Patents by Inventor Wenyong Zhu
Wenyong Zhu 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).
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Patent number: 11907016Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The portable electronic device can include a number of components that can provide desired functionalities and levels of performance. For example, the device can include one or more couplers that interconnect various portions of the housing together. Additionally or alternatively, the portable electronic device can include one or more millimeter-wave antennas. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device can include one or more grounding elements or layers that reliably and electrically ground the display to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Thomas O. Henry, Trevor M. Cardiff, Jason A. U. De Souza, Sayooj R. Pillai, Jason Bakhshi, Erik A. Uttermann, Wei Lv, Wenyong Zhu, Lee B. Hamstra, Daniel J. Hoff
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Publication number: 20240036238Abstract: A privacy film may have a light-blocking layer that is interposed between first and second transparent substrates. The light-blocking layer may have a plurality of opaque portions and a plurality of transparent portions. The opaque portions may be shaped to ensure light from the display is directed only to the primary viewer of the display. Each opaque portion of the light-blocking layer may extend along a respective longitudinal axis between the first and second transparent substrates. Privacy films used to cover curved displays may have opaque portions that extend along longitudinal axes that have different angles relative to the transparent substrates. Opaque portions in the edge of the privacy film may have longitudinal axes that are at non-perpendicular angles with respect to the transparent substrates. A privacy film for a curved display may also include a light-redirecting layer such as a prism layer or a liquid crystal layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Yi Huang, Steven M. Scardato, ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu
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Patent number: 11822103Abstract: A privacy film may have a light-blocking layer that is interposed between first and second transparent substrates. The light-blocking layer may have a plurality of opaque portions and a plurality of transparent portions. The opaque portions may be shaped to ensure light from the display is directed only to the primary viewer of the display. Each opaque portion of the light-blocking layer may extend along a respective longitudinal axis between the first and second transparent substrates. Privacy films used to cover curved displays may have opaque portions that extend along longitudinal axes that have different angles relative to the transparent substrates. Opaque portions in the edge of the privacy film may have longitudinal axes that are at non-perpendicular angles with respect to the transparent substrates. A privacy film for a curved display may also include a light-redirecting layer such as a prism layer or a liquid crystal layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Huang, Steven M. Scardato, ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu
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Patent number: 11650484Abstract: An electronic device may have a camera. The camera may capture still and moving images. A camera status indicator may be included in the electronic device. The camera status indicator may emit light to indicate when the camera is in use capturing video or other images. The camera status indicator may have multiple light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes or lasers. The light-emitting devices may have different colors. Clear encapsulant may cover the light-emitting devices. A white polymer wall or other light recycling structure may run along an outer peripheral edge of the encapsulant. A light diffusing coating layer may coat an outer surface of the clear encapsulant. Light reflections from the status indicator may be reduced in captured images.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Benjamin M. Oztalay, Chenhua You, Corey S. Provencher, Florence W. Ow, Jeremy L. Britt, Joshua A. Spechler, Jun Qi, Ling Han, Shaofeng Liu, Sherry Cao, Tavys Q. Ashcroft, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu, Ziruo Hong, Janos C. Keresztes, Hung Sheng Lin
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Patent number: 11526051Abstract: 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 on a printed circuit board. The backlight unit may include first, second, and third light spreading layers formed over the array of light-emitting diodes. A color conversion layer may be formed over the first, second, and third light spreading layers. First and second brightness enhancement films may be formed over the color conversion layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daming Xu, Wei Lv, Pee Khiam So, Wenyong Zhu, Rong Liu, Victor H. Yin, Mookyung Son, Jun Qi, Yufeng Yan, Shaofeng Liu, Thomas O. Henry, Suraj P. Gorkhali
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Publication number: 20220334431Abstract: 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 on a printed circuit board. The backlight unit may include first, second, and third light spreading layers formed over the array of light-emitting diodes. A color conversion layer may be formed over the first, second, and third light spreading layers. First and second brightness enhancement films may be formed over the color conversion layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2021Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Daming Xu, Wei Lv, Pee Khiam So, Wenyong Zhu, Rong Liu, Victor H. Yin, Mookyung Son, Jun Qi, Yufeng Yan, Shaofeng Liu, Thomas O. Henry, Suraj P. Gorkhali
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Publication number: 20220291717Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The portable electronic device can include a number of components that can provide desired functionalities and levels of performance. For example, the device can include one or more couplers that interconnect various portions of the housing together. Additionally or alternatively, the portable electronic device can include one or more millimeter-wave antennas. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device can include one or more grounding elements or layers that reliably and electrically ground the display to the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: Thomas O. Henry, Trevor M. Cardiff, Jason A. U. De Souza, Sayooj R. Pillai, Jason Bakhshi, Erik A. Uttermann, Wei Lv, Wenyong Zhu, Lee B. Hamstra, Daniel J. Hoff
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Patent number: 11333924Abstract: 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 on a printed circuit board. The backlight unit may include first, second, and third light spreading layers formed over the array of light-emitting diodes. A color conversion layer may be formed over the first, second, and third light spreading layers. First and second brightness enhancement films may be formed over the color conversion layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2021Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Wei Lv, Pee Khiam So, Wenyong Zhu, Daming Xu, Victor H. Yin, Mookyung Son, Ryan A. Zimmerman, Ziruo Hong, Rong Liu, Jun Qi, Po Hsun Chen, Zhenbin Ge, Fei Yan, Wei He
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Patent number: 11221513Abstract: An electronic device includes display layers such as liquid crystal display layers and a backlight unit that provides illumination for the display layers. The backlight unit includes light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide film. To minimize the inactive area of the display, the light-emitting diodes are tightly spaced to approximate a line light source instead of point light sources. Color and/or luminance compensation layers are incorporated at various locations within the backlight structures to ensure that the backlight provided to the display layers is homogenous. A thin-film transistor layer of the display is coupled to a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit has additional solder mask layers to improve robustness, encapsulation, and traces with a varying pitch.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Supriya Goyal, Yuxi Zhao, Xinsheng Chu, Chan Hyuk Park, Min Tao, Wenyong Zhu
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Patent number: 11129284Abstract: A rigid flex printed circuit board (PCB), method of manufacture, and display system incorporating the same are described. In an embodiment, a rigid flex PCB includes a flexible area extending from an adjacent routing area that is thicker than the flexible area. A flexible inner core spans the flexible area and the adjacent routing area. Outer stack-up layers are on the flexible inner core in the adjacent routing area. A cavity is formed in the outer stack-up layers in the routing area and exposes the flexible inner core. In an embodiment, a display system including such a circuit board may include an electronic component mounted on the flexible inner core within the cavity, and a distal end of the flexible area is bonded to a display panel.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam Adjiwibawa, Shaowei Qin, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu, Steven M. Scardato
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Publication number: 20210208313Abstract: A privacy film may have a light-blocking layer that is interposed between first and second transparent substrates. The light-blocking layer may have a plurality of opaque portions and a plurality of transparent portions. The opaque portions may be shaped to ensure light from the display is directed only to the primary viewer of the display. Each opaque portion of the light-blocking layer may extend along a respective longitudinal axis between the first and second transparent substrates. Privacy films used to cover curved displays may have opaque portions that extend along longitudinal axes that have different angles relative to the transparent substrates. Opaque portions in the edge of the privacy film may have longitudinal axes that are at non-perpendicular angles with respect to the transparent substrates. A privacy film for a curved display may also include a light-redirecting layer such as a prism layer or a liquid crystal layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2021Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Yi Huang, Steven M. Scardato, ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu
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Patent number: 10983256Abstract: A privacy film may have a light-blocking layer that is interposed between first and second transparent substrates. The light-blocking layer may have a plurality of opaque portions and a plurality of transparent portions. The opaque portions may be shaped to ensure light from the display is directed only to the primary viewer of the display. Each opaque portion of the light-blocking layer may extend along a respective longitudinal axis between the first and second transparent substrates. Privacy films used to cover curved displays may have opaque portions that extend along longitudinal axes that have different angles relative to the transparent substrates. Opaque portions in the edge of the privacy film may have longitudinal axes that are at non-perpendicular angles with respect to the transparent substrates. A privacy film for a curved display may also include a light-redirecting layer such as a prism layer or a liquid crystal layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Huang, Steven M. Scardato, ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Victor H Yin, Wenyong Zhu
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Publication number: 20210084777Abstract: A rigid flex printed circuit board (PCB), method of manufacture, and display system incorporating the same are described. In an embodiment, a rigid flex PCB includes a flexible area extending from an adjacent routing area that is thicker than the flexible area. A flexible inner core spans the flexible area and the adjacent routing area. Outer stack-up layers are on the flexible inner core in the adjacent routing area. A cavity is formed in the outer stack-up layers in the routing area and exposes the flexible inner core. In an embodiment, a display system including such a circuit board may include an electronic component mounted on the flexible inner core within the cavity, and a distal end of the flexible area is bonded to a display panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Adam Adjiwibawa, Shaowei Qin, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu, Steven M. Scardato
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Patent number: 10901260Abstract: 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 backlight unit. The backlight unit may include a printed circuit board, a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on the printed circuit board, at least one light spreading layer formed over the printed circuit board that spreads light received from the plurality of light-emitting diodes, a partially reflective layer formed over the at least one light spreading layer, a color conversion layer formed over the partially reflective layer, a collimating layer formed over the color conversion layer, a brightness enhancement film formed over the collimating layer, and a diffuser formed over the brightness enhancement film. The at least one light spreading layer may include two light spreading layers with elongated protrusions that are rotated relative to each other.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Wei Lv, Joshua A. Spechler, Yu P. Sun, Suraj P. Gorkhali, Daming Xu, Edward H. Kang, Wenyong Zhu, Ziruo Hong, Xinyu Zhu, Ling Han, Mookyung Son, Pee Khiam So, Janos C. Keresztes, Chenhua You, Zhenyue Luo, Heesang Suh, Juan He, Hung Sheng Lin
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Patent number: 10852582Abstract: An electronic device may include display layers such as liquid crystal display layers and a backlight unit that provides illumination for the display layers. The backlight unit may include light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide film. To minimize the inactive area of the display, the light-emitting diodes may be tightly spaced to approximate a line light source instead of point light sources. Color and/or luminance compensation layers may be incorporated at various locations within the backlight structures to ensure that the backlight provided to the display layers is homogenous. A thin-film transistor layer of the display may be coupled to a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have additional solder mask layers to improve robustness, may include encapsulation, and may have traces with a varying pitch.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2019Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Wenyong Zhu, Shan-Ting Hsu, Victor H. Yin, Daming Xu, Heesang Suh, Chenhua You, Mookyung Son
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Publication number: 20200132912Abstract: An electronic device may include display layers such as liquid crystal display layers and a backlight unit that provides illumination for the display layers. The backlight unit may include light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide film. To minimize the inactive area of the display, the light-emitting diodes may be tightly spaced to approximate a line light source instead of point light sources. Color and/or luminance compensation layers may be incorporated at various locations within the backlight structures to ensure that the backlight provided to the display layers is homogenous. A thin-film transistor layer of the display may be coupled to a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have additional solder mask layers to improve robustness, may include encapsulation, and may have traces with a varying pitch.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Daming Xu, Heesang Suh, Mookyung Son, Wenyong Zhu, Shan-Ting Hsu, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin
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Publication number: 20200133046Abstract: An electronic device may include display layers such as liquid crystal display layers and a backlight unit that provides illumination for the display layers. The backlight unit may include light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide film. To minimize the inactive area of the display, the light-emitting diodes may be tightly spaced to approximate a line light source instead of point light sources. Color and/or luminance compensation layers may be incorporated at various locations within the backlight structures to ensure that the backlight provided to the display layers is homogenous. A thin-film transistor layer of the display may be coupled to a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have additional solder mask layers to improve robustness, may include encapsulation, and may have traces with a varying pitch.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Supriya Goyal, Yuxi Zhao, Xinsheng Chu, Chan Hyuk Park, Min Tao, Wenyong Zhu
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Publication number: 20200132916Abstract: An electronic device may include display layers such as liquid crystal display layers and a backlight unit that provides illumination for the display layers. The backlight unit may include light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide film. To minimize the inactive area of the display, the light-emitting diodes may be tightly spaced to approximate a line light source instead of point light sources. Color and/or luminance compensation layers may be incorporated at various locations within the backlight structures to ensure that the backlight provided to the display layers is homogenous. A thin-film transistor layer of the display may be coupled to a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have additional solder mask layers to improve robustness, may include encapsulation, and may have traces with a varying pitch.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Wenyong Zhu, Shan-Ting Hsu, Victor H. Yin, Daming Xu, Heesang Suh, Chenhua You, Mookyung Son
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Patent number: 10613389Abstract: 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 backlight unit. The backlight unit may include a printed circuit board, a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on the printed circuit board, at least one light spreading layer formed over the printed circuit board that spreads light received from the plurality of light-emitting diodes, a partially reflective layer formed over the at least one light spreading layer, a color conversion layer formed over the partially reflective layer, a collimating layer formed over the color conversion layer, a brightness enhancement film formed over the collimating layer, and a diffuser formed over the brightness enhancement film. The at least one light spreading layer may include two light spreading layers with elongated protrusions that are rotated relative to each other.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2019Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Edward H Kang, Jun Qi, Mookyung Son, Pee Khaim So, Victor H. Yin, Wei Lv, Wenyong Zhu, Zhenyue Luo, Xinyu Zhu, Ling Han, Hung Sheng Lin
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Patent number: 10571743Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit that provides backlight illumination. The backlight unit may include a light guide that distributes light through the display. Light-emitting diodes may emit light into the light guide. A reflector that is overlapped by the light guide may help reflect light upwards through an array of pixels. The backlight unit may have a chassis that receives the reflector, light guide, light-emitting diodes, and optical films such as diffusers and prism films. Optical and mechanical features in the backlight unit may enhance color and intensity uniformity for the backlight illumination and may help enhance durability.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2017Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Byungsoo Ko, Daming Xu, Heesang Suh, Michael Tom, Shin-Ying Lu, Thomas Mueller, Wenyong Zhu, Victor H. Yin, Mookyung Son