Display device

Abstract

A display device includes a first display area and a second display area. The first display area includes a plurality of pixels, and each pixel includes a light emitting element. The second display area includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules. A vertical projection of the second display area on a display surface of the display device does not overlap a vertical projection of the first display area on the display surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a display device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, display devices have increasingly used decorative films to enhance versatility, with some films employing cholesteric liquid crystal layers to reflect light for aesthetic purposes. However, when the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is closer to the display surface than the display panel, the displayed information may be obscured, resulting in a loss of clarity. Conversely, when the display panel is closer to the cholesteric liquid crystal layer than the display surface, the panel's structure can also obscure the decorative patterns on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, rendering it unusable for decoration. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a display device in which the display information on the display panel and the decorative pattern on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer do not obscure each other, and both the display information and the decorative pattern can be clearly presented.

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a display device is provided having a display surface, wherein the display device includes a first display area and a second display area. The first display area includes a plurality of pixels, and each of the plurality of pixels includes a light-emitting element. The second display area includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules, and the vertical projection of the second display area onto the display surface does not overlap with the vertical projection of the first display area onto the display surface.

[0005] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a display device is provided, having a display surface and including a first display area and a second display area, wherein the display device includes a display panel. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels and a transparent area that does not overlap with the plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels having a plurality of light-emitting elements and corresponding to the first display area. The second display area includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules, and the vertical projection of the second display area onto the display surface does not overlap with the vertical projection of the first display area onto the display surface.

[0006] Based on the above, the display device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a first display area and a second display area, the vertical projections of which do not overlap, i.e., they are displayed independently. Therefore, when the first display area is used to display the display information of the display panel, and the second display area is used to display the decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, there will be no overlap between the display information and the decorative pattern, thus avoiding the occlusion problem in the prior art.

[0007] To make the above features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display device;

[0010] Figure 2 These are schematic plan views of display devices according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Symbol Explanation

[0014] 1, 2, 3: Display device

[0015] 10, 10A, 10B: Display panels

[0016] 20: Decorative elements

[0017] 30: Transparent adhesive layer

[0018] 101: First substrate

[0019] 102: Second substrate

[0020] 20T: Upper substrate

[0021] 20B: Lower substrate

[0022] 103: Circuit Layer

[0023] 104: Light-emitting element

[0024] 105: Color Resist

[0025] 106: Cathode

[0026] 107, 107U, 107L: Electrodes

[0027] 108: Metal layer

[0028] 109: Black Matrix

[0029] 110: Protective layer

[0030] 112: Dielectric layer

[0031] 110T: Protective layer groove

[0032] 111: Pixel Definition Layer

[0033] 201: Transparent Electrode Layer

[0034] 202: Cholesterol liquid crystal layer

[0035] 203: Circuit Layer

[0036] 204: Light-absorbing layer

[0037] 1S, 2S, 3S: Display surface

[0038] CL: Cholesterol liquid crystal molecules

[0039] EL: Ambient Light

[0040] TR: Transparent Area

[0041] Z1: First display area

[0042] Z2: Second display area

[0043] Z11, Z12, Z13: Subpixels Detailed Implementation

[0044] Reference Figure 1A as well as Figure 1B ,in Figure 1B It is along Figure 1A A cross-sectional schematic diagram of line segment I-I'. The display device 1 includes a first display area Z1 and a second display area Z2. The first display area Z1 includes a plurality of pixels, and each pixel has a light-emitting element 104, which may be, for example, an organic light-emitting diode, a micro light-emitting diode, or other reflective display element. The second display area Z2 includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL, and the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 1S of the display device 1 does not overlap with the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 1S.

[0045] Specifically, the display device 1 includes a display panel 10, which includes a first substrate 101, a second substrate 102, a circuit layer (thin-film transistor array) 103, and a plurality of light-emitting elements 104. The plurality of light-emitting elements 104 are electrically connected to the circuit layer 103 and correspond to the first display area Z1 of the display device 1. That is, the plurality of light-emitting elements 104 are driven by electrical signals provided by the circuit layer 103 and display information in the first display area Z1.

[0046] The display panel 10 is a transparent display panel, and its display surface 1S has a certain proportion of transparent display surface. Specifically, since the display panel 10 is a transparent display panel, it has a transparent area TR that allows light to pass through. The aforementioned transparent display surface refers to the portion of the display surface 1S corresponding to the transparent area TR. Because the display panel 10 is a transparent display panel, even if the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL are farther away from the display surface 1S than the display panel 10, the user can still see the decorative patterns of the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL through the transparent area TR.

[0047] In one embodiment, at least 60% of the display surface 1S of the display panel 10 is a transparent display surface, which corresponds to the transparent area TR of the display panel 10 and the second display area Z2 of the display device 1. That is, the area ratio of the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 1S to the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 1S is greater than or equal to 1.5, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0048] The display device 1 also includes a decorative element 20 and a transparent adhesive layer 30, wherein the transparent adhesive layer 30 is used to bond the display panel 10 and the decorative element 20. The display panel 10 is stacked on top of the decorative element 20.

[0049] Decorative element 20 includes an upper substrate 20T, a transparent electrode layer 201, a cholesteric liquid crystal layer 202, a circuit layer 203, a lower substrate 20B, and a light-absorbing layer 204, which are stacked sequentially. Cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL are disposed in the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 202. Cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL are liquid crystal molecules with Bragg reflection and bistable properties, which can reflect incident light with a wavelength equivalent to its pitch and the same optical rotation. Driven by the electric field provided by the transparent electrode layer 201 and the circuit layer 203, they can switch between two stable states: a planar state and a focal-conic state. In the focal-conic state, light passes through and is further absorbed by the light-absorbing layer 204. In the planar state, cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL reflect light of a specific wavelength, making the decorative pattern visible.

[0050] Because ambient light EL can penetrate the transparent area TR of the display panel 10, such as Figure 1BAs shown, when the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL of the decorative element 20 are in a reflective state, the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL can reflect the ambient light EL that penetrates the transparent area TR, making the decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL visible. The decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL can be seen within the second display area Z2. That is, the second display area Z2 is the visible area of ​​the decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL. In summary, the display device 1 includes a first display area Z1 and a second display area Z2, wherein the first display area Z1 displays information through a plurality of light-emitting elements 104 of the display panel 10, and the second display area Z2 can display the decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL, wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements 104 are disposed between the display surface 1S and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL. Since the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 1S does not overlap with the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 1S of the display device 1, the display device 1 can simultaneously have the functions of displaying information and displaying decorative patterns, and the displayed information and decorative patterns will not obstruct each other. Furthermore, the display panel 10 is stacked on top of the decorative element 20. When the decorative element 20 is used to display decorative patterns, the display panel can provide a light source, which can increase the contrast of the decorative patterns.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the display device 1 may further include a plurality of color resists 105, and the plurality of light-emitting elements 104 may include a plurality of red organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), a plurality of green organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and a plurality of blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), wherein the red OLEDs correspond to the red color resists 105, the green OLEDs correspond to the green color resists 105, and the blue OLEDs correspond to the blue color resists 105. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the display device 1 may not include a plurality of color resists 105, and the plurality of light-emitting elements 104 may include a plurality of micro-LEDs that emit red light, green light, and blue light respectively.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 . Figure 2 This is a plan view of a display device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 They are Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display device according to one embodiment of some of the embodiments shown.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 3The diagrams illustrate a plan view and a cross-sectional view along line segment A-A' of a display device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device 2 includes a first display area Z1 and a second display area Z2. The display device 2 includes a display panel 10A, comprising a plurality of pixels and a transparent area TR that does not overlap with the pixels. Each pixel includes sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13, and each sub-pixel Z11, Z12, and Z13 has a light-emitting element. In this embodiment, the light-emitting elements in sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13 are a red organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a green organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a blue organic light-emitting diode (OLED), respectively.

[0054] The second display area Z2 includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL, and the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 2S of the display device 2 does not overlap with the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 2S. In one embodiment, the area ratio of the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 2S to the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 2S is greater than or equal to 1.5, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] In this embodiment, the display panel 10A further includes a first substrate 101, a second substrate 102, a circuit layer 103, and a dielectric layer 112. The circuit layer 103 electrically connects to the light-emitting elements (organic light-emitting diodes) in the plurality of sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13 to drive them to emit light. It should be noted that the light-emitting elements in this embodiment are organic light-emitting diodes. The display panel 10A also includes an anode (not shown) and a cathode 106 for driving the light-emitting elements. The cathode 106 is located on the corresponding light-emitting element. Cholesterol liquid crystal molecules CL are disposed between the cathode 106 and the transparent upper electrode 107, and are driven by the cathode 106 and the upper electrode 107, such as... Figure 3 As shown. The upper electrode 107 is electrically connected to an external driving circuit through a metal layer 108. The display panel 10A also includes a black matrix 109 to at least shield the circuit layer 103, preventing the circuit layer 103 from being illuminated by light from outside the display surface 2S. It should also be noted that the display panel 10A includes a protective layer 110, which covers the circuit layer 103 and has multiple protective layer grooves 110T, in which cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL are disposed. In other words, by configuring multiple protective layer grooves 110T in the protective layer 110 of the organic light-emitting diode panel and filling them with cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL, the optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL can be utilized to simultaneously realize the functions of displaying information and decorative patterns on the organic light-emitting diode panel, and the display information and decorative patterns will not obstruct each other.

[0056] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 4The diagrams illustrate a plan view and a cross-sectional view along line segment A-A' of a display device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device 3 includes a first display area Z1 and a second display area Z2. The display device 3 includes a display panel 10B, comprising a plurality of pixels and a transparent area TR that does not overlap with the pixels. Each pixel includes sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13, and each sub-pixel Z11, Z12, and Z13 has a light-emitting element. In this embodiment, the light-emitting elements in sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13 are a red micro-light-emitting diode, a green micro-light-emitting diode, and a blue micro-light-emitting diode, respectively.

[0057] The second display area Z2 includes cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL, and the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 3S of the display device 3 does not overlap with the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 3S. In one embodiment, the area ratio of the vertical projection of the second display area Z2 onto the display surface 3S to the vertical projection of the first display area Z1 onto the display surface 3S is greater than or equal to 1.5, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0058] In this embodiment, the display panel 10B further includes a first substrate 101, a second substrate 102, and a circuit layer 103. The circuit layer 103 is electrically connected to the light-emitting elements (micro-light-emitting diodes) in the plurality of sub-pixels Z11, Z12, and Z13 to drive them to emit light.

[0059] The display panel 10B also includes a transparent upper electrode 107U and a lower electrode 107L to jointly drive the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules CL disposed between them. The upper electrode 107U is electrically connected to an external driving circuit through a metal layer 108, and the lower electrode 107L is electrically connected to the circuit layer 103. The display panel 10B also includes a pixel definition layer 111 disposed on the circuit layer 103 to block light from outside the display surface 3S, prevent light from shining on the circuit layer 103, and electrically insulate the circuit layer 103.

[0060] The display panel 10B also includes a protective layer 110, which covers the circuit layer 103 and has multiple protective layer grooves 110T. Cholesterol liquid crystal molecules CL are disposed in the multiple protective layer grooves 110T of the protective layer 110. By utilizing the optical properties of cholesterol liquid crystal molecules CL, the micro-light-emitting diode panel can simultaneously display information and decorative patterns without the display information and decorative patterns obscuring each other.

[0061] In summary, the display device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a first display area and a second display area, whose vertical projections on the display surface do not overlap, i.e., they are displayed independently. Therefore, when the first display area is used to display the display information of the display panel, and the second display area is used to display the decorative pattern of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, there will be no overlap between the display information and the decorative pattern, avoiding the occlusion problem in the prior art. Specifically, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer used to display the decorative pattern can be disposed on a single film layer, and the decorative pattern can be displayed in conjunction with the transparent area of ​​the display panel stacked on it, achieving the function that the display information and the decorative pattern do not overlap or interfere with each other; furthermore, when the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is used to display the decorative pattern, the display panel stacked on it provides a light source, which can increase the contrast of the decorative pattern. In different embodiments, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer can be disposed in the protective layer of an organic light-emitting diode panel or a micro light-emitting diode panel, which can also achieve the function that the display information and the decorative pattern do not overlap or interfere with each other.

Claims

1. A display device having a display surface, wherein the display device comprises: a first display area comprising a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels comprising a light emitting element; and a second display area comprising cholesteric liquid crystal molecules, the second display area having a vertical projection on the display surface that does not overlap a vertical projection of the first display area on the display surface; and a decorative element, the display surface being disposed over the decorative element, the decorative element comprising an upper substrate and a lower substrate, the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules being disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements are disposed between the display surface and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules.

3. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a light absorbing layer, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules are disposed between the display surface and the light absorbing layer, and the light absorbing layer is configured to absorb light that penetrates the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein an area ratio of the vertical projection of the second display area to the vertical projection of the first display area on the display surface is greater than or equal to 1.

5.

5. The display device of claim 1, the decorative element further comprising a transparent electrode layer disposed between the upper substrate and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules, and a circuit layer disposed between the lower substrate and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules.

6. A display device having a display surface, and comprising a first display area and a second display area, wherein the display device comprises: a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and a transparent area that does not overlap the plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels having a plurality of light emitting elements and corresponding to the first display area; wherein the second display area comprises cholesteric liquid crystal molecules, the second display area having a vertical projection on the display surface that does not overlap a vertical projection of the first display area on the display surface, wherein the display panel further comprises: a circuit layer electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting elements to drive the plurality of light emitting elements; and a protective layer covering the circuit layer, the protective layer having a plurality of protective layer recesses, the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules being disposed in the plurality of protective layer recesses.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the display panel further comprises a cathode and an upper electrode, wherein the cathode is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements, and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules are disposed between the cathode and the upper electrode.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the display panel further comprises a lower electrode and an upper electrode, wherein the lower electrode is electrically connected to the circuit layer, and the cholesteric liquid crystal molecules are disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode.

9. The display device of claim 7 or 8, wherein the display panel further comprises a metal layer electrically connected to the upper electrode and electrically connected to an external driving circuit.

10. The display device of claim 8, wherein the display panel further comprises a pixel definition layer disposed on the circuit layer.

11. The display device of claim 6, wherein an area ratio of the perpendicular projection of the second display area to the perpendicular projection of the first display area on the display surface is greater than or equal to 1.

5.

12. The display device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements are micro light emitting diodes.

13. The display device of claim 6, wherein the transparent area corresponds to the second display area.

Images