Patents by Inventor John Z. Zhong

John Z. Zhong 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: 20240310942
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11983371
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors fabricated on a single side of a substrate is disclosed. The drive and sense lines can be fabricated as column-like patterns in a first orientation and patches in a second orientation, where each column-like pattern in the first orientation is connected to a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel, and all patches in each of multiple rows in the second orientation are connected together using a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel. The metal traces in the border areas can be formed on the same side of the substrate as the patches and columns, but separated from the patches and column-like patterns by a dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20240143103
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20240134479
    Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Isaac CHAN, Prathit BUGNAIT, Albert LIN, Chun-Hao TUNG, Sunggu KANG, John Z. ZHONG
  • Publication number: 20240099086
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels. Display driver circuitry may supply data and control signals to the pixels. Each pixel may have seven transistors, a capacitor, and a light-emitting diode such as an organic light-emitting diode. The seven transistors may receive control signals using horizontal control lines. Each pixel may have first and second emission enable transistors that are coupled in series with a drive transistor and the light-emitting diode of that pixel. The first and second emission enable transistors may be coupled to a common control line or may be separately controlled so that on-bias stress can be effectively applied to the drive transistor. The display driver circuitry may have gate driver circuits that provide different gate line signals to different rows of pixels within the display. Different rows may also have different gate driver strengths and different supplemental gate line loading structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Cheng-Ho Yu, Chin-Wei Lin, Shyuan Yang, Ting-Kuo Chang, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Warren S. Rieutort-Louis, Shih-Chang Chang, Yu Cheng Chen, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11907465
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11893183
    Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac Chan, Prathit Bugnait, Albert Lin, Chun-Hao Tung, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11895883
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels. Display driver circuitry may supply data and control signals to the pixels. Each pixel may have seven transistors, a capacitor, and a light-emitting diode such as an organic light-emitting diode. The seven transistors may receive control signals using horizontal control lines. Each pixel may have first and second emission enable transistors that are coupled in series with a drive transistor and the light-emitting diode of that pixel. The first and second emission enable transistors may be coupled to a common control line or may be separately controlled so that on-bias stress can be effectively applied to the drive transistor. The display driver circuitry may have gate driver circuits that provide different gate line signals to different rows of pixels within the display. Different rows may also have different gate driver strengths and different supplemental gate line loading structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Ho Yu, Chin-Wei Lin, Shyuan Yang, Ting-Kuo Chang, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Warren S. Rieutort-Louis, Shih-Chang Chang, Yu Cheng Chen, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11892720
    Abstract: Electrical shield line systems are provided for openings in common electrodes near data lines of display and touch screens. Some displays, including touch screens, can include multiple common electrodes (Vcom) that can have openings between individual Vcoms. Some display screens can have an open slit between two adjacent edges of Vcom. Openings in Vcom can allow an electric field to extend from a data line through the Vcom layer. A shield can be disposed over the Vcom opening to help reduce or eliminate an electric field from affecting a pixel material, such as liquid crystal. The shield can be connected to a potential such that electric field is generated substantially between the shield and the data line to reduce or eliminate electric fields reaching the liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Cheng-Ho Yu, Young-Bae Park, Abbas Jamshidi Roudbari, Shih-Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Marduke Yousefpor, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11886651
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Wei Chen, Christoph Horst Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian Richards Land, Willem den Boer, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11803276
    Abstract: An electronic device with a force sensing device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a user input surface defining an exterior surface of the electronic device, a first capacitive sensing element, and a second capacitive sensing element capacitively coupled to the first capacitive sensing element. The electronic device also comprises a first spacing layer between the first and second capacitive sensing elements, and a second spacing layer between the first and second capacitive sensing elements. The first and second spacing layers have different compositions. The electronic device also comprises sensing circuitry coupled to the first and second capacitive sensing elements configured to determine an amount of applied force on the user input surface. The first spacing layer is configured to collapse if the applied force is below a force threshold, and the second spacing layer is configured to collapse if the applied force is above the force threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dhaval C. Patel, Eugene C. Cheung, Pey-Jiun Ko, Po-Jui Chen, Robert W. Rumford, Steve L. Terry, Wei Lin, Xiaofan Niu, Xiaoqi Zhou, Yi Gu, Yindar Chuo, Rasmi R. Das, Steven M. Scardato, Se Hyun Ahn, Victor H. Yin, Wookyung Bae, Christopher L. Boitnott, Chun-Hao Tung, Mookyung Son, Sunggu Kang, Nathan K. Gupta, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20230259226
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display. The display may be formed by an array of light-emitting diodes mounted to the surface of a substrate. The substrate may be a silicon substrate. Circuitry may be located in spaces between the light-emitting diodes. Circuitry may also be located on the rear surface of the silicon substrate and may be coupled to the array of light-emitting diodes using through-silicon vias. The circuitry may include integrated circuits and other components that are attached to the substrate and may include transistors and other circuitry formed within the silicon substrate. Touch sensor electrodes, light sensors, and other components may be located in the spaces between the light-emitting diodes. The substrate may be formed from a transparent material that allows image light to reach a lens and image sensor mounted below the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Steven P. Hotelling, John Z. Zhong, William C. Athas, Wei H. Yao
  • Patent number: 11669178
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display. The display may be formed by an array of light-emitting diodes mounted to the surface of a substrate. The substrate may be a silicon substrate. Circuitry may be located in spaces between the light-emitting diodes. Circuitry may also be located on the rear surface of the silicon substrate and may be coupled to the array of light-emitting diodes using through-silicon vias. The circuitry may include integrated circuits and other components that are attached to the substrate and may include transistors and other circuitry formed within the silicon substrate. Touch sensor electrodes, light sensors, and other components may be located in the spaces between the light-emitting diodes. The substrate may be formed from a transparent material that allows image light to reach a lens and image sensor mounted below the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Steven P. Hotelling, John Z. Zhong, William C. Athas, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20230136768
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11579722
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11460964
    Abstract: A touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer is disclosed. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as acrylic. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and conductive traces located on the touch sensor to hide the conductive traces from the user's view and protect the conductive traces from corrosion. Processes for making the touch sensitive devices that include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Jae Hong, Sunggu Kang, Martin Paul Grunthaner, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20220187956
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors fabricated on a single side of a substrate is disclosed. The drive and sense lines can be fabricated as column-like patterns in a first orientation and patches in a second orientation, where each column-like pattern in the first orientation is connected to a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel, and all patches in each of multiple rows in the second orientation are connected together using a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel. The metal traces in the border areas can be formed on the same side of the substrate as the patches and columns, but separated from the patches and column-like patterns by a dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11269467
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors fabricated on a single side of a substrate is disclosed. The drive and sense lines can be fabricated as column-like patterns in a first orientation and patches in a second orientation, where each column-like pattern in the first orientation is connected to a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel, and all patches in each of multiple rows in the second orientation are connected together using a separate metal trace in the border area of the touch sensor panel. The metal traces in the border areas can be formed on the same side of the substrate as the patches and columns, but separated from the patches and column-like patterns by a dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20220057880
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Steve Porter HOTELLING, Wei CHEN, Christoph Horst KRAH, John Greer ELIAS, Wei Hsin YAO, Andrew Bert HODGE, Brian Richards LAND, Willem den BOER, John Z. ZHONG
  • Publication number: 20220052148
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels. Display driver circuitry may supply data and control signals to the pixels. Each pixel may have seven transistors, a capacitor, and a light-emitting diode such as an organic light-emitting diode. The seven transistors may receive control signals using horizontal control lines. Each pixel may have first and second emission enable transistors that are coupled in series with a drive transistor and the light-emitting diode of that pixel. The first and second emission enable transistors may be coupled to a common control line or may be separately controlled so that on-bias stress can be effectively applied to the drive transistor. The display driver circuitry may have gate driver circuits that provide different gate line signals to different rows of pixels within the display. Different rows may also have different gate driver strengths and different supplemental gate line loading structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Cheng-Ho Yu, Chin-Wei Lin, Shyuan Yang, Ting-Kuo Chang, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Warren S. Rieutort-Louis, Shih-Chang Chang, Yu Cheng Chen, John Z. Zhong