Display device

Abstract

The disclosure provides a display device including a display panel including a display area and a non-display area, the display area including a first optical area including a plurality of light emitting areas and a plurality of first transmissive areas, a second optical area different from the first optical area and including a plurality of light emitting areas and a plurality of second transmissive areas, and a normal area located outside the first optical area and the second optical area and including a plurality of light emitting areas, and first and second optical electronic devices located below or in a lower portion of the display panel and overlapping at least a portion of the first optical area included in the display area, the second optical electronic device overlapping at least a portion of the second optical area. An area or a size of each of the plurality of first transmissive areas is different from an area or a size of each of the plurality of second transmissive areas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to electronic devices, and more specifically, to display devices capable of increasing the transmittance of the area in which optics are disposed. Background Technology

[0002] With advancements in display technology, display devices can offer more functionalities, such as image capture, sensing, and image display. To provide these functions, display devices may need to include optoelectronic components, such as cameras and sensors for detecting images.

[0003] In order to receive light passing through the front surface of a display device, it may be desirable for the optical electronics to be located in an area of ​​the display device that can advantageously receive or detect incident light from the front surface. Therefore, in such a display device, the optical electronics can be located in the front portion of the display device to allow the optical electronics to be effectively exposed to incident light. To mount the optical electronics in such an implementation, an increased bezel can be designed for the display device, or a notch or hole can be formed in the display area of ​​the display panel of the display device.

[0004] Therefore, even when optical electronic devices (such as cameras, sensors, etc.) that receive or detect incident light and perform predefined functions are attached to a display device, it is desirable for the display device to have higher transmittance in order to perform the desired function. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors have developed a technique for providing or placing one or more optical electronic devices in a display device without reducing the area of ​​the display area of ​​the display panel of the display device. Through this development, the inventors have invented a display panel and display device having a light-transmitting structure in which the optical electronic devices can normally and appropriately receive or detect light even when the optical electronic devices are located below the display area of ​​the display panel and are therefore not exposed in the front surface of the display device.

[0006] Furthermore, the inventors have invented a display panel and display device having a structure in which the area where the optical electronics are disposed is configured to have high transmittance and can be formed by a simple process.

[0007] One or more embodiments of this disclosure can provide a display device that can reduce the non-display area of ​​a display panel by disposing optical electronics below or in the lower portion of the display area of ​​the display panel and prevent the optical electronics from being exposed in the front surface of the display panel.

[0008] One or more embodiments of this disclosure may provide a display device having a light-transmitting structure in which optical electronics located below or in the lower portion of the display area of ​​the display panel have the ability to normally receive or detect light.

[0009] One or more embodiments of this disclosure can provide a display device capable of performing display driving normally in an optical region included in the display area of ​​a display panel and overlapping with optical electronics.

[0010] According to an aspect of this disclosure, a display device is provided, comprising: a display panel including a display area and a non-display area; the display area including: a first optical area including a plurality of light-emitting areas and a plurality of first transmissive areas; a second optical area different from the first optical area and including a plurality of light-emitting areas and a plurality of second transmissive areas; and a normal area located outside the first and second optical areas and including a plurality of light-emitting areas; a first optical electronic device located below or in a lower portion of the display panel and overlapping at least a portion of the first optical area included in the display area; and a second optical electronic device overlapping at least a portion of the second optical area. In this display device, the area or size of each of the plurality of first transmissive areas is different from the area or size of each of the plurality of second transmissive areas.

[0011] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device can be provided that can reduce the non-display area of ​​the display panel by placing optical electronics below or in the lower portion of the display area of ​​the display panel and prevent the optical electronics from being exposed in the front surface of the display panel.

[0012] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device having a light-transmitting structure can be provided, wherein optical electronics located below or in the lower portion of the display area of ​​the display panel have the ability to normally receive or detect light.

[0013] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device can be provided that is capable of performing display driving normally in an optical region included in the display area of ​​a display panel and overlapping with optical electronics.

[0014] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device can be provided in which the area where the optical electronics are disposed is configured to have high transmittance and the area can be formed by a simple process.

[0015] Additional features and aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the inventive concept provided herein. Other features and aspects of the inventive concept may be realized and obtained by means of structures specifically pointed out or deduced in the written description, its claims and drawings.

[0016] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages will be or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within this specification, within the scope of this disclosure, and protected by the appended claims. Nothing in this section should be construed as limiting those claims.

[0017] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed inventive concept. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate various aspects of this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D This is a plan view illustrating an example display device according to various aspects of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 An example system configuration of a display device according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0021] Figure 3 Example equivalent circuits for subpixels in a display panel according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated;

[0022] Figure 4A An example arrangement of subpixels in three regions included in the display area of ​​a display panel according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0023] Figure 4B Another example structure of the first optical region of a display panel according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0024] Figure 5A An example arrangement of signal lines in each of the first optical region and the normal region of a display panel according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0025] Figure 5BAn example arrangement of signal lines in each of the second optical region and the normal region of a display panel according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Example openings of a first optical region and a second optical region included in the display area of ​​a display panel according to various aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated; and

[0027] Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C An example second optical region is included in the display area of ​​a display panel according to various aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of this disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the structures, embodiments, implementations, methods, and operations described herein are not limited to one or more specific examples set forth herein, and may be varied as is known in the art. The names of the corresponding elements used in the following description are chosen solely for ease of writing and may therefore differ from those used in actual products.

[0029] The shapes, dimensions, ratios, angles, quantities, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of describing various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are given by way of example only. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, similar reference numerals always refer to similar elements. The advantages and features of this disclosure and methods of implementation thereof will be elucidated by the following exemplary embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete enough to assist those skilled in the art in fully understanding the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. In the following description, a detailed description of a known function or construction may be omitted where such a detailed description might unnecessarily obscure aspects of this disclosure. Where terms such as “comprising,” “having,” “including,” “containing,” “constituting,” “made of,” “formed from,” etc., are used, one or more other elements may be added unless a term such as “only” is used. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, elements described in the singular are intended to include multiple elements, and vice versa. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form used in this article is intended to include the plural form.

[0030] When interpreting a component, it should be interpreted as including a range of errors or tolerances, even if no explicit description of such a range of errors or tolerances is provided.

[0031] When describing positional relationships, such as when using terms like "above," "over," "below," "on top," "below," "beside," or "adjacent" to describe the positional relationship between two components, one or more other components may be located between these two components, unless more restrictive terms such as "immediately," "directly," or "immediately after" are used. For example, when an element or layer is placed "on" another element or layer, a third element or layer may be inserted between it. Furthermore, the terms "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "downward," "upward," "above," "below," etc., refer to any frame of reference. Temporal relative terms such as "after," "following," "next," or "before," used to describe temporal relationships between events or operations, are generally intended to include events, situations, circumstances, or operations that occur discontinuously, unless terms such as "directly" or "immediately after" are used.

[0032] When describing temporal relationships, when the temporal order is described as such as “after,” “following,” “next,” or “before,” discontinuous situations may be included unless more restrictive terms such as “exactly,” “immediately,” or “directly” are used.

[0033] Although the terms “first,” “second,” A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be construed as being limited by these terms, as they are not used to define a particular order or priority. These terms are used only herein to distinguish one element from others. The expressions “first element,” “second element,” and “ / or” “third element” should be understood to mean one of the first, second, and third elements, or any or all combinations of the first, second, and third elements.

[0034] By way of example, A, B, and / or C can refer to: only A, only B, or only C; any or some combination of A, B, and C; or all of A, B, and C. Therefore, in the technical concept of this disclosure, the first element mentioned below can be a second element. Furthermore, the term "can" fully encompasses all the meanings of the term "able to".

[0035] The term “at least one” should be understood to include any or all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items. For example, “at least one of the first element, the second element and the third element” means a combination of all three listed elements, a combination of any two of the three elements, and each individual element, the first element, the second element and the third element.

[0036] In the following, various embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D This is a plan view illustrating an example display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0038] Reference Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D The display device 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure may include a display panel 110 for displaying images and one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12).

[0039] The display panel 110 may include a display area DA for displaying images and a non-display area NDA for not displaying images.

[0040] Multiple subpixels can be arranged in the display area DA, and several types of signal lines for driving the multiple subpixels can be arranged therein.

[0041] The non-display area NDA can refer to the area outside the display area DA. Several types of signal lines can be arranged in the non-display area NDA, and several types of drive circuits can be connected to it. At least a portion of the non-display area NDA can be bent so that it is not visible from the front of the display panel, or it can be covered by the housing (not shown) of the display panel 110 or the display device 100. The non-display area NDA can also be referred to as a bezel or bezel area.

[0042] Reference Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D In the display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure, one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) may be located below or in the lower part of the display panel 110 (on the opposite side of its viewing surface).

[0043] Light can enter the front surface (viewing surface) of the display panel 110, pass through the display panel 110, and reach one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) located below or in the lower part of the display panel 110 (opposite to the viewing surface).

[0044] One or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) can receive or detect light transmitted through the display panel 110 and perform predefined functions based on the received light. For example, one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) may include one or more of the following: an image capturing device such as a camera (image sensor); or a sensor such as a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, etc.

[0045] Reference Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D In the display panel 110 according to various aspects of this disclosure, the display area DA may include one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) and a normal area NA. Here, the term "normal area" NA is an area present in the display area DA that does not overlap with one or more optoelectronic devices (11 and / or 12), and may also be referred to as a non-optical area.

[0046] Reference Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D One or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) may be one or more regions that overlap with one or more optical electronics (11 and / or 12).

[0047] according to Figure 1A For example, the display area DA may include a first optical area OA1 and a normal area NA. In this example, at least a portion of the first optical area OA1 may overlap with the first optoelectronic device 11.

[0048] although Figure 1A An example is shown where the first optical region OA1 has a circular shape, but the shape of the first optical region OA1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0049] For example, such as Figure 1B As shown, the first optical region OA1 can have an octagonal shape or various polygonal shapes.

[0050] according to Figure 1C For example, the display area DA may include a first optical area OA1, a second optical area OA2, and a normal area NA. Figure 1C In this example, at least a portion of the normal region NA may exist between the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2. In this example, at least a portion of the first optical region OA1 may overlap with the first optical electronic device 11, and at least a portion of the second optical region OA2 may overlap with the second optical electronic device 12.

[0051] according to Figure 1D For example, the display area DA may include a first optical area OA1, a second optical area OA2, and a normal area NA. Figure 1DFor example, the normal region NA may not exist between the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2. For example, the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 may be in contact with each other (e.g., in direct contact with each other). In this example, at least a portion of the first optical region OA1 may overlap with the first optoelectronic device 11, and at least a portion of the second optical region OA2 may overlap with the second optoelectronic device 12.

[0052] In some implementations, it is desirable to form an image display structure and a light-transmitting structure within one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2). For example, since one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) are part of the display area DA, it is necessary to provide sub-pixels for displaying the image within one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2). Furthermore, a light-transmitting structure is required in order for light to be transmitted through one or more optoelectronic devices (11 and / or 12), thus a light-transmitting structure is formed within one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2).

[0053] Even if one or more optical electronics (11 and / or 12) are required to receive or detect light, one or more optical electronics (11 and / or 12) may be located on the back side of the display panel 110 (e.g., on the opposite side of the viewing surface). In this embodiment, one or more optical electronics (11 and / or 12) are located, for example, below or in the lower part of the display panel 110 and are configured to receive light that has passed through the display panel 110.

[0054] For example, one or more optoelectronic devices (11 and / or 12) are not exposed on the front surface (viewing surface) of the display panel 110. Therefore, when a user looks at the front of the display device 100, one or more optoelectronic devices (11 and / or 12) are positioned to be invisible to the user.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first optical electronic device 11 may be a camera, while the second optical electronic device 12 may be a sensor such as a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, an infrared sensor, etc. For example, the camera may be a camera lens, an image sensor, or a unit that includes at least one of a camera lens and an image sensor. For example, the sensor may be an infrared sensor capable of detecting infrared light.

[0056] In another embodiment, the first optical electronic device 11 may be a sensor, while the second optical electronic device 12 may be a camera.

[0057] In the following discussion, for convenience only, reference will be made to an embodiment where the first optical electronic device 11 is a camera and the second optical electronic device 12 is a sensor. However, it should be understood that the scope of this disclosure includes embodiments where the first optical electronic device 11 is a sensor and the second optical electronic device 12 is a camera. For example, the camera may be a camera lens, an image sensor, or a unit that includes at least one of a camera lens and an image sensor.

[0058] In an example where the first optical electronic device 11 is a camera, the camera may be located on the back of the display panel 110 (e.g., below or in its lower portion) and may be a front-facing camera capable of capturing objects or images in a frontal direction of the display panel 110. Therefore, a user can capture images or objects while viewing the viewing surface of the display panel 110 using a camera that is not visible on the viewing surface.

[0059] Despite Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D Each of the display areas DA in the image includes a normal area NA and one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) that are areas where images can be displayed. However, the normal area NA is an area that does not require the formation of a light-transmitting structure, while the one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) are areas that require the formation of a light-transmitting structure. Therefore, in some embodiments, the normal area NA is an area that does not implement or include a light-transmitting structure, while the one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) are areas that implement or include a light-transmitting structure.

[0060] Therefore, one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) may have a transmittance greater than or equal to a predetermined level, i.e., relatively high transmittance, while the normal region NA may be non-transmissive or have a transmittance less than the predetermined level, i.e., relatively low transmittance.

[0061] For example, one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) may have different resolutions, subpixel arrangement structures, number of subpixels per unit area, electrode structures, line structures, electrode arrangement structures, and / or line arrangement structures from the normal region NA.

[0062] In one implementation, the number of subpixels per unit area in one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) may be less than the number of subpixels per unit area in the normal region NA. For example, the resolution of one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) may be lower than the resolution of the normal region NA. Here, the number of subpixels per unit area may be a unit used to measure resolution, for example, referred to as pixels per inch (or subpixels) (PPI), which represents the number of pixels per inch.

[0063] In one implementation, Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D In each of these regions, the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the first optical region OA1 can be less than the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the normal region NA. In one embodiment, in Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D In each of the first optical regions, the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the second optical region OA2 can be greater than or equal to the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the first optical region OA1.

[0064] exist Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D In each of these, the first optical region OA1 can have various shapes, such as circular, elliptical, quadrilateral, hexagonal, or octagonal. Figure 1C and Figure 1D In each of these regions, the second optical region OA2 can have various shapes, such as circular, elliptical, quadrilateral, hexagonal, or octagonal. The first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 can have the same shape or different shapes.

[0065] Reference Figure 1C In the example where the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 are in contact with each other, the entire optical region including the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 can also have various shapes, such as circles, ellipses, quadrilaterals, hexagons, or octagons.

[0066] In the following discussion, for ease of description, embodiments in which each of the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 has a circular shape will be provided. However, it should be understood that the scope of this disclosure includes embodiments in which one or both of the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 have a shape other than a circular shape.

[0067] In this document, a display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure, having a structure in which a first optical electronic device 11, positioned below or in the lower part of the display panel 110 and covered and not exposed to the outside, is a camera, may be referred to as a display (display device) employing under-display camera (UDC) technology.

[0068] The display device 100 constructed in this way has the advantage of preventing the size of the display area DA from shrinking because it does not require forming a notch or camera hole in the display panel 110 to expose the camera.

[0069] Since it is not necessary to form a notch or camera hole in the display panel 110 for camera exposure, the display device 100 is able to have further advantages: a reduced bezel area size and increased design freedom due to the removal of this design constraint.

[0070] Although in the display device 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure, one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) are positioned to be covered on the back (below or in the lower part) of the display panel 110, that is, hidden and not exposed to the outside, one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) need to be able to receive or detect light for the purpose of properly performing a predefined function.

[0071] Furthermore, in the display device 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure, although one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) are positioned to cover the back (below, or in the lower part) of the display panel 110 and are positioned to overlap with the display area DA, it is necessary to normally perform image display in one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) overlapping with one or more optical electronic devices (11 and / or 12) in the display area DA.

[0072] Figure 2 An example system configuration of a display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0073] Reference Figure 2 The display device 100 may include a display panel 110 and a display driving circuit as components for displaying images.

[0074] The display driver circuit is a circuit used to drive the display panel 110, and may include a data driver circuit 220, a gating driver circuit 230, a display controller 240, and other components.

[0075] The display panel 110 may include a display area DA for displaying images and a non-display area NDA for not displaying images. The non-display area NDA may be an area outside the display area DA, and may also be referred to as an edge area or border area. All or part of the non-display area NDA may be an area visible from the front surface of the display device 100, or an area not visible from the front surface of the display device 100 due to the curvature of the corresponding portion.

[0076] The display panel 110 may include a substrate SUB and a plurality of sub-pixels SP disposed on the substrate SUB. The display panel 110 may also include various types of signal lines to drive the plurality of sub-pixels SP.

[0077] In some embodiments, the display device 100 herein may be a liquid crystal display device or a self-emissive display device that emits light from the display panel 110 itself. In examples where the display device 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure is a self-emissive display device, each of the plurality of sub-pixels SP may include a light-emitting element.

[0078] In one embodiment, the display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure may be an organic light-emitting display device in which an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is used to realize the light-emitting element. In another embodiment, the display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure may be an inorganic light-emitting display device in which an inorganic light-emitting diode based on an inorganic material is used to realize the light-emitting element. In yet another embodiment, the display device 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure may be a quantum dot display device in which a quantum dot, as a self-emissive semiconductor crystal, is used to realize the light-emitting element.

[0079] The structure of each of the plurality of subpixels SP can vary depending on the type of display device 100. In an example where the display device 100 is a self-emissive display device including self-emissive subpixels SP, each subpixel SP may include a self-emissive light-emitting element, one or more transistors, and one or more capacitors.

[0080] The various types of signal lines arranged in the display device 100 may include, for example, multiple data lines DL for carrying data signals (which may be referred to as data voltage or image signals), multiple gating lines GL for carrying gating signals (which may be referred to as scan signals), etc.

[0081] Multiple data lines (DL) and multiple gating lines (GL) can intersect each other. Each of the multiple data lines (DL) can extend in a first direction. Each of the multiple gating lines (GL) can extend in a second direction.

[0082] For example, the first direction can be a column direction or a vertical direction, and the second direction can be a row direction or a horizontal direction. In another example, the first direction can be a row direction, and the second direction can be a column direction.

[0083] The data driving circuit 220 can be a circuit for driving multiple data lines DL, and can provide data signals to the multiple data lines DL. The gating driving circuit 230 can be a circuit for driving multiple gating lines GL, and can provide gating signals to the multiple gating lines GL.

[0084] The display controller 240 can be a device for controlling the data drive circuit 220 and the gating drive circuit 230, and can control the driving timing of multiple data lines DL and multiple gating lines GL.

[0085] The display controller 240 can provide the data drive control signal DCS to the data drive circuit 220 to control the data drive circuit 220, and provide the gating drive control signal GCS to the gating drive circuit 230 to control the gating drive circuit 230.

[0086] The display controller 240 can receive input image data from the host system 250 and provide image data Data to the data drive circuit 220 based on the input image data.

[0087] The data drive circuit 220 can provide data signals to multiple data lines DL according to the drive timing control of the display controller 240.

[0088] The data drive circuit 220 can receive digital image data Data from the display controller 240, convert the received image data Data into an analog data signal, and provide the obtained analog data signal to multiple data lines DL.

[0089] The gating drive circuit 230 can provide gating signals to multiple gating lines GL according to the timing control of the display controller 240. The gating drive circuit 230 can receive a first gating voltage corresponding to the on-level voltage and a second gating voltage corresponding to the off-level voltage together with various gating drive control signals GCS, generate gating signals, and provide the generated gating signals to the multiple gating lines GL.

[0090] In some implementations, the data drive circuit 220 may be connected to the display panel 110 in a tape auto-package (TAB) type, or to conductive pads such as bonding pads of the display panel 110 in a chip-on-glass (COG) type or chip-on-panel (COP) type, or to the display panel 110 in a chip-on-film (COF) type.

[0091] In some embodiments, the gate drive circuit 230 may be connected to the display panel 110 in a tape-on-bundle (TAB) type, or to conductive pads such as bonding pads on the display panel 110 in a chip-on-glass (COG) or chip-on-panel (COP) type, or to the display panel 110 in a chip-on-film (COF) type. In another embodiment, the gate drive circuit 230 may be disposed in the non-display area NDA of the display panel 110 in a gate-in-panel (GIP) type. The gate drive circuit 230 may be disposed on or above the substrate, or connected to the substrate. That is, in the case of the GIP type, the gate drive circuit 230 may be disposed in the non-display area NDA of the substrate. In the cases of chip-on-glass (COG), chip-on-film (COF), etc., the gate drive circuit 230 may be connected to the substrate.

[0092] In some embodiments, at least one of the data driving circuit 220 and the gating driving circuit 230 may be disposed in the display area DA of the display panel 110. For example, at least one of the data driving circuit 220 and the gating driving circuit 230 may be configured not to overlap with the sub-pixel SP, or configured to overlap with one or more or all of the sub-pixels SP.

[0093] The data driving circuit 220 may also be located on only one side or a portion (e.g., the top edge or the bottom edge) of the display panel 110. In some embodiments, depending on the driving scheme, panel design, etc., the data driving circuit 220 may be located on both sides or two portions (e.g., the top edge and the bottom edge) of the display panel 110, or at least two of the four sides or four portions (e.g., the top edge, the bottom edge, the left edge, and the right edge) of the display panel 110.

[0094] The gating drive circuit 230 may be located on only one side or a portion of the display panel 110 (e.g., the left edge or the right edge). In some embodiments, depending on the driving scheme, panel design, etc., the gating drive circuit 230 may be connected to both sides or two portions of the display panel 110 (e.g., the left edge and the right edge), or connected to at least two of the four sides or four portions of the display panel 110 (e.g., the top edge, the bottom edge, the left edge, and the right edge).

[0095] The display controller 240 can be implemented as a component separate from the data drive circuit 220, or integrated with the data drive circuit 220, thereby being implemented as an integrated circuit.

[0096] The display controller 240 may be a timing controller used in conventional display technology, or a controller or control device capable of performing other control functions in addition to those of a conventional timing controller. In some embodiments, the display controller 240 may be a controller or control device different from the timing controller, or may be a circuit or component included in a controller or control device. The display controller 240 may be implemented using various circuits or electronic components such as integrated circuits (ICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or processors.

[0097] The display controller 240 can be mounted on a printed circuit board, and / or flexible printed circuit, etc., and is electrically connected to the data drive circuit 220 and the gating drive circuit 230 via the printed circuit board, and / or flexible printed circuit board, etc.

[0098] The display controller 240 can send signals to and receive signals from the data driver circuit 220 via one or more predefined interfaces. In some embodiments, such interfaces may include a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface, an embedded point-to-point clock interface (EPI), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), etc.

[0099] In some embodiments, to further provide touch sensing and image display functions, the display device 100 may include at least one touch sensor and a touch sensing circuit capable of detecting whether a touch event occurs by a touch object such as a finger or pen, or detecting the corresponding touch position by sensing the touch sensor.

[0100] The touch sensing circuit may include a touch driver circuit 260 capable of generating and providing touch sensing data by driving and sensing a touch sensor, a touch controller 270 capable of using the touch sensing data to detect touch position or the occurrence of touch events, and one or more other components.

[0101] The touch sensor may include multiple touch electrodes. The touch sensor may also include multiple touch lines for electrically connecting the multiple touch electrodes to the touch driving circuitry 260.

[0102] The touch sensor can be implemented externally to the display panel 110, within the touch panel, or as a form of the touch panel, or internally. In the example where the touch sensor is implemented externally to the display panel 110, within the touch panel, or as a form of the touch panel, this type of touch sensor is referred to as add-on. In the example of using an add-on touch sensor, the touch panel and the display panel 110 can be manufactured separately and joined during the assembly process. The add-on touch panel may include a touch panel substrate and multiple touch electrodes on the touch panel substrate.

[0103] In an example where the touch sensor is implemented inside the display panel 110, the process of manufacturing the display panel 110 may include placing the touch sensor, along with signal lines and electrodes associated with driving the display device 100, above the substrate SUB.

[0104] The touch driving circuit 260 can provide a touch driving signal to at least one of the plurality of touch electrodes and sense at least one of the plurality of touch electrodes to generate touch sensing data.

[0105] Touch sensing circuits can use self-capacitance sensing technology or mutual capacitance sensing technology to perform touch sensing.

[0106] In an example where the touch sensing circuit performs touch sensing using self-capacitance sensing technology, the touch sensing circuit can perform touch sensing based on the capacitance between each touch electrode and the touch object (e.g., a finger, a pen, etc.).

[0107] According to self-capacitance sensing technology, each of the multiple touch electrodes can be used as both a driving touch electrode and a sensing touch electrode. The touch driving circuit 260 can drive all or one or more of the multiple touch electrodes and sense all or one or more of the multiple touch electrodes.

[0108] In an example where the touch sensing circuit performs touch sensing using mutual capacitance sensing technology, the touch sensing circuit can perform touch sensing based on the capacitance between the touch electrodes.

[0109] Based on mutual capacitance sensing technology, multiple touch electrodes are divided into driving touch electrodes and sensing touch electrodes. The touch driving circuit 260 can drive the driving touch electrodes and sense the sensing touch electrodes.

[0110] The touch driver circuit 260 and touch controller 270 included in the touch sensing circuit can be implemented in separate devices or in a single device. Furthermore, the touch driver circuit 260 and data driver circuit 220 can be implemented in separate devices or in a single device.

[0111] The display device 100 may also include a power supply circuit for providing various types of power to the display driving circuit and / or touch sensing circuit.

[0112] In some embodiments, the display device 100 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or a monitor, television (TV), etc. Such a device may have various types, sizes, and shapes. The display device 100 according to embodiments of this disclosure is not limited thereto, and includes displays of various types, sizes, and shapes for displaying information or images.

[0113] As described above, the display area DA of the display panel 110 may include a normal area NA and one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2), for example, such as Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D As shown.

[0114] The normal region NA and one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) are areas where images can be displayed. However, the normal region NA is an area where a light-transmitting structure is not required, while one or more optical regions (OA1 and / or OA2) are areas where a light-transmitting structure is required.

[0115] As mentioned above Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D As discussed in the examples, although the display area DA of the display panel 110 may include one or more optical areas (OA1 and / or OA2) in addition to the normal area NA, for ease of description, in the following discussion, it is assumed that the display area DA includes a first optical area and a second optical area (OA1 and / or OA2) and the normal area NA, as in... Figure 1C and Figure 1D In the middle; and unless otherwise expressly stated, its normal region NA includes Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D The normal region NA in the image, and its first optical region and second optical region (OA1 and / or OA2) respectively include Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 1D The first optical region OA1 and Figure 1C and Figure 1D The second optical region OA2 in the middle.

[0116] Figure 3 An example equivalent circuit of a sub-pixel SP in a display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0117] Each sub-pixel SP in the normal area NA, the first optical area OA1, and the second optical area OA2 included in the display area DA of the display panel 110 may include a light-emitting element ED, a driving transistor DRT for driving the light-emitting element ED, a scanning transistor SCT for sending the data voltage Vdata to the first node N1 of the driving transistor DRT, a storage capacitor Cst for maintaining the voltage at an approximately constant level during a frame, etc.

[0118] The driving transistor DRT may include a first node N1 to which a data voltage is applied, a second node N2 electrically connected to a light-emitting element ED, and a third node N3 to which a driving voltage ELVDD is applied via a driving voltage line DVL. In the driving transistor DRT, the first node N1 may be a gate node, the second node N2 may be a source node or a drain node, and the third node N3 may be a drain node or a source node.

[0119] The light-emitting element ED may include an anode electrode AE, a light-emitting layer EL, and a cathode electrode CE. The anode electrode AE ​​may be a pixel electrode disposed in each sub-pixel SP and may be electrically connected to the second node N2 of the driving transistor DRT of each sub-pixel SP. The cathode electrode CE may be a common electrode disposed in multiple sub-pixels SP, and a base voltage ELVSS, such as a low-level voltage, may be applied to the cathode electrode CE.

[0120] For example, the anode electrode AE ​​can be a pixel electrode, and the cathode electrode CE can be a common electrode. In another example, the anode electrode AE ​​can be a common electrode, and the cathode electrode CE can be a pixel electrode. For ease of description, in the following discussion, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is assumed that the anode electrode AE ​​is a pixel electrode and the cathode electrode CE is a common electrode.

[0121] The light-emitting element (ED) can be, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an inorganic light-emitting diode, a quantum dot light-emitting element, etc. In the example where an organic light-emitting diode is used as the light-emitting element ED, the light-emitting layer EL included in the light-emitting element ED can include an organic light-emitting layer containing organic materials.

[0122] The scanning transistor SCT can be turned on and off by the scanning signal SCAN, which is a gating signal applied through the gating line GL, and can be electrically connected between the first node N1 of the driving transistor DRT and the data line DL.

[0123] The storage capacitor Cst can be electrically connected between the first node N1 and the second node N2 of the driving transistor DRT.

[0124] Each sub-pixel SP can include two transistors (2T: DRT and SCT) and one capacitor (1C: Cst) (which can be referred to as a "2T1C structure"), such as Figure 3 As shown, and in some cases, it may also include one or more transistors, or one or more capacitors.

[0125] In some implementations, the storage capacitor Cst that may exist between the first node N1 and the second node N2 of the driving transistor DRT may be an external capacitor that is intentionally constructed or designed to be located outside the driving transistor DRT, in addition to internal capacitors such as parasitic capacitors (e.g., gate-source capacitance Cgs, gate-drain capacitance Cgd, etc.).

[0126] Each of the driving transistor DRT and the scanning transistor SCT can be an n-type transistor or a p-type transistor.

[0127] In some embodiments, each of the driving transistor DRT and the scanning transistor SCT may be a low-temperature polysilicon transistor. However, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the driving transistor DRT and the scanning transistor SCT may be an oxide thin-film transistor.

[0128] Since the circuit elements (e.g., in particular, the light-emitting element ED) in each sub-pixel SP are susceptible to external moisture or oxygen, an encapsulation layer ENCAP can be provided in the display panel 110 to prevent external moisture or oxygen from penetrating into the circuit elements (e.g., in particular, the light-emitting element ED). The encapsulation layer ENCAP can be configured to cover the light-emitting element ED.

[0129] Figure 4A An example arrangement of subpixels SP in three regions (NA, OA1, and OA2) included in the display area DA of a display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 4B Another example structure of the first optical region of the display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0130] Reference Figure 4A In some implementations, multiple sub-pixels SP can be disposed in each of the normal area NA, the first optical area OA1, and the second optical area OA2 included in the display area DA.

[0131] Multiple sub-pixels SP may include, for example, a red sub-pixel that emits red light (red SP), a green sub-pixel that emits green light (green SP), and a blue sub-pixel that emits blue light (blue SP).

[0132] Therefore, each of the normal region NA, the first optical region OA1, and the second optical region OA2 may include one or more light-emitting regions EA of one or more red sub-pixels (red SPs), one or more light-emitting regions EA of one or more green sub-pixels (green SPs), and one or more light-emitting regions EA of one or more blue sub-pixels (blue SPs).

[0133] Reference Figure 4AIn some implementations, the normal region NA may not include a light-transmitting structure, but may include a light-emitting region EA.

[0134] Conversely, in some embodiments, the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 need to include both the light-emitting region EA and the light-transmitting structure.

[0135] Therefore, the first optical region OA1 may include one or more light-emitting regions EA and one or more first transmission regions TA1, and the second optical region OA2 may include one or more light-emitting regions EA and one or more second transmission regions TA2.

[0136] The luminescent area EA and the transmissive area (TA1 and / or TA2) can be distinguished based on whether or not light transmission is permitted. For example, the luminescent area EA may be an area where light transmission is not permitted (e.g., light is not allowed to transmit to the back of the display panel), and the transmissive area (TA1 and / or TA2) may be an area where light transmission is permitted (e.g., light is allowed to transmit to the back of the display panel).

[0137] The luminescent region EA and the transmissive region (TA1 and / or TA2) can also be distinguished based on whether or not a specific metal layer is included. For example, as Figure 3 The cathode electrode CE shown can be disposed in the light-emitting region EA, and the cathode electrode CE may not be disposed in the transmission regions (TA1 and / or TA2). In some embodiments, a light-shielding layer may be disposed in the light-emitting region EA, while a light-shielding layer may not be disposed in the transmission regions (TA1 and / or TA2).

[0138] Since the first optical region OA1 includes the first transmission region TA1 and the second optical region OA2 includes the second transmission region TA2, both the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 are regions that can transmit light.

[0139] In one embodiment, the transmittance of the first optical region OA1 and the transmittance of the second optical region OA2 can be substantially equal.

[0140] For example, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 and the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2 can have substantially the same shape or size. In another example, even when the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 and the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2 have different shapes or sizes, the ratio of the first transmission region TA1 to the first optical region OA1 and the ratio of the second transmission region TA2 to the second optical region OA2 can be substantially equal. In the example, each first transmission region TA1 has the same shape and size. In the example, each second transmission region TA2 has the same shape and size.

[0141] In another embodiment, the transmittance of the first optical region OA1 and the transmittance of the second optical region OA2 may be different from each other.

[0142] For example, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 and the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2 can have different shapes or sizes. In another example, even when the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 and the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2 have substantially the same shape or size, the ratio of the first transmission region TA1 to the first optical region OA1 and the ratio of the second transmission region TA2 to the second optical region OA2 can be different from each other.

[0143] For example, in the area overlapping with the first optical region OA1, such as Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C The first optical electronic device 11 shown is a camera, and it overlaps with the second optical region OA2 as follows: Figure 1B and Figure 1C The second optical electronic device 12 shown is an example of a sensor used to detect images; the camera may require a greater amount of light than the sensor.

[0144] Therefore, the transmittance of the first optical region OA1 can be greater than that of the second optical region OA2.

[0145] For example, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 can have a larger size than the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2. In another example, even when the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 and the second transmission region TA2 of the second optical region OA2 have substantially the same size, the ratio of the first transmission region TA1 to the first optical region OA1 can be greater than the ratio of the second transmission region TA2 to the second optical region OA2.

[0146] In the implementation method, such as Figure 4AAs shown, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 may have a circular shape in the cross-sectional view, but the structure of the first transmission region TA1 according to the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to this.

[0147] In another embodiment, such as Figure 4B As shown, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 can have an octagonal shape. In some embodiments, the first transmission region TA1 of the first optical region OA1 can have an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape.

[0148] In this way, by changing the shape of the first transmission region TA1, the transmittance of the first transmission region TA1 can be adjusted, and the area or size of the light-emitting region of the first optical region OA1 can be adjusted.

[0149] For ease of description, the following discussion is provided for an implementation in which the transmittance (transmittance) of the first optical region OA1 is greater than that of the second optical region OA2.

[0150] In addition, such as Figure 4A The transmissive regions shown (TA1 and / or TA2) can be referred to as transparent regions, and the term transmittance can be referred to as transparency.

[0151] Furthermore, in the following discussion, unless otherwise explicitly stated, it is assumed that the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 are located in the upper edge of the display area DA of the display panel 110 and are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, such as in the direction extending from the upper edge, as shown below. Figure 4A As shown.

[0152] Reference Figure 4A The horizontal display area with a first optical region OA1 and a second optical region OA2 is called the first horizontal display area HA1, and the other horizontal display area without the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 is called the second horizontal display area HA2.

[0153] Reference Figure 4A The first horizontal display area HA1 may include a portion of the normal area NA, a first optical area OA1, and a second optical area OA2. The second horizontal display area HA2 may include only another portion of the normal area NA.

[0154] Figure 5A An example arrangement of signal lines in each of the first optical region OA1 and the normal region NA of a display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated, and Figure 5BAn example arrangement of signal lines in each of the second optical region OA2 and the normal region NA of a display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0155] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The first horizontal display area HA1 shown is a portion of the first horizontal display area HA1 of the display panel 110. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The second horizontal display area HA2 shown is a portion of the second horizontal display area HA2 of the display panel 110.

[0156] Figure 5A The first optical region OA1 shown is a part of the first optical region OA1 of the display panel 110, and Figure 5B The second optical region OA2 shown is a part of the second optical region OA2 of the display panel 110.

[0157] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B The first horizontal display area HA1 may include a portion of the normal area NA, a first optical area OA1, and a second optical area OA2. The second horizontal display area HA2 may include another portion of the normal area NA.

[0158] Various types of horizontal lines (HL1 and HL2) and various types of vertical lines (VLn, VL1, and VL2) can be set in the display panel 110.

[0159] In some implementations, the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" are used to refer to two directions intersecting the display panel; however, it should be noted that the horizontal and vertical directions can change depending on the viewing direction. The horizontal direction can refer to, for example, the direction in which a gate line GL extends, while the vertical direction can refer to, for example, the direction in which a data line DL extends. Thus, the terms horizontal and vertical are used to represent two directions.

[0160] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B The horizontal lines set in the display panel 110 may include a first horizontal line HL1 set in the first horizontal display area HA1 and a second horizontal line HL2 set in the second horizontal display area HA2.

[0161] The horizontal lines set in the display panel 110 can be gate lines GL. That is, the first horizontal line HL1 and the second horizontal line HL2 can be gate lines GL. Depending on the structure of one or more sub-pixels SP, the gate lines GL can include various types of gate lines.

[0162] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5BThe vertical lines set in the display panel 110 may include a typical vertical line VLn set only in the normal area NA, a first vertical line VL1 that crosses both the first optical area OA1 and the normal area NA, and a second vertical line VL2 that crosses both the second optical area OA2 and the normal area NA.

[0163] The vertical lines provided in the display panel 110 may include data lines DL, driving voltage lines DVL, etc., and may also include reference voltage lines, initialization voltage lines, etc. That is to say, a typical vertical line VLn, a first vertical line VL1, and a second vertical line VL2 may include data lines DL, driving voltage lines DVL, etc., and may also include reference voltage lines, initialization voltage lines, etc.

[0164] In some implementations, it should be noted that the term "horizontal" in the second horizontal line HL2 may simply mean that the signal is carried from the left side to the right side (or from the right side to the left side) of the display panel, and may not mean that the second horizontal line HL2 extends in a straight line only in the exactly horizontal direction. For example, in Figure 5A and Figure 5B Although the second horizontal line HL2 is shown as a straight line, one or more of the second horizontal lines HL2 may include lines that are parallel to each other. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The diagram shows one or more curved or bent sections with different constructions. Similarly, one or more first horizontal lines HL1 may also include one or more curved or bent sections.

[0165] In some implementations, it should be noted that the term "vertical" in a typical vertical line VLn may simply mean that the signal is carried from the top to the bottom (or from the bottom to the top) of the display panel, and may not mean that the typical vertical line VLn extends in a straight line only in the exactly vertical direction. For example, in Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the diagram, although a typical vertical line VLn is shown as a straight line, one or more typical vertical lines VLn can include lines that are parallel to each other. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The diagram illustrates one or more curved or bent sections, each with its own distinct structure. Similarly, one or more of the first vertical lines VL1 and one or more of the second vertical lines VL2 may also include one or more curved or bent sections.

[0166] Reference Figure 5A The first optical region OA1, included in the first horizontal display region HA1, may include a light-emitting region EA (e.g., Figure 4A (as shown) and the first transmission region TA1. In the first optical region OA1, the corresponding outer region of the first transmission region TA1 can be included in the corresponding light-emitting region EA.

[0167] Reference Figure 5A In order to improve the transmittance of the first optical region OA1, the first horizontal line HL1 can pass through the first optical region OA1 while avoiding the first transmission region TA1 in the first optical region OA1.

[0168] Therefore, each first horizontal line HL1 traversing the first optical region OA1 may include one or more curved or bent portions extending around one or more corresponding outer edges of one or more first transmission regions TA1.

[0169] Therefore, the first horizontal line HL1 disposed in the first horizontal display area HA1 and the second horizontal line HL2 disposed in the second horizontal display area HA2 can have different shapes or lengths. For example, the first horizontal line HL1 that crosses the first optical area OA1 and the second horizontal line HL2 that does not cross the first optical area OA1 can have different shapes or lengths.

[0170] In addition, in order to improve the transmittance of the first optical region OA1, the first vertical line VL1 can pass through the first optical region OA1 while avoiding the first transmission region TA1 in the first optical region OA1.

[0171] Therefore, each first vertical line VL1 traversing the first optical region OA1 may include one or more curved or bent portions extending around one or more corresponding outer edges of one or more first transmission regions TA1.

[0172] Therefore, the first vertical line VL1 that crosses the first optical region OA1 and the typical vertical line VLn that is set in the normal region NA but does not cross the first optical region OA1 can have different shapes or lengths.

[0173] Reference Figure 5A The first transmission region TA1, which is included in the first optical region OA1 in the first horizontal display region HA1, can be arranged in a diagonal direction.

[0174] Reference Figure 5A In the first optical region OA1 within the first horizontal display region HA1, one or more light-emitting regions EA can be disposed between two horizontally adjacent first transmission regions TA1. In the first optical region OA1 within the first horizontal display region HA1, one or more light-emitting regions EA can be disposed between two vertically adjacent first transmission regions TA1.

[0175] Reference Figure 5AEach first horizontal line HL1 disposed in the first horizontal display area HA1 (e.g., each first horizontal line HL1 traversing the first optical area OA1) may include one or more curved portions or bends extending around the respective outer edges of one or more first transmission areas TA1.

[0176] Reference Figure 5B The second optical region OA2, included in the first horizontal display region HA1, may include a light-emitting region EA and a second transmission region TA2. In the second optical region OA2, the corresponding outer region of the second transmission region TA2 may be included in the corresponding light-emitting region EA.

[0177] In one embodiment, the light-emitting region EA and the second transmission region TA2 in the second optical region OA2 can be connected with... Figure 5A The luminescent region EA and the first transmissive region TA1 in the first optical region OA1 have essentially the same position and arrangement.

[0178] In another embodiment, such as Figure 5B As shown, the light-emitting region EA and the second transmission region TA2 in the second optical region OA2 can be connected with... Figure 5A The luminescent region EA and the first transmissive region TA1 in the first optical region OA1 have different positions and arrangements.

[0179] For example, refer to Figure 5B The second transmission regions TA2 in the second optical region OA2 can be arranged in a horizontal direction (from left to right or from right to left). In this example, the light-emitting region EA may not be located between two horizontally adjacent second transmission regions TA2. Furthermore, one or more light-emitting regions EA in the second optical region OA2 can be located between second transmission regions TA2 that are vertically adjacent (from top to bottom or from bottom to top). For example, one or more light-emitting regions EA can be located between two rows of second transmission regions.

[0180] When the first horizontal line HL1 crosses the second optical region OA2 and the normal region NA adjacent to the second optical region OA2 within the first horizontal display region HA1, in one embodiment, the first horizontal line HL1 may be connected with... Figure 5A The first horizontal line HL1 has a basically the same arrangement.

[0181] In another embodiment, such as Figure 5B As shown, when the first horizontal line HL1 crosses the second optical region OA2 and the normal region NA adjacent to the second optical region OA2 in the first horizontal display region HA1, the first horizontal line HL1 can be... Figure 5A The first horizontal line HL1 has a different arrangement.

[0182] This is because Figure 5B The position and arrangement of the luminescent region EA and the second transmission region TA2 in the second optical region OA2 are related to Figure 5A The positions and arrangements of the light-emitting region EA and the first transmission region TA1 in the first optical region OA1 are different.

[0183] Reference Figure 5B When the first horizontal line HL1 crosses the second optical region OA2 and the normal region NA adjacent to the second optical region OA2 in the first horizontal display region HA1, the first horizontal line HL1 can extend in a straight line between the vertically adjacent second transmission regions TA2 without any curved or bent portions.

[0184] For example, a first horizontal line HL1 may have one or more curved or bent portions in a first optical region OA1, but may not have any curved or bent portions in a second optical region OA2.

[0185] In order to improve the transmittance of the second optical region OA2, the second vertical line VL2 can pass through the second optical region OA2 while avoiding the second transmission region TA2 in the second optical region OA2.

[0186] Therefore, each second vertical line VL2 traversing the second optical region OA2 may include one or more curved or bent portions extending around one or more corresponding outer edges of one or more second transmission regions TA2.

[0187] Therefore, the second vertical line VL2 that crosses the second optical region OA2 and the typical vertical line VLn that is set in the normal region NA and does not cross the second optical region OA2 can have different shapes or lengths.

[0188] like Figure 5A As shown, each or one or more of the first horizontal lines HL1 that traverse the first optical region OA1 may have one or more curved or bent portions extending around one or more corresponding outer edges of one or more first transmission regions TA1.

[0189] Therefore, the length of the first horizontal line HL1 that crosses the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 can be slightly longer than the length of the second horizontal line HL2 that is only set in the normal region NA and does not cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2.

[0190] Therefore, the resistance of the first horizontal line HL1 that crosses the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (referred to as the first resistance) can be slightly greater than the resistance of the second horizontal line HL2 that is only set in the normal region NA and does not cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (referred to as the second resistance).

[0191] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B According to the light transmission structure, since the first optical region OA1, which at least partially overlaps with the first optical electronic device 11, includes a first transmission region TA1, and the second optical region OA2, which at least partially overlaps with the second optical electronic device 12, includes a second transmission region TA2, the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 have a smaller number of sub-pixels per unit area than the normal region NA.

[0192] Therefore, the number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the first horizontal lines HL1 that cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 can be different from the number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the second horizontal lines HL2 that are only set in the normal region NA and do not cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2.

[0193] The number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the first horizontal lines HL1 that cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (referred to as the first number) may be less than the number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the second horizontal lines HL2 that are only set in the normal region NA and do not cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (referred to as the second number).

[0194] The difference between the first quantity and the second quantity can vary depending on the difference between the resolution of each of the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 and the resolution of the normal region NA. For example, as the difference between the resolution of each of the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 and the resolution of the normal region NA increases, the difference between the first quantity and the second quantity can increase.

[0195] As described above, since the number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the first horizontal lines HL1 that cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (the first number) is less than the number of sub-pixels connected to each or one or more of the second horizontal lines HL2 that are only set in the normal region NA and do not cross the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (the second number), the area where the first horizontal line HL1 overlaps with one or more other electrodes or lines adjacent to the first horizontal line HL1 can be smaller than the area where the second horizontal line HL2 overlaps with one or more other electrodes or lines adjacent to the second horizontal line HL2.

[0196] Therefore, the parasitic capacitance formed between the first horizontal line HL1 and one or more other electrodes or lines adjacent to the first horizontal line HL1 (referred to as the first capacitance) can be much smaller than the parasitic capacitance formed between the second horizontal line HL2 and one or more other electrodes or lines adjacent to the second horizontal line HL2 (referred to as the second capacitance).

[0197] Considering the relationship between the first and second resistors (first resistor ≥ second resistor) and the relationship between the first and second capacitors (first capacitor << second capacitor), the resistance-capacitance (RC) value of the first horizontal line HL1 crossing the first optical region OA1 and the second optical region OA2 (referred to as the first RC value) can be much smaller than the RC value of the second horizontal line HL2, which is only set in the normal region NA and does not cross the first and second optical regions OA1 and OA2 (referred to as the second RC value). Therefore, in this example, the first RC value is much smaller than the second RC value (i.e., the first RC value << the second RC value).

[0198] Due to this difference between the first RC value of the first horizontal line HL1 and the second RC value of the second horizontal line HL2 (which is called the RC load difference), the signal transmission characteristics through the first horizontal line HL1 can be different from those through the second horizontal line HL2.

[0199] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example opening is illustrated in the display area (e.g., display area DA in the figures discussed above) of a display panel 110 according to various aspects of the present disclosure, including a first optical area (e.g., first optical area OA1 in the figures discussed above) and a second optical area (e.g., second optical area OA2 in the figures discussed above).

[0200] Reference Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illuminance of the normal region NA, the first optical region OA1, and the second optical region OA2 can be configured to be different from each other.

[0201] Generally, higher resolution corresponds to higher image quality. Therefore, while the normal area NA is designed to have a high pixel per inch (PPI), the first optical area OA1 where the camera is located or the second optical area OA2 where the sensor is located can be designed to have a lower resolution compared to the normal area NA in order to increase transmittance.

[0202] In an example where a first transmissive region TA1 of a larger size or area is formed in a first optical region OA1 for implementing under-display camera (UDC) technology, the distance between the emitting pixels may increase, thereby potentially degrading the image quality. Conversely, in another example where a first transmissive region TA1 of a smaller size or area is formed in a first optical region OA1, fogging or ghosting may occur, thereby potentially degrading the characteristics of the camera.

[0203] Therefore, one or more first transmission regions TA1 can be formed in the first optical region OA1, which are substantially or nearly equal to or similar in area to the unit pixel region. However, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, one or more first transmission regions TA1 larger or smaller than the unit pixel region can be formed in the first optical region OA1.

[0204] In this embodiment, since the degree of glare from the camera positioned in the first optical region OA1 can vary depending on the shape of the first transmission region TA1, it is desirable that the first transmission region TA1 be constructed to have a shape that is substantially or nearly equal to or similar to a circle. In this embodiment, the width of the first transmission region TA1 can be between 130 μm and 140 μm.

[0205] In this implementation, unlike the first optical region OA1 where the characteristics of the camera are an important factor, the second optical region OA2 includes a sensor for detection, therefore transmittance can be considered an important factor for accurate sensing. In the example where the sensor is an infrared sensor, the second transmittance region TA2 can be formed in a way that achieves a certain level of transmittance in the infrared band while taking image quality into account.

[0206] Therefore, one or more second transmission regions TA2 with an area substantially or nearly equal to or similar to that of a unit subpixel can be formed in the second optical region OA2. However, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, one or more second transmission regions TA2 larger or smaller than the unit subpixel area can be formed in the second optical region OA2.

[0207] In the implementation, since the second optical region OA2 where the sensor for detection is located is independent of the characteristics of the camera, one or more second transmission regions TA2 can be formed in various shapes, such as circles, ellipses and polygons, which provides the advantage of achieving improved transmittance compared to circles.

[0208] Since the transmittance of the infrared detection sensor is not affected by the substrate SUB formed of polyimide material, it is not necessary to remove the substrate SUB or reduce its thickness. Embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the sensor may include one or more of a variety of sensors other than infrared sensors, and the material of the substrate SUB may also be changed according to the desired design.

[0209] Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C An example second optical region OA2 is illustrated in the display area DA of a display panel 110 according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0210] Reference Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C One or more second transmission regions TA2 can be formed in various shapes. In an embodiment, the width of at least one of the one or more second transmission regions can be 40 μm to 50 μm.

[0211] Reference Figure 7A Second transmission regions TA2 with different areas can be alternately formed between adjacent sub-pixels. For example, second transmission regions TA2 with different areas can be formed between adjacent sub-pixels according to the shape of the light-emitting region EA of the sub-pixel.

[0212] Reference Figure 7B and Figure 7C The second transmission region TA2 can be formed in such a way that the region where the light-emitting region EA of the sub-pixel is located does not overlap.

[0213] because Figure 7A In the example, the second optical region OA2 can be compared to Figure 7B or Figure 7C In the example, the second optical region OA2 includes a larger number of sub-pixel emitting regions EA, so Figure 7A In the example, the second optical region OA2 can be compared to... Figure 7B or Figure 7C In the example, the second optical region OA2 has a relatively higher resolution. Conversely, because... Figure 7B or Figure 7C In the implementation method, each second transmission region TA2 can be more than Figure 7AIn the example, each second transmission region TA2 has a larger size or area, therefore, in Figure 7B or Figure 7C The sensor used in the implementation method can be more advanced than that in [the following text is incomplete and likely refers to a different implementation]. Figure 7A The sensor used in the example has superior transmittance performance.

[0214] The above description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications, additions, and substitutions to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Although exemplary embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of this disclosure. For example, various modifications can be made to specific components of the exemplary embodiments. The above description and drawings provide examples of the technical concepts of the invention for illustrative purposes only. That is, the disclosed embodiments are intended to illustrate the scope of the technical ideas of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims. The scope of protection of this disclosure should be interpreted according to the claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the claims should be understood to be included within the scope of the invention.

[0215] Cross-references to related applications

[0216] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0155825, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 12, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A display device, the display device comprising: A display panel includes a display area and a non-display area. The display area includes: a first optical area, which includes multiple light-emitting areas and multiple first transmissive areas; a second optical area, which is different from the first optical area and includes multiple light-emitting areas and multiple second transmissive areas; and a normal area, which is located outside the first optical area and the second optical area and includes multiple light-emitting areas. A first optical electronic device and a second optical electronic device, wherein the first optical electronic device is located below or in the lower portion of the display panel and overlaps with at least a portion of the first optical area included in the display area, and the second optical electronic device overlaps with at least a portion of the second optical area. The area or size of each of the plurality of first transmission regions is different from the area or size of each of the plurality of second transmission regions. The second transmissive region is disposed between adjacent sub-pixels of the pixels including the display panel, such that second transmissive regions of different sizes are alternately formed between adjacent sub-pixels. The plurality of first transmission regions included in the first optical region are arranged diagonally. In this second optical region, the plurality of second transmission regions are arranged in a horizontal direction, and the light-emitting region is not located between two adjacent second transmission regions in the horizontal direction. Multiple first horizontal lines are arranged in the display panel. Each of the plurality of first horizontal lines traversing the first optical region includes a curved or bent portion extending around the corresponding outer edge of the plurality of first transmission regions, and Each of the plurality of first horizontal lines traversing the second optical region extends in a straight line between vertically adjacent second transmission regions, without having a curved or bent portion.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The area or size of each of the plurality of first transmission regions is greater than the area or size of each of the plurality of second transmission regions.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first transmissive regions is formed to correspond to the area or size of a unit pixel.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein, The width of at least one of the first transmission regions is 130 μm to 140 μm.

5. The display device according to claim 3, wherein, At least one of the first transmission regions has a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or a polygonal shape.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the second transmissive regions is formed to correspond to the area or size of a unit sub-pixel.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein, The width of at least one of the second transmission regions is 40 μm to 50 μm.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein, At least one of the second transmission regions has a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or a polygonal shape.

9. The display device according to claim 6, wherein, The second transmission region does not overlap with the light-emitting region of the second optical region.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The normal area may or may not be set between the first optical area and the second optical area.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The first optical electronic device is a camera, and the second optical electronic device is a sensor.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The number of sub-pixels per unit area in the first optical region is less than the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the normal region, and the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the second optical region is greater than or equal to the number of sub-pixels per unit area in the first optical region.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The display panel further includes a cathode electrode, which is disposed in the corresponding light-emitting areas included in the normal area and the first optical area, but not in the first transmission area of ​​the first optical area.

14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The display panel further includes a light-shielding layer, which is disposed below the transistors in the corresponding light-emitting areas of at least one of the normal area and the first optical area and the second optical area, and is not disposed in the first transmission area and the second transmission area.

15. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The second optical electronic device is located below or in the lower part of the display panel.

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