Electronic paper module and display device
By designing cavity structures of varying thicknesses and reflective barriers within the electronic paper module, the problems of low brightness, insufficient color saturation, and large viewing angle deviation in the electronic paper module during the colorization process were solved, achieving high brightness and high contrast monochrome display.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HKC CORP LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing electronic paper modules suffer from low brightness, insufficient color saturation, low contrast, and severe color shift at wide viewing angles when achieving colorization. In particular, the increase in the white space causes light incident at large angles to exit from the side color blocking area, resulting in color shift.
By setting multiple color blocks and blank areas in the color filter layer, and designing first and second cavities of different thicknesses in the electronic paper layer, a reflective barrier structure is formed to control the reflection path of light in the blank area, reduce color shift, and maintain brightness.
It effectively reduces color shift at large viewing angles, while improving display brightness and color saturation, achieving a high-brightness, high-contrast monochrome display effect.
Smart Images

Figure CN121477528B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Electronic paper modules and display devices Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of display technology, and in particular relates to an electronic paper module and display device. Background Technology
[0002] In the field of electronic paper display technology, the combination of color filters and electronic paper display modules is a key solution for achieving colorization. However, this structure generally suffers from technical bottlenecks such as low display brightness, insufficient color saturation, and low contrast.
[0003] To overcome the challenge of low brightness, the industry commonly adopts a solution of adding a blank area around the color resist, thereby increasing the pixel transmittance by expanding the size of the blank area. However, this approach can cause optical path distortion: natural light incident at large angles tends to enter through the blank area and exit through the adjacent color resist area, causing the displayed color to deviate from the original setting. Especially in wide-viewing-angle scenes, the size of the blank area is positively correlated with the degree of color shift—the larger the blank area, the more significant the color shift, creating a technical contradiction between brightness improvement and color accuracy control. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an electronic paper module and a display device to solve the technical problem of color deviation in existing electronic paper modules.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an electronic paper module, including:
[0006] A color filter layer, wherein the color filter layer includes multiple color blocks and a white space is provided between adjacent color blocks;
[0007] An electronic paper layer is disposed on one side of the color filter layer. The electronic paper layer includes a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is located on one side of the color block, and the second cavity is located on one side of the blank area. The first cavity and the second cavity are connected, and electrophoretic particles are disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity.
[0008] The thickness of the first cavity is greater than the thickness of the second cavity.
[0009] In some embodiments, the width of the first cavity is the same as the width of the color resist block, and the width of the second cavity is the same as the width of the blank area.
[0010] In some embodiments, the distance between the first cavity and the corresponding color block is L1, and the distance between the second cavity and the corresponding blank area is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the following relationship: L2≥2L1.
[0011] In some embodiments, the width of a single color block is W1, and the width of a single white space is W2, where W1 and W2 satisfy the following relationship: W1 ≥ 2W2.
[0012] In some embodiments, a first electrode layer is further provided on the side of the electronic paper layer away from the color filter layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of segmented electrodes, each of which is correspondingly disposed with a color resist block and an adjacent blank area. The segmented electrodes are used to control the corresponding color resist block to achieve monochrome display.
[0013] In some embodiments, the second cavity is provided with a reflective baffle on the side near the blank area, and the reflective baffle extends toward the blank area.
[0014] In some embodiments, multiple reflective baffles are provided, and the multiple reflective baffles are evenly distributed between adjacent first cavities, with one end of the reflective baffle near the blank area flush with the first cavity.
[0015] In some embodiments, two transparent baffles are provided between adjacent first cavities, one end of the transparent baffle is located outside the second cavity, and the other end of the transparent baffle extends toward the blank area;
[0016] The two transparent baffles are arranged in parallel, forming two side grooves and one middle groove between two adjacent first cavities. The side grooves and the middle groove are respectively filled with cholesteric liquid crystal.
[0017] Specifically, by applying a voltage, the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove and the middle groove is switched between a transparent state, a reflective state, and a scattering state.
[0018] In some embodiments, the width of the intermediate groove is greater than the width of the side groove.
[0019] In some embodiments, the ratio of the width of the intermediate groove to the width of the side groove is (4~5):1.
[0020] In some embodiments, the outer surfaces of the first cavity and the second cavity are provided with a reflective layer.
[0021] In some embodiments, the electronic paper module further includes a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer;
[0022] The first electrode layer is disposed on the side of the color resist block near the electronic paper layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of segmented electrodes. Each segmented electrode is disposed corresponding to a color resist block and an adjacent blank area. The segmented electrode is used to control the corresponding color resist block to achieve monochrome display.
[0023] The second electrode layer is disposed on the side of the second cavity away from the color resist block, and the second electrode layer includes a side electrode for corresponding to the side groove and a middle electrode for corresponding to the middle groove. The side electrode cooperates with the first electrode layer to control and switch the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove, and the middle electrode cooperates with the first electrode layer to control and switch the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the middle groove.
[0024] In some embodiments, when in the first state, a voltage is applied to the intermediate electrode, and a voltage difference is formed between the intermediate electrode and the first electrode layer, causing the cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove to rotate into a transparent state, while the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove is in a reflective state, so that ambient light is reflected in the intermediate groove and then emitted through the blank area.
[0025] When in the second state, voltage is applied to both the edge electrode and the middle electrode, and the cholesteric liquid crystal in the edge groove and the middle groove is converted to a heat dissipation state to disperse the ambient light in the blank area into the color resist areas on both sides.
[0026] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display device including the electronic paper module described in the first aspect.
[0027] The electronic paper module and display device provided in this application embodiment have a first cavity with a thickness greater than that of the second cavity. Thus, the second cavity is recessed on the side of the first cavity furthest from the color resist, and the sidewalls of the first cavity enclose it, effectively forming reflective barriers on both sides below the blank area. Specifically, when ambient light enters the blank area at a large angle and is reflected by the reflective layer on the second cavity, it would normally directly enter the adjacent color resist and exit, causing a large viewing angle color shift. Because this application embodiment forms reflective barriers on both sides below the blank area, the light, after being reflected at the bottom, enters the reflective barriers on both sides (the sidewalls of the first cavity) and is then reflected and exits from the blank area, thereby reducing color shift without losing brightness.
[0028] Furthermore, compared to the existing technology that directly surrounds the color resist and the white space with a reflective barrier to reduce color shift, the side effect of which is a loss of viewing angle, the solution of this application is designed so that the first cavity under the color resist block is thicker than the second cavity under the white space, forming an enclosure of the white space. This not only maintains the wide viewing angle of the color resist area, but also utilizes the white space to increase brightness. Attached Figure Description
[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the electronic paper module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the electronic paper module provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic paper module provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in Figure 3.
[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the state of the cholesteric phase liquid crystal in Figure 3.
[0035] The attached icon numbers are as follows:
[0036] 10. Color filter layer; 11. Color resist block; 100. White area; 101. Color resist area;
[0037] 20. Electronic paper layer; 21. First cavity; 22. Second cavity; 23. Reflective layer; 200. Electrophoretic particles;
[0038] 30. First electrode layer; 31. Segmentation electrode;
[0039] 40. Reflective baffle;
[0040] 50. Transparent retaining wall; 500. Intermediate channel; 501. Side channel;
[0041] 60. Second electrode layer; 600. Intermediate electrode; 601. Side electrode. Detailed Implementation
[0042] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this application can also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the embodiments of this application with unnecessary detail.
[0043] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in the specification of embodiments of this application and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.
[0044] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.
[0045] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.
[0046] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims of this application, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0047] In the description of embodiments in this application, references to "some embodiments" or "some embodiments" mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in some embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. "A plurality" refers to two or more.
[0048] With the urgent need for electronic paper, the structure of a color filter + electronic paper module is an important way to realize electronic paper displays. However, this structure currently suffers from problems such as low brightness, low color saturation, and low contrast. To solve the low brightness problem, increasing the blank area around the color filter to improve pixel display brightness is a common technical method. However, with the increase of the blank area, some natural light at large angles cannot enter and exit through the blank area, but instead exits from the color filter area on the side, thus affecting the color and causing color shift at large viewing angles. The larger the blank area, the more obvious this color shift phenomenon becomes. These two issues are contradictory.
[0049] Existing solutions include: on the one hand, increasing the white space to improve brightness, but this will cause color shift; on the other hand, adding BM blocking between color resistors, which is equivalent to reducing the white space, will reduce brightness and can only improve color shift at small viewing angles; in addition, adding light-transmitting holes between color resistors can increase display brightness without increasing the width of the white space and without aggravating the color shift, but this design is essentially to improve brightness in a narrow white space and with low color shift, rather than to solve the color shift problem.
[0050] Based on this, in this embodiment of the application, the first cavity 21 and the second cavity 22 below the white space 100 and the color blocking area 101 are set to different thicknesses, so that the first cavity 21 below the color blocking area 101 is higher than the second cavity 22 below the white space 100, thereby limiting the exit angle of the incident light in the white space 100 after reflection, thereby improving color shift.
[0051] As shown in Figure 1, this application embodiment provides an electronic paper module, including a color filter layer 10 and an electronic paper layer 20, wherein the electronic paper layer 20 is disposed on one side of the color filter layer 10;
[0052] The color filter layer 10 includes multiple color resist blocks 11, with a white space 100 between adjacent color resist blocks 11, and the area where the color resist blocks 11 are located is the color resist area 101;
[0053] The electronic paper layer 20 includes a first cavity 21 and a second cavity 22. The first cavity 21 is located on one side of the color resist block 11 (color resist area 101), and the second cavity 22 is located on one side of the blank area 100. The first cavity 21 and the second cavity 22 are connected, and electrophoretic particles 200 are provided between the first cavity 21 and the second cavity 22.
[0054] The thickness of the first cavity 21 is greater than the thickness of the second cavity 22.
[0055] The electronic paper module provided in this application embodiment has a thickness of the first cavity 21 that is greater than the thickness of the second cavity 22. Thus, the second cavity 22 is recessed on the side of the first cavity 21 furthest from the color resist block 11, and the sidewalls of the first cavity 21 enclose it, effectively forming reflective barriers on both sides below the blank area 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, when ambient light enters the blank area 100 at a large angle and is reflected by the reflective layer 23 on the second cavity 22, it would normally directly enter the adjacent color resist block 11 and exit, causing a large viewing angle color shift. Because this application embodiment forms reflective barriers on both sides below the blank area 100, the light, after being reflected at the bottom, enters the reflective barriers on both sides (the sidewalls of the first cavity 21) and is then reflected and exits from the blank area 100, thereby reducing color shift without losing brightness.
[0056] It should be noted that the thickness mentioned herein refers to the distance in the thickness direction of the electronic paper module, i.e., the distance in the Z direction as shown in the figure, and the width mentioned herein refers to the width direction of the electronic paper, i.e., the X direction as shown in the figure. The above is for ease of explanation and understanding of the technical solution of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.
[0057] In some embodiments, the width of the first cavity 21 is the same as the width of the color resist block 11. The first cavity 21 (located in the color resist block 11 region) and the color resist block 11 have the same width, ensuring that the distribution of electrophoretic particles 200 in the color resist region 101 is perfectly matched with the structure of the color resist block 11. This precise matching avoids the light scattering problem caused by the mismatch between the color resist region 101 and the cavity in conventional designs. In conventional designs, if the width of the first cavity 21 is greater than that of the color resist block 11, light will overflow from the edge of the color resist region 101, causing color shift. This embodiment ensures that light is reflected and transmitted only within the color resist region 101 through width matching, avoiding the problem that large-angle natural light cannot enter and exit the white space 100, but instead exits from the side color group. Furthermore, the width of the second cavity 22 is the same as the width of the white space 100. The width of the second cavity 22 is equal to the width of the blank area 100, ensuring a perfect match between the electronic paper cavity corresponding to the blank area 100 and the blank area 100, preventing light from overflowing from the cavity edge into the adjacent color resist area 101. The width of the first cavity 21 is equal to the width of the color resist block 11, precisely matching the color resist area 101, ensuring that light is reflected and transmitted only within the color resist area 101. In traditional designs, if the width of the second cavity 22 is greater than the width of the blank area 100, large-angle natural light cannot enter and exit the blank area 100, but instead exits from the side color group, thus causing color shift. This embodiment of the application, through width matching, enables precise control of light within the blank area 100, avoiding light crosstalk.
[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the distance between the first cavity 21 and the corresponding color resist block 11 is L1, and the distance between the second cavity 22 and the corresponding blank area 100 is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the following relationship: L2≥2L1. In a specific embodiment, L2=3L1. By controlling the distance between the second cavity 22 and the blank area 100 to be more than twice the distance between the first cavity 21 and the color resist block 11, this embodiment effectively improves the display brightness without increasing the width of the blank area 100, while significantly reducing the large viewing angle color shift phenomenon, providing reliable technical support for the commercial application of electronic paper modules. In this way, it is ensured that the interval (L2) between the electronic paper cavity (second cavity 22) corresponding to the blank area 100 and the blank area 100 is more than twice the interval (L1) corresponding to the color resist area 101, forming a deep cavity structure. When natural light is incident on the white space 100 at a large angle (>30°), the light undergoes multiple reflections within the cavity with a larger L2, rather than directly interfering with the adjacent color blocking region 101. Through the design of L2≥2L1, the reflection path of the light within the white space 100 is extended, reducing the probability of the light escaping from the color blocking region 101, thereby significantly reducing large-viewing-angle color shift.
[0059] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the width of a single color resist block 11 is W1, and the width of a single blank area 100 is W2. W1 and W2 satisfy the following relationship: W1 ≥ 2W2. In a specific embodiment, W1 = 2W2. This ensures that the width of the color resist area 101 is more than twice the width of the blank area 100, forming a pixel structure with wide color resist and narrow blank area. Reducing the width W2 of the blank area 100 makes it more difficult for large-angle light to crosstalk to adjacent color resist areas 101 after entering from the blank area 100. Increasing the width W1 of the color resist area 101 increases the effective display area ratio and improves the overall brightness. L2 ≥ 2L1 (vertical direction) ensures that the interval (L2) between the cavity corresponding to the blank area 100 and the blank area 100 is more than twice the interval (L1) corresponding to the color resist area 101. W1 ≥ 2W2 (horizontal direction) ensures that the width (W1) of the color resist area 101 is more than twice the width (W2) of the blank area 100. The vertical direction controls the light incident path, and the horizontal direction controls the light propagation path within the cavity, together achieving a balance between brightness enhancement and color accuracy control.
[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the electronic paper module further includes a first electrode layer 30 disposed on the side of the electronic paper layer 20 away from the color filter layer 10. The first electrode layer 30 includes a plurality of segmented electrodes 31, each segmented electrode 31 being correspondingly disposed with a color resist block 11 and an adjacent blank area 100. The segmented electrodes 31 are used to control the electrophoretic particles below the corresponding color resist block 11 to achieve monochrome display. By precisely controlling the movement of the electrophoretic particles 200, working in coordination with the color resist block 11, a monochrome display effect with high brightness, high contrast, and low color shift is achieved.
[0061] In the application, the electrophoretic particles 200 include positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles. By controlling the voltage polarity of the electrodes, the direction of particle movement can be precisely controlled. When a positive voltage is applied to the electrodes, the white particles move upwards, displaying a white area; when a negative voltage is applied, the black particles move upwards, displaying a black area. Specifically, taking red display as an example: a positive voltage is applied to the red dividing electrode 31, causing the white particles to move upwards. After being filtered by the red color resist block 11, the light passing through appears red. A negative voltage is applied to the green and blue dividing electrodes 31, causing the black particles to move upwards. The green and blue areas appear black (no color is displayed) because the black particles move upwards. The light passing through the red color resist block 11 is filtered to red, achieving a red monochrome display. The color resist block 11 acts as a color filter, allowing only light of a specific wavelength to pass through. The electrodes control the movement of the electrophoretic particles 200, determining the amount of light passing through the color resist. Through precise electrode control, the display or non-display of the color resist area 101 can be achieved.
[0062] It should be noted that the color resist block 11 includes at least one of red color resist block 11, green color resist block 11, and blue color resist block 11. Specifically, the color resist block 11 includes red color resist block 11, green color resist block 11, and blue color resist block 11. And the three colors of color resist block 11 are arranged in an array.
[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, a reflective baffle 40 is provided on the side of the second cavity 22 near the blank area 100, and the reflective baffle 40 extends toward the blank area 100. The design of the reflective baffle 40 causes light to form a light trap in the cavity of the blank area 100, which confines the light that might otherwise crosstalk to the color blocking area 101 within the blank area 100. After multiple reflections, the light exits from the blank area 100 along its original path, instead of exiting from the color blocking area 101.
[0064] In application, when natural light is incident on the white space 100 at a large angle, the light entering from the white space 100 tends to exit from the adjacent color blocking area 101, causing color shift. The reflective baffle 40 extends towards the white space 100, cutting off the incident light and directionally reflecting it back into the white space 100. The light forms multiple reflection paths between the baffle and the cavity wall, effectively blocking the path of the light into the adjacent color blocking area 101.
[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, a plurality of reflective baffles 40 are evenly spaced between adjacent first cavities 21, and the end of the reflective baffle 40 near the blank area 100 is flush with the first cavity 21. In a preferred embodiment, four reflective baffles 40 are provided, and the spacing between the reflective baffles 40 is equal. The specific number of reflective baffles 40 can be adjusted according to actual needs. This design allows large-angle light rays incident on the blank area 100 to be distributed between adjacent reflective baffles, thereby reducing the reflection and emission angle of the light, thus reducing the probability of large-angle light rays incident on the adjacent color blocking area 101, thereby also achieving the effect of improving color shift.
[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, two transparent baffles 50 are provided between adjacent first cavities 21. One end of the transparent baffle 50 is located on the outside of the second cavity 22, and the other end of the transparent baffle 50 extends toward the blank area 100.
[0067] Two transparent baffles 50 are arranged in parallel, and two side grooves 501 and a middle groove 500 are formed between two adjacent first cavities 21. The side grooves 501 and the middle groove 500 are respectively filled with cholesteric liquid crystal.
[0068] Specifically, by applying a voltage, the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove 501 and the middle groove 500 is switched between a transparent state, a reflective state, and a scattering state.
[0069] In the application, as shown in Figure 3, two parallel transparent baffles 50 are disposed between adjacent first cavities 21 (color resist areas 101), one end of which is fixed to the outside of the second cavity 22 (white space area 100), and the other end extends toward the white space area 100, forming two side grooves 501 located on the outside of the baffles, corresponding to the edges of the color resist areas 101; a middle groove 500 is located between the two baffles, corresponding to the center of the white space area 100. The side grooves 501 and the middle groove 500 are filled with cholesteric liquid crystal, and their optical state is controlled by voltage (pitch tuning). Cholesteric liquid crystal has three states, which can be achieved by electric field tuning to realize three main optical states: reflective state, transparent state (actually, the reflected wavelength is shifted out of the visible light range), and scattering state.
[0070] Cholesteric liquid crystals achieve three optical states by controlling the pitch with an electric field, as shown in the table below:
[0071]
[0072] In some embodiments, the width of the central groove 500 is greater than the width of the side groove 501. Specifically, the ratio of the width of the central groove 500 to the width of the side groove 501 is (4~5):1. In low-light environments, the wider central groove 500 extends the light path in the transparent state, forming a long optical path reflection path. The narrower side groove 501 results in a smaller reflection area, leading to more concentrated light reflection and reducing crosstalk to the color blocking region 101. In high-light environments, the wider central groove 500 provides a large scattering area, allowing strong light to be evenly dispersed in all directions of the blank area 100, avoiding specular reflection. The narrower side groove 501 assists in scattering a small area, preventing strong light from concentrating and reflecting at the edges.
[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, a reflective layer 23 is provided on the outer surface of the first cavity 21 and the second cavity 22. The reflective layer 23 does not simply increase reflection, but forms a dual-layer mechanism of basic reflection + dynamic control with the cholesteric liquid crystal—the reflective layer 23 provides high-efficiency basic reflection, enabling the liquid crystal to achieve intelligent optical path switching. Located on the outer surface of the cavity, it serves as a passive reflection basis, reflecting incident light back to the display area. The reflective layer 23 provides a basic reflection platform for the dynamic control of the cholesteric liquid crystal, making the liquid crystal state switching more efficient.
[0074] In some embodiments, the electronic paper module further includes a first electrode layer 30 and a second electrode layer 60;
[0075] The first electrode layer 30 is disposed on the side of the color resist block 11 close to the electronic paper layer 20. The first electrode layer 30 includes a plurality of segmented electrodes 31. Each segmented electrode 31 is correspondingly disposed with a color resist block 11 and an adjacent blank area 100. The segmented electrode 31 is used to control the corresponding color resist block 11 to achieve monochrome display.
[0076] The second electrode layer 60 is disposed on the side of the second cavity 22 away from the color resist block 11, and the second electrode layer 60 includes a side electrode 601 for the side groove 501 and an intermediate electrode 600 for the intermediate groove 500. The side electrode 601 cooperates with the first electrode layer 30 to control and switch the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove 501, and the intermediate electrode 600 cooperates with the first electrode layer 30 to control and switch the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove 500.
[0077] In applications, under low-light conditions, it is necessary to increase brightness: the central slot 500 is set to a transparent state (controlled by the central electrode 600 and the first electrode layer 30), and the side slots 501 are set to a reflective state (controlled by the side electrode 601 and the first electrode layer 30). Under strong light conditions, it is necessary to scatter strong light: all slots are set to a scattering state (controlled by electrodes).
[0078] The first electrode layer 30 controls the region of the color resist block 11, and the second electrode layer 60 controls the cholesteric liquid crystal in the blank area 100. The two work together to achieve environmental self-adaptation.
[0079] In some embodiments, when in the first state (under low light conditions), a voltage is applied to the intermediate electrode 600, creating a pressure difference between the intermediate electrode 600 and the first electrode layer 30. This causes the cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove 500 to rotate into a transparent state, while the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove 501 remains in a reflective state (as shown in Figure 4). This allows ambient light to be reflected within the intermediate groove 500 and then emitted through the blank area 100. A voltage (e.g., 16V) is applied to the intermediate electrode 600, creating a pressure difference with the first electrode layer 30 (which may be 0V or a low voltage). The cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove 500 becomes transparent, allowing light to pass directly without reflection. The cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove 501 remains in a reflective state, reflecting light back to the blank area 100. The light path is: ambient light enters the blank area 100 → passes through the intermediate groove 500 (transparent) → is reflected by the side groove 501 → passes through the intermediate groove 500 again → and is emitted from the blank area 100. Multiple reflections increase the optical path and improve brightness. The light is reflected inside the blank area 100 and eventually exits from the blank area 100 along the same path without crosstalk to the color blocking area 101.
[0080] When in the second state (under strong light), voltage is simultaneously applied to the edge electrode 601 and the middle electrode 600. The cholesteric liquid crystal within the edge groove 501 and the middle groove 500 converts to a scattering state (as shown in Figure 5) to disperse ambient light within the blank area 100 into the color resist areas 101 on both sides. Applying voltage simultaneously to the edge electrode 601 and the middle electrode 600 (e.g., slow discharge from 16V to 0V) causes the cholesteric liquid crystal to convert to a scattering state. In the scattering state, light is randomly scattered and reflected non-directionally. The light path is as follows: ambient light enters the blank area 100 → is scattered in the side slot 501 and the middle slot 500 → the light is dispersed to the color resist areas 101 on both sides. The color resist area 101 has a filter, so the light is filtered and the corresponding color is displayed. However, here it is dispersed to the color resist areas 101 on both sides, which means that the light is guided to the color resist area 101. But in fact, under strong light, the purpose is to avoid specular reflection. Therefore, the scattered light is absorbed or filtered by the color resist area 101 to reduce strong light reflection and make the display more uniform.
[0081] In applications, when in a low-light environment, the liquid crystal state on the lower side of the white area 100 is as shown in Figure 4. A voltage of 16V is applied to the middle electrode 600, which forms a voltage difference with the first electrode layer 30, causing the cholesteric liquid crystal in the middle groove 500 to rotate into a transparent state. At this time, the liquid crystal states of the three regions are reflective-transparent-reflective. When light from the white area 100 is incident on the transparent liquid crystal, the light cannot be incident on the adjacent color resist because the liquid crystals on the left and right sides are in a reflective state, reducing the large viewing angle color shift. This part of the light can only be reflected multiple times before exiting from the white area 100, achieving a brightening effect. When in a strong light environment, a voltage of 16V is applied simultaneously to the side electrodes 601 on both sides. When the liquid crystals in all three regions are in a transparent state, they are then discharged slowly and simultaneously, so that the liquid crystals in all three regions are in a fog state, achieving the effect of scattering light. This is used to disperse the light from the white area 100 to the color resist regions 101 on both sides, which reduces the strong light reflection of the white area 100 and also improves the brightness of the displayed colors.
[0082] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display device including the electronic paper module described in the first aspect. Because it includes the electronic paper module described in the first aspect, it possesses the beneficial effects described in the first aspect.
[0083] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.
[0084] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although the embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.
Claims
1. An electronic paper module, characterized in that, include: A color filter layer, comprising multiple color resist blocks, with a blank area between adjacent color resist blocks; an electronic paper layer, disposed on one side of the color filter layer, comprising a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity being located on one side of the color resist blocks, the second cavity being located on one side of the blank area, the first cavity and the second cavity being connected, and electrophoretic particles being disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity; wherein, the thickness of the first cavity is greater than the thickness of the second cavity; the first cavity is disposed corresponding to the color resist blocks, the second cavity is disposed corresponding to the blank area, the width of the first cavity is the same as the width of the color resist blocks, the width of the second cavity is the same as the width of the blank area, a reflective layer is disposed on the second cavity, and the sidewalls of the first cavity on both sides below the blank area form reflective barriers.
2. The electronic paper module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the first cavity and the corresponding color resist block is L1, and the distance between the second cavity and the corresponding blank area is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the following relationship: L2≥2L1; and / or, the width of a single color resist block is W1, and the width of a single blank area is W2. W1 and W2 satisfy the following relationship: W1≥2W2.
3. The electronic paper module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first electrode layer disposed on the side of the electronic paper layer away from the color filter layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of segmented electrodes, each of which is disposed corresponding to a color resist block and an adjacent blank area. The segmented electrodes are used to control the electrophoretic particles under the corresponding color resist block to achieve monochrome display.
4. The electronic paper module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second cavity is provided with a reflective baffle on the side near the blank area, and the reflective baffle extends toward the blank area.
5. The electronic paper module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The reflective baffles are provided in multiple ways, and the multiple reflective baffles are evenly distributed between adjacent first cavities, with the end of the reflective baffles near the blank area being flush with the first cavity.
6. The electronic paper module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Two transparent baffles are provided between adjacent first cavities. One end of the transparent baffle is located outside the second cavity, and the other end of the transparent baffle extends toward the blank area. The two transparent baffles are arranged in parallel, forming two side grooves and one middle groove between two adjacent first cavities. The side grooves and the middle groove are respectively filled with cholesteric liquid crystal. A voltage is applied to cause the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side grooves and the middle groove to switch between a transparent state, a reflective state, and a scattering state.
7. The electronic paper module as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The width of the intermediate groove is greater than the width of the side groove; and / or, the ratio of the width of the intermediate groove to the width of the side groove is (4~5):1; and / or, the outer surface of the first cavity is provided with a reflective layer.
8. The electronic paper module as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The electronic paper module further includes a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The first electrode layer is located on the side of the color resist block closest to the electronic paper layer. The first electrode layer includes multiple segmented electrodes, each of which is corresponding to a color resist block and an adjacent blank area. The segmented electrodes are used to control the corresponding color resist block to achieve monochrome display. The second electrode layer is located on the side of the second cavity away from the color resist block. The second electrode layer includes a side electrode corresponding to the edge slot and a middle electrode corresponding to the middle slot. The side electrode cooperates with the first electrode layer to control the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the edge slot. The system controls the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove in conjunction with the first electrode layer. In the first state, a voltage is applied to the intermediate electrode, creating a voltage difference between the intermediate electrode and the first electrode layer. This causes the cholesteric liquid crystal in the intermediate groove to rotate into a transparent state, while the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove is in a reflective state, allowing ambient light to be reflected within the intermediate groove and emitted through the blank area. In the second state, voltages are applied to both the side electrode and the intermediate electrode simultaneously, causing the cholesteric liquid crystal in the side groove and the intermediate groove to switch to a scattering state, dispersing the ambient light in the blank area into the color resist areas on both sides.
9. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the electronic paper module as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
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