Patents by Inventor Eric L. Benson

Eric L. Benson 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).

  • Publication number: 20240126120
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Meizi Jiao, Joshua A. Spechler, Jie Xiang, Zhenyue Luo, Chungjae Lee, Morteza Amoorezaei, Mengyang Liang, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin, Youchul Jeong, Xiang Fang, Yanming Li, Michael J. Lee, Marianna C. Sbordone, Ari P. Miller, Edward J. Cooper, Michael C. Sulkis, Francesco Ferretti, Seth G. McFarland, Mary M. Morrison, Eric N. Vergo, Terence Chan, Ian A. Guy, Keith J. Hendren, Sunitha Chandra
  • Patent number: 11874559
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Meizi Jiao, Joshua A. Spechler, Jie Xiang, Zhenyue Luo, Chungjae Lee, Morteza Amoorezaei, Mengyang Liang, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin, Youchul Jeong, Xiang Fang, Yanming Li, Michael J. Lee, Marianna C. Sbordone, Ari P. Miller, Edward J. Cooper, Michael C. Sulkis, Francesco Ferretti, Seth G. McFarland, Mary M. Morrison, Eric N. Vergo, Terence Chan, Ian A. Guy, Keith J. Hendren, Sunitha Chandra
  • Publication number: 20230290897
    Abstract: A display may include a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may be formed in the display to accommodate a camera. The camera window may be formed by creating a notch in the thin-film transistor layer that extends inwardly from the edge of the thin-film transistor layer. The notch may be formed by scribing the thin-film transistor layer around the notch location and breaking away a portion of the thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may also be formed by grinding a hole in the display. The hole may penetrate partway into the thin-film transistor layer, may penetrate through the transistor layer but not into the color filter layer, or may pass through the thin-film transistor layer and partly into the color filter layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Bryan W. Posner, Christopher L. Boitnott, Dinesh C. Mathew, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin
  • Patent number: 11719978
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyue Luo, Meizi Jiao, Morteza Amoorezaei, Ling Han, Chungjae Lee, Ziruo Hong, Wei He, Rong Liu, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin
  • Patent number: 11715810
    Abstract: A display may include a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may be formed in the display to accommodate a camera. The camera window may be formed by creating a notch in the thin-film transistor layer that extends inwardly from the edge of the thin-film transistor layer. The notch may be formed by scribing the thin-film transistor layer around the notch location and breaking away a portion of the thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may also be formed by grinding a hole in the display. The hole may penetrate partway into the thin-film transistor layer, may penetrate through the transistor layer but not into the color filter layer, or may pass through the thin-film transistor layer and partly into the color filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Bryan W. Posner, Christopher L. Boitnott, Dinesh C. Mathew, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin
  • Publication number: 20230093750
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Zhenyue Luo, Meizi Jiao, Morteza Amoorezaei, Ling Han, Chungjae Lee, Ziruo Hong, Wei He, Rong Liu, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin
  • Publication number: 20230091389
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Meizi Jiao, Joshua A. Spechler, Jie Xiang, Zhenyue Luo, Chungjae Lee, Morteza Amoorezaei, Mengyang Liang, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin, Youchul Jeong, Xiang Fang, Yanming Li, Michael J. Lee, Marianna C. Sbordone, Ari P. Miller, Edward J. Cooper, Michael C. Sulkis, Francesco Ferretti, Seth G. McFarland, Mary M. Morrison, Eric N. Vergo, Terence Chan, Ian A. Guy, Keith J. Hendren
  • Patent number: 11513392
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyue Luo, Morteza Amoorezaei, Qingbing Wang, Chenhua You, Meizi Jiao, Chungjae Lee, Joshua A. Spechler, Xinyu Zhu, Mingxia Gu, Jun Qi, Eric L. Benson, Victor H. Yin
  • Patent number: 11513383
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing that at least partially defines an exterior surface and an internal volume of the electronic device, and a display assembly at least partially disposed in the internal volume. The display assembly can include a transparent cover that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the electronic device, a backlight unit disposed between the cover and the housing, a frame coupling the cover to the backlight unit, a portion of the frame at least partially defining an aperture, and an electronic component disposed in the internal volume and extending through the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Lauren M. Farrell, Adam T. Garelli, Brian P. Graves, David P. Tarkington, Eric L. Benson, Erik A. Zweigle, Kwonil D. Fleischman, Paul X. Wang, Simon S. Lee, Tingjun Xu, Nicholas A. Rundle
  • Publication number: 20220091457
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing that at least partially defines an exterior surface and an internal volume of the electronic device, and a display assembly at least partially disposed in the internal volume. The display assembly can include a transparent cover that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the electronic device, a backlight unit disposed between the cover and the housing, a frame coupling the cover to the backlight unit, a portion of the frame at least partially defining an aperture, and an electronic component disposed in the internal volume and extending through the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Lauren M. Farrell, Adam T. Garelli, Brian P. Graves, David P. Tarkington, Eric L. Benson, Erik A. Zweigle, Kwonil D. Fleischman, Paul X. Wang, Simon S. Lee, Tingjun Xu, Nicholas A. Rundle
  • Patent number: 10969628
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. The support posts may have opposing first and second ends. The first ends may be attached to the diffuser with fixed connections such as adhesive connections. The second ends may be attached to the printed circuit using floating connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Zweigle, Yu P. Sun, Ziruo Hong, Victor H. Yin, Eric L. Benson, Rong Liu, Mingxia Gu, Robert J. Durand, Wr Jamarulan Wr Ramli
  • Publication number: 20180026152
    Abstract: A display may include a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may be formed in the display to accommodate a camera. The camera window may be formed by creating a notch in the thin-film transistor layer that extends inwardly from the edge of the thin-film transistor layer. The notch may be formed by scribing the thin-film transistor layer around the notch location and breaking away a portion of the thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may also be formed by grinding a hole in the display. The hole may penetrate partway into the thin-film transistor layer, may penetrate through the transistor layer but not into the color filter layer, or may pass through the thin-film transistor layer and partly into the color filter layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Bryan W. Posner, Christopher L. Boitnott, Dinesh C. Mathew, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin
  • Patent number: 9806219
    Abstract: A display may include a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may be formed in the display to accommodate a camera. The camera window may be formed by creating a notch in the thin-film transistor layer that extends inwardly from the edge of the thin-film transistor layer. The notch may be formed by scribing the thin-film transistor layer around the notch location and breaking away a portion of the thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may also be formed by grinding a hole in the display. The hole may penetrate partway into the thin-film transistor layer, may penetrate through the transistor layer but not into the color filter layer, or may pass through the thin-film transistor layer and partly into the color filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Bryan W. Posner, Christopher L. Boitnott, Dinesh C. Mathew, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin
  • Patent number: 9804639
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with a lid that rotates relative to a base. A display in the lid may have a thin-film transistor layer. Display driver circuitry may be mounted to the thin-film transistor layer. A display timing controller integrated circuit may be mounted in the base. A rigid flex printed circuit may have a rigid portion in the base to which the display timing controller integrated circuit is mounted and may have a rigid portion in the lid. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit may be used to couple the rigid printed circuit portion in the lid to the thin-film transistor layer. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit that extends between the lid and the base may be formed from a double-shield-layer single-signal-line-layer flexible printed circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan W. Posner, Dinesh C. Mathew, Eric L. Benson, Jason N. Gomez, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Wey-Jiun Lin
  • Patent number: 9480155
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing. Electrical components such as a display and other circuitry may be mounted in the housing. The housing may have portions that move with respect to each other such as a lid that rotates relative to a base. A flexible printed circuit may have metal lines that couple components in one portion of the housing to components in another portion of the housing. As the housing portions move with respect to each other, the flexible printed circuit bends. Reliability may be enhanced for the flexible printed circuit by providing the metal layer that forms the metal lines with upper and lower coating layers. The coating layers may be formed from metal with a higher Young's modulus than a metal core in the metal layer. A slot may be formed along the length of the flexible printed circuit to help increase the minimum bend radius exhibited by the flexible printed circuit. Upper and lower metal shield layers may be provided above and below the metal traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan W. Posner, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Dinesh C. Mathew, Eric L. Benson, Robert Y. Cao, Valerie S. Chang, Victor H. Yin
  • Publication number: 20160014915
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing. Electrical components such as a display and other circuitry may be mounted in the housing. The housing may have portions that move with respect to each other such as a lid that rotates relative to a base. A flexible printed circuit may have metal lines that couple components in one portion of the housing to components in another portion of the housing. As the housing portions move with respect to each other, the flexible printed circuit bends. Reliability may be enhanced for the flexible printed circuit by providing the metal layer that forms the metal lines with upper and lower coating layers. The coating layers may be formed from metal with a higher Young's modulus than a metal core in the metal layer. A slot may be formed along the length of the flexible printed circuit to help increase the minimum bend radius exhibited by the flexible printed circuit. Upper and lower metal shield layers may be provided above and below the metal traces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Bryan W. Posner, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Dinesh G. Mathew, Eric L. Benson, Robert Y. Cao, Valerie S. Chang, Victor H. Yin
  • Publication number: 20150049275
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with a lid that rotates relative to a base. A display in the lid may have a thin-film transistor layer. Display driver circuitry may be mounted to the thin-film transistor layer. A display timing controller integrated circuit may be mounted in the base. A rigid flex printed circuit may have a rigid portion in the base to which the display timing controller integrated circuit is mounted and may have a rigid portion in the lid. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit may be used to couple the rigid printed circuit portion in the lid to the thin-film transistor layer. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit that extends between the lid and the base may be formed from a double-shield-layer single-signal-line-layer flexible printed circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan W. Posner, Dinesh C. Mathew, Eric L. Benson, Jason N. Gomez, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Wey-Jiun Lin
  • Publication number: 20140225131
    Abstract: A display may include a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may be formed in the display to accommodate a camera. The camera window may be formed by creating a notch in the thin-film transistor layer that extends inwardly from the edge of the thin-film transistor layer. The notch may be formed by scribing the thin-film transistor layer around the notch location and breaking away a portion of the thin-film transistor layer. A camera window may also be formed by grinding a hole in the display. The hole may penetrate partway into the thin-film transistor layer, may penetrate through the transistor layer but not into the color filter layer, or may pass through the thin-film transistor layer and partly into the color filter layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Bryan W. Posner, Christopher L. Boitnott, Dinesh C. Mathew, Jun Qi, Robert Y. Cao, Victor H. Yin
  • Publication number: 20140055717
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for preventing scratching artifacts on a light guide plate of a backlight are provided. In one example, an electronic device may include a processor to generate image data and a display to display the image data. The display may include a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit. A light guide plate and a diffuser of the backlight may be separated at least partly by a light guide plate scratch protection component. The light guide plate scratch protection component may be a pattern of molded convex bumps on the light guide plate, a self-healing coating, a nonstick (e.g., Teflon) coating, or some combination of these surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric L. Benson, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin