Cover with Light-Transmitting Areas for Display Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Protective sleeves and covers for electronic devices, such as tablets, obstruct the display area, requiring users to open them to view notifications or calls, causing inconvenience.

Innovation Solution

A cover portion with light-transmitting areas arranged in an array or matrix allows images to be projected through, enabling users to view notifications or calls without opening the cover, while maintaining high-resolution images outside the covered area and low-resolution images within, using a combination of light-transmitting and opaque layers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protective cover is used to cover the display area, then the display area is protected from damage, but the user cannot view the display content without opening the cover

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoidviewing convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is segmented into light-transmitting areas and opaque areas, allowing different regions to serve different functions. The light-transmitting areas enable viewing of display content while the opaque areas provide protection, resolving the contradiction between protection and viewing convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the cover have different optical properties - some regions are transparent or light-transmitting to allow viewing, while other regions are opaque for protection. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing both viewing capability and protection simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If light-transmitting areas are added to the cover to enable viewing, then viewing convenience is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveviewing convenienceVSAvoidcover structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover uses composite material structure combining transparent/light-transmitting regions and opaque regions in a single integrated component. This approach achieves the viewing function while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing through injection molding or similar processes, balancing viewing convenience with manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If the cover is made fully opaque for better protection, then protection is improved, but no display content can be viewed through the cover

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoiddisplay content visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is divided into functional zones with different opacity levels, allowing simultaneous achievement of protection (opaque areas) and information visibility (light-transmitting areas), resolving the contradiction between protection and information access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different local regions of the cover have different optical properties tailored to their specific functions - opaque regions for protection and light-transmitting regions for viewing, eliminating the need to choose between protection and visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables users to view display content without opening the cover, enhancing usability by providing clear notifications and calls while maintaining image quality through the use of light-transmitting areas and adjustable touch sensitivity.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of light-transmitting areas arranged in an array, a matrix or a dot matrix are formed on a cover portion of an accessory... configured for an image generated by the display area to be projected out of the cover portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3270260B1Accessory and method for forming an accessory
Publication Date: 2019.08.28 HTC CORP
  • EP3270260B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3270260B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3270260B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

An accessory suitable for an electronic device is provided. The electronic device has a display area. The accessory includes a coupling portion and a cover portion. The coupling portion is suitable to be coupled to the electronic device. The cover portion is connected to the coupling portion and is suitable for covering the display area of the electronic device. The cover portion has a plurality of light-transmitting areas, and the light-transmitting areas are arranged on the display area in an array. An image generated by the display area is projected out of the cover portion through the light-transmitting areas. Moreover, an electronic assembly containing the electronic device and the accessory is also provided. Furthermore, a control method is also provided for controlling the electronic assembly. A method is also provided for forming an accessory.