PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10705634-B1
Application Number: US-201815967392-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Foldable electronic device with exposed display region

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display is flexible and bends around a bend axis as the housing is folded and unfolded. When the housing is in an unfolded configuration, the display lies flat in a plane and displays images for a user. When the housing is folded along the bend axis and placed into a folded configuration, a first portion of the display is covered by the housing and is hidden from view, whereas a protruding second portion of the display is uncovered by the housing and exposed for viewing. Control circuitry in the device may display notifications, icons, and other content on the exposed second portion.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having first and second housing portions that rotate with respect to each other about a single fixed bend axis; and 
 a flexible display in the housing that overlaps the single fixed bend axis, wherein the flexible display has a first display portion that is covered when the housing is folded along the single fixed bend axis and has a second display portion that protrudes from the first display portion and that is not covered when the housing is folded along the single fixed bend axis and the first and second housing portions are overlapping and adjacent to each other, and wherein the flexible display is only foldable along the single fixed bend axis such that the second display portion is always exposed. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to display notifications and icons on the second portion when the housing is folded along the single fixed bend axis. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising touch sensors on a portion of the housing, wherein the touch sensors are adjacent to the second display portion when the housing is folded along the single fixed bend axis. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a speaker, wherein the housing has a surface with an opening for the speaker and wherein the opening and the second display portion face in a common direction when the housing is folded along the single fixed bend axis. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 an optical component in the second display portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the optical component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of: a camera, an optical proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the protruding portion is a strip-shaped display portion that runs parallel to the single fixed bend axis. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the protruding portion is a strip-shaped display portion that runs perpendicular to the single fixed bend axis. 
     
     
       9. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having first and second housing portions that rotate with respect to each other about a bend axis; and 
 a flexible display in the housing that overlaps the bend axis, wherein the flexible display has a first display portion that is covered when the housing is folded along the bend axis and has a second display portion that protrudes from the first display portion and that is not covered when the housing is folded along the bend axis and the first and second housing portions are overlapping and adjacent to each other, and wherein the second display portion extends along at least three edges of the housing. 
 
     
     
       10. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having portions defining a rear surface and a sidewall surface; 
 a flexible display coupled to the housing and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the housing and the flexible display are configured to bend about a bend axis, wherein the second portion is on the sidewall surface, and wherein:
 when the housing is in an unfolded configuration and is not bent about the bend axis, the first portion lies in a plane parallel to the rear surface and is visible; and 
 when the housing is in a folded configuration and is bent about the bend axis, the first portion is hidden from view and the second portion is visible on an end of the housing. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to display at least one of: a notification and an icon on the second portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the sidewall surface has a curved cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the sidewall surface has a planar cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
       14. An electronic device, comprising:
 a foldable housing that bends about a bend axis between an unfolded configuration and a folded configuration; 
 a flexible display coupled to the foldable housing and having first and second portions, wherein the flexible display has an active area with an array of pixels configured to display images, wherein the bend axis overlaps an edge of the second portion and wherein:
 when the foldable housing is in the unfolded configuration, the first portion and the second portion lie flat in a common plane and display an image; and 
 when the foldable housing is in the folded configuration, the first portion is hidden from view and the second portion protrudes from the housing and is exposed and viewable. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the second portion has an additional edge that is parallel to the edge and wherein the additional edge runs parallel to the bend axis. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the housing has a speaker port and wherein the speaker port and the second portion face in a common direction when the foldable housing is in the folded configuration. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the second portion has an additional edge that is perpendicular to the edge and wherein the additional edge runs perpendicular to the bend axis. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  further comprising a camera in the second portion. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  further comprising an ambient light sensor in the second portion.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/537,242, filed Jul. 26, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as laptop computers, cellular telephones, and other equipment may include displays. To enhance portability, devices may be provided with the ability to fold. A foldable device may be placed in an unfolded configuration to expand the size of the device and thereby facilitate user interaction with the device. When it is desired to enhance portability, the foldable device may be placed in a folded configuration. 
     If care is not taken, foldable devices may be inconvenient to use. For example, device functions may be inaccessible to a user when a foldable device is in its folded configuration. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of pixels that form an active area for displaying images. The array of pixels may be formed from on a flexible substrate so that the display is flexible and bends around a bend axis as the housing is folded and unfolded. 
     When the housing is in an unfolded configuration, the display lies flat and displays images for a user. When the housing is folded along the bend axis and placed into a folded configuration, a first portion of the display is covered by the housing and is hidden from view, while a protruding second portion of the display that lies in the same plane as the first portion is uncovered by the housing and exposed for viewing. In some configurations, the second portion extends down a sidewall of the housing and remains viewable at the end of the device when the housing is in the folded configuration. 
     Control circuitry in the device may display images for the user on the display when the housing is in the unfolded configuration. When the housing is in the folded configuration and the first portion of the display is hidden from view, display notifications, icons, and other content may be displayed on the exposed second portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of an electronic device with a display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device with a hinge structure in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of the portion of the electronic device of  FIG. 3  in a partially folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an illustrative unfolded electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the illustrative electronic device of  FIG. 5  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of an illustrative unfolded electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG. 7  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of an illustrative unfolded electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG. 9  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of an illustrative unfolded electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG. 11  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an illustrative unfolded electronic device with a display that extends over a sidewall of the device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the illustrative electronic device of  FIG. 13  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS. 15, 16, and 17  are cross-sectional side views of end portions of illustrative electronic devices in accordance with embodiments. 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a window in a folded configuration that allows a portion of a display to be viewed through the window in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional side view of the electronic device of  FIG. 19  in a configuration in which housing portions have been slid past each other to reveal an edge region of a display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 22  is a cross-sectional side view of the electronic device of  FIG. 21  in a configuration in which housing portions have been slid past each other to reveal an edge region of a display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 23  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional side view of the electronic device of  FIG. 23  in a folded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 25  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a scrolling display in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices can be provided with displays. The displays may, if desired, be flexible displays having one or more bendable portions. This allows the electronic devices to be folded. As an example, two halves of an electronic device housing may be folded and rotated with respect to each other about a bend axis (folding axis). A flexible display in the electronic device may have a bendable portion that overlaps the bend axis. In this type of arrangement, the electronic device may be used in a folded configuration in which portability is enhanced and an unfolded configuration in which the display is unfolded for use. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with a foldable display is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. Illustrative configurations in which electronic device  10  is a portable electronic device such as a cellular telephone or tablet computer may sometimes be described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Electronic device  10  may be any suitable electronic equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may have control circuitry  20 . Control circuitry  20  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 control circuitry  20  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . 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. 
     Control circuitry  20  may include wired and/or wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry of circuitry  20  may include one or more antennas and one or more radio-frequency transceiver circuits (e.g., a cellular telephone transceiver, a wireless local area network transceiver, etc.). 
     Input-output circuitry in device  10  such as input-output devices  22  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. Input-output devices  22  may include buttons, joysticks, scrolling wheels, key pads, keyboards, tone generators, haptic output devices such as vibrators, light-emitting diodes and other status indicators, data ports, etc. Input-output devices  22  may also include sensors  24 . Audio output (sound) may be provided using one or more speakers such as speakers  26 . 
     Input-output devices  12  may include one or more displays such as display  14 . Display  14  may be a touch screen display that includes a touch sensor for gathering touch input from a user or display  14  may be insensitive to touch. A touch sensor for display  14  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. 
     Sensors  18  may include touch sensors (e.g., capacitive touch sensors formed from arrays of capacitive touch sensor electrodes that overlap display  14  and/or that are formed elsewhere in device  10 ), microphones for gathering ambient noise measurements and voice commands, a magnetic sensor (e.g., a compass), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a force sensor (e.g., a two-dimensional force sensor which may optionally overlap a touch sensor and/or display  14 ), a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a compass, etc. Sensors  18  may also include light-based sensors such as a light-based proximity sensor (e.g., an optical proximity sensor having an infrared light-emitting diode that emits light and having a corresponding infrared light detector for measuring the infrared light after the infrared light has reflected from an external object), an ambient light sensor (e.g., a color-sensitive ambient light sensor that can measure ambient light color and intensity), and a camera (e.g., a digital image sensor) for capturing images, and/or other image sensing and/or light-detecting devices. Devices  22  may also include light-emitting diodes (e.g., status indicator lights, a camera flash, etc.) and/or other light-emitting devices. Light-based (optical) components such as these (e.g., light-emitting device and/or light-based sensors) may be mounted under transparent window regions (e.g., a transparent window in a portion of display  14 , a transparent window in a device housing, etc.). 
     A perspective view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device is shown in  FIG. 2 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , device  10  includes a display such as display  14  mounted in housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or 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.). Portions of housing  12  may be formed from flexible materials (e.g., elastomeric materials such as silicone and/or other flexible polymers) and/or may include hinge structures (e.g., pivoting structures, single-bar or multibar linkages and/or other hinging mechanisms). Using these structures, housing  12  may bend about a bend axis (sometimes referred to as a bending axis, fold axis, folding axis, flex axis, etc.). 
     Openings may be formed in device  10 . For example, an opening may be formed in display  14  to accommodate a button, a speaker port such as illustrative speaker port  18  of  FIG. 2 , or other components. Openings may be formed in housing  12  to form communications ports (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.), to form openings for buttons, openings for microphones and speakers, etc. 
     Display  14  may be a liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an organic light-emitting diode display or other display with an array of light-emitting diodes, a plasma display, an electrowetting display, a display based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) pixels, or any other suitable display. Display  14  may have an array of pixels  28  in active area AA. Pixels  28  of active area AA may display images for a user of device  10 . Active area AA may be rectangular or may have other suitable shapes. In some configurations, display  14  may have a flexible polymer substrate such as a polyimide substrate on which an array of pixel structures such as an array of organic light-emitting diodes and associated pixel circuits is formed. The flexible polymer substrate may facilitate bending. 
     Inactive border area IA may run along one or more edges of active area AA. Inactive border area IA may contain circuits, signal lines, and other structures that do not emit light for forming images. Masking structures (e.g., layers of black ink, etc.) may be used to hide inactive circuitry and other components in border area IA from view by a user of device  10 . 
     Light-based components in device  10  (e.g., light-emitting diodes for status indicator lights and camera flashes, light-based sensors, and/or other optical components) may be overlapped by one or more windows such as window  30  of  FIG. 2 . Windows such as window  30  may be formed in a transparent portion of display  14 , may be formed from a through-hole that passes through an array of pixels in display  14  (e.g., in an active area of display  14 ), and/or may be formed from transparent members of glass, sapphire, etc. that are mounted in housing  12  (e.g., in a rear housing wall of housing  12 , etc.). In some configurations, thin layers of masking structures (e.g., thin black ink layers) may overlap optical windows that are otherwise transparent (e.g., to help obscure an optical component such as an ambient light sensor from view). In such configurations, light transmission may be reduced, but sufficient light is still passed to allow the optical window with the thin black ink coating to serve as an optical window for an optical component (e.g., an ambient light sensor in this example). 
     In some configurations, device  10  may have front and rear surfaces such as front surface F and rear surface R of  FIG. 2 . When device  10  is in an unfolded configuration, the front and rear surfaces may be lie in parallel planes on opposing sides of device  10 . Display  14  may be mounted in housing  12  on front surface F, whereas a planar rear housing wall in housing  12  forms rear surface R. In a folded configuration, portions of front surface F may face each other while portions of rear surface R may face away from each other. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device  10  showing how display  14  may overlap a hinge structure in housing  12  such as hinge structure  34 . Hinge structure  34  runs along bend axis  32  and allows device  10  to bend about bend axis  32 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Device  10  may, as an example, bend by 180° so that portions of housing  12  fold back on themselves. Hinge structure (hinge)  34  may be configured to support other amounts of bending (e.g., more or less than 180° about axis  32 ), if desired. Hinge structure  34  may include rotating interlocking structures, may include multi-element linkages, may include flexible sheets of material that flex about axis  32  and therefore serve as hinge structures, may include accordioned and/or selectively thinned layers of material that promote flexing, and/or may include other suitable hinge structures that support rotation of portions of device  10  about axis  32 . 
     Portions of display  14  may become hidden from view as device  10  is folded (e.g., when first and second halves or other portions of housing  12  rotate until they are adjacent to each other and overlap each other). Other portions of display  14  may be configured to remain exposed when device  10  is folded. This type of arrangement is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , device  10  may be characterized by a center axis (axis of symmetry) such as axis  38 . In the example of  FIG. 5 , center axis  38  runs along lateral dimension Y perpendicular to longitudinal axis  36  of device  10 . Device  10  and housing  12  have a length L along axis  36 . Center axis  38  is located at equal distances L/2 with respect to edges  40  of housing  12  and display  14 . To create a region of display  14  that is unexposed when device  10  is folded, bend axis  32  and hinge structure  34  may be laterally offset (in lateral dimension X in this example) by a non-zero distance D with respect to center axis  38 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , when device  10  is folded (e.g., by folding housing  12  and display  14  back on themselves 180° about bend axis  32  so that the folded portions of housing  12  are adjacent to each other), protruding display portion  14 P of display  14  will be exposed and not covered by other portions of display  14  and housing  12 . The surface of protruding display portion  14 P may be co-planar with other portions of display  14  (e.g., portion  14 P may lie in a common plane with front surface F and the portions of display  14  on front surface F when device  10  is unfolded). 
     Protruding display portion  14 P (sometimes referred to as an uncovered display region, protruding display region, uncoverable display region, exposed display edge, uncovered persistently exposed display area, etc.) may be used to display any suitable content. As an example, notifications of incoming messages (emails, text messages, etc.), calendar content (e.g., meeting reminders), alerts (e.g., alarms, location-based alerts, etc.), battery status, wireless signal strength, airplane mode status, and other status information may be displayed on protruding display portion  14 P by control circuitry  20 . The uncovered persistently exposed display area may also be used by control circuitry  20  to display icons (e.g., icons associated with default applications and/or a set of frequently used and/or user-defined applications) and/or other content. The content that is displayed may be interactive (e.g., the content may include selectable on-screen items such as selectable icons, selectable buttons, selectable menu options, and/or other selectable content). Selectable content may be selected by supplying user input to select a displayed item (e.g., with an overlapping touch sensor and/or force sensor and/or with nearby touch sensors, force sensors, buttons, etc.). 
     To accommodate speakers such as speaker  26  ( FIG. 1 ), a speaker port such as speaker port  18  may be formed on rear surface R of housing  12  (e.g., so that protruding display region  14 R and speaker port  18  face in the same direction when device  10  is in the folded configuration of  FIG. 6 ). Device  10  may include one or more optical windows  30  for light-based components and these windows may be formed in region  14 P and/or other portions of device such as in a portion of the rear wall for housing  12  that is on rear surface R. If desired, touch sensors (e.g., a two-dimensional touch sensor), buttons, or other input-output devices  22  may be formed in a region such as region  50  on rear surface R of housing  12  (e.g., so that a user may supply input to one of these regions in response to adjacent content being displayed on protruding portion  14 P). Audio port  52  may be formed in a sidewall of housing  12  (e.g., along the lower edge of housing  12 ) and may include a speaker (speakers  26  of  FIG. 1 ) and/or a microphone (e.g., a microphone for use in capturing a user&#39;s voice during a voice command or telephone call). 
     In the example of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , protruding display portion  14 P extends from the left edge of display  14  as viewed by a user facing front surface F of device  10 . If desired, protruding display portion  14 P may protrude from the right edge or other portions of display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , for example, protruding display portion  14 P may protrude outwardly (in the X-Y plane in which display  14  lies) from the upper edge of display  14 . As described in connection with  FIG. 6 , windows such as window  30  may overlap light-based components (e.g., a camera, camera flash, light-based proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, etc.). Speaker port opening  18  may be used to accommodate a speaker (e.g., an ear speaker for a user to use during cellular telephone calls with device  10 ). 
     When device  10  of  FIG. 7  is placed in a folded configuration as shown in  FIG. 8 , opening  18  and windows such as window  30  on protruding portion  14 P will remain uncovered by display  14  and housing  12 . This allows the user of device  10  to use speaker port  18  during telephone calls and allows optical components (e.g., an ambient light sensor, light-based proximity sensor, camera, and/or other optical components overlapped by portion  14 P) to be used without unfolding device  10 . 
     Protruding portion  14 P of  FIGS. 7 and 8  forms a strip-shaped display area that runs along a peripheral edge of display  14  perpendicular to bend axis  32 , whereas protruding portion  14 P of  FIGS. 5 and 6  forms a strip-shaped display area that runs along a peripheral edge of display  14  parallel to bend axis  32 . As shown in the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 9 , display  14  may have portions  14 P that protrude from multiple edges of device  10  such as along the upper, left, and lower edges of the left half of display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , these portions  14 P will remain uncovered by display  14  and housing  12  when device  10  is placed in a folded configuration. 
     In the example of  FIGS. 11 and 12 , device  10  has a tri-fold configuration in which housing  12  and display  14  are bent about two parallel bend axes  32 ′. As shown in  FIG. 11 , display  14  may have a protruding portion such as protruding portion  14 P that protrudes upwardly from the center of the upper edge of display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , protruding portion  14 P remains uncovered by housing  12  and display  14  when the left and right portions of housing  12  are folded on top of the central portion of display  14 . 
     Another illustrative configuration is shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . In this arrangement, display  14  (e.g., a flexible display such as an organic light-emitting diode display, etc.) may have a first portion  14 - 1  (e.g., a main rectangular planar portion for displaying images during normal operation) on front surface F of device  10  and a second portion  14 - 2  on at least one sidewall of device  10  ( FIG. 13 ). Portions  14 - 1  and  14 - 2  may be integral portions of a common display (e.g., portions  14 - 1  and  14 - 2  may be formed from a single array of pixels on a single common flexible substrate that is bent along edge  60  and folded down along the upper edge of housing  12 , so that portion  14 - 2  is supported by the sidewall of housing  12  that lies along the upper edge of device  10 ). During operation of device  10  in the unfolded configuration of  FIG. 13 , content may be displayed for a user on main display portion  14 - 2  on front surface F of device  10  and may optionally be displayed for the user on smaller sidewall portion  14 - 2 . During operation of device  10  in the folded configuration, display portion  14 - 1  is hidden from view, but display portion  14 - 2  can still be used to display content for a user (e.g., content of the type displayed on protruding portion  14 P of  FIGS. 5-12  such as notifications, icons, etc.). As with the arrangements of  FIG. 5 , a portion of display  14  remains in view in the configuration of  FIG. 14 , even as device  10  is placed in the folded configuration. 
       FIGS. 15, 16, and 17  are cross-sectional side views of illustrative edge portions of device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , housing  12  may have vertical sidewalls that support portions  14 - 2  of display  14 .  FIG. 16  shows how the sidewalls of housing  12  may be tapered. In the example of  FIG. 17 , the sidewalls of housing  12  have a curved cross-sectional profile (e.g., the sidewalls are rounded). 
       FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional side view of device  10  in an illustrative configuration in which device  10  has a transparent window in housing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 18 , window  12 W may pass through housing  12  from a portion of rear surface R to a portion of front surface F. This allows portion  14 ′ of display  14  to be viewed by user  70 , even when device  10  is in its folded configuration as shown in  FIG. 18 . Window  12 W may be formed form clear polymer structures, transparent glass structures, air-filled opening(s), and/or other transparent structures. 
     Illustrative device  10  of  FIG. 19  has flexible structures  80  (e.g., air gaps, elastomeric structures, etc.) that allows device housing  12  to flex sufficiently to slide around bend axis  32 . As shown in  FIG. 20 , edge portion  14 ″ of display  14  may be selectively exposed (not covered by housing  12 ) by pushing a first part of housing  12  (e.g., the lower part in the example of  FIG. 20 ) in direction  84  while pushing a second part of housing  12  (e.g., the upper part in the example of  FIG. 20 ) in opposing direction  82 . 
     In the example of  FIGS. 21 and 22 , device  10  has another slide-to-expose configuration based on linkage  86  and associated hinge structures  34 ′. 
       FIGS. 23 and 24  are cross-sectional side views of device  10  in an illustrative configuration in which housing  12  has a protruding portion such as portion  90  that is thicker than other portions of housing  12  in the unfolded configuration. As shown in  FIG. 23 , in the unfolded configuration, display  14  may be used to display images on front surface F of device  10 . Device  10  may have a display such as display  14 X that serves as a supplemental display for displaying content of the type described in connection with protruding display portion  14 P and/or other suitable content. When device  10  is placed in the folded (closed) position of  FIG. 24 , rear surface  12 R of the portion of housing  12  that is folded over display  14  may lie flush with display  14 X. 
     Device  10  may, if desired, have a scrolling flexible display such as display  14 C of  FIG. 25  that is mounted in an interior portion of housing  12 . When it is desired to use display  14  during normal use to view video, read books, etc., display  14  can be unscrolled in its entirely by withdrawing all or most of display  14  from housing  12  (e.g., by pulling on the end of display  14  in direction  92 ). When it is desired to stow display  14  for travel, but it is still desired to receive notifications and other information (see, e.g., the content displayed on protruding portion  14 P), a strip-shaped edge portion  14 W of display  14  can be configured to protrude out of housing  12  as shown in  FIG. 25 . Notifications and other content can be displayed on portion  14 W. 
     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: 20180430
Publication Date: 20200707
Grant Date: 20200707
Priority Date: 20170726
Inventors: DRZAIC, PAUL S.
KIM, HOON SIK
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G09F9/301", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1681", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1652", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1647", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1656", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1686", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04817", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K1/028", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/10083", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1605", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1605", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K1/028", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04817", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/10083", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 71408556