Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,521,034) for “electronic devices with sidewall displays” that could involve iPhones, iPads, even Macs.
Devices with flexible displays could be bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. These mini-screens could offer additional functionality.
Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays could function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.
In the patent filing, Apple notes that Electronic devices such as Mac laptops and iPhones are often provided with rigid displays made from rigid display structures. They also usually sport input-output components such as buttons, microphones, speakers, and other components that receive or transmit tactile input from a user mounted on edges of the device away from the display.
However, Apple notes that flexible display technologies are available allowing flexible displays to be formed using flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. The tech giant says “it would be desirable to be able to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices such as electronic devices with input-output components.”
Here’s the summary of the patent filing: “Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display.
“Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.”
