Patents by Inventor Zhibing Ge

Zhibing Ge 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: 20180081223
    Abstract: A display may include an optical film to promote sunglass-friendly viewing of the display. Displays may include linear polarizers. For example, a liquid crystal display may have a linear polarizer above a liquid crystal layer, whereas an organic light-emitting diode display may have a linear polarizer that forms a portion of a circular polarizer to reduce reflections in the display. Displays that emit linearly polarized light may not be compatible with polarized sunglasses. To ensure an optimal user experience for users wearing sunglasses, displays may include sunglass-friendly optical films. A sunglass-friendly optical film may be a film formed from a birefringent material such as a polymer or liquid crystal. The sunglass-friendly optical film may have an optical axis that is at a 45° angle relative to the optical axis of the underlying linear polarizer. The sunglass-friendly optical film may be patterned to have reduced thickness regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Hossein Nemati, Chia Hsuan Tai, Jin Yan, Young Cheol Yang, Zhibing Ge
  • Patent number: 9829740
    Abstract: A display may have a thin-film transistor layer formed from a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on a substrate, a color filter layer, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the color filter layer. The thin-film transistor layer, the liquid crystal layer, and the color filter layer may be sandwiched between upper and lower polarizers. A backlight unit may supply backlight illumination for pixels in the display. The color filter layer may have a black matrix with an array of openings. Color filter elements of different colors may be formed in the openings. The black matrix may have sidewalls that are steep or that are undercut. The profile of the black matrix helps block improperly colored off-axis light and thereby reduces undesired color mixing in the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shang-Chih Lin, Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge
  • Patent number: 9798199
    Abstract: A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between display layers. The display layers may include thin-film transistor circuitry having subpixel electrodes for applying electric fields to subpixel portions of the layer of liquid crystal material. Subpixels of different colors may have different shapes and may have different liquid crystal layer thicknesses. These subpixel differences may be configured to slow the switching speed of subpixels of a certain color relative to other subpixels to reduce color motion blur when an object is moved across a black or colored background. The subpixels may have chevron shapes. Subpixels of a first color may have chevron shapes that are less bent than subpixels of second and third colors. In configurations with varying liquid crystal layer thicknesses, the subpixels of the first color may have thicker liquid crystal layers than the subpixels of the second and third colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Adria Fores Herranz, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hossein Nemati, Jun Jiang, Cheng Chen
  • Publication number: 20170293174
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display may have main column spacers and subspacer column spacers. The column spacers may have cross shapes formed from overlapping perpendicular rectangular column spacer portions respectively located on a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. The column spacers may have a hybrid configuration in which some of the rectangular portions on the thin-film transistor layer extend vertically and some extend horizontally. Column spacers may be formed from planarization layer material, may be formed from locally thickened portions of a planarization layer, and may have circular shapes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Chia Hsuan Tai, Cheng Chen, Da Yu, Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov, Sang Un Choi, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Tae Woon Cha, Yeon Sik Ham, Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Hossein Nemati
  • Publication number: 20170243548
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving displayed image quality of an electronic display that includes a display pixel. The electronic display displays a first image frame directly after a second image frame by applying an analog electrical signal to the display pixel. To facilitate display of the first image frame, circuitry receives image data corresponding to the image frame, in which the image data includes a grayscale value that indicates target luminance of the display pixel; determines expected refresh rate of the first image frame based at least in part on actual refresh rate of the second image frame; determines a pixel response correction offset based at least in part on the expected refresh rate of the first image frame; and determines processed image data by applying the pixel response correction offset to the grayscale value, in which the processed image data indicates magnitude of the analog electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Lu Zhang, Zhibing Ge, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Ilie Garbacea, Marc Albrecht, Kingsuk Brahma, Hopil Bae, Paolo Sacchetto, Jie Won Ryu, Sandro H. Pintz, Chengrui Le
  • Patent number: 9703151
    Abstract: A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between display layers. The display layers may include thin-film transistor circuitry having subpixel electrodes for applying electric fields to subpixel portions of the layer of liquid crystal material. Subpixels of different colors may have different shapes and may have different liquid crystal layer thicknesses. These subpixel differences may be configured to slow the switching speed of subpixels of a certain color relative to other subpixels to reduce color motion blur when an object is moved across a black or colored background. The subpixels may have chevron shapes. Subpixels of a first color may have chevron shapes that are less bent than subpixels of second and third colors. In configurations with varying liquid crystal layer thicknesses, the subpixels of the first color may have thicker liquid crystal layers than the subpixels of the second and third colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Adria Fores Herranz, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hossein Nemati, Jun Jiang, Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9612470
    Abstract: A display may have a layer of liquid crystal material between a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. Column spacer structures may be formed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer to maintain a desired separation between the color filter and thin-film transistor layers. Column spacers may be deposited in column spacer regions of the color filter layer. The color filter layer may include rows of red, green, and blue color filter elements. Blue color filter material that forms blue color filter elements in the color filter layer may also be used to form a planar surface over red and green color filter elements in the column spacer regions. Using the blue color filter material to planarize the surface on which column spacers are formed ensures that the column spacers provide sufficient support for the display without requiring an additional planarization layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Un Choi, Zhibing Ge, Shang-Chih Lin, Hiroshi Osawa, Ton-Yong Wang, Ming Xu
  • Patent number: 9599865
    Abstract: A display may have upper and lower display layers. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the upper and lower display layers. The display layers may have substrates. A thin-film transistor layer may have a layer of thin-film transistor structures on a substrate such as a clear glass layer. A planarization layer may be formed on the thin-film transistor structures. A transparent conductive layer may be formed on the planarization layer. The display may have a dielectric layer on the transparent conductive layer. Pixels may be formed in the display layers. The pixels may include pixel electrodes having fingers. The fingers may be formed on the dielectric layer. Trenches in the dielectric layer may be formed between the fingers. The trenches may extend to the transparent conductive layer or may be formed only partway into the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Chaohao Wang, Cheng Chen, Kyung Wook Kim, Ming-Chin Hung, Paolo Sacchetto, Shih Chang Chang, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Shang-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 9568772
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may include a liquid crystal display module and a reflective polarizer having an in-plane optical axis. The display may also include a backlight unit that includes a light source, a light guide element, and a reflector film coupled to a backside of the light guide element. The display may also include a light retardation layer such as a quarter wave film. The quarter wave film may be arranged between the reflective polarizer and the reflector film of the backlight unit. Partially polarized light that is output from a front side of the light guide element may have a first component parallel to the in-plane optical axis and a second component perpendicular to the in-plane optical axis of the reflective polarizer. The second component may be reflected from the reflective polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xinyu Zhu, Jun Qi, Meizi Jiao, Nicholas G. Roland, Victor H. Yin, Wei Chen, Ming Xu, Cheng Chen, Zhibing Ge
  • Patent number: 9557850
    Abstract: One embodiment describes an electronic display. The electronic display includes display driver circuitry that display an image frame on the electronic device using a first display pixel and a second display pixel, touch sensing circuitry that detect user interaction with the electronic display, and a timing controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Paolo Sacchetto, Zhibing Ge, Cheng Chen, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang
  • Patent number: 9557619
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to display devices and electronic devices incorporating a data line distribution segment between neighboring pixel electrodes. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure employ a uniformly distributed data line distribution segment coupled to a data line so as to cause a substantially uniform data line-to-pixel electrode capacitance with the neighboring pixel electrodes even when the data line is disposed closer to one of the neighboring pixel electrodes than the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Young Bae Park, Cheng Chen, Shih Chang Chang, Zhibing Ge, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20170018219
    Abstract: This application relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for compensating voltage for pixels of a display panel based on the location of the pixels within the display panel. An amount of voltage compensation is assigned to each pixel or a group of pixels within the display panel in accordance with a calibration of the display panel. During operation of the display panel, pixel data is generated for a location of the display panel, and the pixel data is modified according to the amount of voltage compensation corresponding to the location. By modifying the pixel data in this way, spatial variations in voltage across the display panel can be mitigated in order to reduce the occurrence of certain display artifacts at the display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Chaohao WANG, Paolo SACCHETTO, Marc ALBRECHT, Christopher P. TANN, Shih-Chyuan FAN JIANG, Howard H. TANG, James E. C. BROWN, Zhibing GE
  • Patent number: 9524694
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels. The display may be controlled using display driver circuitry. The display driver circuitry may analyze image data to be displayed on the array. When static content is detected, the rate at which the pixels are refreshed may be adjusted to conserve power. If a static image is detected, the gate lines may be asserted at a lower refresh rate than if moving content is detected. To avoid visible artifacts, the display driver circuitry may use temporal and spatial refresh rate buffers. Temporal buffers ensure that refresh rates are changed gradually as a function of time, thereby minimizing flicker. Spatial refresh rate buffers are used to provide a smooth transition between low refresh rate and high refresh rate regions in a display as a function of position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Cheng Chen, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Zhibing Ge
  • Publication number: 20160356943
    Abstract: An electronic device may generate content that is to be displayed on a display. The display may have an array of liquid crystal display pixels for displaying image frames of the content. The display may be operated in at least a normal viewing mode, a privacy mode, an outdoor viewing mode, and a power saving mode. The different view modes may exhibit different viewing angles. In one configuration, the display may include a backlight unit that generates a collimated light source and that includes a switchable diffuser film for selectively scattering the collimated light source depending on the current viewing mode of the display. In another configuration, the display may include a backlight unit that generates a scattered light source that includes a switchable microarray structure such as a switchable mirror structure or a tunable microlens array for selectively collimating the scattered light source depending on the current viewing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Hyungryul J. Choi, Zhibing Ge, Cheng Chen, Hossein Nemati, Wei Chen, Jun Qi, Khadijeh Bayat, David A. Doyle, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20160343318
    Abstract: An electronic device may generate content that is to be displayed on a display. The display may have an array of liquid crystal display pixels for displaying image frames of the content. A charge accumulation tracker may analyze the image frames to determine when there is a risk of excess charge accumulation. The charge accumulation tracker may implement a physically derived circuit model of the pixels. A charge accumulation input response matrix and a charge accumulation state response matrix for the model may be stored in look-up table circuitry and used in computing a current charge accumulation state based on current pixel voltage information and previous state information. The impact of temperature, backlight illumination level, frame duration, and other factors may be taken into account in evaluating the current charge accumulation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Hao Nan, Paolo Sacchetto, Zhibing Ge
  • Patent number: 9482905
    Abstract: A display may have a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. A layer of liquid crystal material may be located between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. Column spacers may be formed on the color filter layer to maintain a desired gap between the color filter and thin-film transistor layers. Support pads may be used to support the column spacers. The column spacers and support pads may have comparable thicknesses. Different column spacers may be located at different portions of the support pads to allow the support pad size to be reduced while ensuring adequate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Yeon Sik Ham, Cheng Chen, Chia Hsuan Tai, Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov, Sang Un Choi, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang
  • Publication number: 20160259218
    Abstract: A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between display layers. The display layers may include thin-film transistor circuitry having subpixel electrodes for applying electric fields to subpixel portions of the layer of liquid crystal material. Subpixels of different colors may have different shapes and may have different liquid crystal layer thicknesses. These subpixel differences may be configured to slow the switching speed of subpixels of a certain color relative to other subpixels to reduce color motion blur when an object is moved across a black or colored background. The subpixels may have chevron shapes. Subpixels of a first color may have chevron shapes that are less bent than subpixels of second and third colors. In configurations with varying liquid crystal layer thicknesses, the subpixels of the first color may have thicker liquid crystal layers than the subpixels of the second and third colors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Adria Fores Herranz, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hossein Nemati, Jun Jiang, Cheng Chen
  • Publication number: 20160259215
    Abstract: A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between display layers. The display layers may include thin-film transistor circuitry having subpixel electrodes for applying electric fields to subpixel portions of the layer of liquid crystal material. Subpixels of different colors may have different shapes and may have different liquid crystal layer thicknesses. These subpixel differences may be configured to slow the switching speed of subpixels of a certain color relative to other subpixels to reduce color motion blur when an object is moved across a black or colored background. The subpixels may have chevron shapes. Subpixels of a first color may have chevron shapes that are less bent than subpixels of second and third colors. In configurations with varying liquid crystal layer thicknesses, the subpixels of the first color may have thicker liquid crystal layers than the subpixels of the second and third colors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Adria Fores Herranz, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hossein Nemati, Jun Jiang, Cheng Chen
  • Publication number: 20160246430
    Abstract: One embodiment describes an electronic display. The electronic display includes display driver circuitry that display an image frame on the electronic device using a first display pixel and a second display pixel, touch sensing circuitry that detect user interaction with the electronic display, and a timing controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Chaohao Wang, Paolo Sacchetto, Zhibing Ge, Cheng Chen, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang
  • Publication number: 20160209711
    Abstract: A display may have upper and lower display layers. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the upper and lower display layers. The display layers may have substrates. A thin-film transistor layer may have a layer of thin-film transistor structures on a substrate such as a clear glass layer. A planarization layer may be formed on the thin-film transistor structures. A transparent conductive layer may be formed on the planarization layer The display may have a dielectric layer on the transparent conductive layer. Pixels may be formed in the display layers. The pixels may include pixel electrodes having fingers. The fingers may be formed on the dielectric layer. Trenches in the dielectric layer may be formed between the fingers. The trenches may extend to the transparent conductive layer or may be formed only partway into the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Chaohao Wang, Cheng Chen, Kyung Wook Kim, Ming-Chin Hung, Paolo Sacchetto, Shih Chang Chang, Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Shang-Chih Lin