Electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device, including a substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements, a light switching unit, and a plurality of micro-lenses. The plurality of light emitting elements are disposed on the substrate. The light switching unit is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements. The plurality of micro-lenses are disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements and overlap the light switching unit. At least one of the plurality of light emitting elements is disposed corresponding to one of the plurality of micro-lenses.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Electronic devices with display functions are expected to have a wide viewing angle in general use, however, are expected to have a privacy effect when it comes to privacy or confidentiality. Therefore, how to provide an electronic device capable of switching display modes according to different use cases has become one of the problems of the relevant researchers. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure provides an electronic device having a share mode and a privacy mode.

[0004] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements, a light switching unit, and a plurality of micro lenses. The plurality of light emitting elements are disposed on the substrate. The light switching unit is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements. The plurality of micro lenses are disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements and overlap the light switching unit. At least one of the plurality of light emitting elements is disposed corresponding to one of the plurality of micro lenses.

[0005] In order to make the above features and advantages of the present disclosure more apparent, the following embodiments are described in detail, and the accompanying drawings are described as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are partial cross-sectional schematic views of an electronic device in a share mode and a privacy mode, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0007] FIGS. 2-11 are partial cross-sectional schematic views of an electronic device, according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0008] FIG. 12A shows a positive focal field of view (FOV) of a micro lens;

[0009] FIG. 12B shows a distance between a light emitting element and a micro lens and a focal length of the micro lens;

[0010] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0012] Throughout this disclosure and in the claims, certain words are used to connote structural determinations. Skill in the art, however, will appreciate that electronic device manufacturers can use alternative names to connote the same structure. No language is intended to be dispositive of equivalent structures that are known now or in the future. In the following description and in the claims, the terms "comprise" and "contain" are open-ended terms that are intended to mean "comprising but not limited to."

[0013] Directional terms as used herein - for example up, down, right, left, front, back, rear, etc. - are made only with reference to the figures as drawn and not intended to be limiting of an embodiment. The directional terms are used for description and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. For purposes of clarity, not every component is called out in the drawings. For purposes of clarity, the relative dimensions, thicknesses, and locations of various film layers, regions, and / or structures can be exaggerated.

[0014] As used herein, the term "on" or "over" with respect to a structure (or layer, element, substrate) being on or over another structure (or layer, element, substrate) means that the two structures are adjacent and directly connected, or that the two structures are adjacent but not directly connected. Not directly connected means that there is at least one intervening structure (or intervening layer, intervening element, intervening substrate, intervening spacing) between the two structures, with the lower surface of one structure adjacent to or directly connected to the upper surface of the intervening structure, and the upper surface of the other structure adjacent to or directly connected to the lower surface of the intervening structure. The intervening structure can be a single layer or multiple layers of solid or non-solid structures, without limitation. In the present disclosure, when a structure is said to be "on" another structure, it can mean that the structure is "directly on" the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly on" the other structure, i.e., there is at least one structure between the structure and the other structure.

[0015] As used in the specification and claims, ordinal terms such as "first" and "second" are used annotatively and do not necessarily imply that a sequence, or order, exists in the features being described, unless explicitly stated otherwise. The use of ordinal terms is used to distinguish between two or more elements of the same name. The same ordinal term can be used in different claims to refer to the same element, and different ordinal terms can be used in the same claim to refer to different elements. For example, a first member in the specification can be a second member in a claim.

[0016] The electrical connection or coupling described in the present disclosure can refer to direct connection or indirect connection. In the case of direct connection, the end points of the elements on the two circuits are directly connected or connected to each other by a conductor segment. In the case of indirect connection, there is a switch, diode, capacitor, inductor, resistor, other suitable element, or combination of the above elements between the end points of the elements on the two circuits, but not limited thereto.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the measurement of thickness, length, and width can be obtained by optical microscopy, and the thickness or width can be measured by cross-sectional images in an electron microscope, but not limited thereto. In addition, there can be an error in any two values or directions used for comparison. In addition, the terms "about", "substantially", or "generally" mentioned in the present disclosure generally represent a range of 10% of the given value or range. In addition, the phrase "a given range is a first value to a second value" or "a given range falls within a range of a first value to a second value" means that the given range includes the first value, the second value, and other values therebetween. If the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be between 80 degrees and 100 degrees; if the first direction is parallel to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

[0018] It should be understood that the following examples can be replaced, reorganized, mixed to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The features of each embodiment can be arbitrarily mixed and used as long as they do not conflict with the spirit of the invention or conflict.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be understood that terms such as defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] In the present disclosure, the electronic device can include a display device, a backlight device, a sensing device, or a tiled device, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device can be a foldable or flexible electronic device. The display device can be a non-self-emissive display device or a self-emissive display device. The antenna device can be a liquid crystal type antenna device or a non-liquid crystal type antenna device, and the sensing device can be a sensing device that senses capacitance, light, heat energy, or ultrasound, but is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the electronic device can include electronic elements, wherein the electronic elements can include passive elements and active elements, such as a capacitor, a resistor, an inductor, a diode, a transistor, etc. The diode can include a light emitting diode or a photodiode. The light emitting diode can include, for example, an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a mini LED, a micro LED, or a quantum dot LED, but is not limited thereto. The tiled device can be, for example, a display tiled device or an antenna tiled device, but is not limited thereto. Note that the electronic device can be any arrangement combination of the foregoing, but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, the display device will be described as the electronic device or the tiled device to explain the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0021] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are partial cross-sectional schematic views of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure in a sharing mode and a privacy mode, respectively. Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B The electronic device 1 can include a substrate 10, a plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is schematically shown in the figure), a light switching unit 12, and a plurality of micro lenses 13 (only one is schematically shown in the figure). The plurality of light emitting elements 11 are disposed on the substrate 10. The light switching unit 12 is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements 11. The plurality of micro lenses 13 are disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements 11 and overlap the light switching unit 12 in a first direction (not shown). At least one of the plurality of light emitting elements 11 corresponds to one of the plurality of micro lenses 13.

[0022] In detail, the substrate 10 can be used to carry the plurality of light emitting elements 11, and the plurality of light emitting elements 11 can be electrically connected to an external circuit (not shown) through the substrate 10. For example, the substrate 10 can include a circuit board, a glass substrate with a circuit formed thereon, or a plastic substrate with a circuit formed thereon, but is not limited thereto. The circuit board can include a printed circuit board, a flexible printed circuit board, but is not limited thereto.

[0023] It is noted that in the present embodiment, the first direction can be substantially parallel to the normal direction of the surface of the substrate 10. The term "corresponding" in the present specification can be defined as at least partially overlapping in a direction, but is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements 11 corresponding to the arrangement of one of the plurality of micro-lenses 13 can be interpreted as at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements 11 partially overlapping with one of the plurality of micro-lenses 13 in the first direction.

[0024] The plurality of light emitting elements 11 can be arranged on the substrate 10 by die bond, wire bond, flip-chip packaging technology, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 can be arranged in an array on the substrate 10 to provide a surface light source. For example, the light emitting elements 11 can include organic light emitting diodes (OLED), micro LEDs, mini LEDs, or quantum dot light emitting diodes (QLED or QD-LED), but are not limited thereto.

[0025] In some embodiments, the light emitting elements 11 can serve as individual pixels of a display device, and each pixel is associated with one micro-lens 13. For example, although not shown, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 can include a plurality of red light emitting elements, a plurality of green light emitting elements, and a plurality of blue light emitting elements, and one red light emitting element, one green light emitting element, and one blue light emitting element can constitute a single pixel, and one micro-lens 13 can be arranged corresponding to one red light emitting element, one green light emitting element, and one blue light emitting element. Alternatively, one micro-lens 13 can be arranged corresponding to one red light emitting element, one green light emitting element, or one blue light emitting element. Further, one micro-lens 13 can be arranged corresponding to a plurality of light emitting elements of the same color to maintain the required orthoscopic brightness in the sharing mode. In the architecture where one micro-lens 13 corresponds to a plurality of light emitting elements (of the same color or different colors), the plurality of light emitting elements can be arranged in a concentrated manner or in a scattered manner.

[0026] The light switching unit 12 and the plurality of micro-lenses 13 are arranged on the plurality of light emitting elements 11. In some embodiments, the plurality of micro-lenses 13 can be between the light switching unit 12 and the plurality of light emitting elements 11, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light switching unit 12 can be between the plurality of light emitting elements 11 and the plurality of micro-lenses 13.

[0027] The micro-lenses 13 and the light emitting elements 11 can be in a one-to-one arrangement, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the micro-lenses 13 and the light emitting elements 11 can be in a one-to-many arrangement.

[0028] Each microlens 13 can be used to converge a light beam or to collimate a light beam. For example, the microlens 13 can be a convex lens, such as a plano-convex lens or a bi-convex lens, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the microlens 13 can be a bi-layer lens.

[0029] In some embodiments, the light emitting surface S11 of the light emitting element 11 can be disposed on or adjacent to the focal point FP of the microlens 13, such that the light beam B emitted from the light emitting surface S11 of the light emitting element 11 can be changed from divergent light to parallel light or approximately parallel light via the microlens 13.

[0030] The light switching unit 12 can be switched between a transparent state and a fog state. When the electronic device 1 is in a sharing mode, as shown in FIG. 1A, the light switching unit 12 can be switched to the fog state, such that the light beam B from the microlens 13 can be changed from parallel light to divergent light via the light switching unit 12. When the electronic device 1 is in a privacy mode, as shown in FIG. IB, the light switching unit 12 can be switched to the transparent state, such that the light beam B from the microlens 13 can be parallel light or collimated light after passing through the light switching unit 12. FIG. 1A FIG. 1B

[0031] In some embodiments, the light switching unit 12 can be an electrically controlled light switching element. For example, although not shown, the light switching unit 12 can include two substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates. The two substrates can include light-transmissive substrates, and the two substrates can be flexible substrates or rigid substrates, for example, the two substrates can include glass substrates, plastic substrates, or a combination thereof, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The liquid crystal layer can include a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC), or a polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT), but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0032] In an architecture in which the liquid crystal layer employs a polymer dispersed liquid crystal, the light switching unit 12 can further include two light-transmissive conductive layers (not shown), which can be full-area electrode layers, and the two light-transmissive conductive layers are disposed between the two substrates, and the liquid crystal layer is disposed between the two light-transmissive conductive layers. In other words, the two light-transmissive conductive layers are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer. The material of the light-transmissive conductive layer can include a metal oxide, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0033] ​​In the architecture of polymer dispersed liquid crystal, the light switching unit 12 can be switched to the haze state by applying a voltage difference between the two transparent conductive layers, and switched to the transparent state by applying no voltage difference between the two transparent conductive layers.

[0034] In the architecture of polymer network liquid crystal, the light switching unit 12 can further comprise a patterned transparent conductive layer (not shown), which can be disposed on one of the two substrates. The material of the patterned transparent conductive layer can comprise metal oxide, such as indium tin oxide, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the patterned transparent conductive layer can comprise a plurality of strip electrodes (not shown) arranged in a staggered manner in one direction, but is not limited thereto.

[0035] In the architecture of polymer network liquid crystal, the light switching unit 12 can be switched to the haze state by applying a voltage difference between the two adjacent strip electrodes, and switched to the transparent state by applying no voltage difference between the two adjacent strip electrodes.

[0036] In the architecture of polymer stabilized cholesteric texture, the light switching unit 12 can further comprise two transparent conductive layers (not shown), which can be full-area electrode layers, and disposed between the two substrates, with the liquid crystal layer disposed between the two transparent conductive layers. In other words, the two transparent conductive layers are disposed on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer. The material of the transparent conductive layer can be as described above, and is not repeated here.

[0037] In the architecture of polymer stabilized cholesteric texture, the light switching unit 12 can be switched to the transparent state or the haze state by changing the voltage applied to the two transparent conductive layers at a specific frequency.

[0038] In the embodiment as shown in the electronic device 1, the light beam B from the light emitting element 11 is collimated by the microlens 13, and the display mode of the electronic device 1 can be controlled by switching the state of the light switching unit 12. For example, when the electronic device 1 is switched to the sharing mode, the light beam output from the light switching unit 12 can be made more divergent by switching the light switching unit 12 to the haze state, so that the user viewing the electronic device 1 at a large viewing angle can also see the image. On the other hand, when the electronic device 1 is switched to the privacy mode, the light beam output from the light switching unit 12 can be made more collimated by switching the light switching unit 12 to the transparent state, so that the user viewing the electronic device 1 at a large viewing angle can hardly see the image, thereby achieving the privacy effect.

[0039] FIGS. 2-11 are partial cross-sectional schematic views of electronic devices according to further embodiments of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 2In addition to the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11, the light switching unit 12, and the plurality of micro-lenses 13, the electronic device 1A can further include an optical film 14, an optical film 15, and a display panel 16.

[0040] The optical film 14 is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements 11, for example, between the plurality of micro-lenses 13 and the plurality of light emitting elements 11. For example, the optical film 14 can be a reflective dual brightness enhancement film (DBEF), a light wavelength conversion film, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. The light wavelength conversion film can convert light of a short wavelength to light of a long wavelength, for example, converting blue light to red light, green light, or a combination thereof. For example, the material of the light wavelength conversion film can include fluorescence, phosphor, Quantum Dot (QD), other suitable materials, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device 1A can omit the reflective dual brightness enhancement film or the light wavelength conversion film. In some embodiments, the positions of the reflective dual brightness enhancement film and the light switching unit 12 can be interchangeable.

[0041] For example, when the light emitting elements 11 are white light LEDs or OLEDs, the electronic device 1A can omit the light wavelength conversion film. When the light emitting elements 11 are blue light LEDs, the electronic device 1A can include the reflective dual brightness enhancement film and the light wavelength conversion film, and the light wavelength conversion film can be located between the reflective dual brightness enhancement film and the light emitting elements 11.

[0042] The optical film 15 is disposed on the plurality of light emitting elements 11, for example, between the display panel 16 and the light switching unit 12. For example, the optical film 15 can include a low haze diffusion sheet to reduce the visibility of dark lines between the plurality of micro-lenses 13. Low haze refers to a haze of less than or equal to 70%. Alternatively, the optical film 15 can include a haze lower polarizing sheet. Alternatively, the optical film 15 can include an adhesive to fully adhere the display panel 16 and the light switching unit 12, to increase rigidity.

[0043] The display panel 16 is disposed above the light switching unit 12. The display panel 16 can be a non-self-emitting display panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1A, the electronic device 1A can further include a light source 17. The light source 17 can be disposed on the substrate 10, for example, on the side of the substrate 10 opposite the plurality of light emitting elements 11. The light source 17 can be a light source for providing light to the plurality of light emitting elements 11. For example, the light source 17 can be a light source for providing light to the plurality of light emitting elements 11, for example, a light source for providing light to the plurality of light emitting elements 11 in the form of a light source for providing light to the plurality of light emitting elements 11. FIG. 2As shown, the plurality of microlenses 13 can be plano-convex lenses, and the plurality of microlenses 13 can be disposed on the substrate 13A. In some embodiments, the plurality of microlenses 13 and the substrate 13A can be integrally formed, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the convex surface of the plurality of microlenses 13 faces the light switching unit 12, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the convex surface of the plurality of microlenses 13 faces the plurality of light emitting elements 11, and the light switching unit 12 can be disposed between the plurality of microlenses 13 and the optical film 14.

[0045] In the embodiment as shown in the electronic device 1A, the air gap between the plurality of microlenses 13 and the optical film 15, in combination with the haze structure (e.g., a low haze diffuser or a haze polarizer) above the plurality of microlenses 13, can reduce the visibility of microlenses, particles or defects in the electronic device 1A. In addition, there can be an air gap between the optical film 14 and the substrate 13A. In some embodiments, although not shown, the area between the optical film 14 and the substrate 13A can be filled with a light-transmissive adhesive, such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA) or an optically clear resin (OCR), to fix the distance between the plurality of microlenses 13 and the plurality of light emitting elements 11, but are not limited thereto.

[0046] Please refer to FIG. 3 , the main differences between the electronic device 1B and the electronic device 1A of FIG. 2 are described as follows. In the electronic device 1B, the light switching unit 12 is between the plurality of light emitting elements 11 and the plurality of microlenses 13. The electronic device 1B can also include an adhesive member 17, in which the substrate 13A can be fully attached to the light switching unit 12 through the adhesive member 17 to increase rigidity.

[0047] In the electronic device 1B, the optical film 14 can be a reflective polarized brightness enhancement film, a light wavelength conversion film, or a combination thereof, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device 1B can omit the reflective polarized brightness enhancement film or the light wavelength conversion film. For example, when the light emitting element 11 is a white light LED or an OLED, the electronic device 1B can omit the light wavelength conversion film. When the light emitting element 11 is a blue light LED, the electronic device 1B can include the reflective polarized brightness enhancement film and the light wavelength conversion film, and the light wavelength conversion film can be located between the reflective polarized brightness enhancement film and the light emitting element 11.

[0048] In electronic device 1B, optical film 15 can include a low haze diffuser or a haze lower polarizer. In addition, the air gap between the plurality of microlenses 13 and optical film 15 in combination with the haze structure (e.g., a low haze diffuser or a haze lower polarizer) located above the plurality of microlenses 13 can reduce the visibility of the microlenses, particles or defects in electronic device 1B. In addition, there is an air gap between optical film 14 and light switching unit 12. In some embodiments, although not shown, the area between optical film 14 and light switching unit 12 can be filled with a light transmissive adhesive, such as an optically clear adhesive or an optically clear resin, to fix the distance between the plurality of microlenses 13 and the plurality of light emitting elements 11, but not limited thereto.

[0049] It should be understood that although the above embodiments are exemplified with the plurality of light emitting elements 11 disposed below the plurality of microlenses 13, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, although not shown, the electronic device can include a light guide plate, and the plurality of light emitting elements 11 can be disposed at the side of the light guide plate. The bottom surface (e.g., the surface of the light guide plate facing away from light switching unit 12) of the light guide plate can be provided with a plurality of dot structures or a plurality of microstructures to break total internal reflection, so that the light transmitted inside the light guide plate is emitted from the top surface (e.g., the surface of the light guide plate facing light switching unit 12) of the light guide plate. In some embodiments, the plurality of dot structures or the plurality of microstructures can be disposed corresponding to the plurality of microlenses 13, for example, the dot structures and the microstructures can be one-to-one or many-to-one disposed, so that light is emitted from the light guide plate in a plurality of regions overlapping the plurality of microlenses 13.

[0050] Please refer to FIG. 4 In electronic device 1C, there is a barrier structure 18 between two adjacent ones of the plurality of light emitting elements 11. The material of barrier structure 18 can include a light absorbing material to absorb the large angle light beams BL emitted from the light emitting elements 11, reducing the probability of the large angle light beams BL being transmitted to the microlenses 13 above the adjacent light emitting elements 11. By the provision of barrier structure 18, the application of local dimming can also be provided.

[0051] It should be understood that although the above embodiments are exemplified with the micro-lens 13 as a convex lens, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, although not shown, a concave mirror can be used as the micro-lens 13. For example, a concave mirror can be disposed below the light emitting element 11, with the concave surface of the concave mirror facing the light emitting element 11, the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 11 facing the concave surface of the concave mirror, and the substrate 10 located between the display panel 16 and the light emitting element 11. In this architecture, the light switching unit 12 can be disposed between the display panel 16 and the substrate 10; or, the light switching unit 12 can be disposed between the light emitting element 11 and the concave mirror. In the architecture where the light switching unit 12 is disposed between the light emitting element 11 and the concave mirror, when the light switching unit 12 is switched to the transparent state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 sequentially passes through the light switching unit 12, is collimated by the concave mirror, passes through the light switching unit 12 again, and is transmitted to the display panel 16 (privacy mode); when the light switching unit 12 is switched to the fog state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 is scattered by the light switching unit 12, forming divergent light and being transmitted to the display panel 16 (sharing mode). In other embodiments, although not shown, in the architecture where the light switching unit 12 is disposed between the light emitting element 11 and the concave mirror, a switchable mirror can be used as the light switching unit 12. The switchable mirror can be switched between a reflective state and a transparent state. When the switchable mirror is switched to the transparent state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 sequentially passes through the switchable mirror, is collimated by the concave mirror, passes through the switchable mirror again, and is transmitted to the display panel 16 (privacy mode); when the switchable mirror is switched to the reflective state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 is reflected by the switchable mirror without passing through the concave mirror (thus without the effect of light condensation) and is then transmitted to the display panel 16 (sharing mode).

[0052] Please refer to FIG. 5 In addition to the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is shown in the figure), the light switching unit 12, the plurality of micro-lenses 13 (only one is shown in the figure), and the display panel 16, the electronic device 1D can further include an optical film 19 to adjust the light type, increase the light intensity, or reduce the visibility of the dark lines between the plurality of micro-lenses 13. The optical film 19 can be a prism sheet or a lens sheet, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the prism sheet can be a small-pitch prism sheet. It should be noted that the pitch of the prism sheet can be defined as the distance from the apex of a prism to the apex of an adjacent prism. For example, the pitch of the small-pitch prism sheet can be less than one-fifth of the radius of the micro-lens 13, which can reduce the possibility of the observer seeing the micro-lens stripes or the possibility of excessive deflection of light, so that the observer has better optical taste in both the privacy mode and the sharing mode.

[0053] Please refer to FIG. 6In addition to the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is shown in the figure) and the display panel 16, the electronic device 1E can further include a switchable lens 20. The switchable lens 20 can be used as a light switching unit. The switchable lens 20 can be an electrically controlled lens element, i.e. the light focusing effect of the switchable lens 20 is changed by controlling the voltage. For example, the switchable lens 20 can be a liquid lens or a liquid crystal lens, but is not limited thereto.

[0054] Please refer to FIG. 7 The electronic device 1F can include the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is shown in the figure), the plurality of micro-lenses 13 (only one is shown in the figure) and the display panel 16. The height of the micro-lenses 13 can be changed by a mechanism (not shown, such as a motor), thereby changing the distance between the micro-lenses 13 and the light emitting elements 11. For example, when the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 11 is on the focal point of the micro-lens 13, the micro-lens 13 can collimate the light beam (not shown) from the light emitting element 11, so that the light beam output from the display panel 16 is more collimated (privacy mode). On the other hand, when the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 11 is away from the focal point of the micro-lens 13, a more divergent light type (sharing mode) can be obtained.

[0055] In other embodiments, although not shown, the height of the substrate 10 can be changed by a mechanism (not shown, such as a motor), thereby changing the distance between the micro-lenses 13 and the light emitting elements 11.

[0056] Please refer to FIG. 8 The electronic device 1G can include the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is shown in the figure), the plurality of micro-lenses 13 (only one is shown in the figure), the optical film 14 and the display panel 16. The optical film 14 can be a reflective polarized brightness enhancement film, a light wavelength conversion film or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. The height of the optical film 14 can be changed by a mechanism (not shown, such as a motor), when the optical film 14 is close to the light emitting element 11, it is equivalent to a point light source for the micro-lens 13; when the optical film 14 is close to the micro-lens 13, it is equivalent to a surface light source for the micro-lens 13.

[0057] In some embodiments, although not shown, a switchable half mirror (not shown) can be disposed between the microlens 13 and the optical film 14. The switchable half mirror can be used as a light switching unit, for example, an electrically controlled optical element, and it can be switched between a transmissive state and a reflective state by electrical control. When the switchable half mirror is switched to the transmissive state, its reflectivity is, for example, 0%, and when the switchable half mirror is switched to the reflective state, its reflectivity is, for example, 50% (i.e., the transmittance is 50%). Since the optical film 14 usually has a high reflectivity, the light beam passing through the optical film 14 is bounced back to the optical film 14 by the switchable half mirror, and at this time, the optical film 14 is equivalent to a surface light source, which can output a wider light pattern.

[0058] Please refer to FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B , the electronic device 1H can include a substrate 10, a plurality of light emitting elements 11, a plurality of microlenses 13, and a display panel 16. Each microlens 13 is, for example, a double-layer lens and includes an upper layer lens 13T and a lower layer lens 13B, wherein the upper layer lens 13T is disposed between the display panel 16 and the lower layer lens 13B. It should be understood that although the convex surface of the upper layer lens 13T and the convex surface of the lower layer lens 13B are shown opposite to each other in the figure, it is not limited thereto.

[0059] The display mode of the electronic device 1H, such as the privacy mode and the sharing mode, can be switched by moving the upper layer lens 13T horizontally relative to the lower layer lens 13B by a mechanism (not shown, such as a motor). For example, a relatively collimated light pattern (privacy mode, as shown in FIG. 9A ) can be achieved by aligning the upper layer lens 13T and the lower layer lens 13B in the direction Z by the mechanism. On the other hand, a relatively divergent light pattern (sharing mode, as shown in FIG. 9B ) can be achieved by misaligning the upper layer lens 13T and the lower layer lens 13B in the direction Z by the mechanism.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13 , the privacy requirement of a large-size electronic device can be achieved by making the pitch of the light emitting elements different from the pitch of the microlenses. FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 13The pitch P11 of the light emitting elements 11 can be slightly larger than the pitch P13 of the microlenses 13, and the light emitting elements 11 in the middle of the electronic device 1K are aligned with the microlenses 13 in the middle of the electronic device 1K in the direction Z. In this design, the offset of the light emitting elements 11 and their corresponding microlenses 13 increases as it gets closer to the edge of the electronic device 1K, thereby achieving the effect of concentrating the light rays on the outside to the center. It is noted that the pitch P11 of the light emitting elements 11 can be defined as the distance from the center of a light emitting element 11 to the center of another light emitting element 11, and the pitch P13 of the microlenses 13 can be defined as the distance from the vertex of a microlens 13 to the vertex of another microlens 13.

[0061] Please refer to FIG. 10 In addition to the substrate 10, the plurality of light emitting elements 11 (only one is shown in the figure), the plurality of microlenses 13 (only one is shown in the figure), the display panel 16 and the barrier structure 18, the electronic device 1I can further include a switchable half mirror 21 and a reflective layer 22. In this embodiment, the switchable half mirror can be used as a light switching unit, but it is not limited thereto.

[0062] The switchable half mirror 21 is arranged, for example, between the microlens 13 and the optical film 14, and the reflective layer 22 (formed by metal, reflective paint or reflective glue, for example) is arranged on the substrate in the area outside the plurality of light emitting elements 11 and the barrier structure 18. The switchable half mirror 21 can reflect the light beams from the light emitting elements 11, and the light beams reflected by the switchable half mirror 21 can be transmitted upward again through the reflection of the reflective layer 22, at this time the switchable half mirror 21 is equivalent to a surface light source, and a wider light type can be output. In addition, by arranging the barrier structure 18, the probability of the large-angle light beams emitted from the light emitting elements 11 directly hitting the reflective layer 22 can be reduced.

[0063] Please refer to FIG. 11 In the electronic device 1J, the substrate 10 has a recess C, wherein the light emitting elements 11 are arranged in the recess C and the light emitting surface (such as the top surface) of the light emitting elements 11 is lower than the reflective layer 22, thereby reducing the probability of the large-angle light beams emitted from the light emitting elements 11 directly hitting the reflective layer 22. By designing the recess C, the barrier structure 18 in FIG. 10 can be omitted.

[0064] FIG. 12A The normal focal field angle of the microlens is shown. FIG. 12B The distance between the light emitting element and the microlens and the focal length of the microlens are shown. Please refer to FIG. 12A and FIG. 12BThe microlens 13 has a positive focal view angle θ. The positive focal view angle θ refers to the included angle between the focal point FP of the microlens 13 and the diameter D of the microlens 13. The distance between the light emitting element 11 and the microlens 13 is G, and the focal length of the microlens 13 is f. The greater the positive focal view angle θ, the smaller the probability that the light beam emitted by the light emitting element 11 hits the microlens 13 above the adjacent light emitting element 11. The smaller the positive focal view angle θ, the greater the probability that the light beam emitted by the light emitting element 11 hits the microlens 13 above the adjacent light emitting element 11. In addition, the closer G / f is to 1, the more collimated the output light is, but the greater the probability that the light beam emitted by the light emitting element 11 hits the microlens 13 above the adjacent light emitting element 11. The smaller G / f is, the less collimated the output light is, but the smaller the probability that the light beam emitted by the light emitting element 11 hits the microlens 13 above the adjacent light emitting element 11. In some embodiments, 0.4≦G / f≦1 when the electronic device is in the privacy mode, and G / f≦0.3 or G / f≧1.5 when the electronic device is in the sharing mode.

[0065] In some embodiments, there can be a first gap G1 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ) between the display panel 16 and the microlens 13. The first gap G1 can be an air gap. For example, there are no other elements between the display panel 16 and the microlens 13 to achieve the concealment effect.

[0066] In some embodiments, there can be a second gap G2 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ) between the plurality of light emitting units 11 and the microlens 13. The second gap G2 can be an air gap. For example, there are no other elements between the plurality of light emitting units 11 and the microlens 13 to adjust the G / f optical design according to different modes, which is conducive to controlling the optical effect.

[0067] In summary, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device can be switched between the sharing mode and the privacy mode by switching the light switching unit between the transparent state and the fog state, so the electronic device of the embodiments of the present disclosure is an electronic device capable of switching display modes according to different use cases.

[0068] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but not limit them; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalently replace some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0069] While the present disclosure has been disclosed with reference to the embodiments described above, it should be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and changes can be made by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass any and all such modifications, substitutions, and changes. It should be understood that each of the embodiments described herein and / or shown in the drawings can be implemented independently of one another and / or combined with one another. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include all obvious and / or substantially equivalent alterations, permutations, and / or combinations of the embodiments described herein. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present disclosure include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: substrate; Multiple light-emitting elements are disposed on the substrate; A light switching unit is disposed on the plurality of light-emitting elements; as well as Multiple microlenses are disposed on the multiple light-emitting elements and overlap with the light switching unit. Wherein at least one of the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponds to one of the plurality of microlenses, the distance between the at least one light-emitting element and the one of the microlenses is G, and the focal length of the one of the microlenses is f, wherein: When the electronic device is in privacy mode, 0.4 ≤ G / f ≤ 1, and When the electronic device is in sharing mode, G / f ≦ 0.3 or G / f ≧ 1.

5.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light switching unit is located between the plurality of light-emitting elements and the plurality of microlenses.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of microlenses are located between the light switching unit and the plurality of light-emitting elements.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light switching unit includes two substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The light switching unit further includes a light-transmitting conductive layer, wherein the light-transmitting conductive layer is disposed on one of the two substrates.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The liquid crystal layer includes polymer-dispersed liquid crystal, polymer network liquid crystal, or polymer-stabilized cholesterol structure.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A retaining wall structure is disposed between two adjacent light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The display panel is located above the light switching unit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that, There is a first gap between the display panel and the microlens.

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