Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to electronic devices with image transport layers. Image transport layers may overlap the display layers and may have curved edges that overlap a sidewall portion of the electronic device. A folding device may have first and second displays that are overlapped by respective first and second image transport layers that join over a hinge to block the hinge from view. A wristwatch device may have links or other structures with an image transport layer.

The image transport layer structures in the electronic device may be configured to accommodate curved surfaces, to hide display seams, to hide hinges or other mechanical structures, to reduce display border widths, to distribute an image or other visual output over multiple surfaces of the device, or to otherwise provide the electronic device with a desired shape and ability to supply a user with visual output.

A wristwatch device may have a strap with links or other structures. The strap may be coupled to a main wristwatch unit that has a display and other components. A light source with one or more light-emitting devices such as one or more light-emitting diodes may be used to supply light to an image transport layer. The image transport layer may be located in one of the links of the strap and the light source may have light-emitting diodes mounted in a housing associated with the main unit of the wristwatch device.

Apple's patent FIG. 17 is a side view of an Apple Watch with a strap with hinged segments; FIG. 18 has segments #114 of strap #116 may have a respective display layer #100 that is coupled to circuitry in main unit #112 using signal paths on flexible printed circuits or other signal path structures. Each link could be a display that could present icons associated with actions such as receiving a message, expiration of an alarm, battery status and more.

Each watch band segment could be formed of a transparent region made of polymers or glass; As shown in the top view of FIG. 20, the output surface of image transport layer #80 may have multiple separate areas that are illuminated in this way to display icons etc.. 

For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11817025.