Display device and liquid crystal display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10605977-B2
Application number	US-201816012633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 25, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A display device configured for use as a backlight for a display panel that effects presentation via liquid crystals that produce a monochrome image. The display device includes a light guide plate; and a first and a second light source arranged at an edge of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes: an emission surface; a cluster of first reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from the first light source thereby changing the optical path of the light and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to serve as the backlight; and a cluster of second reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from a second light source thereby changing the optical path of the light and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to effect a predetermined display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display device configured for use as a backlight for a display panel that effects presentation via liquid crystals that produce a monochrome image, the display device comprising:
a light guide plate;
a first light source and a second light source arranged at an edge of the light guide plate; and
a controller that controls the activation of the first light source and the second light source;
wherein the light guide plate comprises:
an emission surface,
a cluster of first reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from the first light source thereby changing the optical path of the light, and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to serve as the backlight and effecting only the presentation via the liquid crystals, and
a cluster of second reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from a second light source thereby changing the optical path of the light and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to effect only a predetermined display without effecting any presentation via the liquid crystals, and

wherein the controller is capable of activating the first light source alone, the second light source alone and both the first light source and the second light source together.

2. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second light source includes a plurality of sectional light sources,
wherein the cluster of second reflective structures include a plurality of reflection sub-clusters with each reflection sub-cluster configured to correspond to a sectional light source, and
wherein each of the reflection sub-clusters presents a different pattern.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein a size of each component in the cluster of first reflective structures in a predetermined region on the light guide plate is smaller than the size of each component in the cluster of first reflective structures outside the predetermined region when the cluster of first reflective structures and the cluster of second reflective structures are mixed together in the predetermined region.

4. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the cluster of second reflective structures is made up of a plurality of recesses drilled into the back surface of the light guide plate where the recesses are spindle shaped when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the emission surface.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein a size of each component in the cluster of first reflective structures in a predetermined region on the light guide plate is smaller than the size of each component in the cluster of first reflective structures outside the predetermined region when the cluster of first reflective structures and the cluster of second reflective structures are mixed together in the predetermined region.

6. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein the cluster of second reflective structures is made up of a plurality of recesses drilled into the back surface of the light guide plate where the recesses are spindle shaped when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the emission surface.

7. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the cluster of second reflective structures is made up of a plurality of recesses drilled into the back surface of the light guide plate where the recesses are spindle shaped when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the emission surface.

8. The display device according to claim 7 , wherein a reflection surface in the cluster of second reflective structures is parallel to the direction along which the birefringence of the light guide plate changes.

9. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first light source and the second light source emit light of mutually different colors.

10. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the cluster of second reflective structures on the light guide plate is configured to present the predetermined display on the emission surface of the light guide plate with the predetermined display configured for external viewing through a display panel.

11. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the cluster of second reflective structures on the light guide plate present the predetermined display in front of a display panel.

12. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to switch between and activate the first light source and the second light source.

13. A liquid crystal display device comprising:
a display device according to claim 1 configured to serve as a backlight; and
a display panel arranged in front of the backlight and configured to effect presentation via liquid crystals that produce a monochrome image.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 , wherein the display panel is driven in normally white mode.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a diffusion plate arranged between the light guide plate and the display panel, and configured to diffuse light.

16. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a reflection plate arranged at the rear surface of the light guide plate which is opposite the display panel, the reflection plate configured to return light leaving the light guide plate from the rear surface back to the light guide plate.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Shinohara Masayuki
• Kurata Gouo
• Tanoue Yasuhiro
• Kitamura Norikazu
• Mori Yuto

Classifications

• G02B6/0055

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G09G3/3413 Primary

  Details of control of colour illumination sources · CPC title

• G02B6/0068

  Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources · CPC title

• G09G3/18

  using liquid crystals · CPC title

• G02B6/006 Primary

  to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like · CPC title