Display apparatus and method of driving display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11347128-B2
Application number	US-201816332519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2018
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A display apparatus. The display apparatus includes a back light module; a light transmission direction controller on a light emitting side of the back light module; and a plurality of subpixels on a side of the light transmission direction controller away from the back light module, each individual one of the plurality of subpixels including a light transmissive part and a light blocking part. The back light module is configured to emit light toward the plurality of subpixels. The light transmission direction controller is configured to independently adjust a grayscale of each individual one of the plurality of subpixels by independently controlling a light distribution ratio between a first portion of light transmitted through the light transmissive part and a second portion of light blocked by the light blocking part in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus, comprising:
a back light module;
a light transmission direction controller on a light emitting side of the back light module; and
a plurality of subpixels on a side of the light transmission direction controller away from the back light module, each individual one of the plurality of subpixels comprising a light transmissive part and a light blocking part;
wherein the back light module is configured to emit light toward the plurality of subpixels;
the light transmission direction controller is configured to independently adjust a grayscale of each individual one of the plurality of subpixels by independently controlling a light distribution ratio between a first portion of light transmitted through the light transmissive part and a second portion of light blocked by the light blocking part in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels; and
the light transmission direction controller comprising a liquid crystal layer and a plurality of liquid crystal control electrodes configured to independently control a state of the liquid crystal layer in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels, thereby independently controlling the light distribution ratio in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of liquid crystal control electrodes are configured to control the liquid crystal layer to form a liquid crystal lens layer.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of liquid crystal control electrodes are configured to control the liquid crystal layer to form a liquid crystal grating.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of grayscale gratings in the liquid crystal layer and respectively in the plurality of subpixels;
wherein the plurality of liquid crystal control electrodes are configured to independently adjust an equivalent refractive index of the liquid crystal layer in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels, thereby independently adjusting a difference between the equivalent refractive index of the liquid crystal layer and a refractive index of a respective one of the plurality of grayscale gratings in each individual one of the plurality of subpixels.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each individual one of the plurality of subpixels has a first image display state and a second image display state;
in the first image display state, the equivalent refractive index of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted to be substantially same as the refractive index of the respective one of the plurality of grayscale gratings; and
in the second image display state, the equivalent refractive index of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted to be greater than the refractive index of the respective one of the plurality of grayscale gratings.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the back light module comprises:
a light source assembly; and
a light extraction layer on a light emitting side of the light source assembly and configured to extract light out of the light source assembly along a controlled direction.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the light source assembly comprises:
a light guide plate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other, and a first side surface connecting the first main surface facing the light transmission direction controller and the second main surface facing away the light transmission direction controller; and
a light source configured to emit light into the light guide plate through the first side surface;
wherein the light extraction layer comprises a plurality of light extraction gratings on one of the first main surface and the second main surface, and configured to extract light emitted from the light source into the light guide plate out of the light guide plate.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light source assembly is configured so that the light emitted from the light source into the light guide plate is totally reflected in the light guide plate, and is extracted out of the light guide plate by the plurality of light extraction gratings.

9. The display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first main surface is the light emitting side; and
the plurality of light extraction gratings are configured to extract light out of the light guide plate along a direction substantially perpendicular to the light emitting side.

10. The display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first main surface is the light emitting side; and
the plurality of light extraction gratings are configured to extract light out of the light guide plate, at least a portion of extracted light being transmitted along a direction inclined to the light emitting side.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of light extraction gratings in a respective one of the plurality of subpixels comprises a first sub-grating, a second sub-grating, and a third sub-grating; and
wherein, in one image display state of a respective one of the plurality of subpixels, the second sub-grating is configured to extract light out of the light guide plate along a direction substantially perpendicular to the light emitting side, each of the first sub-grating and the third sub-grating is configured to extract light out of the light guide plate along a direction inclined to the light emitting side, and light extracted by the first sub-grating and the third sub-grating converges with light extracted by the second sub-grating.

12. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of light extraction gratings are a plurality of transmissive-type gratings on the first main surface;
wherein the back light module further comprises a filing layer filling gaps in the plurality of light extraction gratings to form a planarized surface; and
a refractive index of the filing layer is less than a refractive index of the light guide plate.

13. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of light extraction gratings are a plurality of reflective-type gratings on the second main surface.

14. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light guide plate has a second side surface facing the first side surface; and
the back light module further comprises a light absorption layer on the second side surface configured to absorb light transmitted to the second side surface.

15. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light source further comprises a first reflective mirror and a second reflective mirror;
the first reflective mirror is configured to reflect light from a light illuminant to transmit along a first direction;
the second reflective mirror is configured to reflect at least a portion of light reflected by the first reflective mirror to transmit along a second direction; and
the second reflective mirror has a substantially flat reflective surface.

16. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each individual one of the plurality of subpixels comprises a single light transmissive part; and
the light blocking part is on a side of the single light transmissive part.

17. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each individual one of the plurality of subpixels comprises two light transmissive parts; and
the light blocking part is between the two light transmissive parts.

18. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus further comprises a color filter in the light transmissive part; and
the color filter is a quantum dots color filter.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tan Jifeng
• Meng Xiandong
• Wang Wei
• Gao Jian
• Zhao Wenqing
• Chen Xiaochuan

Classifications

• G02F2201/12

  electrode · CPC title

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G09G3/3406

  Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336) · CPC title

• G02B6/0018

  Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/0023

  provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source · CPC title