Display device and image sensing method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a display device and an image sensing method thereof. The display device has a display area. The display device includes a display panel and a sensor. The display panel comprises a liquid crystal layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The liquid crystal layer is arranged corresponding to the display area and comprises a first liquid crystal area and a second liquid crystal area adjacent to the first liquid crystal area. The first electrode is used for controlling the first liquid crystal area. The second electrode is used for controlling the second liquid crystal area, wherein the second electrode is electrically independent of the first electrode. The sensor is used for sensing image information and is arranged corresponding to the first liquid crystal area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a sensing method thereof, and more particularly to a display device and an image sensing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Current display devices mainly place sensors (such as digital camera systems) in the peripheral area to perform image sensing. However, the size limitation of the sensors makes it difficult to design a narrow bezel for the display device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure provides a display device and a sensing method thereof, which help to improve the feasibility of narrow frame design.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a display device has a display area. The display device includes a display panel and a sensor. The display panel includes a liquid crystal layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The liquid crystal layer is disposed corresponding to the display area and includes a first liquid crystal region and a second liquid crystal region adjacent to the first liquid crystal region. The first electrode is used to control the first liquid crystal region. The second electrode is used to control the second liquid crystal region, wherein the second electrode is electrically independent of the first electrode. The sensor is used to sense image information and is disposed corresponding to the first liquid crystal region.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a display device has a display mode and a non-display mode, and the display device includes a display panel and a sensor. The display panel includes a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer includes a first liquid crystal region corresponding to the sensor and a second liquid crystal region adjacent to the first liquid crystal region. An image sensing method for the display device includes: providing a first voltage to the first liquid crystal region to render the first liquid crystal region in a light-transmitting state; causing the sensor to sense image information; in the non-display mode, providing a second voltage to the second liquid crystal region to render the second liquid crystal region in a non-light-transmitting state; and in the display mode, providing a third voltage to the second liquid crystal region to render the second liquid crystal region in a light-transmitting state, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage, and the second voltage is different from the third voltage.

[0006] To make the above features and advantages of the present disclosure more clearly understood, embodiments are given below with reference to the accompanying drawings for detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2 It corresponds to Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of the median section line I-I';

[0009] Figures 3 to 5 1 and 2 are partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams of three display devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0011] Throughout this disclosure and the appended claims, certain terms are used to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that electronic device manufacturers may refer to the same components by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that have the same function but different names. In the following description and claims, the words "including" and "comprising" are open-ended and should be interpreted as meaning "including, but not limited to..."

[0012] Directional terms used herein, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are used only with reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, each figure depicts the general characteristics of the methods, structures, and / or materials used in particular embodiments. However, these figures should not be construed as defining or limiting the scope or nature of the embodiments. For example, the relative sizes, thicknesses, and positions of various layers, regions, and / or structures may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity.

[0013] A structure (or layer, element, substrate) described in the present disclosure is located on / above another structure (or layer, element, substrate), which may mean that the two structures are adjacent and directly connected, or it may mean that the two structures are adjacent but not directly connected. Indirect connection means that there is at least one intermediate structure (or intermediate layer, intermediate element, intermediate substrate, intermediate gap) between the two structures, and the lower surface of one structure is adjacent to or directly connected to the upper surface of the intermediate structure, and the upper surface of the other structure is adjacent to or directly connected to the lower surface of the intermediate structure. The intermediate structure can be composed of a single-layer or multi-layer physical structure or a non-physical structure, without limitation. In the present disclosure, when a certain structure is set "on" other structures, it may mean that the certain structure is "directly" on the other structure, or that the certain structure is "indirectly" on the other structure, that is, at least one structure is sandwiched between the certain structure and the other structure.

[0014] The terms "approximately," "substantially," or "approximately" are generally interpreted as being within 10% of a given value or range, or within 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5% of a given value or range. In addition, the phrases "a range from a first value to a second value," "a range between a first value and a second value," and "a range between a first value and a second value" indicate that the range includes the first value, the second value, and other values therebetween.

[0015] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the specification and claims to modify an element does not, by itself, imply or indicate any prior ordinal number of the element(s), nor does it indicate the order of one element relative to another, or the order of manufacturing methods. Such ordinal numbers are used solely to clearly distinguish one element from another with the same name. The claims and the specification may not use the same terminology; thus, the first element in the specification may be the second element in the claim.

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

[0017] In the present disclosure, the thickness, length and width can be measured using an optical microscope (OM), and the thickness or width can be measured from a cross-sectional image in an electron microscope, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, any two values or directions used for comparison may have a certain error. In addition, the terms "a given range is from a first value to a second value", "a given range falls within the range from a first value to a second value", or "a given range is between a first value and a second value" indicate 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 may 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 may be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the background or context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless specifically defined in the present disclosure.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the electronic device may include a display device, a backlight device, an antenna device, a packaging device, a sensing device or a splicing device, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device may be a bendable or flexible electronic device. The display device may be a non-self-luminous display device or a self-luminous display device. The display device may, for example, include liquid crystal, light-emitting diodes, fluorescence, phosphor, quantum dots (QD), other suitable display media or a combination of the foregoing. The antenna device may, for example, include a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), a frequency selective surface (FSS), an RF filter, a polarizer, a resonator or an antenna, etc. The antenna may be a liquid crystal antenna or a varactor diode antenna. The sensing device may be a sensing device that senses capacitance, light, heat or ultrasound, but is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, an electronic device may include electronic components, and the electronic components may include passive components and active components, such as capacitors, resistors, inductors, diodes, transistors, etc. The diode may include a light-emitting diode, a varactor diode, or a photodiode. The light-emitting diode may, for example, include an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a sub-millimeter light-emitting diode (mini LED), a micro LED, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (quantum dot LED), but is not limited thereto. The splicing device may, for example, be a display splicing device or an antenna splicing device, but is not limited thereto. It should be noted that the electronic device may be any of the aforementioned arrangements and combinations, but is not limited thereto. The packaging device may be a packaging device suitable for wafer-level package (WLP) technology or panel-level package (WLP) technology, such as a chip first process or a chip last process (RDL first) process. In addition, the appearance of the electronic device may be rectangular, circular, polygonal, a shape with curved edges, or other suitable shapes. The electronic device may have peripheral systems such as a drive system, a control system, a light source system, etc. to support a display device, an antenna device, a wearable device (for example, including augmented reality or virtual reality), a vehicle-mounted device (for example, including a car windshield), or a splicing device.

[0020] Figure 1is a schematic top view of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 It corresponds to Figure 1 Schematic cross-section along the median section line II'. Figures 3 to 5 The following are partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams of three display devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the following embodiments may incorporate features from several different embodiments by replacing, recombining, or combining them to create other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Features from various embodiments may be mixed and matched as needed, as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The display device 1 may have a display area R1. The display device 1 includes a display panel 10 and a sensor 11. The display panel 10 includes a liquid crystal layer LC, a first electrode E1, and a second electrode E2. The liquid crystal layer LC is disposed corresponding to the display area R1 and includes a first liquid crystal region RL1 and a second liquid crystal region RL2 adjacent to the first liquid crystal region RL1. The first electrode E1 is used to control the first liquid crystal region RL1. The second electrode E2 is used to control the second liquid crystal region RL2, wherein the second electrode E2 is electrically independent of the first electrode E1. The sensor 11 is used to sense image information and is disposed corresponding to the first liquid crystal region RL1.

[0022] Specifically, the display area R1 can be used to display image information, such as text or images. Figure 1 As shown, the display device 1 may further include a peripheral region R2 (e.g. Figure 1 The peripheral area R2 is located on at least one side of the display area R1 and can be used to set peripheral circuits (not shown), circuit boards (not shown), flexible circuit boards (not shown), driving elements (not shown), other elements (not shown) or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the peripheral region R2 may surround the display region R1, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the display device 1 may not have the peripheral region R2, and the aforementioned peripheral circuits, circuit boards, flexible circuit boards, driving components, etc. may overlap the display region R1 in the thickness direction of the display device (e.g., direction D3), for example, on a side of the backplane (not shown) away from the display panel 10, but is not limited thereto.

[0023] The display panel 10 can be used to provide image information. The display panel 10 can be a non-self-luminous display panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel. Figure 2 For example, in addition to the liquid crystal layer LC, the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2, the display panel 10 may further include a first substrate SUB1, a second substrate SUB2, a spacer S, a dimming layer CF, a first polarizer P1, a second polarizer P2 and a quarter-wave plate QW.

[0024] The first substrate SUB1 can be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. Materials for the first substrate SUB1 include, but are not limited to, glass, quartz, ceramic, sapphire, or plastic. Plastics can include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), other suitable flexible materials, or combinations thereof.

[0025] The second substrate SUB2 is disposed opposite the first substrate SUB1. For example, the second substrate SUB2 at least partially overlaps the first substrate SUB1 in direction D3. The second substrate SUB2 can also be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. The materials for the second substrate SUB2 can refer to those for the first substrate SUB1 and are not repeated here.

[0026] The liquid crystal layer LC is disposed between the first substrate SUB1 and the second substrate SUB2. The type of the liquid crystal layer LC is not limited. For example, the liquid crystal layer LC may include twisted nematic liquid crystal, vertical alignment liquid crystal, or in-plane switching liquid crystal, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] The spacer S is disposed between the first substrate SUB1 and the second substrate SUB2 and separates the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the spacer S can be a closed shape when viewed from above, wherein the area within the spacer S is the first liquid crystal region RL1, and the area outside the spacer S is the second liquid crystal region RL2. The closed shape can be rectangular, annular, or other polygonal, and is not limited here. The spacer S can be arranged so that the first liquid crystal region RL1 at least overlaps the sensor 11 in direction D3.

[0028] In some embodiments, the spacer S may be formed of an opaque material to reduce light interference between the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2. Alternatively, the spacer S may be formed of a translucent material, and a light shielding layer (not shown, such as a light absorbing layer or a light reflecting layer) may be formed on the sidewalls of the spacer S to reduce light interference between the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 and / or improve light utilization efficiency.

[0029] The first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 are disposed between the first substrate SUB1 and the liquid crystal layer LC, wherein the first electrode E1 is disposed in the first liquid crystal region RL1, and the second electrode E2 is disposed in the second liquid crystal region RL2. The first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 can be electrodes of the same layer, for example, both serving as pixel electrodes, and the material of the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 can be, for example, a transparent conductive material. The transparent conductive material may include metal oxides, graphene, other suitable transparent conductive materials, or combinations thereof. The metal oxide may include indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, aluminum tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, indium germanium zinc oxide, or other metal oxides.

[0030] Depending on different needs, although not shown, the display panel 10 may further include a common electrode, wherein the common electrode and the pixel electrode may be respectively arranged on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer LC; the common electrode may be arranged between the pixel electrode and the first substrate SUB1; or the common electrode may be arranged to be an electrode on the same layer as the pixel electrode. The tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer LC can be changed by changing the voltage difference between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, thereby controlling the light transmittance state (or grayscale) of the display area R1. Alternatively, a constant voltage may be applied to the common electrode, and the tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer LC can be changed by changing the voltage applied to the pixel electrode, thereby controlling the light transmittance state of the display area R1. The following embodiments can all be modified in the same manner as this paragraph and will not be repeated below.

[0031] For example, by varying the voltage applied to the first electrode E1 in the first liquid crystal region RL1, the tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal region RL1 can be changed, thereby switching the first liquid crystal region RL1 between a light-transmitting state (e.g., a bright state) and a non-light-transmitting state (e.g., a dark state). Alternatively, by modulating the voltage applied to individual second electrodes E2, the tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in individual pixel regions (corresponding to the individual second electrodes E2) can be varied, thereby switching the pixel regions between a light-transmitting state and a non-light-transmitting state. In some embodiments, the voltage signals for the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 can be derived from the same voltage source or the same IC. Pre-processing or IC algorithm processing allows the same voltage source or IC to apply voltage signals that control the tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in different liquid crystal regions to different electrodes. In other embodiments, the voltage signals for the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 can be derived from different voltage sources or different ICs. These different voltage sources or ICs then apply voltage signals that control the tilting state of the liquid crystal molecules in different liquid crystal regions to different electrodes. The following embodiments can all be modified in the same manner as in this paragraph and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0032] The number of first electrodes E1 can be one or more and is not limited herein. If there are multiple first electrodes E1 in the first liquid crystal region RL1, when switching the state of the first liquid crystal region RL1 (e.g., bright state, dark state), the same voltage can be applied to the multiple first electrodes E1 simultaneously, so that the first liquid crystal region RL1 as a whole assumes a single state (e.g., an entire bright state or an entire dark state). Figure 2 Three first electrodes E1 are schematically shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number of second electrodes E2 can be multiple to achieve pixel design (independent grayscale modulation for each pixel area).

[0033] The dimming layer CF is disposed between the liquid crystal layer LC and the second substrate SUB2 and overlaps the second liquid crystal region RL2. The dimming layer CF may include a color filter layer, a color conversion layer, or a combination thereof. The dimming layer CF may be disposed between the second substrate SUB2 and the liquid crystal layer LC. By disposing the dimming layer CF corresponding to the second liquid crystal region RL2 (for example, the dimming layer CF does not overlap with the first liquid crystal region RL1 in direction D3), interference of the dimming layer CF with the first liquid crystal region RL1 (for example, light absorption, refraction, and / or reflection, etc.) can be reduced, thereby improving the clarity or accuracy of image sensing, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In other embodiments, although not shown, the dimming layer CF may overlap with the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 in direction D3 to facilitate processing and / or assembly.

[0034] A first polarizer P1 is disposed between the sensor 11 and the first substrate SUB1. A second polarizer P2 is disposed on the second substrate SUB2. The first and second polarizers P1 and P2 overlap the display area R1. A polarizer (such as the first and second polarizers P1 and P2) generally refers to a structure that allows light of a specific polarization to pass through while absorbing or reflecting light of other polarizations. For example, the polarizer material may include organic materials, inorganic materials, or a combination thereof.

[0035] The absorption axis of the first polarizer P1 may be perpendicular to the absorption axis of the second polarizer P2. For example, the absorption axis of the first polarizer P1 may be parallel to the direction D2, and the absorption axis of the second polarizer P2 may be parallel to the direction D1, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0036] Under the structure where the absorption axis of the first polarizer P1 is perpendicular to the absorption axis of the second polarizer P2, the liquid crystal regions (such as the first liquid crystal region RL1 and / or the second liquid crystal region RL2) are in a light-transmitting state when the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes (such as the first electrode E1 and / or the second electrode E2) is V1, and are in a non-light-transmitting state (such as a black screen or a dark state) when the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes is V2. If the liquid crystal layer LC uses a twisted nematic liquid crystal, then V1 < V2, and V1 can be 0. If the liquid crystal layer LC uses a vertically aligned liquid crystal or a transverse electric field effect liquid crystal, then V1 > V2, and V1 is, for example, greater than 0.

[0037] A quarter-wave plate QW is disposed between the first polarizer P1 and the sensor 11 and at least partially overlaps the first liquid crystal region RL1. The quarter-wave plate QW can be used to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light, or to convert circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light. The ambient light incident on the sensor 11 will first be converted into linearly polarized light by the polarizer and then into circularly polarized light by the quarter-wave plate QW, and the sensor 11 can receive the ambient light to generate image information. The circularly polarized light is reflected by the sensor 11 and changes the rotation direction (for example, from right-handed light to left-handed light, or from left-handed light to right-handed light) and is blocked (for example, absorbed) by the polarizer (such as the first polarizer P1). By using the settings of the quarter-wave plate QW and the polarizer to reduce the probability that the reflected light of the sensor 11 penetrates the display panel 10 and is received by the human eye, the sensor 11 can be hidden or the visibility of the sensor 11 can be reduced.

[0038] In some embodiments, based on considerations such as alignment and hiding the sensor 11, in the first direction (such as the direction D1), the quarter-wave plate QW has a first width W1, and the sensor 11 has a second width W2 (such as the maximum width of the sensor 11 in the direction D1), and the first width W1 is greater than the second width W2.

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the quarter-wave plate QW can further overlap the second liquid crystal region RL2. By setting a whole-surface quarter-wave plate QW (for example, the quarter-wave plate QW overlaps the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2), the visual effect consistency and / or process convenience can be improved.

[0040] According to different requirements, the display panel 10 can add or reduce one or more components or film layers. For example, although not shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2The display panel 10 may also include multiple switching elements. These switching elements may be disposed on the first substrate SUB1 and may be electrically connected to pixel electrodes (such as the first electrode E1 or the second electrode E2). In some embodiments, multiple switching elements or other elements that may affect light transmission (such as the aforementioned dimming layer CF or the unillustrated black matrix) may be disposed outside the first liquid crystal region RL1 to reduce interference (such as light absorption, refraction, and / or reflection) with these elements, thereby improving image clarity or accuracy. Alternatively, the switching elements and / or dimming layer CF in the first liquid crystal region RL1 may not be removed (for example, the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 of the display panel 10 may have the same or similar configuration) and / or the spacer S may be omitted to improve processing and / or assembly convenience. In some embodiments, although not shown, the quarter-wave plate QW may be replaced with other phase delay elements, such as a half-wave plate or other suitable optical layer. The following embodiments may be modified in the same manner as this paragraph and will not be repeated below.

[0041] The sensor 11 may be a light sensor and may include an infrared camera, a visible light camera, a camera of other wavelengths, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. According to different requirements, the number of sensors 11 may be one or more, and correspondingly, the number of spacers S may be one or more. Multiple spacers S may be respectively provided corresponding to multiple sensors 11. For example, in a top view, multiple spacers S may respectively surround one or more sensors 11. Figure 1 In the embodiment, there is one sensor 11 and one spacer S, and the sensor 11 and the spacer S are arranged at the lower left position in the display area R1. However, it should be understood that the number of sensors 11 and spacers S and their relative arrangement relationship can be changed according to needs, and are not limited to Figure 1 The following embodiments can be modified in the same manner as in this paragraph and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0042] The display device 1 can have a display mode (e.g., displaying an image) and a non-display mode (e.g., displaying a black image). When the display device 1 is in either the display mode or the non-display mode, the first liquid crystal region RL1 can be rendered light-transmissive based on a first voltage. Specifically, when the sensor 11 is operating (e.g., capturing an image), regardless of whether the display device 1 is in the display mode or the non-display mode, a first voltage can be applied to the first electrode E1 in the first liquid crystal region RL1 to render the first liquid crystal region RL1 light-transmissive, enabling the sensor 11 to capture external images. Optionally, a quarter-wave plate QW is disposed between the first polarizer P1 and the sensor 11 and at least partially overlaps the first liquid crystal region RL1, thereby concealing the sensor 11 or reducing its visibility. As previously mentioned, if the liquid crystal layer LC utilizes twisted nematic liquid crystal, the first voltage (e.g., voltage V1) can be zero. If the liquid crystal layer LC utilizes vertically aligned liquid crystal or lateral electric field effect liquid crystal, the first voltage (e.g., voltage V1) can be greater than zero. The following embodiments can all be modified in the same manner as in this paragraph and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0043] In some embodiments, the image sensing method of the display device 1 may include: providing a first voltage (such as the aforementioned voltage V1) to the first liquid crystal region RL1 to cause the first liquid crystal region RL1 to be in a light-transmitting state; causing the sensor 11 to sense image information; providing a second voltage to the second liquid crystal region RL2 in a non-display mode to cause the second liquid crystal region RL2 to be in a non-light-transmitting state (for example, to display a black image); and providing a third voltage to the second liquid crystal region RL2 in a display mode to cause the second liquid crystal region RL2 to be in a light-transmitting state, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage, and the second voltage is different from the third voltage. In a structure in which the liquid crystal types in the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 are the same, the first voltage and the third voltage may be the same, but are not limited thereto. The image sensing method of the display device of any embodiment of the present disclosure can refer to the above and will not be repeated below.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 or Figure 2As shown, in addition to the display panel 10 and the sensor 11, the display device 1 may also include a backlight module 12, a cover plate 13, a bonding layer 14 and a decorative layer 15. The backlight module 12 may include a through hole V for accommodating the sensor 11. The cover plate 13 may be arranged above the display panel 10 through the bonding layer 14, and the cover plate 13 may be used to protect the components or film layers located thereunder. The cover plate 13 may be a hard substrate or a flexible substrate. The material of the cover plate 13 includes, for example, glass, quartz, ceramic, sapphire, plastic or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. The plastic may include polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), other suitable flexible materials or a combination of the foregoing materials, but is not limited thereto. The bonding layer 14 may include a light-transmitting adhesive layer, such as optical clear adhesive (OCA) or optical clear resin (OCR), but is not limited thereto.

[0045] The decorative layer 15 is disposed on the surface of the cover plate 13 facing the display panel 10 and is located within the peripheral region R2 to shield components of the display device 1 that are not intended to be visible to the user (such as the aforementioned peripheral circuits, circuit board, flexible circuit board, driver components, etc.). The decorative layer 15 may be made of, but is not limited to, an opaque organic polymer material, such as a gray or black organic polymer material (e.g., a black matrix). The decorative layer 15 may have an opening A that exposes the display region R1, allowing the user to see the image information displayed in the display region R1.

[0046] In this embodiment, the arrangement of the sensor 11 overlapping the display region R1 can improve the feasibility of a narrow-frame design, enabling the display device 1 to achieve a narrow-frame or even borderless design. Furthermore, the first electrode E1 in the first liquid crystal region RL1 corresponding to the sensor 11 can be independently controlled to render the first liquid crystal region RL1 transparent, allowing the sensor 11 to capture external images. Alternatively, a combination of a polarizing plate and a quarter-wave plate QW can be used to shield (e.g., absorb) the reflected light from the sensor 11, thereby hiding the sensor 11 or reducing its visibility. Alternatively, an opaque spacer S can be provided or a light-shielding layer (e.g., a light-absorbing layer or a light-reflecting layer) can be formed on the translucent spacer S to reduce light interference between the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 and / or improve light utilization.

[0047] In other embodiments, although not shown, the display panel 10 may be replaced with Figure 3 Display panel 10A or Figure 4 display panel 10B.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 3 , the display device 1A and Figure 2 The main differences between the display device 1 and the backlight module 12A are described below. In the display device 1A, the backlight module 12A includes a substrate 120 , a plurality of light-emitting units 121 and at least one optical film 122 .

[0049] The substrate 120 is, for example, a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), but is not limited thereto. The substrate 120 has a first through hole V1 (ie, a hollowed-out area of the substrate 120 ), and the first through hole V1 overlaps the sensor 11 .

[0050] A plurality of light-emitting units 121 are disposed on the substrate 120 and electrically connected to the substrate 120. In some embodiments, the plurality of light-emitting units 121 may overlap the second liquid crystal region RL2 and overlap the first polarizer P1 and the second polarizer P2. The plurality of light-emitting units 121 may be a plurality of light-emitting diodes, such as a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes, a plurality of sub-millimeter light-emitting diodes, a plurality of micro light-emitting diodes, or a plurality of quantum dot light-emitting diodes, but are not limited thereto. The light-emitting wavelength of the light-emitting unit 121 may be 300 nm to 10,000 nm, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the plurality of light-emitting units 121 may have a plurality of different light-emitting wavelengths, for example, red light wavelength, green light wavelength, blue light wavelength, infrared light wavelength, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light-emitting wavelengths of the plurality of light-emitting units 121 are all the same. The following embodiments may all be modified in the same manner as this paragraph and will not be repeated below.

[0051] At least one optical film 122 is disposed between the plurality of light-emitting units 121 and the first polarizer P1 and has a second through hole V2 (i.e., a hollowed-out area of the at least one optical film 122). The second through hole V2 overlaps the sensor 11. Specifically, the second through hole V2 is disposed corresponding to the first region RL1. The at least one optical film 122 can include a diffuser, a brightness enhancement film (BEF), a reflective polarizing brightness enhancement film (DBEF), or a combination thereof. Figure 3 Three optical films 122 are schematically shown, but it should be understood that the number of optical films 122 can be changed according to needs. The following embodiments can all be changed in the same way, and will not be repeated below.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 3As shown, the backlight module 12A may further include a support element 123 and a bonding layer 124. The support element 123 can be used to carry at least one optical film 122 and / or maintain the distance between at least one optical film 122 and the plurality of light-emitting units 121. In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, at least one optical film 122 can be fixed on a part of the support element 123 through the bonding layer 124.

[0053] The material of the support element 123 can include plastics, metals, and / or other suitable materials. In some embodiments, the support element 123 can be made of a highly reflective material or covered with a highly reflective material (for example, covered on the side away from the sensor 11 or covered on the side adjacent to the light-emitting units 121 and at least one optical film 122). Thus, when the display device 1A is in the display mode, the support element 123 helps the area in the second liquid crystal region RL2 that does not correspond to the light-emitting unit 121 (for example, the area in the second liquid crystal region RL2 corresponding to the side of the support element 123 adjacent to the light-emitting unit 121) and the areas in other second liquid crystal regions RL2 that correspond to the light-emitting units 121 to have consistent brightness or consistent display quality, reducing the probability of uneven regional brightness or poor display quality in the second liquid crystal region RL2. In some embodiments, the support element 123 can abut against the surface of the display panel 10A facing the backlight module 12A. In some embodiments, a buffer layer (not shown) can be provided between the support element 123 and the sensor 11 to protect the sensor​​​

[0055] In other embodiments, although not shown, the display panel 10 may be replaced with Figure 2 The display panel 10 or Figure 4 display panel 10B.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 4 , the display device 1B and Figure 3 The main differences between the display device 1A and the display device 1B are described below. In the display device 1B, the support element 123 rests on the surface of the display panel 10B facing the backlight module 12B. Furthermore, the edge corner C of the support element 123, which is adjacent to the bonding layer 124 and protrudes toward the at least one optical film 122, is an arc-shaped edge. A buffer layer (not shown) may be provided between the support element 123 and the sensor 11 to protect or reduce damage to the sensor 11.

[0057] In addition, in the display panel 10B, the quarter-wave plate QW, for example, fully covers the first polarizer P1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although not shown, the quarter-wave plate QW may cover only a portion of the first polarizer P1 (e.g., Figure 3 Furthermore, the display panel 10B includes a light shielding layer LS and does not include Figure 3 The top view shape of the light shielding layer LS may be a closed shape. The closed shape may be a rectangle, a ring or other polygon, and is not limited here. The light shielding layer LS may be made of a light absorbing material to absorb stray light, such as a black matrix or a plurality of overlapping dimming patterns of different colors, but is not limited thereto. The light shielding layer LS is disposed between the liquid crystal layer LC and the second substrate SUB2 and has a first opening A1 overlapping the first liquid crystal region RL1 and a second opening A2 overlapping the second liquid crystal region RL2, and the dimming layer CF overlaps the second opening A2. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the light shielding layer LS may have a plurality of second openings A2, and the dimming layer CF may include a plurality of dimming patterns (such as a red dimming pattern, a green dimming pattern, and a blue dimming pattern), and the plurality of dimming patterns may overlap the plurality of second openings A2, for example, the plurality of dimming patterns may be respectively located in the plurality of second openings A2, but is not limited thereto. The dimming pattern may include a color filter pattern, a color conversion pattern, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, in the cross-sectional view, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the width of the light shielding layer LS between the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 may be greater than the width of the light shielding layer LS between two adjacent dimming patterns in the second liquid crystal region RL2. Figure 4As shown, the width of the first opening A1 may be greater than the width of the second opening A2. By absorbing the large-angle light beam emitted by the light-emitting unit 121 through the light-shielding layer LS, the image interference caused by the display panel 10 reflecting the large-angle light beam from the light-emitting unit 121 to the sensor 11 can be improved. Furthermore, the number of first electrodes E1 in the display panel 10B can be one, and the first electrode E1 can be disposed at least in the first liquid crystal region RL1. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the first electrode E1 may further extend to the area between the first liquid crystal region RL1 and the second liquid crystal region RL2 covered by the light shielding layer LS, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, although not shown, the display panel 10B may be replaced with Figure 2 The display panel 10 or Figure 3 display panel 10A.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 5 , the display device 1C and Figure 4 The main differences between the display device 1B and the backlight module 12C are described below. In the display device 1C, the backlight module 12C further includes a buffer layer 125 (such as rubber, foam, sleeve, bonding layer and / or other suitable components). In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the buffer layer 125 may be against the surface of the display panel 10A facing the backlight module 12A, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the buffer layer 125 may be made of a light-absorbing material to absorb stray light. Alternatively, the buffer layer 125 may be formed of a light-transmitting material, and a light-shielding layer (not shown, such as a light-absorbing layer or a light-reflecting layer) may be formed on the sidewall of the buffer layer 125 to reduce light interference from the light-emitting unit 121 and / or improve light utilization. In other embodiments, although not shown, Figure 5 The display panel 10B in the Figure 2 The display panel 10 or Figure 3 display panel 10A.

[0059] In summary, in the disclosed embodiments, the placement of a sensor overlapping the display area enhances the feasibility of narrow-border designs, enabling narrow-border or even borderless displays. Furthermore, by independently controlling the first electrode in the first liquid crystal region corresponding to the sensor, the first liquid crystal region can be rendered light-transmissive, allowing the sensor to capture external images.

[0060] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, 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.

[0061] Although the embodiments and advantages of the present disclosure have been disclosed above, it should be understood that any person skilled in the art may make changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and the features between the embodiments may be arbitrarily mixed and replaced with each other to form other new embodiments. In addition, the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited to the processes, machines, manufacturing, material compositions, devices, methods and steps in the specific embodiments described in the specification. Any person skilled in the art can understand from the content of the present disclosure that the processes, machines, manufacturing, material compositions, devices, methods and steps currently or in the future developed can be used according to the present disclosure as long as they can implement substantially the same functions or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned processes, machines, manufacturing, material compositions, devices, methods and steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure also includes the combination of each claim and embodiment. The scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display device having a display area, characterized in that: The display device includes: Display panel, including: a liquid crystal layer, disposed corresponding to the display area and comprising a first liquid crystal area and a second liquid crystal area adjacent to the first liquid crystal area; a first electrode for controlling the first liquid crystal region; and a second electrode for controlling the second liquid crystal region, wherein the second electrode is electrically independent of the first electrode; and The sensor is used for sensing image information and is disposed corresponding to the first liquid crystal area.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The display device has a display mode and a non-display mode, and when the display device is in either the display mode or the non-display mode, the first liquid crystal region is in a light-transmitting state according to a first voltage.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The display panel further includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, with the liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and separating the first liquid crystal region from the second liquid crystal region; and The dimming layer is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate and overlaps the second liquid crystal region.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein: The display panel further includes: a first polarizing plate, disposed between the sensor and the first substrate; and A second polarizing plate is provided on the second substrate, The first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate overlap the display area, and the absorption axis of the first polarizing plate is perpendicular to the absorption axis of the second polarizing plate.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein: The display panel further includes: The quarter-wave plate is disposed between the first polarizer and the sensor and at least partially overlaps the first liquid crystal region.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein: In a first direction, the quarter-wave plate has a first width, the sensor has a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width.

7. The display device according to claim 4, wherein: Also includes: Backlight module, including: a substrate having a first through hole; a plurality of light-emitting units, disposed on the substrate; and At least one optical film is disposed between the plurality of light-emitting units and the first polarizing plate and has a second through hole, wherein the first through hole and the second through hole overlap with the sensor.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of light emitting units overlap the second liquid crystal region and overlap the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The display panel further includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, with the liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a light shielding layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate and having a first opening overlapping the first liquid crystal region and a second opening overlapping the second liquid crystal region; and The dimming layer is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate and overlaps the second opening.

10. An image sensing method for a display device, wherein the display device has a display mode and a non-display mode, and the display device includes a display panel and a sensor, the display panel includes a liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal layer includes a first liquid crystal region corresponding to the sensor and a second liquid crystal region adjacent to the first liquid crystal region, characterized in that: The image sensing method of the display device includes: providing a first voltage to the first liquid crystal region to make the first liquid crystal region present a light-transmitting state; enabling the sensor to sense image information; In the non-display mode, providing a second voltage to the second liquid crystal region to make the second liquid crystal region present a non-light-transmitting state; and In the display mode, a third voltage is provided to the second liquid crystal region to make the second liquid crystal region present a light-transmitting state. The first voltage is different from the second voltage, and the second voltage is different from the third voltage.

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