module for mounting in housing  12  or display layers  46  may be mounted directly in housing  12  (e.g., by stacking display layers  46  into a recessed portion or other structures in housing  12 ). Display layers  46  may form a liquid crystal display or may be used in forming displays of other types. A display cover layer such as display cover layer  96  may be used to cover and protect display layers  46  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ). 
     In a configuration in which display layers  46  are used in forming a liquid crystal display, display layers  46  include a liquid crystal layer such a liquid crystal layer  52 . Liquid crystal layer  52  is sandwiched between display layers such as display layers  58  and  56 . Layers  56  and  58  are interposed between lower polarizer layer  60  and upper polarizer layer  54 . 
     Layers  58  and  56  are formed from transparent substrate layers such as clear layers of glass or plastic. Layer  58  may be a thin-film transistor layer (e.g., a thin-film-transistor substrate such as a glass layer coated with a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry for forming display pixel electrodes and transistors that control the application of signals to the electrodes). Layer  56  may be a color filter layer (e.g., a color filter layer substrate such as a layer of glass having a layer of color filter elements such as red, blue, and green color filter elements arranged in an array). Conductive traces, color filter elements, transistors, and other circuits and structures are formed on the substrates of display layers  46 . For example, thin-film transistors are formed on the glass or plastic substrate layer associated with thin-film transistor layer  58 , color filter elements may be formed on the glass or plastic substrate associated with color filter layer  56 , etc. If desired, touch sensor electrodes may also be incorporated into layers such as layers  58  and  56  and/or touch sensor electrodes may be formed on other substrates. For example, an array of transparent indium tin oxide capacitive touch sensor electrodes may be formed on a layer of polyimide in display  14 . 
     With one illustrative configuration, layer  58  is a thin-film transistor layer that includes an array of thin-film transistors and associated electrodes (display pixel electrodes) for applying electric fields to liquid crystal layer  52  and thereby displaying images on display  14 . Layer  56  is a color filter layer that includes an array of color filter elements for providing display  14  with the ability to display color images. If desired, the color filter layer may be placed on the inner surface of display  14  and the thin-film transistor layer may be placed on the outer surface of display  14 . 
     During operation of display  14  in device  10 , control circuitry (e.g., one or more integrated circuits mounted on a printed circuit in device  10 ) may be used to generate information to be displayed on display  14  (e.g., display data). The information to be displayed may be conveyed to display driver circuitry such as display driver integrated circuit  62 B and display driver integrated circuit  62 T using signal paths such as signal paths formed from conductive metal traces in flexible printed circuits (as an example). 
     Display driver circuitry such as display driver integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T of  FIG. 3  may be mounted on thin-film-transistor layer driver ledges. Thin-film transistor layer  58  may have portions that extend outwardly from color filter layer  56  and that are therefore not covered by color filter layer  56 . The extending portions of thin-film transistor layer  58  form driver ledges (i.e., the portions of thin-film transistor layer  58  that protrude outwardly from under color filter layer  56  and that are therefore not overlapped by color filter layer  56  form driver ledges). Conductive traces (e.g., metal signal lines) on the surface of the thin-film transistor driver ledges may be used in routing display signals to display circuitry on thin-film transistor layer  58 . Display driver integrated circuits may be coupled to the conductive traces using solder or conductive adhesive. 
     In the  FIG. 3  example, thin-film transistor layer  58  has two driver ledges formed from portions of the thin-film transistor layer that extend outwardly from under color filter layer  56 : driver ledge  82 B and driver ledge  82 T. Driver ledges  82 B and  82 T may be diagonally opposed from each other across the surface of display  14  (when viewed in direction  50  by viewer  48 ). Display driver circuitry such as display driver integrated circuit  62 B may be mounted on thin-film transistor driver ledge  82 B. Display driver circuitry such as display driver integrated circuit  62 T may be mounted on opposing thin-film transistor driver ledge  82 T. Display driver integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T may be used in driving display signals into the array of display pixels  30  on display  14 . Display driver ledges such as ledges  82 B and  82 T may be formed as part of the process of dividing a large glass panel into individual thin-film transistor layer pieces of the type shown in  FIG. 3 . Individual thin-film transistor layer pieces may be cut from a larger panel using laser scribing or other laser-based processing techniques, using machining, using mechanical scribing techniques, etc. 
     Backlight structures  42  include a light guide plate such as light guide plate  78 . Light guide plate  78  is formed from a transparent material such as clear glass or plastic. In a configuration in which display  14  has a rectangular footprint in the X-Y plane (i.e., a rectangular outline when viewed in direction  50  by viewer  38 ), light guide plate  78  may have a rectangular shape. 
     During operation of backlight structures  42 , a light source such as light source  72  generates light  74 . Light source  72  may be, for example, an array of light-emitting diodes. Light-emitting diodes  72  may run along one or more of the edges of light guide plate  78 . Light  74  from one or more light sources such as light-emitting diode(s)  72  is coupled into one or more corresponding edge surfaces such as edge surface  76  of light guide plate  78  and is distributed in dimensions X and Y throughout light guide plate  78  due to the principal of total internal reflection. Light guide plate  78  may have light-scattering features such as pits and bumps. The light-scattering features may be located on the upper surface and/or on the opposing lower surface of light guide plate  78 . 
     Light  74  that scatters upwards in direction Z from light guide plate  78  serves as backlight  44  for display  14 . Light  74  that scatters downwards is reflected back in the upwards direction by reflector  80 . Reflector  80  may be formed from a reflective material such as a layer of white plastic or other shiny materials. 
     To enhance backlight performance for backlight structures  42 , backlight structures  42  may include optical films  70 . Optical films  70  may include diffuser layers for helping to homogenize backlight  44  and thereby reduce hotspots, compensation films for enhancing off-axis viewing, and brightness enhancement films (also sometimes referred to as turning films) for collimating backlight  44 . Optical films  70  may overlap the other structures in backlight unit  42  such as light guide plate  78  and reflector  80 . For example, if light guide plate  78  has a rectangular footprint in the X-Y plane of  FIG. 3 , optical films  70  and reflector  80  preferably have a corresponding rectangular shape. 
     The locations of driver ledges  82 B and  82 T and respective display driver integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T may help accommodate components within the interior of housing  12  and device  10 , so that display  14  can be mounted in a desired position while minimizing device size.  FIG. 4  is a top view of display  14  showing how display  14  may include an array of display pixels  30  formed from thin-film transistor structures on thin-film transistor layer  58 . Display pixels  30  may be organized in an array having rows and columns. Vertically extending data lines D convey data signals from display driver integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T to display pixels  30 . Horizontally extending gate lines G are asserted in sequence to load the data D on the data lines into respective rows of the display pixels  30 . Gate driver circuitry  104 L and  104 R may be used in asserting the gate line signals on gate lines G. Gate driver circuitry  104 L and  104 R may be implemented using thin-film transistor circuitry on thin-film transistor substrate  58  or may be implemented using gate driver circuitry in display driver integrated circuits such as circuits  62 B and  62 T. Timing and control signals may be supplied from display driver integrated circuit  62 B to gate driver circuitry  104 L using path  106 B. Timing and control signals may be supplied from display driver integrated circuit  62 T to gate driver circuitry  104 R using path  106 T. 
     Flexible printed circuits or other signal buses may be used to convey signals between a main logic board or other printed circuit to display driver circuitry in display  14 . For example, circuitry  88  on printed circuit  94  may be coupled to flexible printed circuits  110 T and  110 B. Flexible printed circuit  110 T may be coupled to thin-film transistor layer  58  adjacent to display driver integrated circuit  62 T to handle signals associated with operating display driver integrated circuit  62 T. Flexible printed circuit  100 B may be coupled to thin-film transistor layer  58  adjacent to display driver integrated circuit  62 B to handle signals associated with operating display driver integrated circuit  62 B. 
     Thin-film transistor layer  58  may be formed from a substrate material such as a planar layer of glass or plastic on which thin-film transistor structures, conductive lines, and other circuits are formed (e.g., data lines D, gate lines G, gate driver circuitry  104 L and  104 R, and display pixels  30 ). Recesses may be formed along the edges of the thin-film transistor layer. The recesses may, for example, be diagonally opposed to each other. Adjacent, diagonally opposed thin-film transistor layer display driver ledges may be formed as a result of forming the recesses. 
     In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 4 , for example, thin-film transistor layer  58  is rectangular and has four edges. Upper edge  102 T has recess  100 T. Lower edge  102 B has recess  100 B. Recesses  100 T and  100 B are diagonally opposed to each other and can be used to accommodate components  88  within the interior of housing  12  and device  10 . For example, a component such as component  88 T may be mounted within recess  100 T and a component such as component  88 B may be mounted within recess  100 B. Component  88 T and/or component  88 B may be a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, a memory card slot, an audio jack, buttons, a camera flash, lanyard mounting hardware, antenna structures, printed circuit board components, a vibrator, a digital data port connector, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, an integrated circuit, other electrical components, a housing structure, etc. 
     The shapes of recesses  100 T and  100 B in the example of  FIG. 4  are long and rectangular. Other shapes may be used if desired. The presence of recesses  100 T and  100 B gives rise to associated display driver ledges on thin-film transistor layer  58 . For example, the presence of upper recess  100 T in edge  102 T of thin-film transistor layer  58  forms upper driver ledge  82 T. The presence of lower recess  100 B in edge  102 B of thin-film transistor layer  58  forms lower driver ledge  82 B. Driver ledges  82 T and  82 B are diagonally opposed to each other. Driver ledge  82 T is located in the upper right corner of thin-film transistor layer  58 , whereas driver ledge  82 B is located in the lower left corner of thin-film transistor layer  58 . Display pixel signal lines such as paths  106 B and  106 T and data lines D fan out from display driver integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T. With the configuration of  FIG. 4 , the signal lines associated with display driver  62 B are used in displaying images on display pixels  30  on the left side of display  14 . The signal lines associated with display driver  62 T are used in displaying images on display pixels  30  on the right side of display  14 . Data line driver circuitry (sometimes referred to as column driver circuitry) in integrated circuits  62 B and  62 T and/or associated display driver circuitry can be calibrated when manufacturing display  14  to ensure that there is no visible difference between the images displayed on the right and left sides of display  14  during operation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , recesses  100 T and  100 B may be formed in the shape of notches. For example, recess  100 T may form a notch in upper edge  102 T, so that unrecessed portions of edge  102 T remain on either side of notch  100 T. Likewise, recess  100 B may form a notch in lower edge  102 B, so that unrecessed portions of edge  102 B remain on either side of notch  100 B. Components  88  may be placed in notches  100 T and/or  100 B. Notches may have semicircular shapes, shapes with curved edges, shapes with straight edges, shapes with a combination of straight and curved sides, or other suitable shapes. 
     If desired, multiple display driver integrated circuits may be mounted on each of the diagonally opposed display driver ledges in display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , for example, thin-film transistor layer  58  may have diagonally opposed recesses  100 T and  100 B in respective upper and lower edges  102 T and  102 B that define respective upper and lower diagonally opposed display driver ledges  82 T and  82 B. Each ledge may be used to support one or more integrated circuits. In the  FIG. 6  example, upper display driver ledge  82 T supports display driver integrated circuits  62 T- 1  and  62 T- 2  and display driver integrated circuits  62 B- 1  and  62 B- 2  are mounted on lower display driver ledge  82 B. 
     In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 7 , thin-film transistor layer  58  in display  14  has recesses and display driver ledges on four edges. Upper edge  102 T has recess  100 T, which forms display driver ledge  82 T. Display driver integrated circuit  62 T is mounted on display driver ledge  82 T. Lower edge  102 B has recess  100 B, which forms display driver ledge  82 B for mounting circuit  62 B. Left edge  102 L has recess  100 L, which forms display driver ledge  82 L. Display driver circuitry such as gate driver circuitry  104 - 1  may be formed on ledge  82 L. Right edge  102 R has recess  100 R, which forms display driver ledge  82 R. Display driver circuitry such as gate driver circuitry  104 - 2  may be formed on ledge  82 R. Components  88  may be mounted in recesses  100 L,  100 T,  100 R, and/or  100 B. 
     If desired, fewer recesses may be formed in thin-film transistor layer  58 , recesses may be formed with different shapes and sizes, recesses may be diagonally opposed so that the resulting ledges formed in thin-film transistor layer  58  will be diagonally opposed or other layouts may be used for the recesses and display driver ledges. Display circuitry mounted on the display driver ledges may include thin-film transistor circuitry such as polysilicon transistors, amorphous silicon transistors, or other thin-film transistors and/or may include integrated circuits. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20130820
Publication Date: 20170221
Grant Date: 20170221
Priority Date: 20130820
Inventors: WEBER DOUGLAS J.
JENKS KENNETH A.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G02F1/1362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2001/133302", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/56", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/56", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/1362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/56", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133302", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133302", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/1362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 52480053