Electronic device with rollable display

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices with rollable displays. An electronic device can have a rollable display. The display can move between an unrolled state in which the display is planar and a rolled state in which a rollable portion of the display is rolled up for storage. The display can have a display panel with an array of pixels that generate images and a transparent protective layer that overlaps the array of pixels. The transparent protective layer can include a glass layer. The glass layer can be locally thinned in the rollable portion to facilitate rolling of the display. The display can be configured to apply a compressive stress to the outward-facing surface of the glass layer when the display is rolled up. The compressive stress in the outward-facing glass surface can help prevent damage to the display when the display is bent during a rolling operation.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 963,417, filed October 11, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 299,293, filed January 13, 2022, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to electronic devices having displays. BACKGROUND

[0003] Electronic devices often have displays. Portability can be a concern for some devices, which tends to limit the available space for the display. SUMMARY

[0004] An electronic device can have a rollable display. The display can move between an unrolled state in which the display is unrolled for viewing and a rolled state in which a rollable portion of the display is rolled up for storage. In the unrolled state, the display can be planar. In the rolled state, the rollable portion is curved about an axis as it is rolled onto a roll for storage.

[0005] The display can have a display panel having an array of pixels that produce an image and a transparent protective layer that overlaps the array of pixels. The transparent protective layer can include a glass layer. The glass layer can be locally thinned in the rollable portion to facilitate bending.

[0006] During use of the device, the outward-facing surface of the transparent protective layer can be exposed to objects that can cause scratches, while the inward-facing surface of the transparent protective layer can be protected and thereby have fewer surface irregularities. To help prevent breakage in the glass layer, the display can be configured to roll such that its outward-facing surface receives compressive stress. As the display bends during the rolling operation, the compressive stress in the outward-facing glass surface can help prevent any scratches in the outward-facing display from causing breakage or other damage to the display. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 is a side view of an illustrative flexible display in accordance with an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 are cross-sectional side views of illustrative displays having rolled portions in accordance with embodiments.

[0010] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an exemplary electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary electronic device according to an embodiment, in which an outward-facing surface of a display has a first region that receives compressive stress when being rolled, while a second region receives tensile stress.

[0012] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary display having a rollable portion according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Electronic devices can be provided with displays. The displays can be used to display images for a user. The displays can be formed from an array of light-emitting diode pixels or other pixels. For example, a device can have an organic light-emitting diode display or a display formed from an array of micro light-emitting diodes (e.g., light-emitting diodes formed from crystalline semiconductor dies).

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device having a display is shown. Device 10 can be a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wrist-watch device or other wearable device, a television, a stand-alone computer display or other monitor, a computer display with a built-in computer such as a desktop computer, a system embedded in a vehicle, a multimedia terminal, or other embedded electronic device, a media player, or other electronic equipment. Configurations in which device 10 is a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or other portable electronic device can sometimes be described herein as examples. This is illustrative. In general, device 10 can be any suitable electronic device having a display.

[0015] Device 10 can include control circuitry 20. Control circuitry 20 can include storage and processing circuitry to support operation of device 10. This storage and processing circuitry can include storage devices such as 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 can be used to gather input from sensors and other input devices, and can be used to control output devices. The processing circuitry can be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors and other wireless

[0016] To support communication between device 10 and external equipment, control circuitry 20 can use communication circuitry 22 to communicate. Circuitry 22 can include antennas, radio-frequency transceiver circuitry (wireless transceiver circuitry), and other wireless communication circuitry and / or wired communication circuitry. Circuitry 22, which can sometimes be referred to as control circuitry and / or control and communication circuitry, can support bidirectional wireless communication between device 10 and external equipment via wired and / or wireless links (e.g., circuitry 22 can include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, such as wireless local area network transceiver circuitry configured to support communication via a wireless local area network link, near-field communication transceiver circuitry configured to support communication via a near-field communication link, cellular telephone transceiver circuitry configured to support communication via a cellular telephone link, or transceiver circuitry configured to support communication via any other appropriate wired or wireless communication link). For example, wireless communication can be supported through links, links, wireless links operating at frequencies between 6 GHz and 300 GHz, 60 GHz links or other millimeter-wave links, cellular telephone links, wireless local area network links, personal area network communication links, or other wireless communication links. Device 10, if desired, can include power supply circuitry for transmitting and / or receiving wired and / or wireless power, and can include a battery or other energy storage device. For example, device 10 can include a coil and a rectifier to receive wireless power that is provided to circuitry in device 10.

[0017] Device 10 can include input-output devices such as device 24. Input-output device 24 can be used to gather user input, to gather information about a user’s surroundings, and / or to provide output to a user. Device 24 can include one or more displays, such as display 14. Display 14 can be an organic light-emitting diode display, a liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an electro wetting display, a plasma display, a microelectromechanical systems display, a display having an array of pixels formed from crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diode dies (sometimes referred to as microLEDs), and / or other displays. Configurations in which display 14 is an organic light-emitting diode display or a microLED display are sometimes described herein as examples.

[0018] Display 14 can have an array of pixels configured to display images to a user. The pixels can be formed as part of a bendable display panel. This allows device 10 to be bent about a bend axis. For example, a flexible (bendable) display in device 10 can be partially or fully rolled up so that device 10 can be placed in a compact shape for storage, and can be unrolled when it is desired to view images on the display. A display having a rollable structure can sometimes be referred to herein as a rollable display, a scrollable display, a flexible display, or a bendable display. A rollable display can be fully rollable (e.g., flexible over its entire area) or can be partially rollable (e.g., one or more edge portions of the display can be provided with sufficient flexibility to be rolled, while one or more other portions of the display can be less flexible and / or can be fixed in a planar state).

[0019] Sensors 16 in input-output devices 24 can 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., two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors integrated into display 14, two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors overlapping display 14, and / or touch sensors forming buttons, trackpads, or other input devices not associated with the display), and other sensors. If desired, sensors 16 can include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light, ultrasonic sensors, optical touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and / or other touch and / or proximity sensors, monochrome and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional contactless gestures (“mid-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 containing some or all of these sensors), health sensors, radio frequency sensors, depth sensors (e.g., structured light sensors and / or depth sensors based on stereoscopic imaging devices that capture three-dimensional images), optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors that gather time-of-flight measurements, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, line-of-sight tracking sensors, and / or other sensors. In some arrangements, device 10 can use sensors 16 and / or other input-output devices to gather user input. For example, buttons can be used to gather button press input, touch sensors overlapping the display can be used to gather user touch screen input, touchpads can be used to gather touch input, microphones can be used to gather audio input, accelerometers can be used to monitor when a finger contacts an input surface and thus can be used to gather finger press input, etc.

[0020] If desired, the electronic device 10 can include additional components (see, e.g., other devices 18 in the input-output devices 24). The additional components can include a haptic output device, an audio output device such as a speaker, a light-emitting diode for a status indicator, a light source such as a light-emitting diode to illuminate portions of the housing and / or display structure, other optical output devices, and / or other circuitry to gather input and / or provide output. The device 10 can also include a battery or other energy storage device, connector ports for supporting wired communication with auxiliary equipment and for receiving wired power, and other circuitry.

[0021] Figure 2 is a side view of an illustrative display of the electronic device 10. As shown in Figure 2 , the display 14 can have a back side B and a front side F. The front side F can face a user of the electronic device during use, and can sometimes be referred to as the outward-facing side or surface of the display 14. The back side B can face away from the user and can sometimes be referred to as the inward-facing side or surface of the display 14. The outline of the display 14 can be rectangular or can have other suitable shapes when viewed by a user.

[0022] The display panel 14P of the display 14 can have an array of pixels such as an array of light-emitting pixels (e.g., a rectangular array of light-emitting diodes). During operation, the array of pixels of the panel 14P can produce an image that passes through the transparent protective layer 14T and can be viewed by a user on the front side F. The protective layer 14T can include a transparent polymer, a transparent glass, and / or other transparent structure that allows an image to be viewed while providing support (e.g., rigidity) and protection (e.g., protection from scratches and other damage) for the display panel 14P. As an example, a layer of glass attached to the outer (forward-facing) surface of the panel 14P can be used to prevent the display panel 14P from deforming and becoming damaged when a user's finger, a computer stylus, or other external object contacts the front side F of the display 14. A protective polymer layer and / or other protective layer can be formed as a coating on the glass layer to help prevent scratches of the glass layer. The substrate used to form the panel 14P can be flexible (e.g., the display panel 14P can have an array of pixels formed on a flexible polymer substrate or other flexible substrate). The protective layer 14T can also be formed of a flexible structure. Thus, some or all areas of the display 14 can be flexible, which allows some or all of the display 14 to be rolled up for storage.

[0023] For example, consider that the display 14 is a touch screen display that is used to display a graphical user interface (GUI) and to gather user input. As an example, the display 14 can be used to display a graphical user interface that includes a menu of options for the user to select. The user can select an option by touching the display 14 at a location that corresponds to the option. The location of the touch can be determined by the display 14 and / or other circuitry of the device 10. Figure 3A side view of display 14 is shown in FIG. 1. In this example, display 14 has a planar portion (such as planar portion 30) and a curled portion 26 that has been rolled about axis 28. When it is desired to store display 14, some or all of display 14 can be rolled up as shown in portion 26. When it is desired to increase the amount of display surface area that is visible to a user, some or all of curled portion 26 can be unrolled (e.g., display 14 can be unrolled so that more or all of display 14 is planar as shown in portion 30).

[0024] During curling and / or other bending operations, the glass of layer 14T is subjected to compressive and tensile stresses. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the surface of the glass layer in layer 14T that faces front side F (the outward-facing surface of the glass layer) is subjected to a compressive stress, and the surface of the glass layer in layer 14T that faces back side R (the inward-facing surface of the glass layer) is subjected to a tensile stress. In general, display 14 can be curled inward on its front surface (as shown in FIG. 1) or can be curled outward about its back surface (as shown in the example configuration of FIG. 2). Figure 3 Figure 3 Figure 4

[0025] During manufacturing, small surface irregularities (e.g., pits, grooves, or other depressions of approximately hundreds of nanometers in size) can be formed on the front and back surfaces of the glass layer in layer 14T. During user use of display 14, contact with a user's fingers, a computer stylus, and / or other external objects can cause deeper surface irregularities (e.g., pits, grooves, and / or other depressions of approximately one micron or more in size) to form. If excessive tensile stress is applied (e.g., by curling layer 14T so that layer 14T and the glass layer of layer 14T are characterized by an excessively small bend radius), the presence of these micron-sized surface irregularities can make the glass layer susceptible to cracking. To help ensure that the glass layer does not crack, it can be advantageous to curl display 14 inward toward front side F as shown in FIG. 1, rather than to curl the display outward toward back side B as shown in FIG. 2. In this way, the less-susceptible surface of the glass layer (i.e., the unscratched surface of the glass layer that faces back side B and that has smaller surface irregularities) is subjected to tensile stress during curling about axis 28, while the more-susceptible surface of the glass layer (i.e., the surface of the glass layer that faces the user and that is therefore subjected to scratches from the user and that has larger surface irregularities) is subjected to compressive stress during curling about axis 28. Placing the more fragile surface of the glass layer in layer 14T under compressive stress can help ensure that display 14 will not be subject to any undesirable cracking or other damage. Figure 3 Figure 4

[0026] Figure 3 Figure 4 ​​​​​​​In the example of FIG. 1, one edge of the display 14 is being rolled up. If desired, two opposite edges can be rolled up for storage. This type of arrangement is shown in Figure 5 FIG. 2. As shown in Figure 5 FIG. 2, the left edge of the display 14 can be flexible enough to be rolled up for storage and unrolled to deploy the display for displaying images, and the right edge of the same display 14 can be flexible enough to be rolled up when stored and unrolled for use.

[0027] The electronic device 10 can include rigid and flexible housing structures. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device having a housing. As shown in Figure 6 FIG. 3, the housing 12 can have portions that form a back housing wall. The interior region 32 of the device 10 can contain electrical components 36 mounted on a substrate such as a printed circuit 34. The interior region 32 can be separated from the exterior region surrounding the device 10 by the back housing wall (housing 12) and by the display 14.

[0028] The display panel 14P has an array of pixels that form images under the inward-facing surface of the protective layer 14T. The display panel 14P can be, for example, a flexible organic light-emitting diode display or a micro-LED display in which the light-emitting pixels are formed on a flexible substrate layer (e.g., a flexible layer of polyimide or other flexible polymer sheet). The flexible support layer for the display 14 can also be formed of flexible glass, flexible metal, and / or other flexible structures. If desired, the device 10 can have a support layer formed of slats such as slats 38 (e.g., slats that are each attached to a left and right adjacent slat by a hinge structure). The slats 38 can help maintain the desired support for the display 14 as the display 14 is wrapped around the axis 28 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 ). The slats 38 can be formed of an elongated strip of metal or other material and can extend along an axis that is parallel to the axis 28. Backside display panel support layers formed of flexible metal and / or polymer layers can also be used. Furthermore, the layer 14T can use a flexible glass layer to help provide structural support for the display panel 14P.

[0029] Layer 14T can be formed of a polymer layer, one or more glass layers, a crystalline material such as sapphire, other materials, and / or combinations of these materials. To locally increase flexibility, a portion of the glass layer in layer 14T corresponding to the rollable portion of display 14 can be locally thinned (e.g., this portion can be thinned relative to portions of the glass layer that do not roll about axis 28). The thickness of the glass layer of layer 14T (e.g., the non-thinned portions of the glass layer) can be 50-200 microns, 70-150 microns, 100-200 microns, 100-400 microns, 100-600 microns, at least 100 microns, at least 200 microns, less than 600 microns, less than 400 microns, less than 250 microns, less than 150 microns, less than 100 microns, at least 50 microns, or other suitable thicknesses. The thickness of the locally thinned portions of the glass layer of layer 14T can be 30-150 microns, less than 200 microns, less than 150 microns, less than 100 microns, less than 75 microns, less than 40 microns, at least 15 microns, or other suitable thicknesses that are thinner than the thickness of the non-thinned portions of the glass layer. Thicker glass tends to be less bendable than thinner glass, but can provide greater rigidity to display panel 14P and thus enhance protection of panel 14P. Thinner glass allows display 14 to be tightly rolled up (with a small bend radius). The bend radius of the rolled-up portion of display 14 can be at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 6 mm, at least 15 mm, less than 30 mm, less than 20 mm, less than 10 mm, less than 5 mm, or other suitable values.

[0030] Figure 7is a cross-sectional side view of device 10 in an illustrative configuration, where housing 12 of device 10 has a planar portion supporting planar portion 30 of display 14 and a rolled display storage portion supporting rolled portion 26 of display 14. The outward-facing surface of display 14 on upper side U of device 10 presents images to a user. Beneath planar portion 30 of display 14, housing 12 can have a thumb grip and / or other structure allowing adjustment of the lateral dimension of housing 12. When an extension of display 14 is desired, housing 12 can extend to the left (-X direction) to help support the enlarged area of portion 30 as rolled portion 26 is unrolled by pulling out from the rolled display storage portion of housing 12. When a contraction of display 14 is desired, housing 12 can contract (the left edge TP of housing 12 and display 14 can move to the right in the +X direction). As the dimension of the planar portion of housing 12 is reduced in this manner, spring-loaded roller 42 can rotate counterclockwise about roller axis 28 so that portion 26 of display 14 retracts and rolls up about roller 42 for storage within the rolled display storage portion of housing 12. The diameter of the rolled display storage portion of housing 12 (H1+H2) and the associated diameter of roller 42 are large enough to accommodate rolled portion 26 of display 14 while maintaining a desired minimum bend radius to prevent damage to display 14.

[0031] To help minimize the distance that housing 12 protrudes above the plane of planar display portion 30, a reverse bend portion RB of display 14 can be provided with a bend in the opposite direction from portion 26, and housing 12 can be shaped to conform to the bend in display 14. In the example of FIG. 1, reverse bend portion RB is characterized by a bend in the opposite direction (e.g., display 14 bends downward away from the user). As a result of the presence of reverse bend portion RB, axis 28 is moved to a lower height (in the -Y direction) than it would be without the reverse bend portion. This helps to minimize the distance that housing 12 protrudes above the plane of planar display portion 30. Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 1, rolled portion 26 of display 14 is wrapped upward around roller 42 and axis 28, while reverse bend portion RB is characterized by a bend in the opposite direction (e.g., display 14 bends downward away from the user). As a result of the presence of reverse bend portion RB, axis 28 is moved to a lower height (in the -Y direction) than it would be without the reverse bend portion. This helps to minimize the distance that housing 12 protrudes above the plane of planar display portion 30. Figure 7This decreases the value of H1 (the amount by which the housing 12 protrudes above the plane of the planar portion 30 of the display 14) and increases the value of H2 (the amount by which the housing 12 extends below the plane of the planar portion 30 of the display 14 at the back of the device 10). In the reverse bend portion RB, the outer surface of the glass layer of the display 14 is exposed to tension, while the inner surface of that glass layer is exposed to compression. The outer surface can be more susceptible to breakage due to surface damage than the inner surface, but the bend radius of the display 14 in the reverse bend portion RB is greater than the bend radius of the display 14 in the curled portion 26, which helps to reduce the tension on the outer surface to a satisfactory level. As an example, the bend radius of the portion RB can be at least two times, at least five times, or at least ten times (as examples) greater than the bend radius of the portion 26. The use of the housing and display configuration of the device 10 that forms the reverse bend in the display 14 in this way helps to reduce the visible protrusion in the housing 12 for the curled display storage and can thereby enhance the appearance of the device 10. Configurations in which the reverse bend portion RB of the display 14 is omitted (e.g., a configuration in which the display 14 is planar except where the curled portion 26 is formed) can also be used.

[0032] The housing 12 can form the housing walls, sidewall structures, and / or internal support structures (e.g., frames, optional intermediate plate members, etc.) of the device 10. Portions of the housing 12 on the sidewalls and back wall of the device 10 can be formed of glass or other transparent structures and / or non-transparent structures such as metal, non-transparent polymers, etc.

[0033] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the display 14. In Figure 8In an example configuration, display 14 includes a flexible display panel (panel 14P) attached to the back surface of a transparent protective layer 14T. Layer 14T can include a glass layer 48. In display portion BP, glass layer 48 can have a first thickness Tl, while in display portion LP, glass layer 48 can be locally thinned and can be characterized by a second thickness T2 that is less than Tl. Tl can have a value of 50 microns - 200 microns, 70 microns - 150 microns, 100 microns - 200 microns, 100 microns - 400 microns, 100 microns - 600 microns, at least 100 microns, at least 200 microns, less than 600 microns, less than 400 microns, less than 250 microns, less than 150 microns, less than 100 microns, at least 50 microns, or other suitable thickness that helps protect display panel 14P from damage when the surface of display 14 is contacted by an external object. T2 can have a value that is small enough to allow display 14 to be bent of 30 microns - 150 microns, less than 200 microns, less than 150 microns, less than 100 microns, less than 75 microns, less than 40 microns, at least 15 microns, or other suitable thickness that allows display 14 to be rolled up while still providing some help in protecting the rigidity of display 14. If desired, the transition between regions of different thickness in the cross-sectional profile of layer 48 can be provided with a curved cross-sectional profile or other profile with a smoothly varying thickness. These curved profile shapes can help avoid stress concentrations due to abrupt thickness changes and thus can help to enhance the strength of layer 48.

[0034] A protective back coating 50 can be located between the back (inward-facing) surface of glass layer 48 and the opposite front (outward-facing) surface of display panel 14P. Layer 50 can be formed of a flexible polymer. The presence of layer 50 can help to protect the inner surface of glass layer 48 and can help to planarize the inner surface of glass layer 48 in order to facilitate mounting of display panel 14P against that inner surface (e.g., through an additional adhesive layer and / or using the adhesive properties of layer 50). Polymer 50 can be flexible enough to bend in portion 26. The index of refraction of polymer 50 can be matched to the index of refraction of glass layer 48 to help minimize light reflection (e.g., by incorporating inorganic nanoparticles in the polymer material of layer 50). For example, the index of refraction of polymer 50 can differ from the index of refraction of layer 48 by less than 0.15, less than 0.1, or less than 0.05 at a wavelength of 500 nm (as examples).

[0035] To help protect the front (outward-facing) surface of the display 14 from damage during use (e.g., to help prevent scratches of the glass layer 48 that would weaken the glass layer 48), the layer 48 can be provided with a protective coating, such as the protective coating 40. The layer 40 can have one or more individual layers of material (e.g., a polymer such as polyimide or other). As an example, the layer 40 can have an inner layer (e.g., a polyimide layer or other polymer layer 46 having a thickness of 50 microns, 10-100 microns, 20-80 microns, or other suitable thickness) and an outer layer that is thinner than the inner layer (e.g., a polymer layer such as the polymer layer 44 having a thickness of a few microns, at least 0.5 microns, at least 1 micron, at least 2 microns, 2-10 microns, 2-8 microns, less than 15 microns, less than 7 microns, or other suitable thickness). In this type of arrangement, the layer 46 can help prevent relatively deep scratches in the layer 40 from penetrating to the outer surface of the glass layer 48, while the layer 44 (which can be formed of a polymer that is harder than the layer 46) can help protect the surface of the layer 46 from scratches that can cause hazing or other visible changes in the layer 40. The layer 40 faces outward from the layer 14T and thus can sometimes be referred to as a top coating or top coated layer of the layer 14T, while the layer 50 faces inward from the layer 14T and can sometimes be referred to as a back coating, back coated layer, back coat, or back coated layer of the layer 14T.

[0036] Optional coatings can be formed on the outer surface of the layer 40. These optional coatings can include, for example, an anti-smudge layer, an anti-fog layer, an anti-reflective layer, an anti-static layer, and / or other coatings. In some configurations, each of these functions can be implemented using a separate respective coating. In other configurations, a single layer can provide multiple functions.

[0037] As described above, one aspect of the present technology is the collection and use of information, such as from input-output devices. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances, data can be collected in connection with one or more individuals who can interact with the system, and used in a manner that is not personally identifiable to the individual. For example, an individual can visit a website. Such a visit can create log data associated with a browser. Such a browser can be associated with a cookie that is not personally identifiable to the individual. If such data were to be used in a manner that is personally identifiable to the individual, at least one of the embodiments described herein can be invoked.

[0038] This disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information within the technology disclosed herein can be used to benefit users. For example, the personal information data can be used to deliver targeted content that is of interest to the user. Therefore, the use of such personal information data enables users to have planned control over the content delivered. Furthermore, this disclosure also anticipates other uses of personal information data that are beneficial to users. For example, health and fitness data can be used to provide insights into a user's overall health status or as positive feedback for individuals using technology to pursue health goals.

[0039] This disclosure assumes that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing, or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and adhere to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information data. Such policies should be easily accessible to users and should be updated as data collection and / or use change. Personal information from users should be collected for the entity's lawful and reasonable purposes and not shared or sold outside of these lawful uses. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be conducted only after obtaining informed consent from users. Additionally, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that others with access to such personal information data comply with their privacy policies and processes. Furthermore, such entities may be subject to third-party evaluations to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Additionally, policies and practices should be adapted to the specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and to applicable laws and standards, including specific considerations regarding jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, the collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws such as the Health Insurance and Accountability Act (HIPAA), while in other countries health data may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be processed accordingly. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained for different types of personal data in each country.

[0040] Regardless of the preceding, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which users selectively block the use and / or access of any personal information data by the present disclosure. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and / or software elements could be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, the present technology can be configured to allow users to opt-in or opt-out of participation in the collection of personal information data during registration for services or anytime thereafter. In another example, users can be provided with an opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of the future use of their personal information data as well as an opportunity to change these preferences. In yet another example, the user can be provided with an opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of the use of their personal information data to contact or target content, products, or services to the user. In yet another example, users can be provided with an opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of the future use of their personal information data by the present disclosure.

[0041] Furthermore, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when appropriate, data de-identification can be used to protect a user’s privacy during storage and analysis of the data. In appropriate circumstances, de-identification can be facilitated, in part, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or

[0042] Accordingly, while the present disclosure broadly covers technologies that use information including personal information data, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which various aspects of the disclosure operate without access to or use of personal information data that identifies or can be used to identify a specific user. In these embodiments, personal information data should be removed from the service or otherwise anonymized so that no personal information data is obtained or used to operate the technology of the present disclosure.

[0043] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a housing; a display coupled to the housing, the display having a rollable portion configured to operate in an unrolled state and in a rolled state, the display comprising: a pixel array configured to display an image; and a transparent protective layer overlapping the pixel array, the image being visible through the transparent protective layer, the transparent protective layer comprising a glass layer having an inward-facing surface facing the pixel array and having an opposite outward-facing surface, and the outward-facing surface of the glass layer in the rollable portion is under compressive stress in the rolled state.

[0044] According to another embodiment, in the rolled state, the outward-facing surface of the curved portion of the glass layer has a tensile stress.

[0045] According to another embodiment, in the rolled state, the rollable portion of the glass layer is characterized by a first bend radius, and the bend portion is characterized by a second bend radius that is greater than the first bend radius.

[0046] According to another embodiment, in the rolled state, the second bend radius is at least twice the first bend radius.

[0047] According to another embodiment, the glass layer is locally thinned.

[0048] According to another embodiment, the glass layer has a non-rollable portion that is planar in the rolled state.

[0049] According to another embodiment, the glass layer has a first thickness in the non-rollable portion and a second thickness in the rollable portion that is less than the first thickness.

[0050] According to another embodiment, the transparent protective layer comprises a polymer layer between the glass layer and the array of pixels.

[0051] According to another embodiment, the electronic device comprises a protective coating comprising a first polymer layer on an outward-facing surface of the glass layer and a second polymer layer on the first polymer layer, the second polymer layer being harder than the first polymer layer, and the second polymer layer being thinner than the first polymer layer.

[0052] According to another embodiment, the array of pixels comprises a display panel having an array of light-emitting diodes.

[0053] According to another embodiment, the display panel comprises an organic light-emitting diode display panel.

[0054] According to one embodiment, there is provided an electronic device comprising: a housing; and a rollable display coupled to the housing, the rollable display configured to operate in an unfolded state in which the rollable display is planar and displays an image, and a rolled state in which at least one rollable portion of the rollable display is rolled up, the rollable display having a flexible display panel overlaid by a glass layer, and the glass layer having a surface facing away from the flexible display panel and under compression stress in the rollable portion in the rolled state.

[0055] According to another embodiment, the rollable display has first and second opposite edges and first and second corresponding opposite rollable portions at the first and second edges.

[0056] According to another embodiment, the glass layer has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness less than the first thickness.

[0057] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a polymer layer between the glass layer and the flexible display panel, the polymer layer having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the glass layer by less than 0.1.

[0058] According to another embodiment, in the rollable portion of the rollable display, the glass layer has the second thickness.

[0059] According to another embodiment, in the rolled state, a region of the surface of the glass layer facing away from the flexible display panel is under tensile stress.

[0060] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a housing; and a display coupled to the housing, the display configured to transition between an unfolded configuration in which the display is planar and a rolled configuration in which a first portion of the display is planar and a second portion of the display is rolled up, the display having a display panel overlaid by a transparent protective layer comprising a glass layer, the glass layer having a first surface facing the display panel and a second surface facing away from the display panel, and in the rolled configuration, the first surface of the glass layer in the second portion receives tensile stress due to being rolled up and the second surface of the glass layer in the second portion receives compressive stress due to being rolled up.

[0061] According to another embodiment, the glass layer in the second portion of the display is thinner than the glass layer in the first portion of the display.

[0062] According to another embodiment, at least some of the second surface of the glass layer is under tensile stress in the rolled configuration.

[0063] The foregoing merely illustrates the embodiments and variations can be made thereto. The foregoing embodiments can be implemented independently or in any combination.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: case; A display coupled to the housing, wherein the display has a rollable portion configured to operate in an unfolded state and a rolled state, wherein the display includes: A pixel array configured to display an image; as well as A transparent protective layer overlaps with the pixel array, wherein the image is visible through the transparent protective layer, wherein the transparent protective layer comprises a glass layer having an inward-facing surface facing the pixel array and an opposite outward-facing surface, and wherein the outward-facing surface of the glass layer in the rollable portion is subjected to compressive stress in the rolled-up state. In the curled state, the outward-facing surface of the curved portion of the glass layer has tensile stress, the curlable portion of the glass layer is characterized by a first bending radius, and the curved portion is characterized by a second bending radius greater than the first bending radius.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in the curled state, the second bending radius is at least twice the first bending radius.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the glass layer is locally thinned.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the glass layer has a planar, non-rollable portion in the rolled-up state.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the glass layer has a first thickness in the non-rollable portion and a second thickness less than the first thickness in the rollable portion.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the transparent protective layer comprises a polymer layer between the glass layer and the pixel array.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 further includes a protective coating comprising a first polymer layer on the outward-facing surface of the glass layer and a second polymer layer on the first polymer layer, wherein the second polymer layer is harder than the first polymer layer and wherein the second polymer layer is thinner than the first polymer layer.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the pixel array comprises a display panel having an array of light-emitting diodes.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the display panel comprises an organic light-emitting diode display panel.

10. An electronic device, comprising: case; as well as A rollable display coupled to the housing, wherein the rollable display is configured to operate in an unfolded state and a rolled state, wherein in the unfolded state the rollable display is planar and displays an image, and in the rolled state at least one rollable portion of the rollable display is rolled up, wherein the rollable display has a flexible display panel composed of overlapping glass layers, and wherein the glass layers have a surface facing away from the flexible display panel and under compressive stress in the rollable portion in the rolled state. The glass layer has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness less than the first thickness, and a transition is provided between the first region and the second region.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the rollable display has first and second opposing edges and first and second corresponding opposing rollable portions at the first and second edges.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a polymer layer between the glass layer and the flexible display panel, wherein the refractive index of the polymer layer differs from that of the glass layer by less than 0.

1.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein in the rollable portion of the rollable display, the glass layer has the second thickness.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein in the curled state, the region of the surface of the glass layer opposite to the flexible display panel is under tensile stress.

15. An electronic device comprising: case; as well as A display, coupled to the housing, is configured to transition between an unfolded configuration in which the display is planar and a rolled-up configuration in which a first portion of the display is planar and a second portion of the display is rolled up. The display has a display panel superimposed with a transparent protective layer comprising a glass layer having a first surface facing the display panel and a second surface facing away from the display panel. In the rolled-up configuration, the first surface of the glass layer in the second portion receives tensile stress due to being rolled up, and the second surface of the glass layer in the second portion receives compressive stress due to being rolled up. The glass layer in the second portion of the display is thinner than the glass layer in the first portion of the display, and a transition is provided between the glass layer in the first portion and the glass layer in the second portion.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein at least some of the second surfaces of the glass layer are under tensile stress in the curled configuration.

Images