On Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a major continuation patent from Apple relating to possible future folding devices. Apple is either adding 20 new claims or rewriting their original patents claims for this invention. Apple doesn't proclaim which of the two it is.  

Patently Apple has been closely monitoring this particular invention. We've posted several granted patents reports on this (01, 02 and 03) and posted our original patent report on this in August 2018 titled "Apple invents both Single and Multi-Fold Device Form Factors for Future iDevices."

In November 2020 Patently Apple posted a report titled "A new Rumor Claims that Apple is working with Several Supply Chain Partners in Preparing for Future Foldable Devices." The report noted that Hon Hai's Foxconn and Shin Nikko are partners that Apple is reportedly relying on for its first folding iPhone.

Then in December Taiwan's United Daily News reported that shells of two folding devices were being tested at Foxconn's Shenzhen factory and more specifically, they were testing the durability of the folding hinge.  

With Apple reportedly testing an important part of a possible future foldable device, it's important to keep on top of their new and updated patents regarding future folding devices.

As a quick recap of Thursday's patent, Apple's invention is directed to an electronic device having a display layer and a cover layer that are configured to fold or bend along a flexible or bendable region.

The flexible cover layer may be formed from a ceramic material (e.g., glass, strengthened glass, sapphire, zirconia) to provide some measure of protection for the flexible display from impact or other potential damaging contact. The flexible cover layer may also provide structural support for the display along both the folded and non-folded regions of the device. As used herein, a cover layer may also be referred to as a cover sheet or simply as a cover.

In general, a foldable electronic device can be folded to accommodate a variety of form factors. For example, a foldable electronic device may be used in an unfolded configuration to allow use of an entire display area.

 The foldable electronic device may also be used in a folded configuration, which may have a more compact size and may also provide a smaller display area.

Apple's patent FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrated below respectively illustrate a device in open and closed configurations.

For more on this, review our original report here.

Today's patent in review is not a new invention application but rather a continuation patent wherein Apple is updating and/or adding specific technologies, features and/or methods that they want to legally extend into their current granted patent. Any change and/or addition to this invention is restricted to Apple's patent claims.

In Thursday's published continuation patent by USPTO, we found that Apple added 20 new claims from top to bottom. Patent claims aren't always fun to read as they're dry technical points. However, they're crucial as they represent the heart of the invention. Only patent claims are argued in court to defend a patent against infringers.

So, what Apple prioritizes in their patent claims is closer to what Apple is finalizing as part of this invention at this point in time or until further refinements or additions are filed for in the future. Most major patents usually follow an evolutionary path.  

20 new Patent Claims for a Foldable Device

1. An electronic device comprising: a display layer; and a cover layer coupled to the display layer and defining a foldable region that includes a ceramic material forming an exterior surface of the electronic device, wherein: the display layer and the cover layer are configured to be moved between a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration by bending the cover layer along the foldable region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: at least a portion of the foldable region is in a reduced stress condition at an intermediate configuration, between the folded configuration and the unfolded configuration.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: a first portion of the foldable region located at the inside of the fold in the folded configuration has a first compressive stress in the folded configuration; a second portion of the foldable region located at the outside of the fold in the folded configuration has a second compressive stress in the unfolded configuration; the first portion has a third compressive stress in an intermediate configuration, between folded and unfolded configurations, that is less than the first compressive stress; and the second portion has a fourth compressive stress in the intermediate configuration that is less than the second compressive stress.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer defines: a first foldable region defining a first localized bend while in the folded configuration; a second foldable region defining a second localized bend while in the folded configuration; and a ratio of a first bend angle of the first localized bend to a second bend angle of the second localized bend is from 0.3 to 0.7.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer comprises: a substrate having an array of relief features formed into a surface of the substrate; and a filler disposed in the array of relief features and having an optical index that is index matched to the substrate.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer comprises: a base layer; a set of panel layers bonded to the base layer and defining a set of gaps, each gap defined between an adjacent pair of panel layers of the set of panel layers; and a filler material disposed in the each of the set of gaps, the filler material being index matched to at least one of the base layer or the set of panel layers.

7. An electronic device comprising: a display; a translucent substrate coupled to the display and having a foldable region including a relief feature; and a filler disposed in the relief feature and optically index matched to the translucent substrate, wherein the translucent substrate is configured to move between a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration by folding and unfolding the foldable region.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein: the relief feature is one of a first array of relief features formed into a first surface of the translucent substrate; and the translucent substrate includes a second array of relief features on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface; and the filler is one of a set of fillers, each filler of the set of fillers is disposed in a relative relief feature of the first and second arrays of the relief features.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein: each relief feature of the first array of relief features has a first width that is less than a second width of each relief feature of the second array of relief features; and the second surface forms an inner surface of the foldable region when the substrate is in a folded configuration.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein: the translucent substrate is formed from a ceramic material; and the filler is formed from a polymer material.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein: the relief feature is one of an array of relief features formed into a surface of the translucent substrate; and the array of relief features is configured to define a minimum bend radius of the translucent substrate when the substrate is in the folded configuration.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein: each of the relief features of the array of relief features includes a pair of walls that each extend at an oblique angle with respect to the surface of the translucent substrate when the translucent substrate is in an unfolded configuration.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a spacing between adjacent relief features of the array of relief features varies along a length of the translucent substrate.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a first relief feature of the array of relief features has a first width that is greater than a second width of a second relief feature of the array of relief features.

15. An electronic device, comprising: a display; a laminate cover layer positioned over and coupled to the display, the laminate cover comprising: a base layer; a set of panel layers arranged over a surface of the base layer and defining a foldable region, wherein the display and the laminate cover layer are configured to be folded along the foldable region.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the set of panel layers defines a set of gaps, each gap defined between an adjacent pair of panel layers of the set of panel layers; and a set of fillers disposed in each gap of the set of gaps, the set of fillers being optically matched to at least one of the base layer or the set of panel layers.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the set of panel layers is formed from a first material having a first hardness; and the base layer is formed from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the set of panel layers are at least partially embedded into the surface of the base layer; a portion of the base layer fills gaps that are defined between adjacent panel layers of the set of panel layers.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the base layer has a first optical index that is different from a second optical index of the set of panel layers; and the laminate cover layer further comprises an interface layer between the base layer and the set of panel layers; and the interface layer provides an optical index transition between the base layer and the panel layers.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein an optical index of the interface layer varies along a thickness of the interface layer.

Apple's continuation patent 20210011516 published on Thursday was filed on September 25, 2020. Apple's first provisional patent regarding this invention dates back four years to February 01, 2017.

Apple Watch having a Light Field Camera

(Click on the image above to Enlarge)

Another of Apple's continuation patents was published on January 7th titled Wearable Electronic Device Having a Light Field Camera. Patently Apple covered this as a granted patent back in October 2020 in a report titled "Apple Wins Patent for a Possible Next-Gen Apple Watch Bio-Authentication System using Subepidermal Imaging."

Considering the novelty of the invention, I wanted to see what Apple wanted to add to this invention. After painstakingly scouring through the patent claims, I was only able to find a single new patent claim worth noting as presented below. Apple introduces a "light emitter" and use of "a set of micro-cameras" for the first time.

Patent Claim #13: The watch body further comprising: a set of light emitters including the light emitter; wherein, the light field camera comprises a set of micro-cameras having fields of view that overlap exterior to the watch body; and the set of light emitters is positioned to emit light from within a boundary defined by the set of micro-cameras.

For more details review continuation patent 20210004444 here.