PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8976324-B2
Application Number: US-201313758910-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Displays with optical fiber layers

Abstract:
An electronic device may have a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display may have multiple display layers for generating display light such as a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. The display may include first and second layers of optical fibers formed over the display layers. The first and second layers of optical fibers may guide display light generated in the display layers to an outer surface of the display. The first layer of optical fibers may include optical fibers having a first numerical aperture. The second layer of optical fibers may include optical fibers having a second numerical aperture. The first numerical aperture may be smaller than the second numerical aperture. The second layer of optical fibers may include vertical and angled optical fibers. The angled optical fibers may help reduce the size of an inactive region around the center of the display.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display, comprising:
 a plurality of display layers that generate display light for the display; 
 a first substrate attached to the display layers that includes a plurality of first optical fibers; and 
 a second substrate attached to the first substrate that includes a plurality of second optical fibers. 
 
     
     
       2. The display defined in  claim 1  wherein the display layers comprise a plurality of display pixels that generate the display light, wherein at least one of the plurality of first optical fibers is configured to pass the display light generated by an associated one of the plurality of display pixels into at least one of the plurality of second optical fibers. 
     
     
       3. The display defined in  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of first optical fibers has a first common numerical aperture, wherein each of the plurality of second optical fibers has a second common numerical aperture, and wherein the first numerical aperture is smaller than the second numerical aperture. 
     
     
       4. The display defined in  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of first optical fibers has a common diameter, wherein each of the plurality of second optical fibers has a second common diameter and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter. 
     
     
       5. The display defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a light diffusing layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. 
 
     
     
       6. The display defined in  claim 5  wherein the light diffusing layer comprises surface features on a surface of the first substrate. 
     
     
       7. The display defined in  claim 6  wherein the second substrate is fused to the surface of the first substrate. 
     
     
       8. The display defined in  claim 5  wherein the light diffusing layer comprises an optically clear adhesive and light redirecting structures in the optically clear adhesive. 
     
     
       9. The display defined in  claim 8  wherein the light redirecting structures comprise metallic particles. 
     
     
       10. The display defined in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of display layers includes a light polarizing layer and wherein the first substrate is attached to the light polarizing layer. 
     
     
       11. The display defined in  claim 1  wherein the first substrate comprises glass. 
     
     
       12. The display defined in  claim 11  wherein the second substrate comprises glass. 
     
     
       13. A display, comprising:
 an array of light generating elements that generate display light; 
 a first array of fiber optic light guide structures formed over the array of light generating elements; and 
 a second array of fiber optic light guide structures formed over the first array of fiber optic light guide structures, wherein the display light generated by the array of light generating elements passes through the first array of fiber optic light guide structures and through the second array of fiber optic light guide structures. 
 
     
     
       14. The display defined in  claim 13  wherein the first array of fiber optic light guide structures includes a plurality of fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the light generating elements. 
     
     
       15. The display defined in  claim 14  wherein the second array of fiber optic light guide structures includes a plurality of fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the first fiber optic light guide structures. 
     
     
       16. The display defined in  claim 15  wherein the plurality of fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the light generating elements comprises at least nine fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the light generating elements. 
     
     
       17. The display defined in  claim 16  wherein the plurality of fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the first fiber optic light guide structures comprises at least nine fiber optic light guide structures that receive light from each of the first fiber optic light guide structures. 
     
     
       18. The display defined in  claim 13  wherein the second array of fiber optic light guide structures comprises:
 a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces; and 
 a plurality of vertical fiber optic light guide structures that extend from the first surface to the second surface, wherein each of the vertical fiber optic light guide structures is elongated along an axis that is perpendicular to the first and second surfaces. 
 
     
     
       19. The display defined in  claim 18  wherein the second array of fiber optic light guide structures further comprises:
 a plurality of angled fiber optic light guide structures that extend from the first surface to the second surface, wherein each of the angled fiber optic light guide structures is elongated along an axis that forms an angle other than ninety degrees with the first and second surfaces. 
 
     
     
       20. The display defined in  claim 19  wherein the plurality of vertical fiber optic light guide structures are formed in a central portion of the display, wherein the angled fiber optic light guide structures extend from the central portion of the display to edge portions of the display, and wherein the angled fiber optic light guide structures guide at least some of the display light from the central portion of the display to the edge portions of the display. 
     
     
       21. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display having a thin-film transistor layer, a color filter layer, a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the color filter layer, and first and second bundled fiber optic layers, wherein the color filter layer has an edge, wherein the second bundled fiber optic layer has a portion that extends beyond the edge, and wherein the second bundled fiber optic layer is configured to guide display light into the portion that extends beyond the edge. 
 
     
     
       22. The electronic device defined in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 display control circuitry mounted along the edge of the color filter layer and behind the portion of the second bundled fiber optic layer that extends beyond the edge.

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/671,622 filed Jul. 13, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays. 
     Electronic devices such as computers and cellular telephones have displays. In a typical display such as a liquid crystal display, an array of display pixels is used to display images for a user. Each display pixel commonly contains an electrode that is used to apply an adjustable electric field to a portion of a liquid crystal layer. The magnitude of the electric field in each pixel controls how much light is allowed to pass through the display to the user. 
     Displays are commonly positioned within a device in a way that allows room for additional device structures. For example, displays are often covered by one or more display layers and thick protective cover layers. Because the display images generated by the display pixels are generated below these layers, the display image may appear to be located at some distance within the device. This type of arrangement can affect the aesthetics of the device. 
     As another example, control circuitry for the display is often formed along an edge of the display and space within the device is needed to accommodate the control circuitry. An unused portion of the front face of the display is commonly provided behind which this control circuitry is located. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with improved displays. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may have a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display may have multiple layers of material such as a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. 
     Display layers such as the color filter layer, the thin-film transistor layer, the liquid crystal layer, and other display layers may be covered by one or more substrate layers that contain optical fibers. For example, a display may include a first optical fiber layer that is attached to the display layers. The first optical fiber layer may be interposed between the display layers and a second optical fiber layer. 
     The first optical fiber layer may include bundled fiber optic light guide structures such as bundled optical fibers that are characterized by a first diameter and a first numerical aperture. The second optical fiber layer may include bundled fiber optic light guide structures such as bundled optical fibers that are characterized by a second diameter and a second numerical aperture. The first diameter may be larger than the second diameter. The first numerical aperture may be smaller than the second numerical aperture. 
     Display light generated in the display layers may pass through the first fiber optic light guide structures and into the second fiber optic light guide structures. The display light may be emitted from an outer surface of the second optical fiber layer. In this way, display images may be generated that appear to a viewer of the display to be generated at the outer surface of the display. 
     The outer surface of the second optical fiber layer may, if desired, form an outer surface of the electronic device. The second optical fiber layer may be formed form a transparent material such as glass that forms a portion of a protective outer enclosure for the electronic device. 
     The second optical fiber layer may include vertical fiber optic light guide structures such as vertical optical fibers and angled fiber optic light guide structures such as angled optical fibers. The angled optical fibers may guide display light from a central portion of the display to an edge portion of the display. In this way, an inactive area at the edge of the display may be minimized or eliminated. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with a display having optical fiber layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional end view of an illustrative electronic device with a display having optical fiber layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional end view of an illustrative display with multiple bundled optical fiber layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative diffusion layer that is interposed between optical fiber layers and that is formed from surface features on at least one of the optical fiber layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative diffusion layer that is interposed between optical fiber layers and that is formed from an adhesive layer with embedded light redirecting structures in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a portion of an illustrative display showing how fiber optic light guide structures in a first bundled optical fiber layer may oversample a display pixel and how fiber optic light guide structures in a second bundled optical fiber layer may oversample the fiber optic light guide structures in the first bundled optical fiber layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of an illustrative display showing how an outer bundled optical fiber layer may include vertical optical fibers and angled optical fibers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of an illustrative display showing how an outer bundled optical fiber layer may include only vertical optical fibers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative display showing how display light generated in a display pixel may be guided to an outer surface of the display by optical fibers in first and second stacked optical fiber layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional end view of a substrate having multiple vertical optical fibers that may be used to form a bundled optical fiber layer for a display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional end view of the substrate of  FIG. 10  showing how the substrate may be slumped to form angled optical fibers that may be used to form a bundled optical fiber layer for a display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of the slumped substrate of  FIG. 11  showing how a bundled optical fiber layer with angled optical fibers for a display may be cut from a slumped substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may be provided with a display having one or more layers of bundled fiber optic light guide structures. The display may include an array of display pixels that generate display light of a given color for the display. The display may be provided with a first layer of bundled fiber optic light guide structures that passes light from the display pixels to a second fiber optic bundle layer. The second fiber optic bundle layer may pass the light from the first fiber optic bundle layer to the outer surface of the display to be viewed by a user of the electronic device. A bundled fiber optic layer may also be referred to herein as a fiber optic bundle layer, a fiber bundle layer, an optical fiber layer, a bundled optical fiber layer, a layer of optical fibers, an array of optical fibers, fiber optic layers, etc. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with a display having layers of bundled fiber optic light guide structures is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  may be a computer such as a computer that is integrated into a display such as a computer monitor, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller portable device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media player, a tablet computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, a computer monitor, a television, or other electronic equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may include a display such as display  14 . Display  14  may be a touch screen that incorporates capacitive touch electrodes or other touch sensor components or may be a display that is not touch sensitive. Display  14  may include image pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components or other suitable display pixel structures such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) structures. Arrangements in which display  14  is formed using liquid crystal display pixels are sometimes described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Any suitable type of display technology may be used in forming display  14 , if desired. 
     Device  10  may have a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. 
     Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     If desired, housing  12  may have multiple parts. For example, housing  12  may have an upper portion and a lower portion coupled to the upper portion using a hinge that allows the lower portion to rotate about rotational axis relative to the upper portion. Electronic components such as a keyboard and/or a touch pad may also be mounted in housing  12 , if desired. 
     Display  14  may have an active area such as active area AA and an inactive area such as area IA. Active area AA may be, for example, a rectangular region in the center of display  14  in which display pixels are actively used to display images for a user of device  10 . Inactive area IA may be devoid of active display pixels. In the example of  FIG. 1 , inactive area IA has the shape of a rectangular ring, surrounding the periphery of active area AA of display  14 . Circuitry and other components may sometimes be formed in inactive area IA. To hide the circuitry and other components from view by a user of device  10 , inactive area IA may sometimes be provided with an opaque mask. The opaque mask can be formed from an opaque material such as a black material or may be formed from opaque masking materials of other colors. Configurations in which the opaque masking material in display  14  has a black appearance are sometimes described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Opaque masking layers in device  10  may have any suitable colors. 
     In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  10  has been implemented using a housing that is sufficiently small to fit within a user&#39;s hand (i.e., device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be a handheld electronic device such as a cellular telephone). Display  14  may have openings (e.g., openings in inactive region IA or active region AA of display  14 ) such as an opening to accommodate button  22  and an opening to accommodate speaker port  24 . 
     As shown in the cross-sectional end view of  FIG. 2 , display  14  may include one or more display layers  32  for generating colored light for display  14  and one or more layers of bundled fiber optic light guide structures (optical fiber layers) such as fiber optic layers  28  and  30 . Display layers  32  may include layers such as color filter layers, transistor layers, backlight layers, reflective layers, polarizer layers, adhesive layers, and layers of liquid crystal material. Fiber optic layers  28  and  30  may be formed from glass, plastic, or other suitable material. Fiber optic layers  28  and  30  may each include multiple fiber optic light guide structures such as optical fibers that guide light from display layers  32  to outer surface  34  of display  14 . Fiber optic bundle layers  28  and  30  may be arranged so that light that is generated in display layers  32  appears to a user such as user  41  of device  10  to have been generated at surface  34 . 
     If desired, display  14  may include a light diffusion layers interposed between layer  28  and layer  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , circuitry and other components may such as components  26  may be formed behind portions of layers  28  and/or  30 . Components  26  may, for example, include a display driver integrated circuit that generates control signals for operating display pixels in the display. Device  10  may include additional circuitry such as component  36 . Components such as component  36  may include batteries, printed circuit boards, flexible printed circuits, buttons, switches, microphones, speakers, compasses, or other circuitry. If desired, components  26  may be coupled to additional components  36  (e.g., using a flexible printed circuit). 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , surface  34  of outer fiber bundle layer  30  may form an outer surface of electronic device  10 . In configurations in which surface  34  forms an outer surface of device  10 , layer  30  may be formed from a material that is sufficiently strong to form a portion of a protective outer enclosure (e.g., an enclosure formed by housing  12  and layer  30  within which components  26  and  36  are mounted) for device  10 . However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, outer surface  34  of layer  30  may be covered by one or more coatings or other protective materials that form a protective outer layer for device  10 . 
     In some configurations, in order to hide components  26  from view by user  41  of device  10 , inactive area IA may sometimes be provided with an opaque mask such as a black mask. This is, however, merely illustrative. Opaque masking layers in device  10  may have colors other than black or components  26  may be hidden from view using other configurations. 
     For example, if desired, display  14  may be configured so as to minimize or eliminate the size of inactive region IA along one or more edges of active region AA ( FIG. 1 ). For example, an outer fiber optic bundle layer such as layer  30  may include angled fiber optic light guide structures that guide some of display light from display layers  32  located in a relatively central portion of display  14  toward one of edges  38  of layer  30  (i.e., in a direction that is different from the Z-direction of  FIG. 2  in the X-Z plane). In this way, display  14  may be provided with the ability to display light on portions of surface  34  that are nearer to edges  38  than edges  40  are to edges  38  while allowing space for components  26  along one or more edges  40  of layers  32 , thereby reducing or eliminating inactive region IA. 
     Layer  30  may also include vertical fiber optic light guide structures that guide some of display light from display layers  32  located in a central portion of display  14  vertically to surface  34  in a direction that is parallel to the Z-direction of  FIG. 2 . However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, layer  30  may include only vertical fiber optic light guide structures that guide display light from display layers  32  vertically to surface  34  in a direction that is parallel to the Z-direction of  FIG. 2  without including any angled fiber optic light guide structures. 
     Display  14  may be, for example, a liquid crystal display such as display  14  of  FIG. 3 . Display  14  may include an array of display pixels  100 . Each pixel  100  may be used to control the light intensity associated with a portion of the display. 
     Display  14  may have a layer of liquid crystal material such as liquid crystal material  236  that is sandwiched between a pair of polarizers such as upper polarizer  252  and lower polarizer  230 . An array of electrodes may be controlled by the thin-film transistor circuitry in a thin-film transistor layer in display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , for example, display  14  may have an array of electrodes and associated thin-film transistor circuits such as thin-film transistor circuitry  234  on thin-transistor substrate layer  232  (e.g., a glass substrate). Thin-film transistor circuitry  234  may include thin-film transistor circuitry such as amorphous silicon transistor circuitry or polysilicon transistor circuitry. Thin film transistor circuitry  234  may also include interconnect lines to connect electrodes formed from conductive materials such as indium tin oxide and metal to thin-film structures such as thin-film transistors. 
     The electrodes in thin-film transistor circuitry  234  may be used to produce electric fields that control the orientation of liquid crystals in liquid crystal layer  236 . Backlight unit  228  may be used to produce backlight  54  for display  14 . Backlight  54  may pass through display  14  in vertical direction Z. By controlling the orientation of the liquid crystals in layer  236 , the polarization of backlight  54  may be controlled. In combination with the presence of polarizer layers  230  and  252 , the ability to control the polarization of the light passing through individual pixels  100  of liquid crystal material  236  provides display  14  with the ability to display images for viewer  41  viewing display in a direction such as direction  58 . 
     Backlight unit  228  may include a light source such as a light-emitting diode array for producing backlight  54 . Polarizers such as polarizer  230  and polarizer  252  may be formed from thin polymer films. For example, polarizer  252  may be formed from polymer film  48  and an associated adhesive layer such as optically clear adhesive layer  46 . 
     If desired, display  14  may be provided with layers for reducing fingerprints (e.g., a smudge-resistant coating in a touch-sensitive display), anti-scratch coatings, an antireflection coating, a layer for reducing the impact of static electricity such as indium tin oxide electrostatic discharge protection layer  44  of  FIG. 5 , or other layers of material. The display layers that are used in the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 2  are merely illustrative. 
     Display  14  may include a display layer such as color filter layer  238 . Color filter layer  238  may include a color filter layer substrate such as substrate  66 . Substrate  66  and the substrate for thin-film transistor layer  232  may be formed from clear layers of material such as glass or plastic. 
     Color filter layer  238  may include an array of color filter elements  42  formed on substrate  66 . Color filter elements  42  may include, for example, red elements R, green elements G, and blue elements (not shown). The array of color filter elements in color filter layer  238  may be used to provide display  14  with the ability to display color images. Each electrode  234  in thin-film transistor layer  232  may be provided with a respective overlapping color filter element  42 . 
     Adjacent color filter elements  42  may be separated by interposed portions of opaque masking material  72 . Opaque masking material  72  may be formed from a dark substance such as a polymer that contains a black pigment and is therefore sometimes referred to as a black mask, black masking layer, black pigmented layer, or black masking material. Illustrative polymeric materials for forming black masking layer  72  include acrylic-based and polyimide-based photoresists. An illustrative black pigment that may be used for black masking layer  72  is amorphous carbon (e.g., carbon black). 
     In active region AA, black mask  72  may be formed from a grid of relatively thin lines (sometimes referred to as a black matrix). The black matrix may have a pattern of openings such as an array of rectangular holes for receiving color filter elements  42 . In some configurations, in inactive region IA, black masking material may be used in forming a peripheral black mask that serves as a black border for display  14 . The black mask in inactive area IA may have a rectangular ring shape that surrounds a central rectangular active area AA (as an example). However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, in configurations in which layer  30  includes angled fiber optic light guide structures that guide some of display light from display layers  32  toward one of edges  38  of layer  30 , display  14  may be provided without a peripheral black mask. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , fiber bundle layer  28  may be attached to polarizer layer  48  using an adhesive such as optically clear adhesive layer  50 . Fiber bundle layer  28  may be formed from plastic, glass, or other suitable material in which fiber optic light guide structures may be formed. Fiber bundle layer  28  may include one or more fiber optic light guide structures (optical fibers) associated with each pixel  100 . As examples, fiber bundle layer  28  may include four, nine, twenty five, thirty six, forty nine, sixty four, eight one, more than 81, more than four, less than nine or less than four fiber optic light guide structures that receive display light from each pixel  100 . 
     In one suitable configuration which is sometimes described herein as an example, fiber bundle layer  28  may include nine fiber optic light guide structures formed at least partially over each pixel  100 . In this way, fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28  may oversample pixels  100  so that little or no display light from each display pixel is lost. 
     Fiber optic light guide structures may be characterized by a numerical aperture. The numerical aperture is related to the range of incidence angles that are accepted into a fiber optic light guide structure and the range of output angles at which light can be output from a fiber optic light guide structure. Fiber optic light guide structures having a relatively high numerical aperture accept and emit light in a relatively wide range of respective incidence and output angles. For example, a fiber optic light guide structure having a numerical aperture of one accepts and emits light from a full hemisphere of respective incidence and output angles. A fiber optic light guide structure having a numerical aperture of less than one accepts and emits light from less than a full hemisphere of respective incidence and output angles. 
     Fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28  may be provided that have numerical apertures that are less than one (e.g., having a relatively small range of acceptable incidence angles) so that light from only one given display pixel is transmitted into a fiber optic light guide structure associated with that given pixel. 
     Display  14  may include a light diffusing layer such as light diffusing layer  52  formed between fiber bundle layer  28  and fiber bundle layer  30 . Display light from pixels  100  that has passed through fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28  may emerge from layer  28  with a relatively narrow range of emission angles due to the relatively low numerical aperture of fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28 . Diffusing layer  52  may isotropize the display light emerging from layer  28  so that light from random angles is transmitted in to fiber optic light guide structures in layer  30 . 
     Light diffusing layer  52  may be formed from an adhesive material infused with light redirecting structures such as metallic particles (e.g., metallic spheres). The metallic spheres may be characterized by a diameter that is chosen to optimize the diffusion of light that exits layer  28 . However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, light diffusing layer may be formed from a portion of layer  28  and/or a portion of layer  30 . For example, a surface of layer  28  that interfaces with layer  30  may be roughed (e.g., sandblasted) so that surface features on that surface cause light that emerges from fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28  to be diffused into a hemispherical distribution of emission angles before passing into layer  30 . 
     Fiber bundle layer  30  may be formed from plastic, glass, or other suitable materials in which fiber optic light guide structures may be formed. Fiber bundle layer  30  may be attached to layer  28  using adhesive associated with diffusion layer  52  or may be fused to layer  28  by heating and compressing layers  28  and  30 . 
     Fiber bundle layer  30  may include one or more fiber optic light guide structures (optical fibers) that receive display light from each fiber optic light guide structure in layer  28 . As examples, fiber bundle layer  30  may include four, nine, twenty five, thirty six, forty nine, sixty four, eight one, more than 81, more than four, less than nine or less than four fiber optic light guide structures formed at least partially over each fiber optic light guide structure in layer  28 . 
     In one suitable configuration which is sometimes described herein as an example, fiber bundle layer  30  may include nine fiber optic light guide structures formed over each fiber optic light guide structure in layer  28 . In this way, fiber optic light guide structures in layer  30  may oversample fiber optic light guide structures in layer  28  so that little or no display light from each display pixel is lost between layer  28  and layer  30 . 
     Fiber optic light guide structures in layer  30  may be provided that have numerical apertures that are substantially equal to one (e.g., having a full hemispherical range of acceptable incidence angles and emission angles) so that all of the display light received from layer  28  is accepted into fiber optic light guide structures in layer  30  and so that a viewer such as user  41  viewing display  14  at any angle is able to see the display light emerging from layer  30 . The gap between layer  28  and layer  30  may be small enough to minimize cross contamination of display light from neighboring pixels. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , layer  30  may include portions  70  that extend beyond edges  40  of display layers  32 . If desired, layer  30  may include angled fiber optic light guide structures that extend from a central portion of layer  30  (e.g., a portion of layer  30  that is located interior to planes defined by edges  40  of display layers  32 ) into portions  70 . Angled fiber optic light guide structures that extend into portions  70  may guide display light from display layers  32  that has passed through layer  28  into portions  70  to be viewed by user  41 . 
     If desired, fiber bundle layer  28  and light diffusing layer  52  may include respective extended portions  28 ′ and  52 ′ that extend beyond edges  40  of display layers  32 . 
     The cross-sectional side view of fiber bundle layer  28  of  FIG. 4  shows how surface features on a surface such as surface  71  of layer  28  may be used to form light diffusing layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , surface  71  of layer  28  may include surface features  74 . Surface features  74  may be formed by spraying or otherwise depositing material onto surface  74  or may be formed by roughing (e.g., sanding, or sand blasting) surface  74  to form surface roughness on surface  74 . Light diffusing layer  52  may be formed from features  74  on surface  71 . 
     Light that enters a fiber optic light guide structure such as fiber optic light guide  80  at an angle such as angle  76  may be transmitted within fiber optic light guide  80  (i.e., by total internal reflection of the light within optical fiber  80 ) into light diffusing layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , diffusing layer  52  may cause light to be released from surface  71  in a wide range of emission angles (as indicated by arrows  78 ) into fiber optic light guide structures such as fiber optic light guide  90  in layer  30 . 
     The cross sectional side view of fiber bundle layer  28  of  FIG. 5  shows how an adhesive layer having light redirecting structures may be used to form light diffusing layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , adhesive material such as optically clear adhesive material  82  may be formed on surface  71  of layer  28 . Light redirecting structures  84  (e.g., metallic spheres) may be provided in adhesive material  82 . 
     Light that enters a fiber optic light guide structure such as fiber optic light guide  80  at an angle such as angle  76  may be transmitted within fiber optic light guide  80  (i.e., by total internal reflection of the light within fiber  80 ) into light diffusing layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , structures  84  in diffusing layer  52  may cause light to be released from diffusing layer  52  in a wide range of emission angles (as indicated by arrows  78 ) into fiber optic light guide structures such as optical fiber  90  in layer  30 . 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of a portion of display  14  showing how multiple fiber optic light guide structures  80  (i.e., light guide structures in layer  28 ) may be used to oversample each display pixel  100  of display  14  and how multiple fiber optic light guide structures  90  (i.e., light guide structures in layer  30 ) may be used to oversample each fiber optic light guide structure  80 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 6 , each display pixel is nine-times oversampled by fiber optic light guide structures  80  and each fiber optic light guide structure  80  is nine-times oversampled by fiber optic light guide structures  90 . This is merely illustrative. Each display pixel  100  may be sampled by any number of fiber optic light guide structures  80  and each fiber optic light guide structure  80  may be sampled by any number of fiber optic light guide structures  90 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , fiber optic light guide structures  80  may be characterized by a lateral size such as diameter DL and fiber optic light guide structures  90  may be characterized by a lateral size such as diameter DH. However this is merely illustrative. Fiber optic light guide structures  80  and fiber optic light guide structures  90  may have any suitable cross-sectional shape (e.g., square, rectangular, circular, oblong, etc.) characterized by any suitable lateral dimension. Diameter DH of fiber optic light guide structures  90  may be substantially smaller than diameter DL fiber optic light guide structures  80 . 
     As examples, diameter DL may be between 25 and 75 microns, between 40 and 60 microns, between 48 and 52 microns, between 10 and 50 microns, between 50 and 100 microns, more than 25 microns, or less than 100 microns. As examples, diameter DH may be between 3 and 9 microns, between 5 and 7 microns, between 0 and 10 microns, between 5 and 15 microns, between 6 and 10 microns, more than 1 micron, or less than 15 microns. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of display  14  showing how fiber bundle layer  30  may be used to guide display light from a central portion such as portion  91  of display  14  to an edge portion such as portion  70  of display  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , some of fiber optic light guide structures  90  such as fiber optic light guide structures  90 A may be angled with respect to surface  34  of layer  30  so that display light that has travelled from a display pixel such as pixel  100  through one or more of fiber optic light guide structures  80  may be guided from central portion  91  toward edge portion  70  of display  14 . 
     Some of fiber optic light guide structures  90  such as fiber optic light guide structures  90 V may be vertical fiber optic light guide structures that extend vertically (e.g., along direction Z of  FIG. 7 ) from an inner surface of layer  30  to outer surface  34  of layer  30 . In this way, some display light that has been generated in display layers  32  in central portion  91  of display  14  may be emitted from surface  34  in edge portion  70  of display  14  and some display light that has been generated in display layers  32  in central portion  91  of display  14  may be emitted from surface  34  in central portion  91  of display  14 . 
     Display  14  may be provided with a gap such as gap  94  between layer  28  and display layers  32 . Gap  94  may be an air gap or may be filled with some of display layers  32 . For example, gap  94  may be filled with polarizer layer  252 , optically clear adhesive layer  50 , indium-tin-oxide layer  44  (see  FIG. 2 ) or other display layers. Gap  94  may have a height H. Height H may, as an example, be between 1.0 and 1.5 mm. Each fiber optic light guide structure  80  in layer  28  may be characterized by an acceptance angle  92  (i.e., a range of angles of incidence from which light from display pixels  100  is transmitted into fiber optic light guide structures  80 ) that corresponds to the numerical aperture of that fiber optic light guide structure  80 . 
     As examples, fiber optic light guide structures  80  may have numerical apertures between 0.3 and 0.4, between 0.2 and 0.5, between 0.3 and 0.5, between 0.34 and 0.36, between 0.34 and 0.4, between 0.3 and 0.36, less than 0.6, or greater than 0.2. By proving fiber optic light guide structures  80  with numerical apertures in one of these ranges, display light entering each fiber optic light guide structure  80  may be received from only one associated display pixel  100 . 
     The configuration of  FIG. 7  in which fiber bundle layer  30  is used to guide display light from a central portion of display  14  to an edge portion of display  14  is merely illustrative. As shown in  FIG. 8 , fiber bundle layer  30  may be provided with vertical fiber optic light guide structures  90 V without including any angled fiber optic light guide structures. 
     If desired, in configurations in which fiber bundle layer  30  is provided with vertical fiber optic light guide structures  90 V without including any angled fiber optic light guide structures, layer  30  may or may not include an extended edge portion  30 ′ that extends beyond edge  40  of display layers  32 . In configurations in which fiber bundle layer  30  is provided with only vertical fiber optic light guide structures  90 V and layer  30  is provided with an extended portion  30 ′, opaque masking material such as black mask  72  may be formed in an inner surface of layer  30 . In this way, display  14  may be provided with a peripheral inactive region and a display with the ability to generate low-depth or zero-depth images that appear to be displayed on surface  34  of display  14  (e.g., on an outer surface of device  10  or on a surface that is nearer to the outer surface of device  10  than images displayed by conventional displays that do not have stacked fiber bundle layers. 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of display  14  showing how display light may be emitted from each fiber optic light guide structure  90  in a substantially hemispherical distribution of emission angles so that a user may view display  14  from a wide range of viewing angles. As shown in  FIG. 9 , display light that is emitted in a particular direction such as direction  76  from pixel  100  that is within acceptance cone  92  of a particular fiber optic light guide structure  80  may be accepted into that fiber optic light guide structure. 
     As indicated by arrows  102 , the display light that has been accepted into fiber optic light guide structure  80  may be internally reflected from inner surfaces of fiber optic light guide structure  80  until being emitted into light diffusion layer  52 . As indicated by arrows  78  and as described above in connection with  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the display light may be emitted from fiber optic light guide structure  80  in randomly distributed direction (e.g., as if being emitted from a Lambertian light source). The display light may then be transmitted into one or more associated fiber optic light guide structures  90 . 
     Fiber optic light guide structures  90  may be configured to accept display light from a full hemisphere of acceptance angles (e.g., by providing fiber optic light guide structures  90  with a numerical aperture close to one). 
     As examples, fiber optic light guide structures  90  (e.g., structures  90 V and/or  90 A) may have numerical apertures that are greater than 0.9, greater than 0.95, greater than 0.98, or greater than 0.99. Display light may therefore be emitted from each fiber optic light guide structure  90  at surface  34  of display  14  in a full hemisphere of emission angles (as indicated by arrows  106 ). 
     In this way, viewers of display  14  such as users  41 - 1 ,  41 - 2 ,  41 - 3 , and  41 - 4  viewing display  14  at viewing angles such as respective viewing angles  58 - 1 ,  58 - 2 ,  58 - 3 , and  58 - 4  may be provided with a high quality image. 
     During manufacturing of display  14 , fiber bundle layer  30  may be provided with angled fiber optic light guide structures  90 A in an edge portion of layer  30  and vertical fiber optic light guide structures  90 V in a central portion of layer  30  as shown in  FIGS. 10 ,  11 , and  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , a substrate such as substrate  110  may be provided with substantially vertical fiber optic light guide structures  112  (e.g., parallel vertical optical fibers). Substrate  110  may, for example, be a glass substrate having bundled optical fibers  112 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , substrate  110  may be heated and allowed to slump (e.g., bend) into a curved configuration. An inner portion such as portion  114  of slumped substrate  110  may be used to form a fiber optic bundle layer such as layer  30  of display  14  having both vertical and angled fiber optic light guide structures  90 V and  90 A. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , portion  114  of substrate  110  may be cut away from the rest of substrate  110  to form fiber optic bundle layer  30  having vertical fiber optic light guide structures  90 V in central portion  118  of substrate  30  and angled fiber optic light guide structures  90 A in edge portions  116  of substrate  30 . After cutting substrate  30  from substrate  110 , substrate  30  may be attached to an additional fiber optic bundle layer such as layer  28  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) to form a portion of display  14  of device  10 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20130204
Publication Date: 20150310
Grant Date: 20150310
Priority Date: 20120713
Inventors: YANG TSENG-MAU
PREST CHRISTOPHER D.
MEMERING DALE N.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G02B6/0005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133524", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/06", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133524", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/06", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133524", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 49913728