PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11074855-B2
Application Number: US-201816029395-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Devices and methods for providing access to internal component

Abstract:
Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for applying concealment of components of an electronic device. In one embodiment, an electronic device may include a component that is disposed behind a display (e.g., a transparent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display) that is configured to selectively become transparent at certain transparency regions. Additionally, the electronic device includes data processing circuitry configured to determine when an event requesting that the component be exposed occurs. The data processing circuitry may control portions of the display to become transparent, to expose the component upon the occurrence of the event requesting that the component be exposed.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display having first and second regions, wherein the display has pixels in the first region and no pixels in the second region, wherein the pixels of the first region are located on at least two sides of the second region, and wherein the second region is located at the edge of the display; 
 a light sensor aligned with the second region; and 
 a transparent cover layer that covers the first and second regions of the display. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the light sensor comprises a proximity sensor. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the light sensor comprises a camera. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the light sensor comprises a biometric sensor configured to capture an image. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4  further comprising:
 processing circuitry that compares the captured image to a stored image to verify a user&#39;s identity. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the processing circuitry completes an electronic purchase in response to verifying the user&#39;s identity. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the processing circuitry unlocks the electronic device in response to verifying the user&#39;s identity. 
     
     
       8. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display having a first region with pixels and a second region without pixels; 
 a transparent cover layer overlapping the display and having an edge, wherein the display displays images through the transparent cover layer, wherein the second region without pixels is located along the edge of the transparent cover layer, and wherein the second region without pixels extends into the first region; and 
 a light sensor in the second region. 
 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  wherein the pixels are located on at least first and second sides of the second region without pixels. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  wherein the light sensor comprises a proximity sensor. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  further comprising a biometric optical sensor in the second region. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  further comprising a light-emitting diode in the second region. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  wherein the second region comprises a black region. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  wherein the edge of the transparent cover layer has first and second portions, wherein the second region without pixels is located along the first portion of the edge, and wherein the array of pixels extends to the second portion of the edge. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the second region without pixels comprises a black region that separates some of the pixels from the first portion of the edge. 
     
     
       16. An electronic device comprising:
 a display having a first region that displays images and a second region that does not display images, wherein the second region extends into the first region and has two sides, and wherein the images of the first region extend along the two sides of the first region that does not display images; 
 a light sensor in the second region; and 
 a cover glass that overlaps the first and second regions of the display. 
 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 16  wherein the second region comprises a black region. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  further comprising a proximity sensor, a light sensor, a light-emitting diode, and a camera in the black region. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 16  wherein the second region is free of pixels. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 16  wherein the light sensor comprises a biometric optical sensor that captures an image of a user, the electronic device further comprising:
 processing circuitry that verifies the user&#39;s identity by comparing the captured image to a stored image.

Description:
This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 15/240,472, filed Aug. 18, 2016, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 13/308,119, filed on Nov. 30, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,437,132, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the industrial design of an electronic device and, more particularly, to techniques for disposing components of an electronic device behind a transparent display, such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Electronic devices are becoming more and more sophisticated, capable of performing a multitude of tasks using a variety of components built into the electronic device. Providing increased functionality often involves adding components to such electronic devices. However, adding more components can lead to a cluttered, unattractive electronic device. 
     Current techniques for incorporating components into an electronic device may be limited by the relative sizes of the components and the electronic device. The larger the components and the smaller the electronic device, the less spatial area there may be to incorporate additional components. For example, a small electronic device where a large display covers most of the face of the electronic device may not allow for any additional components, such as a fingerprint reader, to be added to the electronic device. Furthermore, under the current techniques, adding new components may harm the aesthetic appeal of the device by cluttering the electronic device enclosure, even though these additional components may be seldom or never used by many users. An electronic device that incorporates multiple components may lose its aesthetic appeal when covered by visible components, particularly as compared to a seamless electronic device where very few, if any, components of the electronic device are visible. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for disposing components of an electronic device behind a transparent display. Disposing the components behind the transparent display of the electronic device, may enable the components to remain hidden from view while not in use. When desired, the components of the electronic device may be exposed, allowing the components to suddenly appear as from out of nowhere. In accordance with one embodiment, an electronic device may include a transparent display with a component of the electronic device disposed behind the display. Upon detecting an event associated with the component, a processor of the electronic device may make transparent, or “open,” a transparent region (e.g., through generating a local or global black spot) of the display to expose the component. The black spot may be generated when pixels of the display are not emitting light in certain areas. To provide one example, such an event may occur when a feature of the electronic device requests exposure of concealed components. For example, when an image capture application of the electronic device is not in use, an image capture device and/or associated strobe may remain hidden behind the display of the electronic device. Upon detecting this request, the processor may open one or more transparent regions (e.g., generate black spots), causing the image capture device and/or the associated strobe to suddenly appear from behind the display. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. Again, the brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device capable of performing the techniques disclosed herein, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic front view of a handheld device representing one embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the handheld device illustrating an exposed component of the electronic device when the display is off, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process for exposing a component concealed behind a transparent display; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the handheld device illustrating a graphical user interface of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  making use of a component disposed behind the display, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the layers of a display useful for enabling the techniques disclosed herein, in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIGS. 7A-7C  are schematic diagrams of pixel arrangements within the transparent display, illustrating techniques to tune transparency of a display by adjusting the pixel pitch of the display, in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     The present disclosure generally provides techniques for enhancing the functionality and aesthetic appeal of an electronic device by disposing components of the electronic device behind a display of the electronic device. To avoid cluttering the enclosure of an electronic device with various components, many different electronic device components may be disposed behind the display of the electronic device. Perhaps most noteworthy are components that, when functioning properly, have traditionally required external exposure to light or that emit light. For example, these “light-dependent components” may include an optical scanner (e.g., a biometric fingerprint scanner), an image capture device, a strobe, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, or a solar panel. Further, light-dependent components may include components that are configured to become visible when light is introduced, such as a printed image. Each of these components depend on light input or output light and thus have traditionally had at least a light input or light output portion of the component externally exposed when incorporated into an electronic device. Using the current techniques, these light-dependent components may be configured to be exposed from behind the display only when desired, and otherwise may remain hidden from view. These light-dependent components may remain hidden while the display is producing an image (e.g., emitting light) above the component and may become exposed when the display is not producing an image (e.g., emitting light) above the component. 
     Disposing components of an electronic device behind a display may provide an aesthetic benefit to the electronic device by allowing the components to remain unseen and hidden behind the display until access to the component is desired, creating a more seamless electronic device. Furthermore, the size of the display may increase because as components are disposed under the display, more surface real-estate of the device enclosure may become available. Additionally, because less surface real-estate may be needed to house the light-dependent components, in some embodiments, the electronic device may be reduced in size. Further, the aesthetic value may be greatly increased by allowing exposure to components from areas of the electronic device that a user would traditionally not expect. 
     With the foregoing in mind, a general description of suitable electronic devices for performing the presently disclosed techniques is provided below. In particular,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting various components that may be present in an electronic device suitable for use with the present techniques.  FIG. 2  represents one example of a suitable electronic device, which may be, as illustrated, a handheld electronic device having a transparent display. 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  10  for performing the presently disclosed techniques may include, among other things, one or more processors  12 , memory  14 , non-volatile storage  16 , a display  18  with one or more transparent regions  20 , image capture device(s)  22 , an I/O interface  26 , a network interface  28 , input structures  30 , a strobe  32 , and a biometric sensor  34  (e.g., a fingerprint reader). As will be discussed further below, the transparent regions  20  of the display  18  may be disposed above certain of these components, such as image capture device(s)  22 , a strobe  32 , and/or an biometric sensor  34 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. Further,  FIG. 1  is only one example of a particular implementation and is merely intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device  10 . 
     Before continuing, it should be understood that the system block diagram of the electronic device  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is intended to be a high-level control diagram depicting various components that may be included in such an electronic device  10 . That is, the illustrated connection lines between each individual component shown in  FIG. 1  may not necessarily represent paths or directions through which data flows or is transmitted between various components of the electronic device  10 . Indeed, as discussed below, the depicted processor(s)  12  may, in some embodiments, include multiple processors, such as a main processor (e.g., CPU), and dedicated image and/or video processors. 
     The processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the non-volatile storage  16  to perform various algorithms for carrying out the presently disclosed techniques. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or routines, such as the memory  14  and the non-volatile storage  16 . In example, non-volatile storage  16  may include ROM, CD-ROM, or RAM. Also, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such memory  14  or non-volatile storage  16  may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12  to enable the electronic device  10  to provide various functionalities, including those described herein. 
     The display  18  may be a touch-screen display that may enable users to interact with a graphical user interface of the electronic device  10 . The display  18  may be any suitable type of transparent display, such as a transparent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, for example. Rather than clutter the electronic device  10 , certain components of the electronic device  10  may be disposed behind the display  18 . As will be described in more detail below, the display  18  includes one or more transparent regions  20  that define areas of transparency in the display  18 . In some embodiments, the display  18  may include a global transparent region  20  that encompasses the entire viewable area of the display  18 . In other embodiments, the display  18  may include one or more local transparent regions  20  that encompass only a portion of the viewable area of the display  18 . Local transparent regions  20  may be tailored to any shape or size suitable for exposing one or more underlying components. For example, such components may be the image capture device(s)  22 , the strobe  32 , and/or the biometric sensor  34 . In some embodiments, the components may include a solar panel, light sensor, proximity sensor, indicator light-emitting diodes (LEDs), alternative displays (e.g., E-Ink or other low powered displays), and/or reflective or colorful objects, such as an Apple logo, that becomes visible when light is introduced. 
     The image capture device(s)  22  may include a digital camera configured to acquire still and/or moving images (e.g., video). The image capture device(s)  22  may include a lens and one or more image sensors configured to capture and convert light into electrical signals. By way of example, the image sensor may include a CMOS image sensor (e.g., a CMOS active-pixel sensor (APS)) or a CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor. Generally, the image sensor in the image capture device(s)  22  may include an integrated circuit having an array of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a photodetector for sensing light from an image scene. The functionality of the image capture device(s)  22  may be enhanced by the use of a strobe  32 . The strobe  32  may include a light-emitting diode (LED) light source configured to illuminate the subject of the image capture device(s)  22 . 
     The biometric sensor  34 , such as a fingerprint reader, may be configured to take an optical scan of a subject and compare the scanned image to a stored image. The stored image data may be retrieved from the memory  14  and/or non-volatile storage  16 . Based on the scan by the biometric sensor  34 , the electronic device  10  may verify the identity of the user. Identity verification may provide a more secure electronic purchase method as well as a more secure unlocking method for the electronic device  10 . 
     The I/O interface  26  may enable the electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interface  28 . The network interface  28  may include, for example, an interface for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a 3G or 4G cellular network. 
       FIG. 2  represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . The handheld device  36  of  FIG. 2  may represent, for example, a cellular phone, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  36  may be a model of an iPad®, iPod®, iPhone®, or Macbook® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     The handheld device  36  may include an enclosure  38  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. Traditionally, many light-dependent components occupied surface space of the enclosure  38  external to the display  18 . However, in the current embodiment various components are disposed behind the display  18 , thus utilizing less surface real-estate of the enclosure  38 . For example, the embodiment of  FIG. 2  includes an image capture device  22 , a strobe  32 , a biometric sensor  34  in the form of a fingerprint reader, and an image  40  (e.g., reflective and/or colorful object) disposed behind local transparent regions  20  of the handheld device  36 . 
     As depicted, the display  18  may provide a graphical user interface (GUI)  42  with icons  44  and a background image  46 . When displayed without any black regions (e.g., regions where no light is emitted), the GUI  42  may mask the transparent regions  20 , and thus the components  22 ,  32 ,  34 , and  40  may not be visible. However, upon desired use of a component, the processor  12  ( FIG. 1 ) may generate one or more local black regions by selectively disabling an emission of light over one or more of the transparent regions  20  above the component. Upon generating the black region, the component is exposed through the transparent region  20 , and thus becomes visible. 
     Further, in certain embodiments, one or more components may become visible upon removing power from the handheld device  36 . For example,  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an embodiment of a handheld device  36  where power is removed from the display  18 . Similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , an image  40  is concealed behind the display  18  when the GUI  42  does not provide any black spots. Thus, as depicted in  FIG. 3A , the image  40  is not visible while the display  18  emits light (e.g., provides a background image  46 ) over the image  40 . However, as depicted in  FIG. 3B , when the display  18  is powered-down, the light emitted over the image  40  may be reduced, such that the image  40  becomes visible through the display  18 . 
     As noted above, the transparent display  18  may conceal a variety of components of the electronic device  10 , such as the image capture device  22 , the strobe  32 , and/or a biometric sensor  34  such as a fingerprint reader, to name a few. To more clearly explain the component concealment process, a general description of such a process  110  will now be provided as depicted in  FIG. 4 . The process  110  is intended to provide an initial high level overview of the concealment process, with more specific details of the process, including examples, being described further below. 
     The process  110  begins at block  112 , when a component (e.g., image capture device(s)  22 ) is concealed behind a transparent display  18 . For example, the component may be concealed by displaying an image (e.g., emitting light) on the transparent display  18  over the component. Next, at decision block  114 , the electronic device  10  (e.g., processor  12  of  FIG. 1 ) may detect whether an event associated with the component has occurred (e.g., a camera application is launched that will use a concealed image capture device  22 ). If no such event has occurred, the component may remain concealed behind the transparent display  18 , and the process may flow to block  112 . On the other hand, if such an event has occurred, the process may flow to block  116 , and the electronic device  10  (e.g., processor  12 ) may open a transparent region  20  over the component (e.g., image capture device(s)  22 ) to expose the component. For example, to open the transparent region  20 , the processor  12  may control the display  18  to stop emitting light over a region, creating a black spot (e.g., transparent region  20 ) in the display  18 . At decision block  120 , the electronic device  10  (e.g., processor  12 ) may detect whether the event associated with the component has completed. If not, the component may remain exposed. Once the electronic device  10  detects that the event is complete (e.g., the camera application is closed), in block  122 , the electronic device  10  (e.g., processor  12 ) may close the transparent region  20 , thus concealing the component. 
     An embodiment of the process  110  depicted in  FIG. 4  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 5 , the handheld device  36  is shown to contain an image capture device  22  disposed behind transparent display  18 . Upon selection of an image capture application by selecting the graphical user interface icon  44 , the camera application is launched. The launching of the camera application may represent an event associated with the image capture device  22 . Upon detection of such an event  130 , the processor  12  of  FIG. 1  may open the transparent region  20 A over the image capture device  22 . Thus, the image capture device  22  may be exposed, allowing images to be captured by the exposed image capture device  22 . Further, additional transparent regions  20  may be opened to provide usability of other components. For example, in the current embodiment, the transparent region  20 B over the strobe  32  may be opened to provide use of the strobe  32  as a flash for image capture. In some embodiments, the GUI  42  may emphasize the opened transparent regions  20  (e.g.,  20 A and  20 B) by providing GUI  42  images notifying a user of the opened transparent regions  20 . For example, in the depicted embodiment, the GUI  42  provides a camera image  132  around the image capture device  22  and the strobe  32 , illustrating the locations of the image capture device  22  and the strobe  32 . 
     Turning now to a discussion of creating the transparent regions  20 ,  FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the layers present in a particular embodiment of the display  18 . In this embodiment, the display  18  includes an OLED panel  150 . The OLED panel  150  includes a substrate layer  152  (e.g., a glass substrate layer) on which a thin film transistor (TFT) layer may be formed. The TFT layer may define the various pixels  154  of the OLED display and allow each pixel  154  to be separately addressed. In one embodiment, each pixel  154  may include a layer or layers of organic light-emitting diodes  156  printed, deposited, or otherwise formed on the substrate layer  152  and the TFT layer. Each of the light-emitting diodes  156  may emit specific colors (e.g., red, green, and blue) such that their color combined with other light-emitting diodes  156  may form a color image. In alternative embodiments, the light-emitting diodes  156  may each emit white and a color filter may transform the white light into specific colors (e.g., red, green, and blue). The operation of the TFT layer and the corresponding pixels  154  of the OLED panel  150  may be coordinated and/or controlled by one or more driver chips  158  (such as a chip-on glass (COG)) in communication with the TFT layer and/or the one or more processors  12  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     As previously discussed, the transparent regions  20  may be formed when a transparent display  18  is not emitting light in certain regions. For example, the pixels  154  may be transparent, enabling light to pass through them such that components behind the pixels may be seen when the pixels  154  are not emitting light. However, when the pixels  154  are emitting light, the pixels  154  may not allow light to pass through them, and thus the components behind the pixels  154  may not be seen. Because the pixels  154  may be separately addressed, the driver chips  158  and/or processor(s)  12  ( FIG. 1 ) may control any combination of pixels  154  to stop emitting light, thus allowing for transparent regions (e.g., black spots) of numerous sizes and/or shapes to be formed. 
     The OLED panel  150  may also include a circular polarizer layer  160 . The circular polarizer layer  160  may absorb a significant amount of the reflected light from the OLED panel  150 . Further, the OLED panel  150  may also include a cover or external layer  162  (e.g., a cover glass) that forms the external viewing surface facing a viewer. In certain embodiments the cover layer  162  may perform various color filtration and/or polarization functions with respect to the light emitted by the OLED panel  150 . In one embodiment, the cover layer  162  and the substrate layer  152  may be bonded together, such as by a glass frit bond  164 , along all or part of the periphery of the surface and/or substrate layers. In one implementation, the OLED panel  150  is between about 1.5 mm and 1.9 mm in thickness. 
     The background layer  166  may be provided as a single or multiple layer structure of a solid color (e.g., white) or printed background. For example, in one embodiment the background layer  166  includes a transflective layer  168  positioned over a solid-color substrate layer  170 , such as a white substrate layer. The transflective layer  168  acts to both reflect ambient light and to transmit the color, image, and/or pattern of the substrate layer  170 . In one implementation, the background layer  166  is between about 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm in thickness. 
     As discussed above with regards to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , it may be desirable to provide a printed image  40 . As an alternative to the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , where the printed image  40  is present behind the display  18 , in certain embodiments, the display  18  may contain the printed image  40 . In such embodiments, the substrate layer  170  may incorporate the printed image  40  (e.g., a corporate logo, emblem, name, or mark). The printed image  40 , such as a logo, may not be visible when the display  18  is emitting light and thus not in a transparent state. However, when a black region is formed over the printed image  40  or the display  18  is powered off and, thus, not emitting light, the printed image  40  (e.g., the logo, emblem, or mark) present on or visible through the substrate layer  170  may become visible. 
     It may be desirable to tune the transparency of display  18 , such that components  172  behind the display  18  may be more clearly visible through the transparent regions  20 . By locally removing portions  174  of the circular polarizer layer  160 , the transparency of the OLED panel  150  may be tuned to more clearly expose components  172 . For example, light that would typically be absorbed by the circular polarizer layer  160  may reflect off of the components  172 , thus illuminating them. Further, as illustrated in the depicted embodiment, transparent regions  20  may be formed by cutting out portions  176  of the background layer  166  such that components  172  positioned behind the background layer  166  may be visible when the display  18  is not emitting an image over the cut out portions  176 . In alternative embodiments, the entire background layer  166  may be removed, thus providing a global transparent region  20 . 
     The transparency of the display  18  may also be tuned by modifying the pixel arrangement of the OLED panel  150 . While the pixels  154  may be substantially transparent (e.g., 85% transparent), they may not be completely transparent. Thus, reducing the density of the pixels  154  may increase the transparency of the display  18  by creating light pathways in between the pixels  154 .  FIG. 7A  illustrates a typical pixel arrangement  200  for a transparent display  18 . In the depicted embodiment, each pixel  154  is enabled to emit a specific color of light. Each pixel  154  is labeled with an “R” for red emission, “G” for green emission, or “B” for blue emission. Typically, the display  18  may have a pixel arrangement with closely spaced pixels  154 , or a high pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is the distance between pixels  154  of the same color. For example, in  FIG. 7A , the distance  202  between the red pixels is minimal, such that a maximum number of pixels  154  may be placed within the display  18 . 
     By decreasing the density of the pixels  154 , the transparency of the display  18  may be increased.  FIG. 7B  illustrates a modified pixel arrangement  210  useful for tuning the transparent regions  20  ( FIG. 1 ) of the display  18  by adjusting the spacing, or pitch of the pixels  154 . As illustrated, the pixels  154  are spaced at a greater distance  212  than those in  FIG. 7A . While the resolution of the display  18  may decrease through less densely placed pixels  154 , the transparency of the display  18  may increase, thus providing a clearer view to or from components behind the display  18 . 
     The increased pixel distances (e.g., decreased pixel density) may be implemented in the entire display  18  or specific regions of the display  18  where increased transparency is desired. In some embodiments, the display  18  may include regions where the pixel arrangement includes no pixels  154 . For example,  FIG. 7C  illustrates one such embodiment of a pixel placement  220 , where a tuned region  222  contains no pixels  154 . Including one or more tuned regions  222  that do not have pixels  154  may enhance the transparency of such regions  222  by allowing light to freely pass through the layers of the display  18 . In some embodiments, the tuned region  222  may be placed in areas of the display  18  where it may be less likely that a displayed image would be useful. For example, such tuned region  222  may be implemented at the edges and/or corners of the display  18 . 
     Tuning transparency of a transparent display may result in enhanced usability of components placed behind the transparent display. Placing components that would typically be found on the surface of an electronic device enclosure behind a transparent display may increase the surface real-estate of the enclosure for a larger display or additional components. Further, the aesthetics of the electronic device may be greatly enhanced by not cluttering the device enclosure with always-visible components, but instead creating a more seamless electronic device where the components are only visible when they are in use. 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180706
Publication Date: 20210727
Grant Date: 20210727
Priority Date: 20111130
Inventors: RAPPOPORT, BENJAMIN MARK
STRINGER, CHRISTOPHER J.
ROTHKOPF, FLETCHER R.
FRANKLIN, JEREMY C.
TERNUS, JOHN PATRICK
Hoeing, Julian
HOWARTH, RICHARD P.
MYERS, SCOTT ANDREW
LYNCH, STEPHEN BRIAN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G09G2354/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/14", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0626", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2330/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0456", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3225", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04804", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/046", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0481", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/14", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/144", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0626", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2354/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2330/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0686", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0686", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0456", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/046", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0481", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3225", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04804", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0686", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2320/0626", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/0456", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2300/046", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2354/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/144", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2360/14", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3225", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0481", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04804", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01L27/323", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2330/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K59/40", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 48466430