The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a new patent for an expandable display to cover the notch and front camera of an iPhone, when not in use.
The notch was introduced in the iPhone X series to house sensors for Face ID authentication, camera, and other components. But users expressed irritation with the notch, especially when watching content in landscape mode. Maybe, Apple wants to remove that irritant for users in future iPhone models.
Apple exploring potions to hide iPhone’s camera and notch by movable windows
The filing is spotted by Patently Apple which states the new patent is the fourth filing by the company of an expandable display. Previously, a patent titled “a future iDevice with a Scrollable, Expandable Display” was granted which concealed notch and camera region with an expandable display that scrolls from within.
The new filing explains that iPhone could be equipped with one or more adjustable windows which will overlap the notch/camera when not in use.
A display window may be operated in open and closed states. In the closed state, the movable portion of the display overlaps the window region and pixels in the movable display portion emit light from the window region.
In the open state, the movable portion of the display is moved away from the window region so that light for the optical component may pass through the window region.
To move the windows, different options are explored like a flap attached with a hinge or a sliding display.
The movable portion of the display may be an integral portion of a flexible display such as a flap of the flexible display that is bent away from remaining portions of the flexible display when opening the display window or may be a rigid display layer that moves about a hinge.
Sliding display arrangements and other display arrangements that allow the movable portion of the display to selectively cover and uncover the window region may be used, if desired. An electrically adjustable actuator may move the movable display portion.
It must be noted that Apple files numerous patents in a year and not all of the proposed technology materializes into actual products. How do you like the new idea to hide the notch? Let us know in the comments section.
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