Patents by Inventor Ben Hightower

Ben Hightower has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Flexible Display Trim
    Publication number: 20260211458
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a flexible display that folds along an axis. A display trim may wrap around a perimeter of the flexible display. The display trim may include a first material that is segmented into a first set of rigid elements on a first side of the display and a second set of rigid elements on a second opposing side of the display. The rigid elements may be U-shaped metal structures that are separated from one another by gaps. The U-shaped metal structures may be configured to receive an edge of the flexible display. The gaps may have non-uniform spacing to provide different amounts of flexibility in different portions of the display trim. The display trim may include a second material that has a lower elastic modulus than the first material and that fills the gaps between the rigid elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2025
    Publication date: July 23, 2026
    Inventors: Adam T Garelli, Robert Y Cao, Keith J Hendren, Ben Hightower, Evan Paul Lee, Wei Lv
  • Electronic devices with deformation-resistant displays
    Patent number: 12087187
    Abstract: A flexible display in a foldable electronic device may have a display cover layer and display panel that bend around a bend axis. The display panel may have an array of pixels configured to display an image through the display cover layer. The pixels may be formed from thin-film display circuitry that is supported by a flexible display panel substrate. The flexible substrate may be supported by a display support plate that bends about the bend axis. The display may be configured to allow attachment of the display panel substrate to the display support plate while helping to prevent undesired localized deformation of the thin-film display circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yasmin F. Afsar, Ben Hightower, Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran, Chang-Chia Huang, Hoon Sik Kim, Paul S. Drzaic, Prashant Mandlik, Terry C. Lam, Wen-I Hsieh, Zhichun Shao
  • Electronic Devices With Deformation-Resistant Displays
    Publication number: 20220270522
    Abstract: A flexible display in a foldable electronic device may have a display cover layer and display panel that bend around a bend axis. The display panel may have an array of pixels configured to display an image through the display cover layer. The pixels may be formed from thin-film display circuitry that is supported by a flexible display panel substrate. The flexible substrate may be supported by a display support plate that bends about the bend axis. The display may be configured to allow attachment of the display panel substrate to the display support plate while helping to prevent undesired localized deformation of the thin-film display circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Yasmin F. Afsar, Ben Hightower, Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran, Chang-Chia Huang, Hoon Sik Kim, Paul S. Drzaic, Prashant Mandlik, Terry C. Lam, Wen-I Hsieh, Zhichun Shao