Electronic device and method of controlling light transmittance of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018059404-A1
Application number	US-201715804725-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 6, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device and a method of controlling light transmittance of the same. The electronic device includes: a light source which provides light; and a variable light control member which adjusts transmittance of the provided light. The variable light control member includes: a base substrate including a plurality of unit areas; a thin-film transistor (TFT) which is disposed on the base substrate; and a deformable lens layer having lens portion disposed on the base substrate in association with at least one of the unit areas, the lens portion being deformable by a control signal of the TFT.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a light source which provides light; a variable light control member which adjusts transmittance of the provided light, wherein the variable light control member comprises:
a base substrate comprising a plurality of unit areas;
a thin-film transistor (TFT) which is disposed on the base substrate; and
a deformable lens layer having lens portion disposed on the base substrate in association with at least one of the unit areas, the lens portion being deformable by a control signal of the TFT; and
a fixed light control member which is disposed between the light source and the variable light control member, wherein the variable light control member is disposed on the light source, and wherein the fixed light control member controls the transmittance of the light without being deformed.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the fixed light control member comprises at least any one of a prism member, a light guide member, a diffusion member, a non-deformable lens member, a phase difference compensation member, and a polarizing member.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel which is disposed on the variable light control member,
wherein a plurality of pixels corresponding to the unit areas are defined in the LCD panel.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the light source comprises a circuit board which supplies power for driving the light source, and
wherein the fixed light control member comprises a light guide plate (LGP), which is disposed on at least a side of the light source, and a diffusion sheet, which is disposed between the LGP and the variable light control member.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the light source comprises a circuit board which supplies power for driving the light source, and
wherein the fixed light control member comprises a diffusion plate which is disposed between the light source and the variable light control member, and wherein the variable light control member is disposed on the light source.

6 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the light source comprises a circuit board which supplies power for driving the light source, and
wherein the fixed light control member comprises an LGP which is disposed on at least a side of the light source and faces the variable light control member.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel which is disposed between the fixed light control member and the variable light control member,
wherein a plurality of pixels corresponding to the unit areas are defined in the LCD panel.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chong Jong Ho
• Choi Dong Wook

Classifications

• H10K59/8791

  Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light · CPC title

• H10K50/86

  Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light · CPC title

• G02B3/0056

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title

• H10K59/50

  OLEDs integrated with light modulating elements, e.g. with electrochromic elements, photochromic elements or liquid crystal elements · CPC title

• G02F1/133526

  Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses · CPC title