Bendable-Flap OLED Bezel for Touchable Wearable Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices, particularly wearable devices like smartwatches, face challenges in maximizing the active display area while maintaining touch sensitivity at the bezel region, often requiring mechanical buttons due to the lack of touch sensitivity in conventional bezel regions.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display panel with touch sensors integrated into the bezel region, featuring bendable flaps and a curved design that extends the active and touch-sensitive area to the bezel, eliminating the need for mechanical buttons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a curved housing is utilized to extend the active area of the display to the bezel region, then the active area is maximized, but the bezel region becomes insensitive to touch input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the display panel by forming a bending portion at the periphery region that extends along the curved side region of the cover layer. This curvature allows the display to conform to the rounded edges of the device housing, maximizing the active display area while maintaining structural integrity. The bending portion is formed by creating relief features that allow the display to flex along the curved path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a flexible display panel with relief features formed in the bending portion, creating a flexible structure that can conform to the curved housing. The relief features allow the display to bend and flex along the curved side region while maintaining touch sensitivity. This flexible construction enables the display to extend to the edges of the device without compromising touch input capability.
2Area of stationary object
If the active area is extended to the bezel region, then the non-displayable area is minimized, but mechanical buttons are still needed for control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the entire display surface, including the bezel region, multi-functional by implementing touch sensors across the full active area. The bezel region serves both as a structural element and as a touch-sensitive control area, eliminating the need for separate mechanical buttons. Users can interact with the device through touch input on any part of the display, including the previously non-functional bezel area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons with touch sensors in the bezel region. Instead of using physical mechanical structures for control, the invention uses capacitive or resistive touch sensing technology across the entire display surface. This substitution eliminates moving parts and mechanical wear, reducing device complexity while maintaining control functionality.
3Ease of operation
If touch sensors are integrated into the bending portion, then touch sensitivity is maintained across the curved surface, but routing wires must be disposed on inactive area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the routing challenge by transitioning from a two-dimensional planar routing problem to a three-dimensional solution. The relief features create vertical depth variations in the bending portion, allowing routing wires to be disposed in the inactive area beneath the active display region. This vertical dimension provides additional space for wire routing without interfering with the touch-sensitive active area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the display panel into distinct functional zones: the active area with touch sensors and the inactive area for routing wires. The relief features create clear separation between these zones, with the inactive area serving as a dedicated corridor for wire routing. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone - the active area maintains touch sensitivity while the inactive area accommodates routing infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an electronic device utilizing a flexible display panel having a plurality of bendable flaps formed in a periphery bending portion of the flexible display panel. The flexible display panel may have a circular shape utilized in a wearable device. An active and touch sensitive area for displaying images and receiving touch input may extend to the periphery bending portion of the flexible display panel, thus providing a wide viewing range and extending touch sensitive area of utilization as well as enhancing an overall aesthetic appearance of the electronic device.