Display modules with direct-lit backlight units

US11874559B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Meizi Jiao · Chandler, US
• Joshua A. Spechler · Cupertino, US
• Jie Xiang · San Jose, US
• Zhenyue Luo · Santa Clara, US
• Chungjae Lee · San Jose, US
• Morteza Amoorezaei · San Jose, US
• Mengyang Liang · San Mateo, US
• Xinyu Zhu · Orlando, US
• Mingxia Gu · Campbell, US
• Jun Qi · Cupertino, US
• Eric L. Benson · Burlingame, US
• Victor H. Yin · Cupertino, US
• Youchul Jeong · Cupertino, US
• Xiang Fang · Cupertino, US
• Yanming Li · Nanhu, CN
• Michael Lee · Santa Rosa, US
• Marianna C. Sbordone · San Jose, US
• Ari P. Miller · San Francisco, US
• Edward J. Cooper · Menlo Park, US
• Michael C. Sulkis · San Jose, US
• Francesco Ferretti · Miami, US
• Seth G. McFarland · Trinidad, US
• Mary M. Morrison · Pacifica, US
• Eric N. Vergo · San Jose, US
• Terence Chan · San Jose, US
• Ian A. Guy · San Francisco, US
• Keith J. Hendren · San Francisco, US
• Sunitha Chandra · Cupertino, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 4, 2021
• Grant date: Jan 16, 2024
• Expiry date: Nov 4, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2202/28
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A display may have a pixel array such as a liquid crystal pixel array. The pixel array may be illuminated with backlight illumination from a direct-lit backlight unit. The backlight unit may include an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on a printed circuit board. The display may have a notch to accommodate an input-output component. Reflective layers may be included in the notch. The backlight may include a color conversion layer with a property that varies as a function of position. The light-emitting diodes may be covered by a slab of encapsulant with recesses in an upper surface.