Electronic device

Abstract

This disclosure provides an electronic device, characterized in that it includes: a reflective panel having a first side and a second side opposite to each other; a transmittance switching element disposed on the first side of the reflective panel; and a light absorption element disposed on the second side of the reflective panel; wherein the reflective panel includes at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and the at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer is used to reflect visible light in a reflective state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device with high contrast. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of technology, electronic devices are moving towards designs with high contrast, low power consumption, high quality, or low cost. Common reflective electronic devices use cholesteric liquid crystals, which offer advantages such as low power consumption due to their bistable properties. These devices can be composed of multiple layers of cholesteric liquid crystal panels stacked together to reflect different colors. However, current reflective electronic devices have relatively low contrast and suffer from poor visual effects.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a new electronic device to improve the above-mentioned defects. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides an electronic device, characterized in that it includes: a reflective panel having a first side and a second side opposite to each other; a transmittance switching element disposed on the first side of the reflective panel; and a light absorption element disposed on the second side of the reflective panel; wherein the reflective panel includes at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and the at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer is used to reflect visible light in a reflective state. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0006] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the correspondence between multiple pixel areas of a reflective panel and multiple control areas of a transmittance switching element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control relationship of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the driving method of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] The meanings of the reference numerals in the above figures are as follows:

[0016] 1 Reflective panel

[0017] 11 First Sub-panel

[0018] 111 First Substrate

[0019] 112 Second Substrate

[0020] 113 First Cholesterol Liquid Crystal Layer

[0021] 114 First Electrode Layer

[0022] 115 Second Electrode Layer

[0023] 12 Second Sub-panel

[0024] 121 Third Substrate

[0025] 122 Fourth Substrate

[0026] 123 Second Cholesterol Liquid Crystal Layer

[0027] 124 Third Electrode Layer

[0028] 125 Fourth Electrode Layer

[0029] 13 Third Sub-panel

[0030] 131 Fifth Substrate

[0031] 132 sixth substrate

[0032] 133 Third Cholesterol Liquid Crystal Layer

[0033] 134 Fifth Electrode Layer

[0034] 135 Sixth Electrode Layer

[0035] 2, 2', 2”, 2”' transmittance switching element

[0036] 21 Seventh Substrate

[0037] 22 Eighth Substrate

[0038] 23, 23', 23”, 23”' control layer

[0039] 231, 231' ion storage layer

[0040] 231” Suspended particles

[0041] 231"' LCD

[0042] 232, 232' electrochromic layer

[0043] 232” organic gel

[0044] 232”' dye

[0045] 233, 233' Electrolyte layer

[0046] 24 Seventh Electrode Layer

[0047] 25 Eighth Electrode Layer

[0048] 3 light absorption elements

[0049] 4 light guide plates

[0050] 41 outlets

[0051] 6 Adhesive Layers

[0052] 7 transistors

[0053] 8 Protective substrate

[0054] C control zone

[0055] C1 part

[0056] Another part of C2

[0057] P-pixel area

[0058] Part 1 of P1

[0059] Part 2, Page 2

[0060] S1 First Side

[0061] S2 Second Side Detailed Implementation

[0062] The following provides a detailed description of an electronic device based on embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the following description provides many different embodiments for implementing various forms of some embodiments of the present disclosure. The specific elements and arrangements described below are merely for the simple and clear description of some embodiments of the present disclosure. Of course, these are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the present disclosure. Furthermore, similar and / or corresponding reference numerals may be used in different embodiments to identify similar and / or corresponding elements for the clear description of the present disclosure. However, the use of these similar and / or corresponding reference numerals is only for the simple and clear description of some embodiments of the present disclosure and does not imply any association between the different embodiments and / or structures discussed.

[0063] The embodiments disclosed herein can be used in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 It is understood that the accompanying drawings of this disclosure are also considered part of the disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings of this disclosure are not drawn to scale; in fact, the dimensions of elements may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced to clearly show the features of this disclosure. Furthermore, directional terms used in this disclosure, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the direction of the drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustration and not for limiting the scope of this disclosure. In the drawings, each figure illustrates the general characteristics of the methods, structures, and / or materials used in a particular embodiment. However, these figures should not be construed as defining or limiting the scope or nature covered by these embodiments. For example, for clarity, the relative dimensions, thicknesses, and positions of various film layers, regions, and / or structures may be reduced or enlarged.

[0064] In this disclosure, a structure (or layer, component, substrate) located above another structure (or layer, component, substrate) can refer to two structures being adjacent and directly connected, or to two structures being adjacent but not directly connected. Indirect connection means that there is at least one intermediate structure (or intermediate layer, intermediate component, intermediate substrate, intermediate spacer) between the two structures, with the lower surface of one structure adjacent to or directly connected to the upper surface of the intermediate structure, and the upper surface of the other structure adjacent to or directly connected to the lower surface of the intermediate structure. The intermediate structure can be composed of a single or multiple solid or non-solid structure, without limitation. In this disclosure, when a structure is positioned "on" other structures, it may mean that the structure is "directly" on other structures, or that the structure is "indirectly" on other structures, meaning that at least one structure is sandwiched between the structure and other structures.

[0065] Furthermore, it should be understood that the ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first," "second," etc., to modify elements, do not in themselves imply any prior ordinal number for that element (or those elements), nor do they represent the order of one element with another, or the order of manufacturing processes. The use of these ordinal numbers is solely to clearly distinguish one named element from another element with the same name. The claims and specification may not use the same terminology; for example, the first element in the specification may be the second element in the claims.

[0066] In some embodiments of this disclosure, terms such as "connection" and "interconnection," unless specifically defined, may refer to two structures being in direct contact, or to two structures not being in direct contact, wherein another structure is disposed between the two structures. Furthermore, these terms regarding engagement and connection may also include cases where both structures are movable or both structures are fixed. In addition, the terms "electrical connection" or "coupling" include any direct and indirect electrical connection means.

[0067] In this document, the terms "approximately," "actually," and "roughly" typically indicate that a given value or range is within 10%, 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5%. Unless otherwise stated, the phrase "range between the first value and the second value" means that the range includes the first value, the second value, and other values ​​in between. Furthermore, any two values ​​or directions used for comparison may have a certain degree of error. If the first value is equal to the second value, it implies that there may be an error of approximately 10% between the first and second values; if the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, the angle between the first and second directions may be between 80 and 100 degrees; if the first direction is parallel to the second direction, the angle between the first and second directions may be between 0 and 10 degrees. In this disclosure, the terms "given range is between the first value and the second value" and "given range falls within the range between the first value and the second value" mean that the given range includes the first value, the second value, and other values ​​in between.

[0068] Furthermore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the thickness, length, width, or distance and angle between components can be measured using an optical microscopy (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an alpha-step thickness gauge, an ellipsometry, or other suitable methods. Specifically, according to some embodiments, a scanning electron microscope can be used to obtain cross-sectional images of the structure and measure the thickness, length, width, or distance and angle between components.

[0069] Throughout this disclosure and in the appended claims, certain terms are used to refer to specific elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that electronic device manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same element. This document is not intended to distinguish between elements that have the same function but different names. In the following description and claims, words such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are open-ended terms and should therefore be interpreted as “including but not limited to…”. Therefore, when the terms “comprising,” “including,” and / or “having” are used in the description of this disclosure, they specify the presence of the corresponding feature, area, step, operation, and / or element, but do not exclude the presence of one or more of the corresponding feature, area, step, operation, and / or element.

[0070] It should be understood that the features described below can be replaced, reorganized, or combined in several different embodiments to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Features between embodiments can be arbitrarily combined and used as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it.

[0071] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It is understood that these terms, for example, as defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant art and the background or context of this disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner, unless specifically defined in the embodiments of this disclosure. This disclosure can be understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding and for the sake of brevity, many of the drawings in this disclosure depict only a portion of the electronic device, and specific elements in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, the number and dimensions of the elements in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0072] The electronic device disclosed herein may include electronic components. Electronic components may include passive components, active components, or combinations thereof, such as capacitors, resistors, inductors, varactor diodes, variable capacitors, filters, diodes, transistors, sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) components, liquid crystal chips, etc., but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Diodes may include light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or non-LEDs. Diodes include PN junction diodes, PIN diodes, or constant-current diodes. Light-emitting diodes may include, for example, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), mini LEDs, micro LEDs, quantum dot LEDs, fluorescent, phosphorescent, or other suitable materials, or combinations thereof, but are not limited thereto. Sensors may include, for example, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, electromagnetic sensors, fingerprint sensors (FPS), touch sensors, antennas, or pennsensors, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The following description uses a display device as an example of an electronic device to illustrate the contents of this disclosure, but this is not intended to limit it.

[0073] Electronic devices may include, but are not limited to, image capturing devices, bonding devices, display devices, backlight devices, antenna devices, splicing devices, touch displays, curved displays, or freeshape displays. Electronic devices may include, for example, liquid crystal, light-emitting diodes, fluorescence, phosphorescence, other suitable display media, or combinations thereof, but are not limited to. Display devices may be non-emissive or self-emissive. Antenna devices may be liquid crystal or non-liquid crystal antenna devices, and sensing devices may be sensing capacitive, light, heat, or ultrasonic waves, but are not limited to. Splicing devices may be, for example, display splicing devices or antenna splicing devices, but are not limited to. It should be noted that electronic devices may be any arrangement or combination of the foregoing, but are not limited to. Electronic devices may be bendable or flexible. It should be noted that electronic devices may be any arrangement or combination of the foregoing, but are not limited to. Furthermore, the electronic device can be rectangular, circular, polygonal, have curved edges, or other suitable shapes. The electronic device may have peripheral systems such as a drive system, control system, light source system, and shelving system to support display devices, antenna devices, or splicing devices. It should be understood that the features of several different embodiments described below can be replaced, recombined, or mixed to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Features between embodiments can be arbitrarily mixed and combined as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it. It should be noted that the technical solutions provided in the different embodiments below can be substituted, combined, or mixed with each other to constitute another embodiment without violating the spirit of this disclosure.

[0074] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The display area of ​​the electronic device of this disclosure is shown, while the non-display area is not shown. In one embodiment of this disclosure, as... Figure 1As shown, the electronic device includes a reflective panel 1, a transmittance switching element 2, and a light-absorbing element 3. The reflective panel 1 has a first side S1 and a second side S2 opposite to each other. The transmittance switching element 2 is disposed on the first side S1 of the reflective panel 1, and the light-absorbing element 3 is disposed on the second side S2 of the reflective panel 1. Specifically, the reflective panel 1 is disposed between the transmittance switching element 2 and the light-absorbing element 3. The reflective panel 1 includes at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer (e.g., a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113, a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123, or a third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133), and the at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer is used to reflect visible light in a reflective state. Here, the cholesterol liquid crystal layer can be driven to align itself according to the electric field generated by the voltage applied between the corresponding electrode layers, thus changing its state (e.g., reflective state (i.e., planar state), transmissive state (focal conic state), or homeotropic state). Taking an electronic device with a single-layer cholesterol liquid crystal layer as an example, when the cholesterol liquid crystal layer is in the reflective state, it can be used to reflect visible light, thereby enabling the electronic device to display visible light, such as red, blue, or green visible light, but this disclosure is not limited thereto; when the cholesterol liquid crystal layer is in the transmissive state, since the bottom layer is a light-absorbing element 3 (e.g., a black absorbing element), the electronic device displays black.

[0075] In this disclosure, the reflective panel 1 includes a first sub-panel 11 and a second sub-panel 12. The first sub-panel 11 includes a first substrate 111, a second substrate 112, a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113, a first electrode layer 114, and a second electrode layer 115. The first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113 is disposed between the first substrate 111 and the second substrate 112, the first electrode layer 114 is disposed between the first substrate 111 and the first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113, and the second electrode layer 115 is disposed between the first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113 and the second substrate 112. The second sub-panel 12 is disposed on the first sub-panel 11 and includes a third substrate 121, a fourth substrate 122, a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123, a third electrode layer 124, and a fourth electrode layer 125. The second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123 is disposed between the third substrate 121 and the fourth substrate 122, the third electrode layer 124 is disposed between the third substrate 121 and the second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123, and the fourth electrode layer 125 is disposed between the second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123 and the fourth substrate 122. The first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113 and the second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123, in their reflective state, are used to reflect visible light of different colors, such as red and green visible light, respectively. However, this disclosure is not limited to this; the aforementioned cholesteric liquid crystal layers, in their reflective state, are used to reflect visible light of other suitable colors. Furthermore, an adhesive layer 6 may be selectively disposed between the first sub-panel 11 and the second sub-panel 12 for bonding the first sub-panel 11 and the second sub-panel 12. In other embodiments (not shown), the first sub-panel 11 and the second sub-panel 12 may also share one side of the substrate, that is, the second substrate 112 and the third substrate 121 may be the same substrate, in which case the adhesive layer 6 can be omitted.

[0076] In this disclosure, the reflective panel 1 may further include a third sub-panel 13, and a second sub-panel 12 is disposed between the first sub-panel 11 and the third sub-panel 13. An adhesive layer 6 may be selectively disposed between the second sub-panel 12 and the third sub-panel 13 for bonding the second sub-panel 12 and the third sub-panel 13. The third sub-panel 13 includes a fifth substrate 131, a sixth substrate 132, a third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133, a fifth electrode layer 134, and a sixth electrode layer 135. The third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133 is disposed between the fifth substrate 131 and the sixth substrate 132, the fifth electrode layer 134 is disposed between the fifth substrate 131 and the third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133, and the sixth electrode layer 135 is disposed between the third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133 and the sixth substrate 132. The first cholesterol liquid crystal layer 113, the second cholesterol liquid crystal layer 123, and the third cholesterol liquid crystal layer 133 are used to reflect different colors of visible light in the reflective state, such as red, green, and blue visible light, respectively. However, this disclosure is not limited to this; the above-mentioned cholesterol liquid crystal layers are used to reflect other suitable colors of visible light in the reflective state. Similarly, in other embodiments (not shown), the second sub-panel 12 and the third sub-panel 13 may share one side of the substrate, that is, the fourth substrate 122 and the fifth substrate 131 may be the same substrate, in which case the adhesive layer 6 can be omitted.

[0077] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first sub-panel 11 may be used, for example, as a display panel reflecting red visible light, the second sub-panel 12 may be used, for example, as a display panel reflecting green visible light, and the third sub-panel 13 may be used, for example, as a display panel reflecting blue visible light, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The reflected colors of the first sub-panel 11, the second sub-panel 12, and the third sub-panel 13 can be adjusted as needed. In other embodiments, the electronic device may selectively have fewer or more display panels, each used to reflect different colors.

[0078] In this disclosure, an adhesive layer 6 is selectively disposed between the transmittance switching element 2 and the reflective panel 1 to adhere the brightness switching element 2 and the reflective panel 1; and the transmittance switching element 2 includes a seventh substrate 21, an eighth substrate 22, a control layer 23, a seventh electrode layer 24, and an eighth electrode layer 25. The control layer 23 is disposed between the seventh substrate 21 and the eighth substrate 22 and between the seventh electrode layer 24 and the eighth electrode layer 25. The seventh electrode layer 24 is disposed between the seventh substrate 21 and the control layer 23, and the eighth electrode layer 25 is disposed between the control layer 23 and the eighth substrate 22. The control layer 23 may include an electrochromic material. More specifically, the control layer 23 includes an ion storage layer 231, an electrochromic layer 232, and an electrolyte layer 233. Here, the electrolyte layer 233 is disposed between the ion storage layer 231 and the electrochromic layer 232, the ion storage layer 231 is disposed between the seventh electrode layer 24 and the electrolyte layer 233, and the electrochromic layer 232 is disposed between the electrolyte layer 233 and the eighth electrode layer 25. However, this disclosure is not limited to this. In another embodiment of this disclosure, the positions of the ion storage layer 231 and the electrochromic layer 232 can be interchanged, i.e., the electrochromic layer 232 is disposed between the seventh electrode layer 24 and the electrolyte layer 233, and the ion storage layer 231 is disposed between the electrolyte layer 233 and the eighth electrode layer 25. In this embodiment, the control layer 23 is, for example, a full-surface design. Here, a full-surface design means that the ion storage layer 231, the electrochromic layer 232, and / or the electrolyte layer 233 are each a single, continuous film layer. In some designs, the control layer 23, ion storage layer 231, electrochromic layer 232, and electrolyte layer 233 in different control regions C are connected to each other. In other embodiments (not shown), the control layer 23, ion storage layer 231, electrochromic layer 232, and electrolyte layer 233 in different control regions C are separated and not connected to each other.

[0079] In this disclosure, the ion storage layer 231 is used to store ions and supply the required ions during the color-changing process, thereby balancing the total charge in the electronic device. The electrochromic layer 232 includes an electrochromic material with electrochromic properties. For example, the electrochromic material may include inorganic electrochromic materials (e.g., CeO2-TiO2, NiO...). xThe ion storage layer 231 may use an electrochromic material with properties opposite to those of the electrochromic layer 232 to achieve color superposition or complementarity. For example, the ion storage layer 231 may use a cathodic reduction-chromic material and the electrochromic layer 232 may use an anodic reduction-chromic material, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The ion storage layer 231 may use an anodic reduction-chromic material and the electrochromic layer 232 may use a cathodic reduction-chromic material, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The ion storage layer 231 may also use an anodic reduction-chromic material and the electrochromic layer 232 may use a cathodic reduction-chromic material. Furthermore, the electrolyte layer 233 is used to provide a channel for ion transport between the ion storage layer 231 and the electrochromic layer 232, and the electrolyte layer 233 may be prepared using, for example, a polymer solid electrolyte material, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0080] In this disclosure, the material of the light-absorbing element 3 may include a (black) ink layer, a (black) resin layer, an anti-reflective material, or a suitable light-absorbing material, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. When the cholesteric liquid crystal layers stacked thereon (i.e., the first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113, the second cholesteric liquid crystal layer 123, and the third cholesteric liquid crystal layer 133) are in a transmissive state, they can be used to absorb visible light to make the electronic device display black. In this embodiment, the light-absorbing element 3 is disposed, for example, under the reflective panel 1, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light-absorbing element 3 may also be disposed between the first cholesteric liquid crystal layer 113 and the first substrate 111.

[0081] In this disclosure, the first substrate 111, the second substrate 112, the third substrate 121, the fourth substrate 122, the fifth substrate 131, the sixth substrate 132, the seventh substrate 21, and / or the eighth substrate 22 may include rigid substrates, flexible substrates, or flexible substrates. The materials of the first substrate 111, the second substrate 112, the third substrate 121, the fourth substrate 122, the fifth substrate 131, the sixth substrate 132, the seventh substrate 21, and / or the eighth substrate 22 may be the same as or different from each other. The materials of the first substrate 111, second substrate 112, third substrate 121, fourth substrate 122, fifth substrate 131, sixth substrate 132, seventh substrate 21, and / or eighth substrate 22 may each include glass, quartz, sapphire, ceramic, plastic, polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), other suitable materials, or combinations thereof, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. When the first substrate 111, second substrate 112, third substrate 121, fourth substrate 122, fifth substrate 131, sixth substrate 132, seventh substrate 21, and eighth substrate 22 are flexible substrates, the electronic device of this disclosure may be a flexible display device.

[0082] In this disclosure, although not shown in the figures, active elements (e.g., transistors), wires (not shown), alignment layers (not shown), insulating layers (not shown), or combinations thereof may be selectively disposed on the first substrate 111, the second substrate 112, the third substrate 121, the fourth substrate 122, the fifth substrate 131, the sixth substrate 132, the seventh substrate 21, and the eighth substrate 22, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0083] In this disclosure, the materials of the first electrode layer 114, the second electrode layer 115, the third electrode layer 124, the fourth electrode layer 125, the fifth electrode layer 134, the sixth electrode layer 135, the seventh electrode layer 24, and / or the eighth electrode layer 25 may be the same as or different from each other. The materials of the first electrode layer 114, the second electrode layer 115, the third electrode layer 124, the fourth electrode layer 125, the fifth electrode layer 134, the sixth electrode layer 135, the seventh electrode layer 24, and / or the eighth electrode layer 25 may each include transparent conductive materials (e.g., indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO)) or combinations thereof, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0084] In this disclosure, the material of the adhesive layer 6 may include, for example, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), optical clear adhesive (OCA), optical clear resin (OCR), other suitable materials, or combinations thereof, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0085] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the correspondence between multiple pixel areas of a reflective panel and multiple control areas of a transmittance switching element according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 The display area of ​​the electronic device disclosed herein is shown, but the non-display area is not shown. For ease of explanation, the reflective panel 1 and the transmittance switching element 2 are not presented in a stacked manner; in fact, the reflective panel 1 and the transmittance switching element 2 have the following characteristics: Figure 1 The layered structure is shown. In one embodiment of this disclosure, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the reflective panel 1 includes multiple pixel areas P, and the transmittance switching element 2 includes multiple control areas C, with the multiple pixel areas P overlapping the multiple control areas C respectively. Specifically, the multiple pixel areas P of the reflective panel 1 overlap and correspond to the multiple control areas C of the transmittance switching element 2. For example, when displaying an image, a first portion P1 of the multiple pixel areas P can be switched to a reflective state (i.e., representing the display of a bright area (image area)), a second portion P2 of the multiple pixel areas P can be switched to a transmittance state (i.e., representing the display of a dark area), a portion C1 of the multiple control areas C overlapping the first portion P1 can be switched to a transmittance state, and another portion C2 of the multiple control areas C overlapping the second portion P2 can be switched to a non-transmittance state to reduce the brightness of the dark area. Since the contrast ratio of an electronic device is calculated by the ratio of the brightness of the bright state to the brightness of the dark state, reducing the brightness in the dark state can significantly improve the contrast ratio of the electronic device, achieving a preferred display effect. For example, the brightness of the reflective state (representing the bright display area (image area)) of the reflective panel 1 is, for example, 30%, the brightness of the transmissive state (representing the dark display area) of the reflective panel 1 is, for example, 6%, the visible light transmittance of the transmissive state of the transmittance switching element 2 is, for example, 80%, and the visible light transmittance of the non-transmissive state of the transmittance switching element 2 is, for example, 2% to 7%. Then, the contrast ratio of the electronic device is approximately 200 (30% x 0.8 / 6% x 0.02) to 57 (30% x 0.8 / 6% x 0.07). These values ​​are merely examples and may vary depending on the specific embodiment. In some embodiments, the number of pixel areas P of the reflective panel 1 may be approximately the same as the number of control areas C of the transmittance switching element 2. In some embodiments (not shown), the number of pixel areas P of the reflective panel 1 may differ from the number of control areas C of the transmittance switching element 2; for example, the number of pixel areas P may be less than or greater than the number of control areas C of the transmittance switching element 2.

[0086] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control relationship of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an active matrix drive circuit for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device may also include a controller for controlling the driving circuits of the reflective panel 1 and the transmittance switching element 2, respectively, and for driving the reflective panel 1 and the transmittance switching element 2. Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the driving method of the reflective panel 1 and the transmittance switching element 2 in the electronic device can be an example of an active matrix driving circuit, but this disclosure is not limited to this; in other embodiments of this disclosure, the driving method of the electronic device can also be a passive matrix driving circuit. Taking the reflective panel 1 as an example, an active matrix driving circuit means that each pixel in the multiple pixel areas P of the reflective panel 1 has its own corresponding independent driving circuit, such as including transistor 7 electrically connected to signal lines (e.g., scan lines GL and data lines DL) or their respective electrodes to drive the arrangement of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer in the pixel, and the driving current of the individual pixel is provided by its corresponding transistor 7. A passive matrix driving circuit means that each column of pixels in the reflective panel 1 is connected to the column scan line, and each row of pixels in the reflective panel 1 is connected to the row scan line. When the Xth row scan line and the Yth column scan line are turned on, the pixel at their intersection (X, Y) will be lit, thus displaying the image by high-speed point-to-point scanning. The active or passive driving mode of the control area C of the transmittance switching element 2 can be similar to that of the pixel area P of the reflective panel 1, and will not be described in detail here.

[0087] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Because... Figure 5 Some features of the embodiments are applicable Figures 1 to 4 The embodiments are described in detail here, and therefore will not be repeated. The following mainly focuses on the differences. Compared to Figures 1 to 4 Example, Figure 5 In the embodiment, the control layer 23' of the transmittance switching element 2' is pixelated. Here, pixelated design means that the ion storage layer 231', the electrochromic layer 232' and / or the electrolyte layer 233' are respectively set for each pixel area P, rather than the entire film layer.

[0088] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Because... Figure 6 Some features of the embodiments are applicable Figures 1 to 4 The embodiments are described in detail here, and therefore will not be repeated. The following mainly focuses on the differences. Compared to Figures 1 to 4 Example, Figure 6The control layer 23 of the transmittance switching element 2" in the embodiment may include suspended particles 231. More specifically, the control layer 23" includes suspended particles 231" and / or organic gel 232, where the suspended particles 231" are, for example, uniformly dispersed and suspended in the organic gel 232. When energized, the suspended particles 231" of the control layer 23" are regularly aligned with the direction of the electric field, allowing some light to pass through, thus the transmittance switching element 2" is in a partially transmitted state, for example, about 50% transmitted, but not limited thereto; when de-energized, the suspended particles 231" of the control layer 23" are irregularly aligned, preventing light from passing through, thus the transmittance switching element 2" is in a non-transmitting state. In other words, if the transmittance switching element 2" is to switch to a transmitted state, it must be energized; conversely, if the transmittance switching element 2" is to switch to a non-transmitting state, it does not need to be energized. Furthermore, Figure 6 The driving method of the electronic device in the embodiment can also be an active matrix driving circuit or a passive matrix driving circuit, as described above, and therefore will not be described in detail again.

[0089] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 Some features of the embodiments are applicable Figures 1 to 4 The embodiments are described in detail here, and therefore will not be repeated. The following mainly focuses on the differences. Compared to Figures 1 to 4 Example, Figure 7 The control layer 23”’ of the transmittance switching element 2”’ in the embodiment may include a dye liquid crystal”’. More specifically, the control layer 23”’ includes liquid crystal 231”’ and dye 232”’. Taking liquid crystal 231”’ as a negative liquid crystal as an example, when energized, the long axis direction of liquid crystal 231”’ and dye 232”’ can be made approximately perpendicular to the electric field direction, thereby causing dye 232”’ to absorb more light, so the transmittance switching element 2”’ is in a non-transmitting state; when not energized, the long axis direction of liquid crystal 231”’ and dye 232”’ is approximately parallel to the electric field direction, for example, dye 232”’ absorbs less light, and most of the light can pass through the control layer 23”’, so the transmittance switching element 2”’ is in a transmitting state. This disclosure is not limited to this, liquid crystal 231”’ can also be a positive liquid crystal. In addition, Figure 7 The driving method of the electronic device in the embodiment can also be an active matrix driving circuit or a passive matrix driving circuit, as described above, and therefore will not be described in detail again.

[0090] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as... Figure 8As shown, the electronic device may further include a light guide plate 4 and a touch layer 5. The light guide plate 4 may be disposed on the side of the transmittance switching element 2 away from the reflective panel 1, and the touch layer 5 may be disposed on the transmittance switching element 2 and the light guide plate 4. The light guide plate 4 may be disposed between the transmittance switching element 2 and the touch layer 5. The transmittance switching element 2 may be disposed between the reflective panel 1 and the light guide plate 4. The light guide plate 4 may, for example, include multiple dots 41, but this disclosure is not limited thereto; the light guide plate 4 may also include multiple microstructures. Furthermore, Figure 8 The transmittance switching element 2 in the embodiment can also be replaced by any of the transmittance switching elements 2', 2”, 2”' described above.

[0091] In this disclosure, although not shown in the figures, a protective substrate may be selectively disposed on the touch layer 5, and the protective substrate may be treated with anti-reflection or anti-glare; alternatively, the protective substrate may be additionally provided with an anti-glare film or an anti-reflection film. Furthermore, an adhesive layer 6 may be disposed between the reflective panel 1, the transmittance switching element 2, the light guide plate 4, and the touch layer 5. In other embodiments, with... Figure 8 The embodiments are similar, the main difference being that the electronic device may not include the light guide plate 4. In one embodiment, with Figure 8 The embodiments are similar, the main difference being that the electronic device may not include the light guide plate 4 and the touch layer 5.

[0092] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as... Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device may further include a light guide plate 4 and a touch layer 5. The light guide plate 4 may be disposed between the transmittance switching element 2 and the reflective panel 1, and the touch layer 5 may be disposed on the transmittance switching element 2. The transmittance switching element 2 may be disposed between the light guide plate 4 and the touch layer 5. The light guide plate 4 may include a plurality of dots 41, but this disclosure is not limited thereto; the light guide plate 4 may also include a plurality of microstructures. Furthermore, Figure 9 The transmittance switching element 2 in the embodiment can also be replaced by any of the transmittance switching elements 2', 2”, 2”' described above.

[0093] In this disclosure, although not shown in the figures, a protective substrate may be selectively disposed on the touch layer 5, and the protective substrate may be treated with anti-reflection or anti-glare; or, an anti-glare film or anti-reflection film may be additionally disposed on the protective substrate. In addition, an adhesive layer 6 may be disposed between the reflective panel 1, the transmittance switching element 2, the light guide plate 4 and the touch layer 5 respectively.

[0094] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 10As shown, the electronic device may further include a light guide plate 4 and a protective substrate 8. The protective substrate 8 may be disposed on the reflective panel 1, the transmittance switching element 2 may be disposed between the reflective panel 1 and the protective substrate 8, and the light guide plate 4 may be disposed between the transmittance switching element 2 and the reflective panel 1. The light guide plate 4 may include multiple dots 41, but this disclosure is not limited thereto; the light guide plate 4 may also include multiple microstructures. Furthermore, adhesive layers 6 may be respectively disposed between the reflective panel 1, the transmittance switching element 2, the light guide plate 4, and the protective substrate 8. In addition, Figure 10 The transmittance switching element 2 in the embodiment can also be replaced by any of the transmittance switching elements 2', 2”, 2”' described above.

[0096] In other embodiments, with Figure 10 The embodiments are similar, the main difference being that the positions of the light guide plate 4 and the transmittance switching element 2 can be interchanged. In another embodiment, with Figure 10 The embodiments are similar, the main difference being that the electronic device may not include the light guide plate 4.

[0097] The specific embodiments described above should be interpreted as merely illustrative and not as limiting the remainder of this disclosure in any way.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A reflective panel having a first side and a second side opposite to each other; A transmittance switching element is disposed on the first side of the reflective panel: and A light-absorbing element is disposed on the second side of the reflective panel; The reflective panel includes at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and the at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer is used to reflect visible light in a reflective state.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmittance switching element includes a control layer, which comprises one of an electrochromic material, suspended particles, or a dye liquid crystal.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmittance switching element includes an electrode layer and another electrode layer, and the control layer is disposed between the electrode layer and the other electrode layer.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a light guide plate disposed on the side of the transmittance switching element away from the reflective panel.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a light guide plate disposed between the transmittance switching element and the reflective panel.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a touch layer disposed on the transmittance switching element.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflective panel includes multiple pixel areas, and the transmittance switching element includes multiple control areas, with the multiple pixel areas overlapping the multiple control areas respectively.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that, A first portion of the plurality of pixel regions switches to the reflective state, a second portion of the plurality of pixel regions switches to a penetrating state, wherein a portion of the plurality of control regions overlapping the first portion switches to a penetrating state, and another portion of the plurality of control regions overlapping the second portion switches to a non-penetrating state.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic device also includes a controller for controlling the driving circuit of the reflective panel and the driving circuit of the transmittance switching element, respectively.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflective panel includes: A first sub-panel, including a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer; and A second sub-panel is disposed on the first sub-panel and includes a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer; In this reflective state, the first cholesterol liquid crystal layer and the second cholesterol liquid crystal layer are used to reflect visible light of different colors.

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