PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11650368-B1
Application Number: US-202017071213-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Electronic device with an optical coupling layer and diffractive layer

Abstract:
An electronic device may have a display that displays an image. The image may be viewed through a display cover layer that overlaps the display. The display cover layer may include an optical coupling layer such as a coherent fiber bundle. A pixel expansion layer such as a diffractive layer may be incorporated between the optical coupling layer and a protective layer. The diffractive layer may create duplicate pixels to occupy otherwise non-light-emitting areas on the output surface of the display cover layer. The diffractive layer may also create duplicate pixels that overlap adjacent pixels to allow for brightness averaging. An adhesive layer or the protective layer may be used to form diffractive elements for the diffractive layer. An adhesive layer having a high index of refraction may be interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel to mitigate undesired reflections of ambient light.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display configured to produce an image; and 
 a display cover layer that overlaps the display, wherein the display cover layer comprises:
 an optical coupling layer configured to receive the image at an input surface and to transport the received image to an output surface; 
 a protective layer that overlaps the output surface; and 
 a diffractive layer between the optical coupling layer and the protective layer. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the optical coupling layer comprises polymer fibers and wherein the protective layer comprises a glass layer. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in claim  1 , further comprising:
 an adhesive layer that is interposed between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adhesive layer that is interposed between the diffractive layer and the protective layer. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the display comprises pixels configured to produce the image, wherein each pixel has a corresponding light-emitting area on the output surface of the optical coupling layer, wherein the diffractive layer is configured to generate duplicate light-emitting areas based on the light-emitting areas, and wherein each duplicate light-emitting area is interposed between two of the light-emitting areas. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the display comprises pixels configured to produce the image, wherein each pixel has a corresponding light-emitting area on the output surface of the optical coupling layer, and wherein the diffractive layer is configured to generate duplicate light-emitting areas to mitigate a screen-door effect. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the diffractive layer comprises a first layer having a first index of refraction and a second layer having a second index of refraction that is different than the first index of refraction, wherein the second layer conforms to the first layer, and wherein the first layer has a varying thickness. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the varying thickness of first layer comprises a first thickness in first portions of the first layer and a second thickness that is different than the first thickness in second portions of the first layer. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the varying thickness of the first layer has a first sinusoidal profile in a first direction and a second sinusoidal profile in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the first layer has a plurality of diffractive elements that are separated by a pitch, wherein the diffractive elements have a first pitch in a first portion of the diffractive layer, and wherein the diffractive elements have a second pitch that is different than the first pitch in a second portion of the diffractive layer. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the second layer comprises an optically clear adhesive layer. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the optical coupling layer is separated from the diffractive layer by a distance and wherein the distance varies across the diffractive layer. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the diffractive layer has a plurality of diffractive elements that are separated by a pitch, wherein the diffractive elements have a first pitch in a first portion of the diffractive layer, and wherein the diffractive elements have a second pitch that is different than the first pitch in a second portion of the diffractive layer. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13 , wherein the first pitch is less than 50 micron. 
     
     
       15. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display configured to produce an image; and 
 a display cover layer that overlaps the display, wherein the display cover layer comprises:
 an optical coupling layer configured to receive the image at an input surface and to transport the received image to an output surface; and 
 a protective layer that overlaps the output surface of the optical coupling layer, wherein the protective layer has an inner surface with a plurality of recesses; and 
 an additional layer between the optical coupling layer and the protective layer that fills the plurality of recesses, wherein the protective layer and the additional layer form diffractive elements. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15 , wherein the optical coupling layer comprises a coherent fiber bundle having polymer fibers. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 15 , wherein the additional layer between the optical coupling layer and the protective layer comprises a layer of adhesive. 
     
     
       18. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display configured to produce an image; and 
 a display cover layer that overlaps the display, wherein the display cover layer comprises:
 a coherent fiber bundle configured to receive the image at an input surface and to transport the received image to an output surface; 
 a protective layer that overlaps the output surface; 
 a diffractive layer between the coherent fiber bundle and the protective layer; 
 a first optically clear adhesive layer that is interposed between the output surface and the diffractive layer; and 
 a second optically clear adhesive layer that is interposed between the diffractive layer and the protective layer. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18 , wherein the first optically clear adhesive layer is in direct contact with the output surface and the diffractive layer and wherein the second optically clear adhesive layer is in direct contact with the diffractive layer and the protective layer. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 18 , wherein the output surface has compound curvature in a rounded corner region and wherein at least some fibers in the coherent fiber bundle have a larger diameter at the output surface than at the input surface.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/944,190, filed Dec. 5, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices may have displays. Displays have arrays of pixels for displaying images for a user. The shape and other characteristics of many displays can pose challenges during integration into an electronic device, particularly in situations where space is limited. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may have a display that displays an image. The image may be viewed through a display cover layer that overlaps the display. 
     The display cover layer may include an optical coupling layer such as a coherent fiber bundle or layer of Anderson localization material. The optical coupling layer may have an input surface that receives an image from the display and a corresponding output surface to which the image is transported. The display cover layer may also include a protective layer such as a layer of glass or other material. The protective layer may protect underlying structures such as polymer fibers or other structures in the optical coupling layer. 
     To mitigate visible artifacts such as a screen-door effect or sparkle effect, a pixel expansion layer may be incorporated into the display cover layer. The pixel expansion layer may be interposed between the optical coupling layer and the protective layer. The pixel expansion layer may be a diffractive layer that creates duplicate pixels to occupy otherwise non-light-emitting areas on the output surface of the display cover layer (mitigating the screen-door effect). The diffractive layer may also create duplicate pixels that overlap adjacent pixels to allow for brightness averaging which mitigates the sparkle effect. 
     The diffractive layer may be formed from different layers that have different refractive indices and that form diffractive elements. An adhesive layer or the protective layer may be used to form the diffractive elements. A property of the diffractive layer may vary across the diffractive layer. 
     An adhesive layer having a high index of refraction may be interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel to mitigate undesired reflections of ambient light. A diffractive lens may also be interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of an illustrative electronic device with an optical coupling layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of an illustrative optical coupling layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an illustrative optical coupling layer formed using a coherent fiber bundle in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of an illustrative electronic device with an optical coupling layer and a diffractive layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  are top views of illustrative pixels showing how the diffractive layer of  FIG.  4    mitigates a screen-door effect in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative diffractive layer that includes layers having different refractive indices and varying thicknesses in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  are top views showing illustrative patterns for the diffractive layer of  FIG.  6    in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  8    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative diffractive layer that includes a single layer with different portions having different refractive indices in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  9 A and  9 B  are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative diffractive layer that includes layers having different refractive indices and gradually varying thicknesses in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  9 C  is a top view of the illustrative diffractive layer of  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B  in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  10    is a graph showing an illustrative relationship between the pitch of diffractive elements and position on the diffractive layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  11    is a graph showing an illustrative relationship between the refractive index difference of the diffractive layer and position on the diffractive layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    is a graph showing an illustrative relationship between the distance between the optical coupling layer and the diffractive layer and position on the diffractive layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  13    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display cover layer with diffractive elements formed by recesses on an inner surface of a transparent protective layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  14    is a top view of illustrative pixels showing how the diffractive layer may create duplicate pixels that overlap adjacent original pixels to mitigate a sparkle effect in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  15    is a top view of an illustrative diffractive layer with different properties in different portions in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  16    is a side view of an illustrative electronic device with a diffractive layer interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  17    is a side view of an illustrative electronic device with an adhesive layer having a high refractive index interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an array of pixels for creating an image. The image may pass through a display cover layer that overlaps the array of pixels. To minimize display borders or to otherwise create a desired appearance for the display, the display cover layer may include an optical coupling layer. The optical coupling layer may have an input surface that receives an image from the array of pixels and a corresponding output surface to which the image is transported from the input surface. A user viewing the optical coupling layer will view the image from the array of pixels as being located on the output surface. 
     In configurations in which the input and output surfaces have different shapes, the optical coupling layer may be used to warp the image produced by the array of pixels. For example, the shape of the image can transformed and the effective size of the image can be changed as the image passes through the optical coupling layer. In some configurations, edge portions of the image are stretched outwardly to help minimize display borders. 
     Optical coupling layers can be formed from coherent fiber bundles (sometimes referred to as fiber optic plates) and/or Anderson localization material. Glass and/or polymer may be used in forming optical coupling layer structures. To help protect the output surface of an optical coupling layer, an optional transparent protective layer may be included on the outer surface of the display cover layer. This transparent protective layer may be, for example, a glass plate, or a protective layer formed from other transparent material such as clear polymer or sapphire or other crystalline materials. In some arrangements, optical coupling layers and/or protective layers can be formed over components other than displays. 
     In an arrangement where a fiber optic plate is used to expand the size of an image and minimize display borders, the effective display resolution at the edge of the display (where fibers are expanded to minimize display borders) may be reduced. This may cause a screen-door effect due to a perceptible gap between the light-emitting area of each pixel. A diffractive layer may be incorporated into the electronic device to mitigate the screen-door effect. The diffractive layer may also be used to mitigate additional visible artifacts in the display such as a sparkle effect. 
     A cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device with a display cover layer that includes an optical coupling layer is shown in  FIG.  1   . In the example of  FIG.  1   , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, wristwatch, or tablet computer. In general, any type of electronic device may have an optical coupling layer such as a desktop computer, a voice-control speaker, a television or other non-portable display, a head-mounted device, an embedded system such as a system built into a vehicle or home, an electronic device accessory, and/or other electronic equipment. 
     Device  10  includes a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12  may be formed from polymer, metal, glass, crystalline material such as sapphire, ceramic, fabric, fibers, fiber composite material, natural materials such as wood and cotton, other materials, and/or combinations of such materials. Housing  12  may be configured to form housing walls. The housing walls may enclose one or more interior regions such as interior region  24  and may separate interior region  24  from exterior region  22 . In some configurations, an opening may be formed in housing  12  for a data port, a power port, to accommodate audio components, or to accommodate other devices. Clear housing regions may be used to form optical component windows. Dielectric housing structures may be used to form radio-transparent areas for antennas and wireless power components. 
     Electrical components  18  may be mounted in interior region  24 . Electrical components  18  may include integrated circuits, discrete components, light-emitting components, sensors, and/or other circuits and may, if desired, be interconnected using signal paths in one or more printed circuits such as printed circuit  20 . If desired, one or more portions of the housing walls may be transparent (e.g., so that light associated with an image on a display or other light-emitting or light-detecting component can pass between interior region  24  and exterior region  22 ). 
     Electrical components  18  may include control circuitry. The control circuitry may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device  10 . The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in the control circuitry may be used to control the operation of device  10 . For example, the processing circuitry may use sensors and other input-output circuitry to gather input and to provide output and/or to transmit signals to external equipment. The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. The control circuitry may include wired and/or wireless communications circuitry (e.g., antennas and associated radio-frequency transceiver circuitry such as cellular telephone communications circuitry, wireless local area network communications circuitry, etc.). The communications circuitry of the control circuitry may allow device  10  to communicate with other electronic devices. For example, the control circuitry (e.g., communications circuitry in the control circuitry) may be used to allow wired and/or wireless control commands and other communications to be conveyed between devices such as cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, head-mounted devices, handheld controllers, wristwatch devices, other wearable devices, keyboards, computer mice, remote controls, speakers, accessory displays, accessory cameras, and/or other electronic devices. Wireless communications circuitry may, for example, wirelessly transmit control signals and other information to external equipment in response to receiving user input or other input from sensors or other devices in components  18 . 
     Input-output circuitry in components  18  of device  10  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. The input-output circuitry may include input devices that gather user input and other input and may include output devices that supply visual output, audible output, or other output. 
     Output may be provided using light-emitting diodes (e.g., crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes for status indicators and/or displays, organic light-emitting diodes in displays and other components), lasers, and other light-emitting devices, audio output devices (e.g., tone generators and/or speakers), haptic output devices (e.g., vibrators, electromagnetic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, and/or other equipment that supplies a user with haptic output), and other output devices. 
     The input-output circuitry of device  10  (e.g., the input-output circuitry of components  18 ) may include sensors. Sensors for device  10  may include force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch and/or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors (e.g., a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor integrated into a display, a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor and/or a two-dimensional force sensor overlapping a display, and/or a touch sensor or force sensor that forms a button, trackpad, or other input device not associated with a display), and other sensors. Touch sensors for a display or for other touch components may be based on an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, acoustic touch sensor structures, resistive touch components, force-based touch sensor structures, a light-based touch sensor, or other suitable touch sensor arrangements. If desired, a display may have a force sensor for gathering force input (e.g., a two-dimensional force sensor may be used in gathering force input on a display). 
     If desired, the sensors may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light, optical touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and/or other touch sensors and/or proximity sensors, monochromatic and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, ultrasonic sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional non-contact gestures (“air gestures”), pressure sensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and/or motion (e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, and/or inertial measurement units that contain some or all of these sensors), health sensors, radio-frequency sensors (e.g., sensors that gather position information, three-dimensional radio-frequency images, and/or other information using radar principals or other radio-frequency sensing), depth sensors (e.g., structured light sensors and/or depth sensors based on stereo imaging devices), optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors that gather time-of-flight measurements, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, gaze tracking sensors, three-dimensional sensors (e.g., time-of-flight image sensors, pairs of two-dimensional image sensors that gather three-dimensional images using binocular vision, three-dimensional structured light sensors that emit an array of infrared light beams or other structured light using arrays of lasers or other light emitters and associated optical components and that capture images of the spots created as the beams illuminate target objects, and/or other three-dimensional image sensors), facial recognition sensors based on three-dimensional image sensors, and/or other sensors. 
     In some configurations, components  18  may include mechanical devices for gathering input (e.g., buttons, joysticks, scrolling wheels, key pads with movable keys, keyboards with movable keys, and other devices for gathering user input). During operation, device  10  may use sensors and/or other input-output devices in components  18  to gather user input (e.g., buttons may be used to gather button press input, touch and/or force sensors overlapping displays can be used for gathering user touch screen input and/or force input, touch pads and/or force sensors may be used in gathering touch and/or force input, microphones may be used for gathering audio input, etc.). The control circuitry of device  10  can then take action based on this gathered information (e.g., by transmitting the information over a wired or wireless path to external equipment, by supplying a user with output using a haptic output device, visual output device, an audio component, or other input-output device in housing  12 , etc.). 
     If desired, electronic device  10  may include a battery or other energy storage device, connector ports for supporting wired communications with ancillary equipment and for receiving wired power, and other circuitry. In some configurations, device  10  may serve as an accessory and/or may include a wired and/or wireless accessory (e.g., a keyboard, computer mouse, remote control, trackpad, etc.). 
     Device  10  may include one or more displays such as display  14 . The displays may, for example, include an organic light-emitting diode display, a liquid crystal display, a display having an array of pixels formed from respective light-emitting diodes (e.g., a pixel array having pixels with crystalline light-emitting diodes formed from respective light-emitting diode dies such as micro-light-emitting diode dies), and/or other displays. The displays may include rigid display structures and/or may be flexible displays. For example, a light-emitting diode display may have a polymer substrate that is sufficiently flexible to be bent. Display  14  may have a rectangular pixel array or a pixel array of another shape for displaying images for a user and may therefore sometimes be referred to as a pixel array. Display  14  may also sometimes be referred to as a display panel, display layer, or pixel layer. Each pixel array in device  10  may be mounted under a transparent housing structure (sometimes referred to as a transparent display cover layer). 
     In the example of  FIG.  1   , display (pixel array)  14  is mounted under display cover layer  32 . Display cover layer  32  (which may be considered to form a portion of the housing of device  10 ), covers front face F of device  10 . Configurations in which opposing rear face R of device  10  and/or sidewall portions of device  10  have transparent structures covering displays and other optical components may also be used. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , display cover layer  32  may include optical coupling layer  16  and protective layer  30 . Protective layer  30  may be formed from a layer of glass, clear polymer, crystalline material such as sapphire or other crystalline material, and/or other transparent material. The presence of layer  30  may help protect the outer surface of layer  16  from scratches. If desired, layer  30  may be omitted (e.g., in configurations in which a thin-film protective coating is present on the outer surface of layer  16 , in configurations in which layer  16  is formed from hard material such as glass, and/or in other configurations in which layer  16  is resistant to scratching). A layer of adhesive and/or other structures may be formed between protective layer  30  and optical coupling layer  16  and/or may be included elsewhere in the stack of layers on display  14 . 
     During operation, the pixels of display  14  produce image light that passes through optical coupling layer  16 . In configurations in which optical coupling layer  16  is formed from a coherent fiber bundle, optical coupling layer  16  has optical fibers  16 F. The fibers or other optical structures of optical coupling layer structures such as optical coupling layer  16  transport light (e.g., image light and/or other light) from one surface (e.g., an input surface of layer  16  that faces display  14 ) to another (e.g., an output surface of layer  16  that faces viewer  28 , who is viewing device  10  in direction  26 ). As the image presented to the input surface of layer  16  is transported to the output surface of layer  16 , the integrity of the image light is preserved. This allows an image produced by an array of pixels to be transferred from an input surface of a first shape at a first location to an output surface with a different shape (e.g., a shape with a footprint that differs from that of the input surface, a shape with a curved cross-sectional profile, a shape with a region of compound curvature, and/or a shape with other desired features). 
     Optical coupling layer  16  (sometimes referred to as image transport layer  16 ) may therefore move the location of an image and may optionally change the shape of the surface on which the image is presented. In effect, viewer  28  will view the image from display  14  as if the image were generated on the output surface of optical coupling layer  16 . In arrangements in which the image from display  14  is warped (geometrically distorted) by optical coupling layer  16 , digital pre-distortion techniques or other compensation techniques may be used to ensure that the final image viewed on the output surface of optical coupling layer  16  has a desired appearance. For example, the image on display  14  may be prewarped so that this prewarped image is warped by an equal and opposite amount upon passing through layer  16 . In this way, the prewarped image is effectively unwarped by passage through layer  16  and will not appear distorted on the output surface. 
     In configurations of the type shown in  FIG.  1   , device  10  may have four peripheral edges and a rectangular footprint when viewed in direction  26  or may have other suitable shapes. To help minimize the size of inactive display borders as a user is viewing front face F of device  10  as shown in  FIG.  1   , the shapes of fibers  16 F along the periphery of layer  16  may be deformed outwardly as shown in  FIG.  1   . These fibers  16 F each have an outwardly bent segment that bends away from surface normal n of the center of layer  30  (e.g., away from an axis parallel to the Z axis of  FIG.  1   ) and each have an inwardly bent segment that bends back towards surface normal n to help direct output light towards viewer  28 . 
     The deformed shapes of fibers  16 F (and/or the corresponding deformations made to optical filaments in Anderson localization material in layer  16 ) may help distribute image light laterally outwards in the X-Y plane so that the effective size of display  14  is enlarged and the image produced by display  14  covers some or all of the sidewalls of housing  12  or other peripheral portions of device  10  when the image on front face F is being viewed by viewer  28 . For example, the bent shapes of fibers  16 F of  FIG.  1    may help shift portion of the displayed image laterally outward in the X-Y plane along the edges and corners of device  10  to block the edges of device  10  from view. In some arrangements, the portions of fibers  16 F at the outermost surface of layer  16  are oriented parallel or nearly parallel with viewing direction  26  and the Z axis of  FIG.  1   , which helps ensure that some or all of the light that has passed through layer  16  will travel in the Z direction and be viewable by viewer  28 . 
     A top view of an optical coupling layer is shown in  FIG.  2   . As shown, the optical coupling layer may have a central portion  42 . Central portion  42  may have fibers that are not bent and may sometimes be referred to as an unformed portion or unbent portion of the optical coupling layer. The unformed portion of the optical coupling layer may be surrounded by a peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer in which the fibers are bent (sometimes referred to as a formed portion or bent portion). As shown in the top view of  FIG.  2   , portion  44  may extend in a ring around portion  42  (e.g., portion  44  may laterally surround portion  42 ). Portion  44  may have fibers that are bent in order to hide an inactive border area of the display. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the optical coupling layer may have a rectangular footprint with rounded corners when viewed from above. The rounded corners may be bent downwards (e.g., in the negative Z-direction away from the viewer and towards the display panel). The output surface of the optical coupling layer may have compound curvature in the rounded corner regions. 
     Optical coupling layer  16  may be formed from fibers. Fibers used to form optical coupling layer  16  may have any suitable configuration. A cross-sectional view of fiber optic plate  16  in an illustrative arrangement in which fibers  52  have multiple layers of material is shown in  FIG.  3   . As shown in  FIG.  3   , fibers  52  may each have a core such as core  54 . Cores  54  and the other structures of optical coupling layer  16  may be formed from transparent materials such as polymer, glass, crystalline material such as sapphire, and/or other transparent materials. In an illustrative configuration, which may sometimes be described herein as an example, optical coupling layer  16  includes polymer fibers. 
     Fiber cores  54  may be formed from polymer of a first refractive index and may be surrounded by cladding  56  (e.g., polymer) of a second, lower refractive index. The difference in refractive index between cores  54  and cladding  56  may be greater than 0.1, greater than 0.2, greater than 0.3, between 0.2 and 0.4, etc. This arrangement allows fibers  52  to guide light in accordance with the principal of total internal reflection. Binder material  58  may hold fibers  52  together to form optical coupling layer  16  (fiber optic plate  16 ). The fractional cross-sectional area occupied by core  54  may be between 65% and 85%, between 60% and 75%, greater than 60%, greater than 65%, greater than 70%, or another desired value. The fractional cross-sectional area occupied by cladding 56 may be between 2% and 10%, between 1% and 20%, greater than 5%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or another desired value. The fractional cross-sectional area occupied by binder material  58  may be between 2% and 10%, between 1% and 20%, greater than 5%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or another desired value. 
     The diameter of core  54  may be 5-15 microns or other suitable size (e.g., at least 3 microns, at least 7 microns, 10 microns, at least 15 microns, less than 20 microns, less than 14 microns, etc.). The thickness of cladding  56  may be 0.5 microns, at least 0.1 microns, at least 0.4 microns, less than 2 microns, less than 0.9 microns, or other suitable thickness. If desired, fibers  52  may contain more layers, fewer layers, layers arranged in different orders, and/or may have other configurations. Light absorbing material may be incorporated into optical coupling layer  16  to absorb light and prevent transmission of undesired types of light. Light absorbing material may be incorporated into some or all of the cores, cladding, and/or binder within the optical coupling layer. The light absorbing material may be, for example, polymer, glass, or other material into which light-absorbing material such as dye and/or pigment has been incorporated. 
     The optical coupling layer may have an output surface with a larger surface area than the input surface, thus allowing the optical coupling layer to hide an inactive border area of the display. To achieve this expansion of the optical coupling layer, some of the fibers (e.g., in peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer) may have a larger diameter at the output surface of the optical coupling layer than at the input surface of the optical coupling layer. A consequence of this optical coupling layer expansion is that the effective display resolution is reduced. This may cause a perceived screen-door effect when viewing the display of electronic device  10 . 
     The screen-door effect may refer to a visible artifact of a display that is caused by lines separating pixels in the display being visible. Each pixel in a display has a respective light-emitting area. Between the pixels, non-light-emitting areas are present. If the display resolution is sufficiently high, the non-light-emitting areas are not perceptible to the viewer of the display. However, as the resolution decreases, the non-light-emitting areas may become perceptible to the viewer. The non-light-emitting areas appear as dark (black) lines extending between the pixels in a grid or screen-door like pattern. 
     In electronic device  10 , the pixels on display panel  14  may have a sufficiently high resolution to prevent a perceptible screen-door effect. In other words, in the absence of display cover layer  32  with optical coupling layer  16 , the screen-door effect may not be present. However, the expansion of the optical coupling layer effectively reduces the display resolution on the output surface of the optical coupling layer. In one illustrative example, display panel  14  may have a pixel density of 500 pixels per inch (PPI). The pixel density may be similar in the central portion of the output surface of the optical coupling layer. However, at the peripheral portion of the output surface of the optical coupling layer, where the fibers are expanded, the pixel density may be reduced to about 250 PPI. At this reduced resolution, the screen-door effect may be present when viewing the output surface of the optical coupling layer. 
     To mitigate the screen-door effect, the electronic device may include a light spreading layer as shown in  FIG.  4   . Light spreading layer  64  may spread the light from a pixel to cover the non-light-emitting areas adjacent to that pixel. Covering the non-light-emitting areas with light from the pixels reduces the screen-door effect. Because the light spreading layer effectively expands the light-emitting area of a given pixel, the light spreading layer may instead be referred to as pixel expansion layer  64 , pixel widening layer  64 , etc. 
     The pixel expansion layer may be a diffractive layer (e.g., diffraction layer  64 , diffractive layer  64 , etc.) that uses diffraction of light to create duplicate light-emitting areas (e.g., duplicate pixels) that are shifted relative to the actual light-emitting areas (e.g., actual pixels or original pixels). The duplicate pixel areas may be shifted to occupy the otherwise non-light-emitting areas to reduce the screen-door effect. The diffractive layer may have diffractive structures that create the duplicate pixels using diffraction. This example is merely illustrative, and other types of pixel expansion layers may be used if desired. For example, the pixel expansion layer may be a diffusion layer that evenly spreads the light from the light-spreading area, a refractive layer with prisms or other structures to direct the light in a desired manner, etc. In one example, the output surfaces of each fiber  16 F in the optical coupling layer may be shaped or angled to direct the output light in a way that mitigates the screen-door effect. In yet another example, the diffractive layer may be formed from metamaterial structures (e.g., a material with nano-scale structures in a periodic pattern). 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , adhesive layers such as adhesive layers  62  and  66  may be used to secure the pixel expansion layer within the display cover layer. In the example of  FIG.  4   , a first adhesive layer  66  is interposed between transparent protective structure  30  and pixel expansion layer  64 . A second adhesive layer  62  is interposed between pixel expansion layer  64  and the output surface of optical coupling layer  16 . Adhesive layers  62  and  66  may be optically clear adhesive (OCA), liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA), or any other desired type of adhesive. 
     Diffractive layer  64  may be separated from the output surface of optical coupling layer  16  by a distance  68 . In  FIG.  4   , distance  68  is equivalent to the thickness of adhesive layer  62 . However, this need not be the case, such as in arrangements where adhesive layer  62  is omitted and/or additional layers are included between diffractive layer  64  and optical coupling layer  16 . Distance  68  may effect the performance of the diffractive layer and may be selected to optimize the performance of the diffractive layer, as will be discussed in greater detail in connection with  FIG.  12   . 
     Herein, the term pixel may be used to refer to both a light-emitting component on display panel  14 , a light-emitting area on the output surface of optical coupling layer  16 , and a light-emitting area on the outer surface of display cover layer  32  (e.g., on the outer surface of protective layer  30 ). The pixels at the output surface of the optical coupling layer may have a different arrangement (e.g., different sizes, spacing, positions, etc.) than the pixels on the display panel due to the translation and expansion caused by the optical coupling layer. The pixels at the outer surface of the display cover layer may have a different arrangement than on the output surface of the optical coupling layer due to the pixel expansion performed by pixel expansion layer  64 . 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  are top views of illustrative pixels on an output surface of a display cover layer showing how a diffractive layer such as diffractive layer  64  may mitigate the screen-door effect.  FIG.  5 A  shows pixels on the output surface of the display cover layer (e.g., the outer surface of protective layer  30 ) without diffractive layer  64  present.  FIG.  5 B  shows pixels on the output surface of the display cover layer when diffractive layer  64  is present.  FIG.  5 A  shows four pixels  70  (A, B, C, and D) arranged in a 2×2 grid. Without diffractive layer  64 , a dark band  72  may be formed in a mesh-like pattern between the pixels. Dark band  72  (sometimes referred to as a screen-door pattern) may be present due to relatively large spacing between pixels  70 . The area of dark band  72  is not illuminated by any of the pixels and therefore appears black when viewed by a user. 
     Diffractive layer  64  may create duplicate pixels that occupy the space between the original pixels to eliminate the presence of the dark band between the pixels.  FIG.  5 B  again has four pixels  70  (A, B, C, and D) arranged in a 2×2 grid on the output surface of the display cover layer. However, diffractive layer  64  creates duplicate pixels  74  that are then present on the outer surface of the display cover layer in addition to pixels  70 . Diffractive layer  64  may create any desired number of duplicate pixels. In the example of  FIG.  5 B , diffractive layer  64  creates 8 duplicate pixels that are arranged in a grid-like pattern around each original pixel. Pixel A has 8 associated duplicate pixels A′, pixel B has 8 associated duplicate pixels B′, pixel C has 8 associated duplicate pixels C′, and pixel D has 8 associated duplicate pixels D′. Because pixels  70  are originally present on the output surface of optical coupling layer  16 , pixels  70  may sometimes be referred to as original pixels (in contrast to the duplicate pixels  74  which are not present on the output surface of optical coupling layer  16 ). 
     The duplicate pixels  74  generated by diffractive layer  64  occupy the space between original pixels  70 . Thus, the gap in light-emitting area between the original pixels (band  72  from  FIG.  5 A ) is not present. The diffractive layer therefore mitigates the screen-door effect by generating duplicate pixels to occupy the space between the original pixels on the output surface of the display cover layer. 
     In  FIG.  5 B , each duplicate pixel may be separated from its associated original pixel by a distance  76 . Distance  76  may be greater than 5 micron, greater than 10 micron, greater than 25 micron, greater than 50 micron, greater than 70 micron, greater than 100 micron, greater than 500 micron, less than 200 micron, less than 100 micron, less than 50 micron, between 20 and 100 micron, etc. Distance  76  may be tuned depending on the spacing between original pixels  70 . Distance  76  may be more than 10% of the distance between adjacent original pixels  70 , more than 30% of the distance between adjacent original pixels  70 , less than 50% of the distance between adjacent original pixels  70 , between 10% and 50% of the distance between adjacent original pixels  70 , between 20% and 40% of the distance between adjacent original pixels  70 , etc. Distance  76  may, for example, be selected such that the duplicate pixels occupy the non-light-emitting areas between original pixels without overlapping adjacent original pixels or adjacent duplicate pixels. 
     The example in  FIG.  5 B  of each original pixel having 8 associated duplicate pixels is merely illustrative. Each original pixel may have more than 2 associated duplicate pixels, more than 4 associated duplicate pixels, more than 6 associated duplicate pixels, more than 8 associated duplicate pixels, more than 10 associated duplicate pixels, less than 10 associated duplicate pixels, between 4 and 10 associated duplicate pixels, 1 associated duplicate pixel, etc. The depiction of discrete duplicate pixels in  FIG.  5 B  is also merely illustrative. In some cases, a duplicate light-emitting area may be created by diffractive layer  64  that has a different shape than original pixel  70 . For example, a duplicate pixel may be formed by a continuous ring of light that surrounds an original pixel and duplicates the light from the original pixel. 
     Diffractive layer  64  may be formed in a variety of different ways. In one example, shown in  FIG.  6   , diffractive layer  64  has a first layer  82  with a varying thickness. A second layer  84  may conform to the first layer. Layer  84  has a planar upper surface in  FIG.  6    and therefore also has a varying thickness. Layers  82  and  84  may have different refractive indices. The difference in refractive indices may cause diffraction at the interface between layers  82  and  84  when light passes through the diffractive layer. 
     Layer  82  has first portions with a first thickness  86  and second portions with a second thickness  88 . Thickness  88  is smaller than thickness  86 , creating gaps above the second portions and between the first portions. Layer  84  fills these gaps, creating a difference in refractive index in a plane (parallel to the XY-plane) that includes both portions of layer  84  and portions or layer  82 . 
     Layers  82  and  84  may be formed from any desired material. The layers may be formed from a transparent polymer material in one example (e.g., photopolymer). In some cases, layer  82  and/or  84  may be formed from a layer that has another function in the electronic device. For example, layer  82  and/or layer  84  may be an adhesive layer. Layer  84  may be formed by adhesive layer  66  in  FIG.  4   , as one example. Layer  82  may be formed by adhesive layer  62  in  FIG.  4   , in another example. One of layers  82  and  84  may be formed from air (e.g., an air gap) if desired. 
     Thicknesses  86  and  88  may each be less than 3 micron, less than 5 micron, less than 10 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 1 micron, greater than 0.1 micron, greater than 1 micron, greater than 50 micron, between 1 and 10 micron, etc. The difference between the two thicknesses may be less than 3 micron, less than 5 micron, less than 10 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 1 micron, greater than 0.1 micron, greater than 1 micron, greater than 50 micron, between 1 and 10 micron, etc. Each one of layers  82  and  84  may have a refractive index that is greater than 1.0, greater than 1.2, greater than 1.3, greater than 1.4, greater than 1.5, greater than 1.6, less than 1.7, less than 1.5, less than 1.3, between 1.1 and 1.5, etc. The difference between the refractive indices of layers  82  and  84  may be greater than 0.1, greater than 0.2, greater than 0.3, greater than 0.5, less than 0.5, less than 0.3, between 0.1 and 0.5, between 0.1, and 0.3, etc. 
     Each portion of layer  86  with thickness  86  may sometimes be referred to as a diffractive element or diffractive structure. The repeating diffractive elements may be separated by pitch  90 . Pitch  90  may be less than 10 micron, less than 15 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 100 micron, greater than 5 micron, greater than 10 micron, greater than 15 micron, greater than 20 micron, between 1 and 20 micron, between 5 and 10 micron, etc. Adhesive layers may be formed on either side of the diffractive layer of  FIG.  6   . For example, an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  66  in  FIG.  4    may be formed adjacent layer  84  such that layer  84  is interposed between layer  82  and adhesive layer  66 . Additionally or instead, an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  62  in  FIG.  4    may be formed adjacent layer  82  such that layer  82  is interposed between layer  84  and adhesive layer  62 . 
       FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  are top views showing various arrangements for the diffractive elements of the diffractive layer of  FIG.  6   . In  FIG.  7 A , the thicker portions of layer  82  extend in strips across the diffractive layer. The strips of layer  82  are separated by strips of layer  84  (e.g., a strip of layer  84  is interposed between each pair of adjacent strips of layer  82 ). This example is merely illustrative. In an alternate arrangement, shown in  FIG.  7 B , layers  82  and  84  may be arranged in a checkerboard pattern across the diffractive layer. Each square of layer  82  may be laterally surrounded by four squares of layer  84  and each square of layer  84  may be laterally surrounded by four squares of layer  82 . These patterns for the diffractive elements are merely illustrative and other patterns may be used if desired. 
     In  FIGS.  6  and  7   , diffractive layer  64  is formed by a first layer having a varying thickness and a second layer that conforms to the first layer and that has a different refractive index than the first layer. In another possible arrangement, shown in  FIG.  8   , diffractive layer  64  may be formed from a single layer that has a varying index of refraction within the XY-plane. As shown in  FIG.  8   , diffractive layer  64  may have first portions  92  with a first refractive index and coplanar second portions  94  with a second refractive index that is different than the first refractive index. 
     Portions  92  and  94  of diffractive layer  64  may be formed from any desired material. The layers may be formed from a transparent polymer material in one example (e.g., photopolymer). In some cases, portions  92  and/or portions  94  may be formed from a layer that has another function in the electronic device (e.g., an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  62  or adhesive layer  66  from  FIG.  4   ). Each one of portions  92  and  94  may have a refractive index that is greater than 1.0, greater than 1.2, greater than 1.3, greater than 1.4, greater than 1.5, greater than 1.6, less than 1.7, less than 1.5, less than 1.3, between 1.1 and 1.5, etc. The difference between the refractive indices of portions  92  and  94  may be greater than 0.1, greater than 0.2, greater than 0.3, greater than 0.5, less than 0.5, less than 0.3, between 0.1 and 0.5, between 0.1, and 0.3, etc. The repeating diffractive elements may be separated by pitch  90 . Pitch  90  may be less than 10 micron, less than 15 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 100 micron, greater than 5 micron, greater than 10 micron, greater than 15 micron, greater than 20 micron, between 1 and 20 micron, between 5 and 10 micron, etc. Adhesive layers may be formed on either side of the diffractive layer of  FIG.  8   . 
     The diffractive elements of  FIG.  8    may be arranged in the pattern of  FIG.  7 A , the pattern of  FIG.  7 B , or any other desired pattern. 
     The diffractive layer may have a gradual thickness change instead of a thickness step change as in  FIG.  6   .  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B  are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative diffractive layer with a gradual thickness change. As shown in  FIG.  9 A , the thickness of layer  82  may vary in a curved pattern (sometimes referred to as a serpentine pattern, sinusoidal pattern, or wavy pattern) in the X-direction. Similarly, as shown in  FIG.  9 B , the thickness of layer  82  may vary in a curved pattern (sometimes referred to as a serpentine pattern, sinusoidal pattern, or wavy pattern) in the Y-direction. Layer  84  may conform to layer  82 . 
     Layers  82  and  84  in  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B  may be formed from any desired material. The layers may be formed from a transparent polymer material in one example (e.g., photopolymer). In some cases, layer  82  and/or  84  may be formed from a layer that has another function in the electronic device. For example, layer  82  and/or layer  84  may be an adhesive layer. Layer  84  may be formed by adhesive layer  66  in  FIG.  4   , as one example. Layer  82  may be formed by adhesive layer  62  in  FIG.  4   , in another example. One of layers  82  and  84  may be formed from air (e.g., an air gap) if desired. 
     Layer  82  may have an associated maximum thickness  96  and an associated minimum thickness  98 . Thicknesses  96  and  98  may each be less than 3 micron, less than 5 micron, less than 10 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 1 micron, greater than 0.1 micron, greater than 1 micron, greater than 50 micron, between 1 and 10 micron, etc. The difference between thicknesses  96  and  98  may be less than 3 micron, less than 5 micron, less than 10 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 1 micron, greater than 0.1 micron, greater than 1 micron, greater than 50 micron, between 1 and 10 micron, etc. Each one of layers  82  and  84  may have a refractive index that is greater than 1.0, greater than 1.2, greater than 1.3, greater than 1.4, greater than 1.5, greater than 1.6, less than 1.7, less than 1.5, less than 1.3, between 1.1 and 1.5, etc. The difference between the refractive indices of layers  82  and  84  may be greater than 0.1, greater than 0.2, greater than 0.3, greater than 0.5, less than 0.5, less than 0.3, between 0.1 and 0.5, between 0.1, and 0.3, etc. 
       FIG.  9 C  is a top view of the diffractive layer shown in  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B . As shown, the sinusoidal thickness variation in both the X and Y directions may result in an array of diffractive structures  100  (sometimes referred to as diffractive elements) being formed across the diffractive layer. Each diffractive structure may be a dome-shaped protrusion of layer  82  formed by the thickness profiles of  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B . The diffractive layer may be referred to as having an egg-carton or egg-crate shape due to the array of curved, dome-like protrusions that extend in a grid across the diffractive layer. 
     The repeating diffractive structures  100  may be separated by pitch  90 . Pitch  90  may be less than 10 micron, less than 15 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 100 micron, greater than 5 micron, greater than 10 micron, greater than 15 micron, greater than 20 micron, between 1 and 20 micron, between 5 and 10 micron, etc. Adhesive layers may be formed on either side of the diffractive layer of  FIGS.  9 A- 9 C . For example, an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  66  in  FIG.  4    may be formed adjacent layer  84  such that layer  84  is interposed between layer  82  and adhesive layer  66 . Additionally or instead, an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer  62  in  FIG.  4    may be formed adjacent layer  82  such that layer  82  is interposed between layer  84  and adhesive layer  62 . 
     As discussed in connection with  FIG.  5 B , the diffractive layer may result in duplicate pixels that are separated from the associated original pixel by a distance  76 . The distance  76  between the duplicate pixel and original pixel may be tuned to optimally reduce screen-door effect while mitigating blur in the display. However, the optimal magnitude for distance  76  may be dependent upon the distance between adjacent original pixels within the display. 
     Referring to  FIG.  5 B , the distance between adjacent pixels (e.g., pixel A and pixel B) on the output surface of the optical coupling layer may vary across the display. In particular, the optical coupling layer expansion may increase towards the edges of the optical coupling layer. Therefore, the distance between pixels on the output surface of the optical coupling layer may increase towards the edge of the optical coupling layer. Accordingly, the design of the diffractive layer may vary across the diffractive layer to compensate for the variation in the expansion of the display. 
     Distance  76  in  FIG.  5 B  may be controlled by a variety factors, any or all of which may be tuned to optimize performance of the diffractive layer. The pitch of the diffractive elements of the diffractive layer (e.g., pitch  90  in  FIGS.  6 ,  8 , and  9 C ) may affect the magnitude of distance  76  in  FIG.  5 B . As the pitch of the diffractive elements increases, distance  76  will decrease. In other words, distance  76  between the duplicate pixel produced by the diffractive layer and the associated original pixel is inversely proportional to the pitch of the diffractive elements of the diffractive layer. Therefore, as the distance between the original pixels increases towards the edge of the optical coupling layer, the pitch of the diffractive elements may decrease. 
       FIG.  10    is a graph showing the relationship between the pitch of the diffractive elements and the position on the diffractive layer. As shown, in a portion of the diffractive layer corresponding to central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer, there may be a relatively constant pitch (because central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer has a relatively constant pixel spacing). However, in peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer, the pixel spacing may increase as the pixel position moves closer to the edge of the optical coupling layer. Accordingly, as shown in  FIG.  10   , the pitch of the diffractive elements may decrease as the position within the diffractive layer moves closer to the edge of the diffractive layer. 
     The refractive index difference (Δn) of the diffractive layer (e.g., the refractive index difference between layers  82  and  84  in  FIG.  6   , the refractive index difference between portions  92  and  94  in  FIG.  8   , the refractive index difference between layers  82  and  84  in  FIG.  9   , etc.) may affect the magnitude of distance  76  in  FIG.  5 B . As the refractive index difference increases, distance  76  will increase. In other words, distance  76  between the duplicate pixel produced by the diffractive layer and the associated original pixel is proportional to the refractive index difference of the diffractive layer. Therefore, as the distance between the original pixels increases towards the edge of the optical coupling layer, the refractive index difference of the diffractive elements may increase. 
       FIG.  11    is a graph showing the relationship between the refractive index difference of the diffractive layer and the position on the diffractive layer. As shown, in a portion of the diffractive layer corresponding to central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer, there may be a relatively constant refractive index difference (because central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer has a relatively constant pixel spacing). However, in peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer, the pixel spacing may increase as the pixel position moves closer to the edge of the optical coupling layer. Accordingly, as shown in  FIG.  11   , the refractive index difference may increase as the position within the diffractive layer moves closer to the edge of the diffractive layer. 
     The distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer (e.g., distance  68  in  FIG.  4   ) may affect the magnitude of distance  76  in  FIG.  5 B . As the magnitude of distance  68  between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer increases, distance  76  will increase. In other words, distance  76  between the duplicate pixel produced by the diffractive layer and the associated original pixel is proportional to the distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer. Therefore, as the distance between the original pixels increases towards the edge of the optical coupling layer, the distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer may increase. 
       FIG.  12    is a graph showing the relationship between the distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer and the position on the diffractive layer. As shown, in a portion of the diffractive layer corresponding to central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer, there may be a relatively constant distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer (because central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer has a relatively constant pixel spacing). However, in peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer, the pixel spacing may increase as the pixel position moves closer to the edge of the optical coupling layer. Accordingly, as shown in  FIG.  12   , the distance between the diffractive layer and the optical coupling layer may increase as the position within the diffractive layer moves closer to the edge of the diffractive layer. 
     Other properties of the diffractive layer may vary based on position on the diffractive layer if desired. 
     As previously mentioned, the diffractive layer  64  may include layers that serve additional functions within the electronic device. Examples of adhesive layers forming part of the diffractive layer have previously been discussed. As another example, the diffractive layer may be at least partially formed by transparent protective layer  30 . 
       FIG.  13    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display cover layer  32  with a protective layer that also forms part of a diffractive layer for the electronic device. As shown in  FIG.  13   , diffractive layer  64  may include protective layer  30 . Protective layer  30  may be formed from a layer of glass, clear polymer, crystalline material such as sapphire or other crystalline material, and/or other transparent material. The presence of layer  30  may help protect the outer surface of layer  16  from scratches. The inner surface  102  of protective layer  30  may be patterned or etched to have thickness variations (e.g., recesses) of the type shown in  FIG.  6    or  FIG.  9   . An adhesive layer  62  may be interposed between protective layer  30  and optical coupling layer  16 . The adhesive layer  62  may conform to the inner surface of the protective layer and fill the recesses on the inner surface of the protective layer. There may be a refractive index difference between protective layer  30  and adhesive layer  62 . Therefore protective layer  30  and adhesive layer  62  form diffractive layer  64  and mitigate the screen-door effect. 
     The diffractive elements formed by the recesses on the inner surface of protective layer  30  may have any desired shape and size (e.g., the arrangement of  FIG.  6   , the arrangement of  FIG.  9   , etc.). Each one of protective layer  30  and adhesive layer  62  may have a refractive index that is greater than 1.0, greater than 1.2, greater than 1.3, greater than 1.4, greater than 1.5, greater than 1.6, less than 1.7, less than 1.5, less than 1.3, between 1.1 and 1.5, etc. The difference between the refractive indices of layers  30  and  62  may be greater than 0.1, greater than 0.2, greater than 0.3, greater than 0.5, less than 0.5, less than 0.3, between 0.1 and 0.5, between 0.1, and 0.3, etc. Pitch  90  between diffractive elements formed by protective layer  30  may be less than 10 micron, less than 15 micron, less than 20 micron, less than 50 micron, less than 100 micron, greater than 5 micron, greater than 10 micron, greater than 15 micron, greater than 20 micron, between 1 and 20 micron, between 5 and 10 micron, etc. 
     In addition to mitigating the screen-door effect, the diffractive layer may be used to mitigate additional visible artifacts such as the sparkle effect. Sparkle may refer to a variance in brightness in the display caused by the optical coupling layer. The optical coupling layer may include a plurality of optical fibers, as shown in connection with  FIG.  3   . Some pixels in display panel  14  may be overlapped by more fibers than others. For example, consider an example where a first pixel on the display panel is overlapped by four fibers and a second pixel on the display panel is overlapped by five fibers. When the first and second pixels attempt to display pixel data having the same brightness, the actual perceived brightness of the first pixel may be lower than the perceived brightness of the second pixel (due to less of the light being conveyed by the optical coupling layer for the first pixel than the second pixel). This type of variance may result in brightness variations across the display. For example, if a solid white image is displayed on the display panel, the viewer may perceive different brightness levels even though the brightness is meant to be uniform. This type of visible artifact may be referred to as the sparkle effect or simply sparkle. 
     To mitigate sparkle within the display, the diffractive layer may create duplicate pixels that overlap adjacent pixels within the display.  FIG.  14    shows two adjacent pixels  70  (A and B). Diffractive layer  64  may create duplicate pixels that overlap the adjacent original pixels to average the brightness of the two pixels and reduce brightness variations caused by the optical coupling layer. Diffractive layer  64  creates duplicate pixels  74  that are then present on the outer surface of the display cover layer in addition to pixels  70 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  14   , the diffractive layer is designed to create duplicate pixels that overlap an adjacent original pixel. For example, duplicate pixel A′ overlaps original pixel B and duplicate pixel B′ overlaps original pixel A. Diffractive layer  64  may be designed such that distance  76  between the original pixel and associated duplicate pixel is approximately equivalent to the distance between two adjacent original pixels. 
     As a result of the duplicate pixels overlapping adjacent original pixels, brightness averaging occurs and smooths out any brightness variations in the original pixels. Consider an example where original pixel A has a relative brightness of 100% and original pixel B has a relative brightness of 80%. Duplicate pixel A′ (which also has a relative brightness of 100%) overlaps original pixel B. The perceived brightness in this area will therefore be the average brightness of original pixel B and duplicate pixel A′ (equal to 90% in this example). Duplicate pixel B′ (which also has a relative brightness of 80%) overlaps original pixel A. The perceived brightness in this area will therefore be the average brightness of original pixel A and duplicate pixel B′ (equal to 90% in this example). Therefore, the perceived brightness in both areas is the same (e.g., 90%), despite the brightness differences in the original pixels. 
     A diffractive layer  64  having any of the aforementioned structures may be used to mitigate sparkle in the display. The diffractive layer may have diffractive elements of the type shown in  FIG.  6 ,  8   , or  9 . The diffractive layer may be designed such that distance  76  between the duplicate pixel and the associated original pixel results in the duplicate pixel overlapping an adjacent original pixel. 
     The optimal diffractive layer design to mitigate the screen-door effect (with duplicate pixels in an otherwise black area between pixels) may be different than the optimal diffractive layer design to mitigate the sparkle (with duplicate pixels that overlap adjacent original pixels). The design of the diffractive layer may therefore depend on the specific priorities of a particular device. In some cases, the diffractive layer may be designed to prioritize mitigation of different visible artifacts in different areas of the diffractive layer. For example, a first portion of the diffractive layer may be used to mitigate sparkle and a second portion of the diffractive layer may be used to mitigate the screen-door effect. 
       FIG.  15    is a top view of a diffractive layer with a first portion used to mitigate sparkle and a second portion used to mitigate the screen-door effect. As shown, diffractive layer  64  has a central portion  112 . Central portion  112  of the diffractive layer may overlap central portion  42  of optical coupling layer  16 . In central portion  42  of the optical coupling layer, there may be little to no fiber expansion. Therefore, the display resolution of the display panel may be maintained at the output surface of central portion  42 . Accordingly, the screen-door effect may not be very perceptible (if perceptible at all) to the viewer. Therefore, central portion  112  of the diffractive layer may have a design that mitigates sparkle. 
     Peripheral portion  114  of the diffractive layer may overlap peripheral portion  44  of optical coupling layer  16 . In peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer, the fibers may be expanded as discussed in connection with  FIG.  2   . Therefore, the screen-door effect may be more prevalent in peripheral portion  44  of the optical coupling layer. Accordingly, peripheral portion  114  of diffractive layer  64  may have a design that mitigates screen-door effect. The pitch of the diffraction elements, the refractive index difference of the diffractive layer, the distance between the optical coupling layer and the diffractive layer, and/or other diffractive layer properties may be different in portions  112  and  114 . 
     The structure of the diffractive elements of the diffractive layer may also be different in corner portions  116  of the diffractive layer. The alignment of the grid of diffraction elements may, for example, be adjusted in the corner portions  116  to account for the geometry of the corner portions. 
     In the embodiments of  FIG.  4   , the diffractive layer  64  is depicted as being formed between optical coupling layer  16  and protective layer  30 . In other words, the diffractive layer  64  is formed at the output surface of the optical coupling layer. However, when compensating for sparkle, the diffractive layer may instead be positioned between the optical coupling layer and the display panel (at the input surface of the optical coupling layer). 
       FIG.  16    is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device with a diffractive layer that is interposed between the optical coupling layer and the display panel. The diffractive layer in  FIG.  16    may have any of the structures previously described in connection with  FIGS.  6 - 9   . Adhesive layers may optionally be formed on either side of the diffractive layer between display panel  14  and optical coupling layer  16 . When diffractive layer  64  is formed at the input surface of the optical coupling layer as in  FIG.  16   , the diffractive layer may be used to compensate for the sparkle effect but not the screen-door effect. Therefore, diffractive layer  64  in  FIG.  16    may be optimized to mitigate sparkle across the entire diffractive layer (instead of prioritizing screen-door effect in a peripheral portion as in  FIG.  15   ). A second diffractive layer may be included between optical coupling layer  16  and protective layer  30  to mitigate screen-door effect in addition to the diffractive layer  64  that is interposed between optical coupling layer  16  and display panel  14 . 
       FIG.  17    is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device with a cover glass that includes a high-index-of-refraction adhesive layer between the display panel and the optical coupling layer. Electronic device  10  in  FIG.  17    has a similar arrangement to the electronic device of  FIG.  4   , with diffractive layer  64  interposed between optical coupling layer  16  and protective layer  30 . However,  FIG.  17    also shows how additional optical films  122  may be formed over display panel  14 . An adhesive layer  124  is interposed between optical films  122  and optical coupling layer  16 . 
     Adhesive layer  124  may have a high refractive index to prevent undesired reflections of ambient light. If the refractive index of adhesive layer  124  is not sufficiently high, ambient light from exterior  22  may be guided through fibers  16 F towards adhesive layer  124  and reflect off of the interface between fibers  16 F and adhesive layer  124  (due to total internal reflection). The ambient light is thus reflected back towards the viewer, undesirably reducing contrast in the display and resulting in visible artifacts. 
     When the refractive index of adhesive layer  124  is sufficiently high, the ambient light may pass through adhesive layer  124  and ultimately be absorbed by optical films  122  (e.g., a circular polarizer within optical films  122 ). The refractive index of adhesive layer  124  may be greater than 1.5, greater than 1.55, greater than 1.6, greater than 1.65, greater than 1.7, between 1.55 and 1.75, less than 1.75, etc. The difference in refractive index between adhesive layer  124  and the fiber cores (e.g., cores  54  in  FIG.  3   ) may be less than 0.3, less than 0.2, less than 0.1, less than 0.05, less than 0.02, greater than 0.01, between 0.01 and 0.1, between 0.05 and 0.2, etc. 
     The optical films  122  may also have refractive indices selected to mitigate undesired reflections of ambient light. For example, optical film  122 - 1  may be a quarter wave plate. Optical film  122 - 2  may be a linear polarizer. Optical films  122 - 1  and/or  122 - 2  may form part of a circular polarizer. Optical films  122 - 1  and  122 - 2  may have refractive indices selected to be greater than 1.5, greater than 1.55, greater than 1.6, greater than 1.65, greater than 1.7, between 1.55 and 1.75, less than 1.75, etc. The difference in refractive index between adhesive layer  124  and optical film  122 - 1  may be less than 0.3, less than 0.2, less than 0.1, less than 0.05, less than 0.02, greater than 0.01, between 0.01 and 0.1, between 0.05 and 0.2, etc. The difference in refractive index between optical film  122 - 1  and optical film  122 - 2  may be less than 0.3, less than 0.2, less than 0.1, less than 0.05, less than 0.02, greater than 0.01, between 0.01 and 0.1, between 0.05 and 0.2, etc. 
     Using an adhesive layer (and optical films) with a high refractive index as shown in  FIG.  17    therefore mitigates visible artifacts caused by reflections of ambient light. A diffractive layer of the type shown in  FIG.  16    may be incorporated as one of optical films  122  if desired. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20201015
Publication Date: 20230516
Grant Date: 20230516
Priority Date: 20191205
Inventors: QIAO, YI
DOYLE, DAVID A.
LANDRY, JAMES P.
GUILLOU, Jean-Pierre S.
XU, MING
KELLEY, PAUL C.
GETTEMY, SHAWN R.
KAKUDA, TYLER R.
WANG, YING-CHIH
CUI, Yue
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G02B1/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/34", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/06", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B1/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/06", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/34", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/34", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 86333820