Display panel and display apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899862-B2
Application number	US-202017094368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 24, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A display panel includes a main display area, and a component area including a transmission area. The display panel includes a substrate including a groove disposed in the transmission area in a depth direction of the substrate; main display elements disposed above the substrate in the main display area; main pixel circuits electrically connected to the main display elements; and auxiliary display elements disposed above the substrate in the component area; and auxiliary pixel circuits electrically connected to the auxiliary display elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel comprising:
a main display area and a component area, the component area including a transmission area;
a substrate including a groove disposed in the transmission area in a depth direction of the substrate, the groove disposed within a layer of the substrate based on a removal of a portion of the layer from the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate corresponding to the depth direction;
main display elements disposed above the substrate in the main display area;
main pixel circuits electrically connected to the main display elements;
auxiliary display elements disposed above the substrate in the component area; and
auxiliary pixel circuits electrically connected to the auxiliary display elements, wherein
the substrate comprises a first base layer, a first inorganic barrier layer, a second base layer, and a second inorganic barrier layer that are sequentially stacked,
the second inorganic barrier layer comprises a first opening in the transmission area,
the second base layer comprises a second opening overlapping the first opening, and
the groove comprises the first opening, the second opening, and an upper surface of the first inorganic barrier layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the main display elements include main subpixels disposed in the main display area, the main subpixels having a first pixel arrangement structure,
the auxiliary display elements include auxiliary subpixels disposed in the component area, the auxiliary subpixels having a second pixel arrangement structure, and
the first pixel arrangement structure is different from the second pixel arrangement structure.

3. The display panel of claim 2 , wherein
the component area comprises a first component area and a second component area,
auxiliary subpixels disposed in the first component area have a third pixel arrangement structure, and
auxiliary subpixels disposed in the second component area have a fourth pixel arrangement structure that is different from the third pixel arrangement structure.

4. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of pixel groups corresponding to groups of the auxiliary display elements are disposed in the component area,
a plurality of transmission areas are disposed in the component area, and
the plurality of pixel groups and the plurality of transmission areas alternate with each other.

5. A display panel comprising:
a main display area and a component area, the component area including a transmission area;
a substrate including a groove disposed in the transmission area in a depth direction of the substrate;
main display elements disposed above the substrate in the main display area;
main pixel circuits electrically connected to the main display elements;
auxiliary display elements disposed above the substrate in the component area;
auxiliary pixel circuits electrically connected to the auxiliary display elements; and
a bottom metal layer disposed between the substrate and the auxiliary pixel circuits, wherein
the bottom metal layer comprises a bottom-hole in the transmission area, and
the bottom-hole has a polygonal shape having eight or more sides or has a circular shape.

6. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an upper layer disposed on an opposite electrode that is disposed in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements, wherein
the opposite electrode comprises a first opening in the transmission area,
the upper layer comprises a second opening in the transmission area, and
an inner side surface of the first opening and an inner side surface of the second opening are coplanar.

7. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a weak adhesive layer disposed in the transmission area; and
an opposite electrode disposed in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements,
wherein the opposite electrode includes a transmission hole or a transmission groove corresponding to the weak adhesive layer.

8. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a functional layer disposed in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements and including an organic material, the functional layer being continuously disposed in the transmission area; and
an opposite electrode disposed in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements and including a transmission hole or a transmission groove corresponding to a weak adhesive layer.

9. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opposite electrode disposed in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements, the opposite electrode including:
a first thickness at a portion of the opposite electrode that overlaps pixel electrodes of the auxiliary display elements; and
a second thickness at a portion of the opposite electrode between the auxiliary display elements,
wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

10. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary display elements include auxiliary subpixels which include an auxiliary subpixel emitting a first color,
the main display elements include main subpixels which include a main subpixel emitting the first color, and
a size of the auxiliary subpixel emitting the first color is greater than a size of the main subpixel emitting the first color.

11. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main pixel circuits and the auxiliary pixel circuits comprises:
a first thin-film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer; and
a second thin-film transistor including a polysilicon semiconductor layer.

12. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary display elements comprise a first auxiliary display element and a second auxiliary display element,
a thickness of a first pixel electrode of the first auxiliary display element is greater than a thickness of a second pixel electrode of the second auxiliary display element, and
the first pixel electrode comprises a reflective layer.

13. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary display elements comprise a first auxiliary display element,
a pixel electrode of the first auxiliary display element comprises a first pixel electrode unit and a second pixel electrode unit, a thickness of the first pixel electrode unit is different from a thicknesses of the second pixel electrode unit,
the first pixel electrode unit is a stack of a first transparent electrode layer, a reflective layer, and a second transparent electrode layer, and
the second pixel electrode unit extends from the first transparent electrode layer.

14. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wire disposed in the transmission area and including a transparent conductive material.

15. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first display driving unit that drives the main pixel circuits; and
a second display driving unit that drives the auxiliary pixel circuits,
wherein at least one of a driving voltage and a common voltage that is applied to the main pixel circuits is different from at least one of a driving voltage and a common voltage that is applied to the auxiliary pixel circuits.

16. The display panel of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first main data line electrically connected to the main pixel circuits; and
a first auxiliary data line electrically connected to the auxiliary pixel circuits, wherein
the first main data line and the first auxiliary data line are disposed in a same column, and
an end of the first main data line and an end of the first auxiliary data

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• BOK Seunglyong
• Jeon Yongje
• Kim Songi
• Park Okkyung
• Son Youngran
• Lee Dongho
• Lee Seunghoon

Classifications

• Y02E10/549

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• G09G2300/0452

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• G09G2300/0426

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• G06F2203/04112

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• G09G3/3233

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