Shih J Chang

US Patent:

7859521, Dec 28, 2010

Filed:

Apr 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/756834

Inventors:

Steven Porter Hotelling - San Jose CA, US
Marduke Yousefpor - San Jose CA, US
Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G09G 5/00

US Classification:

345173, 178 1803

Abstract:

Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. Circuit elements, such as touch signal lines, such as drive lines and sense lines, grounding regions, in the display pixel stackups can be grouped together to form touch sensing circuitry that senses a touch on or near the display. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that can operate as circuitry of the display system to generate an image on the display, and can also form part of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels that can be configured to operate as storage capacitors/electrodes, common electrodes, conductive wires/pathways, etc. , of the display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as circuit elements of the touch sensing circuitry.

US Patent:

7918019, Apr 5, 2011

Filed:

Jan 9, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/351767

Inventors:

Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US
Lili Huang - San Jose CA, US
Seung Jae Hong - San Jose CA, US
Lynn Youngs - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

H05K 3/10

US Classification:

29846, 29830, 29831, 29842, 427466, 427496, 427331, 156247

Abstract:

A method for fabricating thin DITO or SITO touch sensor panels with a thickness less than a minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment. In one embodiment, a sandwich of two thin glass sheets is formed such that the combined thickness of the glass sheets does not drop below the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment when thin film process is performed on the surfaces of the sandwich during fabrication. The sandwich may eventually be separated to form two thin SITO/DITO panels. In another embodiment, the fabrication process involves laminating two patterned thick substrates, each having at least the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment. One or both of the sides of the laminated substrates are then thinned so that when the substrates are separated, each is a thin DITO/SITO panel having a thickness less than the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment.

US Patent:

8111232, Feb 7, 2012

Filed:

Mar 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/413082

Inventors:

Ming Xu - Cupertino CA, US
Cheng Chen - Cupertino CA, US
Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
Mingxia Gu - Santa Clara CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G09G 3/36

US Classification:

345 98, 345 87

Abstract:

Systems, devices, and methods for reducing direct current bias and/or enabling a simplified manner of polarity inversion in liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a device may include a processor, a memory device, and a liquid crystal display having a pixel array including rows and columns of pixels. Each pixel of the pixel array may include a pixel electrode separated from a common electrode by a dielectric passivation layer, and may include a transistor to provide a data signal when the transistor is activated. The pixel array is configured such that a neutral amount of direct current bias is generated on the passivation layer when each row of pixels is activated. The common electrodes of certain pixels may be disposed above their respective pixel electrodes, while the common electrodes of certain other pixels may be disposed below their respective pixel electrodes.

US Patent:

8144295, Mar 27, 2012

Filed:

Dec 19, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/340567

Inventors:

Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G02F 1/1343

US Classification:

349141

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a FFS TFT LCD with a high refresh rate without limiting the aperture of individual pixels. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide for the use of common bus lines to reduce the effective resistance of the common electrode and to therefore allow for higher refresh rates of the display. Furthermore, the common bus lines can be positioned in such a manner so that they do not further reduce the aperture of the display. More specifically, the common bus lines can be positioned above or below existing elements of the display that are already opaque. Thus, adding the common bus lines need not reduce the aperture. The above can be achieved by, for example, placing the common bus lines above or below existing non-transparent lines, such as gate lines or data lines.

US Patent:

8217913, Jul 10, 2012

Filed:

Aug 21, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/545649

Inventors:

Steven Porter Hotelling - San Jose CA, US
Marduke Yousefpor - San Jose CA, US
Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G09G 5/00

US Classification:

345173, 345 90, 349 12

Abstract:

Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. Circuit elements, such as touch signal lines, such as drive lines and sense lines, grounding regions, in the display pixel stackups can be grouped together to form touch sensing circuitry that senses a touch on or near the display. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that can operate as circuitry of the display system to generate an image on the display, and can also form part of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels that can be configured to operate as storage capacitors/electrodes, common electrodes, conductive wires/pathways, etc. , of the display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as circuit elements of the touch sensing circuitry.

US Patent:

8294647, Oct 23, 2012

Filed:

Feb 13, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/371380

Inventors:

Cheng Chen - Cupertino CA, US
Ming Xu - Cupertino CA, US
Mingxia Gu - Santa Clara CA, US
Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
Shawn Robert Gettemy - San Jose CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G09G 3/36

US Classification:

345 88

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a plurality of pixels is provided. In one embodiment, the pixels of the LCD each include common and pixel electrodes formed on an insulating layer, and a liquid crystal layer responsive to electric fields generated by the electrodes. The plurality of pixels may include two or more sets of pixels each configured to transmit light of a different color, and the pixel electrodes of one set of pixels may be configured differently from those of another set. In other embodiments, the sizes of the pixels may differ. Various additional devices and methods are also provided.

US Patent:

8294865, Oct 23, 2012

Filed:

Feb 24, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/405226

Inventors:

Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
John Z. Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G02F 1/1343

US Classification:

349141

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a FFS TFT LCD with a high refresh rate without limiting the aperture of individual pixels. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide for the use of common bus lines to reduce the effective resistance of the common electrode and to therefore allow for higher refresh rates of the display. Furthermore, the common bus lines can be positioned in such a manner so that they do not further reduce the aperture of the display. More specifically, the common bus lines can be positioned above or below existing elements of the display that are already opaque. Thus, adding the common bus lines need not reduce the aperture. The above can be achieved by, for example, placing the common bus lines above or below existing non-transparent lines, such as gate lines or data lines.

US Patent:

8345177, Jan 1, 2013

Filed:

Feb 13, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/371284

Inventors:

Shih Chang Chang - Cupertino CA, US
Shawn Robert Gettemy - San Jose CA, US
Ming Xu - Cupertino CA, US
Cheng Chen - Cupertino CA, US
Mingxia Gu - Santa Clara CA, US
John Z Zhong - Cupertino CA, US

International Classification:

G02F 1/136

US Classification:

349 43, 349 42

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided having transistors disposed within via holes having elongated (e. g. , rectangular or oval) contact areas. The use of via holes having elongated contact areas allows an opaque mask defining an aperture for light transmission to be lengthened, thereby increasing the overall area of the aperture. The increase in the area of the aperture may increase the amount of light that can pass through the aperture.