Abstract: Asymmetrically strengthened glass articles, methods for producing the same, and use of the articles in portable electronic device is disclosed. The asymmetrically strengthened glass articles include glass articles having a deeper compressive stress layer in a thicker portion of the glass article. Using a budgeted amount of compressive stress and tensile stress, asymmetric chemical strengthening is optimized for the utility of a glass article. In some aspects, the strengthened glass article can be designed for reduced damage, or damage propagation, when dropped.

Abstract: Glass articles and methods for producing glass articles for a portable electronic device are disclosed. Properties of the glass articles, such as cover members, are improved through chemical strengthening, thermoforming, or a combination thereof. The glass articles may include barrier layers to prevent diffusion of ions between glass layers of the glass article, internal compressive stress regions, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: An electronic device having a unitary housing is disclosed. The device can include a first housing component having an open cavity, an internal electronic part disposed within the cavity, a second housing component disposed across the cavity, and a support feature disposed within the cavity and arranged to support the second housing component. The first housing component can be formed from metal, while the second housing component can be formed from a plurality of laminated foil metal layers. The second housing component can be attached to the first housing component via one or more ultrasonic welds, such that a fully enclosed housing is created. The fully enclosed housing can be hermetically sealed, and the outside surfaces thereof can be machined or otherwise finished after the ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: A component for an electronic device can include a pre-formed substrate comprising a first metal and an additively manufactured portion bonded to the pre-formed substrate. The additively manufactured portion can include a first portion comprising a second metal and defining a volume, the first portion having a first value of a material property, and a second portion disposed in the volume, the second portion having a second value of the material property that is different from the first value.

Abstract: An in-ear listening device having a device housing including a speaker housing and an elongated tube protruding away from the speaker housing, an audio port formed through the speaker housing, a speaker disposed in the speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port, a microphone port formed through the elongated tube, a microphone disposed in the elongated tube and operatively coupled to receive sound through the microphone port, a rechargeable battery and a wireless antenna disposed within the device housing, wireless circuitry coupled to the wireless antenna and configured to input and output radio frequency signals for wireless communications, a user-interface touch control disposed on the device housing and operable to control a function of the earbud, and battery charging circuitry coupled to the rechargeable battery and positioned within the device housing and operable to charge the rechargeable battery when coupled to receive power from an external power source.

Abstract: A cover for an electronic device includes a glass cover defining a substantially planar first surface, a substantially planar second surface opposite the first surface, an opening extending through the glass cover, and a raised wall surrounding the opening and defining a portion of an interior surface of the opening.

Abstract: A glass component of an electronic device housing may define a textured surface having micro-scale tactile friction features that provide a specified friction between a user's finger and the glass component. More specifically, the tactile friction features may reduce a contact surface area that is in contact with the user's finger in order to produce a reduced or specified coefficient of friction.

Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display overlapped by a cover layer. Portions of the surface of the display and cover layer may have curved profiles. The display may include a flexible substrate and may have bent edge portions protruding from a central region. Gaps may be formed between regions of pixels on a common substrate or between separate display panels. An image transport layer formed from a coherent fiber bundle or a layer of Anderson localization material configured to exhibit two-dimensional transverse Anderson localization of light may have an input surface that receives an image from adjacent display pixels and an output surface on which the image is displayed. The output surface may have a curved profile and may exhibit compound curvature. The input surface may have a profile with curved portions or other shapes. Image transport layers can be used to cover gaps between sets of pixels.

Abstract: An in-ear listening device having a device housing including a speaker housing and an elongated tube protruding away from the speaker housing, an audio port formed through the speaker housing, a speaker disposed in the speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port, a microphone port formed through the elongated tube, a microphone disposed in the elongated tube and operatively coupled to receive sound through the microphone port, a rechargeable battery and a wireless antenna disposed within the device housing, wireless circuitry coupled to the wireless antenna and configured to input and output radio frequency signals for wireless communications, a user-interface touch control disposed on the device housing and operable to control a function of the earbud, and battery charging circuitry coupled to the rechargeable battery and positioned within the device housing and operable to charge the rechargeable battery when coupled to receive power from an external power source.

Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.

Abstract: Glass ceramic components for electronic devices are disclosed, as are components including a glass ceramic material. A cover member including a glass ceramic material may be positioned over one or more device components such as an optical module or a component of a wireless communication or charging system. The cover member may have optical properties, electrical properties, magnetic properties, and/or mechanical properties compatible with the requirements of the one or more device components.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a six-sided glass enclosure defining an interior volume and comprising a first glass member and a second glass member. The first glass member defines at least a portion of a first major side of the six-sided glass enclosure, at least a portion of a peripheral side of the six-sided glass enclosure, a first region along the peripheral side and having a first thickness, and a second region along the peripheral side and having a second thickness different from the first thickness. The second glass member is attached to the first glass member and defines at least a portion of a second major side of the six-sided glass enclosure. The electronic device further includes a touchscreen display within the interior volume and positioned adjacent at least a portion of each of the six sides of the six-sided glass enclosure.

Abstract: Head-mounted display systems and methods of operation that allow users to couple and decouple a portable electronic device such as a handheld portable electronic device with a separate head-mounted device (e.g., temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit) are disclosed. The portable electronic may be physically coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device can be worn on the user's head. The portable electronic device may be operatively coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device and head mounted device can communicate and operate with one another. Each device may be allowed to extend its features and/or services to the other device for the purpose of enhancing, increasing and/or eliminating redundant functions between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.

Abstract: Asymmetrically strengthened glass articles, methods for producing the same, and use of the articles in portable electronic device is disclosed. Using a budgeted amount of compressive stress and tensile stress, asymmetric chemical strengthening is optimized for the utility of a glass article. In some aspects, the strengthened glass article can be designed for reduced damage, or damage propagation, when dropped.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as a sheet of glass or another optical member may have portions that are configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The optical member may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical member may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. Solidified liquid polymer may be used to support the optical structures and may be interposed between the optical structures and the active display structures.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a conductive housing. A corrosion-resistant coating may be deposited on the conductive housing. The coating may include transition layers and an uppermost alloy layer. The transition layers may include a chromium seed layer on the conductive housing and a chromium nitride layer on the chromium seed layer. The uppermost alloy layer may include TiCrCN or other alloys and may provide the coating with desired optical reflection and absorption characteristics. The transition layers may include a minimal number of coating defects, thereby eliminating potential sites at which visible defects could form when exposed to salt water. This may allow the electronic device to exhibit a desired color and to be submerged in salt water without producing undesirable visible defects on the conductive housing structures.

Abstract: A display may have an array of display pixels that generate an image. A coherent fiber bundle may be mounted on the display pixels. The coherent fiber bundle may have a first surface that is adjacent to the display pixels and a second surface that is visible to a viewer. The coherent fiber bundle may contain fibers that carry light from the first surface to the second surface. The second surface may be planar or may have a central planar region and curved edge regions that run along opposing sides of the central planar region. The fibers may have cross-sectional surface areas with a first aspect ratio on the first surface and a second aspect ratio that is greater than the first aspect ratio on the second surface.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as upper structures formed from a sheet of glass and lower optical structures that lie beneath the sheet of glass may be configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The upper optical structures may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical structures may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. The lower and upper optical structures may have curved surfaces for bending the light.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display for displaying images. The display may be coupled to a housing on a front face of the device. The housing may have a transparent portion on an opposing rear face of the device. The electronic device may have structures with an adjustable appearance. The adjustable-appearance structures may include a mask with openings or other mask elements and a corresponding overlapped patterned layer containing an array of visual elements. The visual elements may have different appearances, so that movement of the mask relative to the patterned layer changes the appearance of the adjustable-appearance structures. The state of the adjustable-appearance structure may be changed during use of the device by a user or may be adjusted then fixed during manufacturing.