Pattern Glass Openings for Foldable Display Impact and Moiré Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible electronic devices face challenges in impact resistance and moiré phenomenon due to their foldable nature, which can lead to damage and visual interference.

Innovation Solution

A display device with a pattern glass structure that includes a first non-pattern portion, a pattern portion, and a second non-pattern portion, featuring openings between adjacent patterns to absorb external impacts and reduce folding resistance, while preventing moiré phenomenon through varying wave patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a conventional cover glass is used without patterns, then the display structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but fingerprint marks are clearly visible and aesthetic appearance is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure complexityVSAvoidfingerprint mark visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover glass surface is segmented into multiple regions with different patterns (first pattern region, second pattern region, third pattern region) that have different light transmission characteristics. This segmentation allows fingerprint marks to be scattered and distributed across multiple patterns, preventing clear visibility of fingerprints while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through defined regional zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the cover glass are assigned different pattern characteristics (transparent patterns in first region, light-shielding patterns in second region, mixed patterns in third region) to create local variations in light transmission. This local quality differentiation ensures that fingerprint marks are not uniformly visible across the entire surface, improving aesthetic appearance while controlling manufacturing complexity through regional specification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If patterned glass is used to hide fingerprint marks, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to multiple pattern regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint mark visibilityVSAvoidpattern formation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cover glass is divided into distinct pattern regions (first, second, and third pattern regions) with clearly defined boundaries and specific pattern types in each region. This segmentation allows manufacturing processes to target specific regions with appropriate patterns, reducing the overall precision requirement compared to creating complex patterns across the entire surface, while still achieving fingerprint concealment through the combined effect of multiple regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If asymmetric patterns are used to block fingerprints, then fingerprint visibility is reduced, but light transmission uniformity deteriorates causing display non-uniformity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint mark visibilityVSAvoidlight transmission uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover glass employs multiple pattern regions with different characteristics rather than a single asymmetric pattern across the entire surface. The first pattern region with transparent patterns, second pattern region with light-shielding patterns, and third pattern region with mixed patterns work together to scatter fingerprint marks while the distributed arrangement maintains overall light transmission uniformity, preventing display non-uniformity that would result from a single large asymmetric pattern.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different local regions have different pattern densities and types optimized for their specific functions. The first pattern region uses transparent patterns for areas requiring high light transmission, the second pattern region uses light-shielding patterns for areas where fingerprint blocking is prioritized, and the third pattern region combines both. This local quality optimization ensures that no single region compromises overall display uniformity while collectively achieving fingerprint concealment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4429216B1Display device with pattern glass
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP4429216B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4429216B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4429216B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A display device includes a display panel and a pattern glass disposed on the display panel and including a first non-pattern portion, a pattern portion, and a second non-pattern portion, which are arranged in a first direction. The pattern portion includes a plurality of patterns having a predetermined shape and arranged in the first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. Openings are defined through the pattern glass between the patterns adjacent to each other, and each of the openings has a symmetrical shape with respect to a third direction intersecting a plane defined by the first and second directions based on a symmetry axis extending in the second direction. The symmetry axis passes through a midpoint of a thickness of the pattern glass.