Display device having wide viewing angle in sharing mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12147139-B2
Application number	US-202117623496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2021
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

The present application provides a display device, when the display device is in a first display mode, a transmittance of first optical units to light is less than a transmittance of second optical units to light, so that diffracted light is emitted due to a phenomenon that apertures in a diffraction panel are alternating between light and dark. After the diffracted light emitted by the diffraction panel passes through a display panel, the display device has a wide viewing angle in the first display mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, wherein the display device comprises a diffraction panel and a display panel, wherein the diffraction panel is located on a light incident side of the display panel, and the diffraction panel comprises:
a first substrate;
a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate;
a plurality of first optical units disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
a plurality of second optical units disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and disposed alternately with the plurality of first optical units in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the diffraction panel;
wherein a transmittance of the first optical units to light is less than a transmittance of the second optical units to light when the display device is in a first display mode, and
when the display device is in a second display mode, the transmittance of the first optical units to light is equal to the transmittance of the second optical units to light, and a visual viewing angle in second display mode is less than a visual viewing angle in the first display mode;
wherein the first optical units comprise a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and optical elements, and the second optical units comprise a plurality of the liquid crystal molecules,
when the display device is in the first display mode, a long axis of the plurality of the liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units is disposed in a first direction, and a refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is different from a refractive index of the optical elements, and a long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units is disposed in the first direction, or

each of the first optical units comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one optical element, and each of the second optical units comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one optical element,
when the display device is in the first display mode, a long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units is disposed in a first direction, a refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is different from a refractive index of the optical elements in the first optical units, a long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units is disposed in a second direction, a refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is same as a refractive index of the optical elements in the second optical units, and the second direction is different from the first direction.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when the first optical units comprise the plurality of liquid crystal molecules and optical elements, and the second optical units comprise the plurality of the liquid crystal molecules,
when the display device is in the second display mode, the long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units is disposed in a second direction, and the refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is same as the refractive index of the optical elements, and the long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units is disposed in the second direction, and the second direction is different from the first direction.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the diffraction panel further comprises:
a first electrode layer disposed on a surface of the first substrate close to the second substrate; and
a second electrode layer disposed on a surface of the second substrate close to the first substrate;
the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to load voltages to the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units and the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units such that long axes of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units and the second optical units are switched between being disposed in the first direction and being disposed in the second direction.

4. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the optical elements are disposed on the first substrate, and the first substrate is located on a side of the second substrate away from the display panel;
the first direction is the thickness direction of the diffraction panel, and the second direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the diffraction panel; and
when the display device is in the first display mode, the refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is less than the refractive index of the optical elements in the first optical units.

5. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein the optical elements comprise optical prisms.

6. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein when the display device is in the first display mode, the refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is n1, and the refractive index of the optical elements is n2; and
a bottom surface of each of the optical prisms is located on the first substrate, a longitudinal cross-section of each of the optical prisms corresponds to a pattern of a triangle, and at least one bottom angle of the triangle has an angle α, 90°>α≥sin −1 (n1/n2).

7. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein a longitudinal cross-sectional pattern of each of the optical prisms is an isosceles right triangle.

8. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical elements are arranged one-dimensionally on the first substrate.

9. The display device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical elements comprise prism columns.

10. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array on the first substrate.

11. The display device according to claim 10 , wherein the optical elements comprise prism cones comprising any one of triangular pyramids, quadrangular pyramids, or cones.

12. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when each of the first optical units comprises the plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one optical element, and each of the second optical units comprises the plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one optical element,
when the display device is in the second display mode, both the long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units and the long axis of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units are disposed in the second direction, and the refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the first optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is same as the refractive index of the optical elements in the first optical units, and the refractive index of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the second optical units in the thickness direction of the diffraction panel is same as the refractive index of the optical elements in the second optical units.

13. The display device according to claim 12 , wherein the diffraction panel further comprises:
third electrodes

Assignees

• Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Deng Qian
• Cheng Wei

Classifications

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F2203/48

  Variable attenuator · CPC title

• G02F2203/22

  diffractive · CPC title

• G02F1/133553

  Reflecting elements (associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605) · CPC title

• G02F1/1323 Primary

  Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle · CPC title