# US 12,016,134 B2 · Notched display layers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,016,134 B2 - Document ID: US12016134B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/421,098 - Filed: 2019-05-23 - Published: 2019-09-12 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-06 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin; Benjamin M. Rappoport; John P. Ternus; Sean Corbin; Stephen R. McClure - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12016134B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/133308: {Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels} - G02F 1/13452: {Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels} - G06F 1/1605: {Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones} - G06F 1/1633: {Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626} - G06F 1/1637: {Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing} - G06F 1/1643: {the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615)} - H04M 1/0266: {for a display module assembly} - H05K 1/028: {Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence)} - H10D 30/67: Thin-film transistors [TFT] {(Stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon FETs H10D30/501)} - G02F 1/133322: {Mechanical guidance or alignment of LCD panel support components} - G02F 1/13454: {Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate (G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} - G02F 2201/42: Arrangements for providing conduction through an insulating substrate - H04M 1/23: Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof (by improving visibility H04M1/22) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract An electronic device may have a display mounted in a housing. The display may have layers such as polarizer layers, a color filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. Display layers such as color filter layers and thin-film-transistor layers may have glass substrates. Notches or other openings may be formed in the layers of a display. For example, a notch with a curved chamfered edge may be formed in a lower end of a thin-film-transistor layer. A component such as a button may overlap the notch. Structures such as sensors, cameras, acoustic components, and other electronic components, buttons, communications path structures such as flexible printed circuit cables and wire bonding wires, and housing structures may be received within a display layer notch. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a display layer comprising first and second regions of display circuitry; a touch sensor layer; a color filter layer overlapping the display layer; a display cover layer that overlaps the display layer and the color filter layer; a notch that extends into the display layer and the touch sensor layer without extending into the color filter layer, wherein the notch is interposed between the first and the second regions of display circuitry and wherein a conductive signal path passes through the notch; a first electrical component in the notch that emits infrared light signals through the display cover layer; and a second electrical component in the notch that receives visible light signals through the display cover layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the second electrical component comprises a camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device defined in claim 2, further comprising: a third electrical component in the notch, wherein the third electrical component receives third signals through the display cover layer that are different from the first and second signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the third electrical component comprises a microphone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device defined in claim 4, wherein the display comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the display layer forms an active area of a display that is bordered by an inactive area of the display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the notch is bordered by at least one straight edge of the display layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising: a third electrical component in the notch, wherein the third electrical component is selected from the group consisting of: an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, an audio component, and a camera. ### Claim 9 An electronic device, comprising: a display having first and second regions of display circuitry and a first opening that separates the first region of display circuitry from the second region of display circuitry; a conductive signal path that passes through the first opening and conveys electrical signals; a second opening in the display; a first component configured to receive light through the first opening; and a second component configured to emit light through the second opening, wherein the first component is interposed between the first and second regions of display circuitry. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the display comprises a display layer that completely surrounds the first and second components. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device defined in claim 10, wherein the first component comprises an image sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area, wherein the first opening is located in the inactive area, and wherein the electronic device further comprises: a display cover layer that overlaps the active area and the inactive area. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device defined in claim 12, further comprising: an opaque masking layer in the inactive area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The electronic device defined in claim 9, further comprising: a speaker in the first opening. ### Claim 16 An electronic device, comprising: a display layer having an opening, wherein the opening is surrounded by portions of the display layer; a conductive signal path that passes through the opening and that conveys electrical signals; a display cover layer overlapping the display layer and the opening; a camera in the opening; and a touch sensor in the opening. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronic device defined in claim 16, wherein the opening is circular. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising an opaque masking layer on an inner surface of the display cover layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electronic device defined in claim 18, wherein the display layer comprises a thin-film transistor layer and wherein the conductive signal path comprises a flexible printed circuit.