Transparent display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10191318-B2
Application number	US-201615251416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a transparent display device in which a light shield rate is not lowered by partition walls in a light shield mode, and moreover, a light transmittance is not lowered in a transmissive mode. The transparent display device includes a transparent display panel including a plurality of transmissive areas transmitting incident light and a plurality of emissive areas emitting light, and a light control device disposed on a rear surface of the transparent display panel. The light control device is configured to be driven in a transmissive mode where the incident light is transmitted and a light shield mode where the incident light is blocked.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transparent display device comprising:
a transparent display panel including a plurality of transmissive areas transmitting incident light and a plurality of emissive areas emitting light; and
a light control device on a rear surface of the transparent display panel, the light control device configured to be driven in a transmissive mode where the incident light is transmitted and a light shield mode where the incident light is blocked,
wherein
the light control device comprises:
a first base film and a second base film facing each other;
a plurality of liquid crystal cells provided between the first base film and the second base film; and
a plurality of partition walls maintaining respective cell gaps of the plurality of liquid crystal cells, and
the plurality of partition walls are at respective positions corresponding to the plurality of emissive areas and are absent at areas corresponding to the transmissive areas.

2. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of partition walls in a short-side direction is equal to or less than a width of each of the plurality of emissive areas in a short-side direction.

3. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of partition walls are successively arranged in parallel with the plurality of emissive areas.

4. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of partition walls are non-successively arranged in parallel with the plurality of emissive areas.

5. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of partition walls each comprise a light-absorbing material for absorbing light or a plurality of scatter particles for scattering light.

6. The transparent display device of claim 1 , wherein the light control device further comprises:
a first electrode provided on one surface of the first base film;
a second electrode provided on one surface of the second base film facing the first base film;
a first alignment layer provided on the first electrode and the plurality of partition walls;
a second alignment layer provided on the second electrode; and
a plurality of adhesive layers provided on the first alignment layer provided on the plurality of partition walls.

7. The transparent display device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of liquid crystal cells each comprise liquid crystal and dichroic dyes absorbing light.

8. The transparent display device of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of liquid crystal cells further comprises ion materials moving the liquid crystal and the dichroic dyes when alternating current (AC) voltages are respectively applied to the first electrode and the second electrode.

9. The transparent display device of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of liquid crystal cells further comprises a polymer network.

10. A display device comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of transmissive areas and a plurality of emissive areas; and
a light control device having a liquid crystal layer including a plurality of liquid crystal cells and a plurality of partition walls, and the light control device blocking incident light in a light shield mode and transmitting all of the incident light in a transmissive mode;
wherein the partition walls including a light-absorbing material are spaced apart from each other by a certain interval and adjacent liquid crystal cells are spaced apart from each other by the corresponding partition wall,
wherein the partition walls are aligned to areas corresponding to the emissive areas of the display device and the liquid crystal cells are aligned to areas corresponding to the transmissive areas of the display device, thereby preventing a light leakage at the partition walls of the light control device in the light shield mode and a transmittance reduction in the transmissive mode of the display device.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the partition walls are made of black colored material to absorb light scattered by the liquid crystal cells or includes scatter particles that scatter light in the light shield mode.

12. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the light control device is on the display panel in a direction opposite to a direction in which the display panel emits light.

13. The display device of claim 10 , the plurality of liquid crystal cells further comprising a liquid crystal and a dichroic dyes,
wherein the adjacent liquid crystal cells are spaced apart from each other by a corresponding partition wall and a ratio of the liquid crystal and a ratio of the dichroic dyes are equally maintained in each of the liquid crystal cells.

14. The display device of claim 10 , wherein a difference of the ratio of the liquid crystal and the ratio of the dichroic dyes in each of the liquid crystal cells is less than 1%.

15. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the partition walls are non-successively arranged in parallel with the emissive areas of the display panel.

16. An apparatus comprising:
a display panel having see-through characteristics achieved by an array of pixels, with each sub-pixel having a light emissive area and a light transmissive area; and
a light control layer, operatively connected with the display panel at a rear surface thereof, having two opposing films with a controllable medium therebetween to allow the apparatus to operate in a light passing mode or a light shielding mode,
the light control layer having non-transparent partition walls that partition the controllable medium into a plurality of cells, provide a cell gap between the two opposing films, and are aligned behind only the light emissive areas of the display panel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the non-transparent partition walls contain light absorbing material or light scattering material.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the two opposing films includes an electrode layer and an alignment layer, the display panel includes organic light emissive elements, and the controllable medium contains liquid crystal molecules and dichroic dyes that change their orientation for corresponding cells in response to voltage applied to the electrode layers in the two opposing films for the corresponding cells.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the organic light emissive elements emit light with respect to at least three colors among red, green, blue, white, yellow, magenta, and cyan.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the display panel and light control layer are implemented in smart window or public signage applications.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sunyoung
• Ahn Jiyoung
• Lee Moonsun
• Kim Jae-Hyun
• Kim Pureum
• Kim Kihan
• Ji Seokwon

Classifications

• G02F1/13725

  based on guest-host interaction (G02F1/13762, G02F1/13737, take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/133377 Primary

  Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel · CPC title

• G02F2201/44

  Arrangements combining different electro-active layers, e.g. electrochromic, liquid crystal or electroluminescent layers · CPC title

• G02F1/134309 Primary

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F2203/01

  transmissive · CPC title