Transmissive LCD for virtual reality display

Abstract

An emissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes a first substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) including thin film transistor (TFT) drive circuits formed thereon, a liquid crystal (LC) cell including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT drive circuits, and one or more light emitters located between the TFT drive circuits and the LC cell and configured to illuminate the LC cell. The one or more light emitters include, for example, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) that emits white light or a color OLED configured to emit red, green, and blue light, and can be controlled globally or in groups.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 623,938, entitled “EMISSIVE LCDFOR VIRTUAL REALITY DISPLAY”, filed on January 23, 2024. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and more particularly to emitting LCDs. Background Technology

[0003] Artificial reality systems, such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) or head-up displays (HUDs), typically include near-eye display systems. These systems take the form of a headset or a pair of glasses and are configured to present content to the user via an electronic or optical display, for example, within approximately 10 to 20 mm in front of the user's eyes. Near-eye display systems can display virtual objects or combine images of real objects with virtual objects, as in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) applications. Near-eye displays typically include an image source (e.g., a display panel) for displaying computer-generated images and an optical system configured to relay the computer-generated images to create virtual images that appear distant from the image source and more than a few centimeters from the user's eyes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure generally relates to liquid crystal displays (LCDs). More specifically, and not limitingly, the techniques disclosed herein relate to low-cost, high-resolution, and high-efficiency emissive LCD panels formed on glass. Various embodiments of the invention are described herein, including apparatuses, systems, methods, structures, materials, processes, etc.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an emissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is provided, the emissive LCD panel comprising: a first substrate including thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuitry formed thereon; a liquid crystal (LC) cell including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuitry; and one or more light emitters located between the TFT driving circuitry and the LC cellry and configured to illuminate the LC cellry.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first substrate may include a glass substrate.

[0007] In some embodiments, the one or more light emitters may include one or more organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) that emit white light; and the LC unit may include a color filter array.

[0008] In some embodiments, the one or more light emitters may include an OLED array configured to emit light of multiple colors.

[0009] In some embodiments, the one or more light emitters may share a common anode and a common cathode.

[0010] In some embodiments, these TFT driving circuits may include LCD pixel driving circuits and driving circuits for globally driving the one or more light emitters.

[0011] In some embodiments, the one or more light emitters can be divided into multiple groups, and the light emitters in each group can be located in corresponding areas of multiple areas of the emissive LCD panel and can share a common anode and a common cathode.

[0012] In some embodiments, these TFT driving circuits may include LCD pixel driving circuits and corresponding driving circuits for driving each of the plurality of groups of light emitters.

[0013] In some embodiments, the corresponding drive circuitry for driving each of the plurality of groups of light emitters can be configured to locally dim the group of light emitters in the plurality of groups.

[0014] In some embodiments, the LC cell may include: an LC material layer; and an in-cell polarizer located between the LC material layer and the one or more light emitters.

[0015] In some embodiments, the polarizer within the unit may include a polymer polarizer.

[0016] In some embodiments, the polarizer within the unit may be characterized by a thickness of less than 2 μm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the emitting LCD panel may further include a planarization encapsulation layer located between the one or more light emitters and the LC unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, these LCD pixel electrodes can be electrically coupled to these TFT driving circuits via electrical connectors passing through the one or more light emitters.

[0019] In some embodiments, the emitting LCD panel may be characterized by a resolution greater than 1,000 pixels per inch.

[0020] In some embodiments, the emitting LCD panel may be characterized by an active area greater than 1.5 × 1.5 square inches.

[0021] According to some embodiments, an emissive LCD panel may include: a first substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) including thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuitry formed thereon; a liquid crystal (LC) cell including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuitry; and one or more light emitters (e.g., organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)) located between the TFT driving circuitry and the LC cell and configured to illuminate the LC cell.

[0022] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a near-eye display system is provided, the near-eye display system including an emissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and display optics, the emissive LCD panel including: a first substrate including thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuitry formed thereon; liquid crystal (LC) cells including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuitry; and one or more light emitters located between the TFT driving circuitry and the LC cells and configured to illuminate the LC cells; the display optics being configured to project an image displayed by the emissive LCD panel onto the eye of a user of the near-eye display system.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first substrate may include a glass substrate; the one or more light emitters may include one or more organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); and the emitting LCD panel may be characterized by an effective area greater than 1.5 × 1.5 square inches.

[0024] In some embodiments, the one or more OLEDs may include OLEDs that emit white light or OLEDs that emit colored light.

[0025] In some embodiments, the one or more light emitters can be divided into multiple groups, wherein the light emitters in each of the multiple groups can be located in corresponding areas of multiple regions of the emissive LCD panel and can share a common anode and a common cathode; and the TFT driving circuits can include corresponding driving circuits for driving each group of light emitters in the multiple groups and can be configured to locally dim the group of light emitters in the multiple groups.

[0026] According to some embodiments, a near-eye display system may include an emissive LCD panel and display optics. The emissive LCD panel may include: a first substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) including thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuitry formed thereon; liquid crystal (LC) cells including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuitry; and one or more light emitters (e.g., organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)) located between the TFT driving circuitry and the LC cells and configured to illuminate the LC cells. The display optics may be configured to project an image displayed by the emissive LCD panel onto the eye of a user of the near-eye display system.

[0027] It will be understood that any feature described herein that is suitable for incorporation into one or more aspects or embodiments of this disclosure is intended to be generalizable in any and all aspects and embodiments of this disclosure. Other aspects of this disclosure will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the specification, claims, and drawings of this disclosure. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0028] This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used independently to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by referring to the appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all of the accompanying drawings, and each claim. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The following illustrative embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a simplified block diagram of an example of an artificial reality system environment including a near-eye display according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 A perspective view of an example of a near-eye display in the form of a head-mounted display (HMD) device used to implement one or more of the examples disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 3 A stereoscopic view of an example of a near-eye display in the form of eyeglasses used to implement one or more of the examples disclosed herein.

[0033] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an example of a near-eye display according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 5 Examples of optical systems with a non-pupil forming configuration for near-eye display devices according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0035] Figure 6 An example of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is shown.

[0036] Figure 7 An example of an LCD panel stack is shown.

[0037] Figure 8A An example of a pixel in a transmissive LCD is shown.

[0038] Figure 8B An example of an emissive LCD panel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 9 An example of an emissive LCD panel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Figure 10 Another example of an emitting LCD panel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] Figure 11 The document includes flowcharts illustrating examples of processes for manufacturing an emissive LCD panel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 12 This is a simplified block diagram of an example electronic system for implementing some of the examples disclosed herein, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, for an example near-eye display (e.g., an HMD device).

[0043] The accompanying drawings depict embodiments of the present disclosure for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the illustrated structures and methods may be employed without departing from the principles of the present disclosure or the claimed benefits.

[0044] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, various parts of the same type can be distinguished by adding a dash after the reference numerals and a second reference numeral to differentiate similar parts. If only the first reference numeral is used in the description, the description applies to any similar part having the same first reference numeral, without considering the second reference numeral. Detailed Implementation

[0045] This disclosure generally relates to liquid crystal displays (LCDs). More specifically, and not limitingly, the techniques disclosed herein relate to low-cost, high-resolution, and high-efficiency emissive LCD panels formed on glass. Various embodiments of the invention are described herein, including apparatuses, systems, methods, structures, materials, processes, etc.

[0046] Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications can use near-eye displays (e.g., head-mounted displays) to present images to users. A near-eye display system can include an image source (e.g., a display panel) for generating image frames, and display optics for projecting the image frames onto the user's eyes. In a near-eye display system, the display panel or image source can be implemented using, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, micro-OLED displays, active-matrix OLED displays (AMOLEDs), transparent OLED displays (TOLEDs), inorganic light-emitting diode (ILED) displays, quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) displays, micro-LED displays, etc. It is generally desirable for the image source or display panel of a near-eye display system to have higher resolution, a large color gamut, a large field of view (FOV), and high brightness to improve the immersive experience of using the near-eye display system. Furthermore, as wearable devices mounted on the user's head, near-eye display systems are also expected to have lower weight and thickness. For battery-powered near-eye display systems, higher power efficiency may be desired to improve battery life and / or reduce the overall weight of the system.

[0047] The field of view (FOV) of a display system is the angular range within which an image can be projected in the near or far field. The FOV of a display system is typically measured in degrees, while the resolution on the FOV is usually measured in pixels per degree (PPD). The FOV of a display system can be linearly proportional to the size of the image source (e.g., the display panel) and inversely proportional to the focal length of the display optics (e.g., collimating lenses or lens assemblies). Achieving a good modulation transfer function (MTF) and reducing size / weight / cost may require a balance between the size of the image source and the optical power of the display optics. For example, for smaller display panels, the field of view can be increased by bringing the image source closer, but the image source will need a higher PPD, and aberrations in the peripheral display optics may limit the effective field of view and image quality. Furthermore, achieving a high PPD may require microdisplays with ultra-high pixels per inch (PPI). Manufacturing large-size, high-PPI display panels (e.g., silicon-based μOLED panels or micro-LED panels) to cover a wider FOV can present numerous technical challenges and cost issues. For example, when using a single driver die, the die may need to have a large chip size to accommodate the OLED panel, gate, data driver, and display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) on a single die, and may require more expensive advanced processing technologies. However, for processing technologies with a certain defect density, the yield of larger chips may be lower. Therefore, due to the limited size of the driver die and / or the high cost of large driver dies, microdisplays are typically small. Consequently, the field of view (FOV) of current AR / VR / MR systems may be limited, which can adversely affect the user experience.

[0048] Many consumer virtual reality (VR) near-eye display systems use LCD panels to generate displayed images. LCD panels used for VR applications typically operate in transmissive mode, where light can be modulated while being transmitted through the LCD panel. For example, a transmissive LCD panel may include a backlight unit (BLU) and a liquid crystal (LC) panel, where the LC panel can modulate and filter light from the BLU at individual pixels. The LC panel may include liquid crystal cells sandwiched between a bottom (or back) substrate and a top (or front) substrate. In some embodiments, the bottom substrate may include thin-film transistor (TFT) circuitry formed on a glass substrate for controlling the liquid crystal cells, while the top substrate may include a common electrode and a color filter array formed thereon. In some embodiments, the bottom substrate may include TFT circuitry and a color filter array formed on a glass substrate (referred to as a color filter on array (COA)), while the top substrate may include a common electrode and a black matrix formed thereon. In some embodiments, for example, in fringe field switching (FFS) mode liquid crystal displays, both pixel electrodes and a common electrode may be formed on the bottom substrate, while the top substrate may include a black matrix and an outer coating formed thereon.

[0049] Compared to other display technologies, LCD panels offer numerous advantages, such as lower cost, longer lifespan, higher energy efficiency, and larger size. For example, the pixel driving circuitry for LCD panels can be simple (e.g., including one transistor and one capacitor in each 1T1C pixel driving circuit), allowing implementation using TFT circuitry formed on a glass substrate even with a high PPI. This enables large LCD panels to be formed on large glass substrates with TFT driving circuitry, resulting in significantly lower costs compared to large display panels implemented using other technologies. However, due to the large ineffective areas for TFT circuitry, even with state-of-the-art technology, the resolution of transmissive LCD panels can be limited to approximately 2000 pixels per inch. Furthermore, high-resolution LC panels (e.g., PPI greater than approximately 600 or higher, such as 1400 or higher) may have low panel transmittance and therefore low power efficiency, at least due to a reduced aperture ratio per pixel (e.g., the effective pixel area over the entire pixel area). For example, some existing display panels may transmit only about 1.5% of the total illumination light.

[0050] Organic LED (OLED) display panels may not have the large unused areas of transmissive LCD panels, thus enabling high resolution. However, the driving circuitry of OLED display panels can be more complex (e.g., using 5-7 transistors per pixel). OLED display panels formed on glass substrates (including the TFT driving circuitry formed thereon) may only achieve a resolution of around 1000 PPI due to the complex pixel driving circuitry. Therefore, to achieve large, high-resolution OLED display panels, large silicon dies with driving circuitry formed on them can be used. However, manufacturing large-size OLED display panels on large silicon dies with driving circuitry formed on them can be expensive due to the high cost of large silicon dies, as described above.

[0051] According to certain embodiments disclosed herein, an emissive LCD panel formed on a glass substrate can be used in VR / AR display systems to improve the resolution, field of view, power efficiency, brightness, and other characteristics of the VR / AR display system, while reducing its cost, weight, and thickness. In examples of emissive LCD panels disclosed herein, a light emitter (e.g., a white or colored OLED) can be located between the LC cell and the LCD pixel driving circuitry formed on the glass substrate. The light emitter, such as an OLED, is used to illuminate the LC cell and can therefore be driven globally or in groups, thus eliminating the need for complex driving circuitry for individual OLEDs. The driving circuitry (including the LCD pixel driving circuitry and global or group driving circuitry for the light emitter) can be implemented using TFT circuitry on the glass substrate below the light emitter and the LC cell, thus not blocking the illumination light emitted by the light emitter for illuminating the LC cell. When using a colored light emitter, a color filter and a black matrix may not be required in the emissive LCD panel. The bottom polarizer of the LC cell can be formed above the light emitter, for example, by coating a thin layer (e.g., less than about 1 μm) with a polymer polarizer.

[0052] Because the backlight unit below the LCD pixel driving circuit used in existing transmissive LCD panels is not used, and the OLED for illuminating the LC unit is located between the LCD pixel driving circuit (e.g., TFT circuit) and the LC unit, the emissive LCD panel disclosed herein does not have large ineffective areas that could block light. Therefore, it does not suffer from high losses due to TFT circuits blocking light in ineffective areas, as is the case with existing transmissive LCD panels. Thus, the resolution and power efficiency of the emissive LCD panel can be improved compared to transmissive LCD panels. Since no backlight unit is used, the weight and thickness of the emissive LCD panel can be reduced. Furthermore, since the driving circuitry (including the LCD pixel driving circuitry and the global or group driving circuitry for the OLED) can be implemented using TFT circuitry on the glass substrate, the emissive LCD panel can be large (and therefore have a large FOV) and has a lower cost.

[0053] The emitting LCD panels described herein can be used in conjunction with various technologies, such as artificial reality systems. Artificial reality systems, such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) or head-up displays (HUDs), typically include displays configured to present artificial images depicting objects in a virtual environment. The displays can present virtual objects or combine images of real objects with virtual objects, as in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) applications. For example, in AR systems, a user can view both a display image of a virtual object (e.g., a computer-generated image (CGI)) and an image of the surrounding environment by, for example, looking through transparent display glasses or lenses (often called optical see-through) or by viewing a display image of the surrounding environment captured by a camera (often called video see-through).

[0054] In the following description, specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of the examples of this disclosure. However, it will be apparent, however, that various examples may be practiced without these specific details. For example, devices, systems, structures, components, methods, and other parts may be shown as parts in the form of block diagrams to avoid obscuring these examples with unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known devices, processes, systems, structures, and techniques may be shown without necessary detail to avoid obscuring these examples. The accompanying drawings and description are not limiting. The terms and expressions used in this disclosure are used as descriptive terms rather than limiting terms, and their use is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or any parts thereof. The word “example” is used herein to mean “served as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or design described herein as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other embodiments or designs.

[0055] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of an example of an artificial reality system environment 100 including a near-eye display 120 according to certain embodiments. Figure 1 The illustrated artificial reality system environment 100 may include a near-eye display 120, an optional external imaging device 150, and an optional input / output interface 140, each of which may be coupled to an optional console 110. Although Figure 1 An example of an artificial reality system environment 100 is shown, including a near-eye display 120, an external imaging device 150, and an input / output interface 140. However, the artificial reality system environment 100 may include any number of these components, or any of these components may be omitted. For example, multiple near-eye displays 120 may be present, monitored by one or more external imaging devices 150 communicating with a console 110. In some configurations, the artificial reality system environment 100 may not include the external imaging device 150, the optional input / output interface 140, and the optional console 110. In alternative configurations, the artificial reality system environment 100 may include different or additional components.

[0056] The near-eye display 120 may be a head-mounted display that presents content to a user. Examples of content presented by the near-eye display 120 include one or more of the following: images, videos, audio, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, audio may be presented via an external device (e.g., speakers and / or headphones) that receives audio information from the near-eye display 120, the console 110, or both, and presents the audio data based on that audio information. The near-eye display 120 may include one or more rigid bodies that may be rigidly or non-rigidly coupled to each other. Rigid coupling between multiple rigid bodies may allow the coupled rigid bodies to act as a single rigid entity. Non-rigid coupling between multiple rigid bodies may allow these rigid bodies to move relative to each other. In various embodiments, the near-eye display 120 may be implemented with any suitable shape element, including eyeglasses. The following describes... Figure 2 and Figure 3 To further describe some embodiments of the near-eye display 120. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the functionality described herein can be used in head-mounted devices that combine images of the environment outside the near-eye display 120 with artificial reality content (e.g., computer-generated images). Thus, the near-eye display 120 can utilize generated content (e.g., images, videos, sounds, etc.) to enhance images of the physically real-world environment outside the near-eye display 120 to present augmented reality to the user.

[0057] In various embodiments, the near-eye display 120 may include one or more of display electronics 122, display optics 124, and an eye-tracking unit 130. In some embodiments, the near-eye display 120 may also include one or more locators 126, one or more position sensors 128, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 132. The near-eye display 120 may omit any of the eye-tracking unit 130, locator 126, position sensor 128, and IMU 132, or the near-eye display may include additional elements in various embodiments. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the near-eye display 120 may include a combination of... Figure 1 The components described are those that function as various elements.

[0058] Display electronics 122 can display images to a user or facilitate the display of images to a user based on data received from, for example, console 110. In various embodiments, display electronics 122 may include one or more display panels, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, inorganic light-emitting diode (ILED) displays, micro-light-emitting diode (μLED) displays, active-matrix OLED displays (AMOLEDs), transparent OLED displays (TOLEDs), or some other type of display. For example, in one embodiment of the near-eye display 120, display electronics 122 may include a front TOLED panel, a rear display panel, and optical components (e.g., attenuators, polarizers, or diffraction or spectral films) located between the front and rear display panels. Display electronics 122 may include multiple pixels that emit light of dominant colors such as red, green, blue, white, or yellow. In some embodiments, display electronics 122 can display three-dimensional (3D) images through the stereoscopic effect produced by a two-dimensional panel to create a subjective perception of image depth. For example, display electronics 122 may include a left display located in front of the user's left eye and a right display located in front of the user's right eye. The left and right displays may present horizontally shifted copies of the image relative to each other to create a stereoscopic effect (i.e., the user's perception of the image's depth).

[0059] In some embodiments, display optics 124 can optically (e.g., using optical waveguides and couplers) display image content or amplify image light received from display electronics 122, correct optical errors associated with the image light, and present corrected image light to a user of near-eye display 120. In various embodiments, display optics 124 may include one or more optical elements, such as a substrate, optical waveguide, aperture, Fresnel lens, convex lens, concave lens, filter, input / output coupler, or any other suitable optical element that can affect the image light emitted from display electronics 122. Display optics 124 may include combinations of different optical elements and mechanical couplings for maintaining the relative spacing and orientation of the optical elements in the combination. One or more optical elements in display optics 124 may have optical coatings, such as anti-reflective coatings, reflective coatings, filtering coatings, or combinations of different optical coatings.

[0060] The amplification of image light by the display optics 124 allows the display electronics 122 to be physically smaller, lighter, and consume less power compared to a larger display. Additionally, the amplification increases the field of view of the displayed content. The amplification amount of image light by the display optics 124 can be changed by adjusting, adding, or removing optical elements from the display optics 124. In some embodiments, the display optics 124 can project the displayed image onto one or more image planes that are further away from the user's eye than the near-eye display 120.

[0061] Display optics 124 can also be designed to correct one or more types of optical errors, such as two-dimensional optical errors, three-dimensional optical errors, or any combination thereof. Two-dimensional errors can include optical aberrations occurring in two dimensions. Example types of two-dimensional errors can include barrel distortion, pincushion distortion, longitudinal chromatic aberration, and lateral chromatic aberration. Three-dimensional errors can include optical errors occurring in three dimensions. Example types of three-dimensional errors can include spherical aberration, coma, field curvature, and astigmatism.

[0062] Each locator 126 may be an object located at a specific position on the near-eye display 120 relative to each other and relative to a reference point on the near-eye display 120. In some embodiments, the console 110 may identify the locators 126 in an image acquired by an external imaging device 150 to determine the position, orientation, or both of the artificial reality head-mounted device. The locator 126 may be a light-emitting diode (LED), a corner cubic reflector, a reflective marker, a type of light source that contrasts with the environment in which the near-eye display 120 operates, or any combination thereof. In embodiments where the locator 126 is an active component (e.g., an LED or other type of light-emitting device), the locator 126 may emit light in the visible light band (e.g., about 380 nm to 750 nm), light in the infrared (IR) band (e.g., about 750 nm to 1 mm), light in the ultraviolet band (e.g., about 12 nm to about 380 nm), or light in another portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, or light in any combination of multiple portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[0063] The external imaging device 150 may include one or more cameras, one or more video cameras, any other device capable of acquiring images including one or more of the plurality of positioners 126, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the external imaging device 150 may include one or more filters (e.g., to improve the signal-to-noise ratio). The external imaging device 150 may be configured to detect light emitted or reflected from or from the positioners 126 within the field of view of the external imaging device 150. In embodiments where the positioners 126 include passive elements (e.g., retroreflectors), the external imaging device 150 may include a light source illuminating some or all of the plurality of positioners 126, which may reflect light back to the light source in the external imaging device 150. Slow calibration data may be transmitted from the external imaging device 150 to the console 110, and the external imaging device 150 may receive one or more calibration parameters from the console 110 to adjust one or more imaging parameters (e.g., focal length, focus, frame rate, sensor temperature, shutter speed, aperture, etc.).

[0064] Each position sensor 128 can generate one or more measurement signals in response to movement of the near-eye display 120. Examples of position sensors 128 may include accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, other motion detection sensors or error correction sensors, or any combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, each position sensor 128 may include multiple accelerometers and multiple gyroscopes, the accelerometers being used to measure translational motion (e.g., forward / backward, up / down, or left / right), and the gyroscopes being used to measure rotational motion (e.g., pitch, yaw, or roll). In some embodiments, the various position sensors may be orthogonally oriented to each other.

[0065] IMU 132 can be an electronic device that generates rapid calibration data based on received measurement signals from one or more of a plurality of position sensors 128. The position sensors 128 can be located external to IMU 132, internal to IMU 132, or any combination thereof. Based on one or more measurement signals from one or more position sensors 128, IMU 132 can generate rapid calibration data representing an estimated position of the near-eye display 120 relative to an initial position of the near-eye display 120. For example, IMU 132 can integrate received measurement signals from an accelerometer over time to estimate a velocity vector, and integrate the velocity vector over time to determine an estimated position of a reference point on the near-eye display 120. Alternatively, IMU 132 can provide sampled measurement signals to console 110 that can determine the rapid calibration data. While a reference point can generally be defined as a point in space, in various embodiments, a reference point can also be defined as a point within the near-eye display 120 (e.g., the center of IMU 132).

[0066] Eye-tracking unit 130 may include one or more eye-tracking systems. Eye tracking can refer to determining the positioning of the eye relative to the near-eye display 120, including the orientation and position of the eye relative to the near-eye display 120. The eye-tracking system may include an imaging system for imaging one or both eyes, and may optionally include a light emitter that generates light directed toward the eye so that light reflected by the eye can be captured by the imaging system. For example, eye-tracking unit 130 may include an incoherent or coherent light source (e.g., a laser diode) and a camera that emits light in the visible or infrared spectrum, and the camera captures the light reflected by the user's eye. As another example, eye-tracking unit 130 may capture reflected radio waves emitted by a miniature radar unit. Eye-tracking unit 130 may use low-power light emitters that emit light at frequencies and intensities that will not harm the eyes or cause physical discomfort. The eye-tracking unit 130 can be arranged to increase the contrast in the image of the eye acquired by the eye-tracking unit 130 while reducing the total power consumed by the eye-tracking unit 130 (e.g., reducing the power consumed by the light emitter and imaging system included in the eye-tracking unit 130). For example, in some embodiments, the eye-tracking unit 130 may consume less than 120 milliwatts of power.

[0067] The near-eye display 120 can use eye orientation to, for example, determine the user's inter-pupillary distance (IPD), determine the direction of gaze, introduce depth cues (e.g., blurring images outside the user's primary line of sight), collect heuristic information about user interaction in VR media (e.g., how much time is spent on any particular subject, object, or frame as a result of stimuli), some other functions based in part on the orientation of at least one of the user's eyes, or any combination thereof. Because the orientation can be determined for the user's eyes, the eye-tracking unit 130 can determine where the user is looking. For example, determining the direction of the user's gaze can include determining a convergence point based on the determined orientation of the user's left and right eyes. The convergence point can be the point where the visual axes of the two fovea of ​​the user's eyes intersect. The direction of the user's gaze can be the direction of a line passing through the convergence point and the midpoint between the user's pupils.

[0068] Input / output interface 140 may be a device that allows a user to send action requests to console 110. An action request may be a request to perform a specific action. For example, an action request may be to launch or terminate an application, or to perform a specific action within an application. Input / output interface 140 may include one or more input devices. Example input devices may include a keyboard, mouse, game controller, gloves, buttons, touchscreen, or any other suitable device for receiving action requests and transmitting the received action requests to console 110. Action requests received by input / output interface 140 may be transmitted to console 110, which may then perform an action corresponding to the requested action. In some embodiments, input / output interface 140 may provide haptic feedback to the user based on instructions received from console 110. For example, input / output interface 140 may provide haptic feedback when an action request is received, or when console 110 has performed the requested action and transmitted the instruction to input / output interface 140. In some embodiments, an external imaging device 150 may be used to track the input / output interface 140, such as the position or location of a tracking controller (which may include, for example, an IR light source), or the position or location of a user's hand, to determine user movement. In some embodiments, the near-eye display 120 may include one or more imaging devices to track the input / output interface 140, such as the position or location of a tracking controller, or the position or location of a user's hand, to determine user movement.

[0069] The console 110 can provide content to the near-eye display 120 for presentation to the user based on information received from one or more of the external imaging device 150, near-eye display 120, and input / output interface 140. Figure 1 In the example shown, console 110 may include application library 112, head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114, artificial reality engine 116, and eye-tracking subsystem 118. Some embodiments of console 110 may include integration with... Figure 1 The described device or subsystem may be a different device or subsystem, or an additional device or subsystem. The functionality further described below may be distributed among multiple components of console 110 in a manner different from that described herein.

[0070] In some embodiments, console 110 may include a processor and a nontransitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by the processor. The processor may include multiple processing units that execute the instructions in parallel. The nontransitory computer-readable storage medium may be any memory, such as a hard disk drive, removable memory, or a solid-state drive (e.g., flash memory or dynamic random access memory (DRAM)). In various embodiments, in combination Figure 1 The device or subsystem of the described console 110 may be encoded as instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the functions further described below.

[0071] Application library 112 may store one or more applications for execution by console 110. An application may include a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, generate content to be presented to the user. The content generated by the application may be in response to input received from the user via eye movement or in response to input received from input / output interface 140. Examples of applications may include game applications, conferencing applications, video playback applications, or other suitable applications.

[0072] The head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114 can use slow calibration information from an external imaging device 150 to track the movement of the near-eye display 120. For example, the head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114 can use a locator observed from the slow calibration information and a model of the near-eye display 120 to determine the position of a reference point for the near-eye display 120. The head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114 can also use position information from fast calibration information to determine the position of the reference point for the near-eye display 120. Additionally, in some embodiments, the head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114 can use multiple components of fast calibration information, slow calibration information, or any combination thereof to predict the future position of the near-eye display 120. The head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114 can provide the estimated or predicted future position of the near-eye display 120 to the artificial reality engine 116.

[0073] The artificial reality engine 116 can execute applications within the artificial reality system environment 100 and receive position information, acceleration information, velocity information, predicted future position of the near-eye display 120, or any combination thereof from the head-mounted device tracking subsystem 114. The artificial reality engine 116 can also receive estimated eye position and orientation information from the eye-tracking subsystem 118. Based on the received information, the artificial reality engine 116 can determine the content to be presented to the near-eye display 120 for the user. For example, if the received information indicates that the user has looked to the left, the artificial reality engine 116 can generate content for the near-eye display 120 that reflects the movement of the user's eyes in the virtual environment. Furthermore, in response to receiving an action request from the input / output interface 140, the artificial reality engine 116 can execute an in-application action on the console 110 and provide feedback to the user indicating that the action has been performed. Feedback can be visual or auditory feedback via the near-eye display 120, or tactile feedback via the input / output interface 140.

[0074] The eye-tracking subsystem 118 can receive eye-tracking data from the eye-tracking unit 130 and determine the position of the user's eyes based on the eye-tracking data. The position of the eyes can include the orientation, position, or both of the eyes relative to the near-eye display 120 or any element of the near-eye display. Because the axis of rotation of the eye changes with the position of the eye in its orbit, determining the position of the eye in its orbit allows the eye-tracking subsystem 118 to determine the orientation of the eyes more accurately.

[0075] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an example of a near-eye display in the form of an HMD device 200 used to implement some of the examples disclosed herein. The HMD device 200 may be part of, for example, a VR system, an AR system, a MR system, or any combination thereof. The HMD device 200 may include a body 220 and a headband 230. Figure 2 The bottom side 223, front side 225, and left side 227 of the body 220 are shown in a perspective view. The headband 230 may have an adjustable or extendable length. Sufficient space may exist between the body 220 of the HMD device 200 and the headband 230 to allow a user to wear the HMD device 200 on their head. In various embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include additional components, fewer components, or different components. For example, in some embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include, for example, the following: Figure 3 The glasses shown have temples and rims, but no headband 230.

[0076] HMD device 200 can present media to a user, including virtual and / or augmented views of a physical, real-world environment with computer-generated elements. Examples of media presented by HMD device 200 may include images (e.g., two-dimensional (2D) images or three-dimensional (3D) images), video (e.g., 2D video or 3D video), audio, or any combination thereof. Images and videos can be displayed through one or more display components encapsulated in the body 220 of HMD device 200. Figure 2 (Not shown) is presented to each of the user's eyes. In various embodiments, one or more display components may include a single electronic display panel or multiple electronic display panels (e.g., one display panel for each of the user's eyes). Examples of one or more electronic display panels may include, for example, LCD, OLED, ILED, µLED, AMOLED, TOLED, some other displays, or any combination thereof. HMD device 200 may include two eye box areas.

[0077] In some embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include various sensors (not shown), such as depth sensors, motion sensors, position sensors, and eye-tracking sensors. Some of these sensors may use structured light patterns for sensing. In some embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include an input / output interface for communicating with a console. In some embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include a virtual reality engine (not shown) that can execute applications within the HMD device 200 and receive depth information, position information, acceleration information, velocity information, predicted future position, or any combination thereof from various sensors of the HMD device 200. In some embodiments, the information received by the virtual reality engine may be used to generate signals (e.g., display instructions) to one or more display components. In some embodiments, the HMD device 200 may include locators (not shown, such as locator 126) located at fixed positions on the body 220 relative to each other and relative to a reference point. Each of these locators may emit light detectable by an external imaging device.

[0078] Figure 3 A perspective view of an example of a near-eye display 300 in the form of eyeglasses, used to implement some of the examples disclosed herein. The near-eye display 300 may be... Figure 1This is a specific embodiment of the near-eye display 120, and can be configured to operate as a virtual reality display, an augmented reality display, and / or a mixed reality display. The near-eye display 300 may include a frame 305 and a display 310. The display 310 may be configured to present content to a user. In some embodiments, the display 310 may include display electronics and / or display optics. For example, as described above regarding... Figure 1 As described in the near-eye display 120, the display 310 may include an LCD display panel, an LED display panel, or an optical display panel (e.g., a waveguide display assembly).

[0079] The near-eye display 300 may also include various sensors 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, and 350e located on or within the frame 305. In some embodiments, sensors 350a to 350e may include one or more depth sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more position sensors, one or more inertial sensors, or one or more ambient light sensors. In some embodiments, sensors 350a to 350e may include one or more image sensors configured to generate image data representing different fields of view in different orientations. In some embodiments, sensors 350a to 350e may be used as input devices to control or influence the display content of the near-eye display 300 and / or provide an interactive VR / AR / MR experience to the user of the near-eye display 300. In some embodiments, sensors 350a to 350e may also be used for stereoscopic imaging.

[0080] In some embodiments, the near-eye display 300 may further include one or more illuminators 330 that project light into a physical environment. The projected light may be associated with different frequency bands (e.g., visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, etc.) and may be used for various purposes. For example, one or more illuminators 330 may project light into a dark environment (or an environment with low intensity infrared, ultraviolet, etc.) to help sensors 350a to 350e acquire images of different objects within the dark environment. In some embodiments, one or more illuminators 330 may be used to project certain light patterns onto objects within the environment. In some embodiments, one or more illuminators 330 may function as locators, as described above regarding... Figure 1 The locator 126 is described.

[0081] In some embodiments, the near-eye display 300 may further include a high-resolution camera 340. The high-resolution camera 340 can acquire images of the physical environment within the field of view. The acquired images may be generated, for example, by a virtual reality engine (e.g., Figure 1The artificial reality engine 116) processes the image to add virtual objects to the captured image or modify physical objects in the captured image, and the processed image can be displayed to the user by the display 310 for use in AR or MR applications.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an example of a near-eye display 400 according to certain embodiments. The near-eye display 400 may include at least one display component 410. The display component 410 may be configured to direct image light (e.g., display light) to an eye-fitting frame located at an exit pupil 420 and to the user's eye 490. Note that although in this disclosure... Figure 4 The accompanying drawings, along with other illustrations, show the user's eye for illustrative purposes, but the user's eye is not part of the corresponding near-eye display.

[0083] Similar to HMD device 200 and near-eye display 300, near-eye display 400 may include a frame 405 and a display assembly 410, which may include a display 412 coupled to or embedded in the frame 405 and / or display optics 414. As described above, display 412 may display images to a user electrically (e.g., using LCD, LED, OLED) or optically (e.g., using waveguide displays and optical couplers) based on data received from a processing unit (e.g., console 110). In some embodiments, display 412 may include a display panel comprising pixels made of LCD, LED, and OLED, etc. Display 412 may include subpixels to emit light of a dominant color (e.g., red, green, blue, white, or yellow). In some embodiments, display assembly 410 may include a stack of one or more waveguide displays, including but not limited to stacked waveguide displays and variable-focus waveguide displays. Stacked waveguide displays may be multicolor displays (e.g., red-green-blue (RGB) displays) created by stacking multiple waveguide displays with different colors for their respective monochromatic sources.

[0084] Display optics 414 may be similar to display optics 124 and may optically (e.g., using optical waveguides and optical couplers) display image content, correct optical errors associated with image light, combine images of virtual objects and images of real objects, and present corrected image light to the exit pupil 420 where the user's eye 490 of the near-eye display 400 may be located. In some embodiments, display optics 414 may also relay images to create virtual images that appear to be far from the display 412 and more than a few centimeters away from the user's eye. For example, display optics 414 may collimate an image source to create a virtual image that can appear to be far away (e.g., greater than about 0.3 m, such as about 0.5 m, 1 m, or 3 m), and may convert spatial information of the displayed virtual objects into angular information. In some embodiments, display optics 414 may also magnify the source image so that the image appears larger than the actual size of the source image. Further details of the display 412 and display optics 414 are described below.

[0085] In various implementations, the optical system of a near-eye display (e.g., a HMD) can be either non-direct-viewing or direct-viewing. A direct-viewing HMD may not use intermediate optics to relay the displayed image, thus the user's pupil can be used as the HMD's pupil. Such a direct-viewing display can be a variation of an amplifier (sometimes called a "simple eyepiece") that magnifies the displayed image to form a virtual image at a greater distance from the eye. Direct-viewing displays can use fewer optical elements. Non-direct-viewing HMDs can use optics similar to those of a compound microscope or telescope, and may include some form of projection optics that magnifies the image and relays it to the exit pupil.

[0086] Figure 5 An example of an optical system 500 with a direct-view configuration for a near-eye display device according to certain embodiments is shown. The optical system 500 may be an example of a near-eye display 400 and may include display optics 510 and an image source 520 (e.g., a display panel). The display optics 510 may function as an amplifier. Figure 5 The image source 520 is shown located in front of the display optics 510. In some other embodiments, the image source 520 may be located outside the user's field of view 590. For example, one or more deflectors or directional couplers may be used to deflect the light from the image source so that the image source appears to be located in front of the user's eye 590. Figure 5The image source 520 is located at the position shown. Image source 520 can be an example of the aforementioned display 412. For example, image source 520 can include a two-dimensional array of light emitters, such as semiconductor micro-LEDs or micro-OLEDs. The size and spacing of the light emitters in image source 520 can be small. For example, each light emitter can have a diameter of less than 2 µm (e.g., about 1.2 µm), and the spacing can be less than 2 µm (e.g., about 1.5 µm). Thus, the number of light emitters in image source 520 can be equal to or greater than the number of pixels in the displayed image (e.g., 960×720 pixels, 1280×720 pixels, 1440×1080 pixels, 1920×1080 pixels, 2160×1860 pixels, 2560×1080 pixels, or even more pixels). Therefore, the displayed image can be generated simultaneously by image source 520.

[0087] Light from an area of ​​image source 520 (e.g., a pixel or light emitter) can be guided to the user's eye 590 by display optics 510. The light guided by display optics 510 can form a virtual image on image plane 530. The position of image plane 530 can be determined based on the position of image source 520 and the focal length of display optics 510. The user's eye 590 can use the light guided by display optics 510 to form a real image on the retina of the user's eye 590. In this way, multiple objects at different spatial locations on image source 520 may appear as objects on the image plane far from the user's eye 590 at different viewing angles. The size of image source 520 can be larger or smaller than the size of display optics 510 (e.g., aperture). Some light emitted from image source 520 with large emission angles (as shown by rays 522 and 524) may not be collected by display optics 510 and guided to the user's eye 590, and may become stray light.

[0088] The aforementioned display panel or image source (e.g., display 412 or image source 520) may be implemented using, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a miniature organic light-emitting diode display, an inorganic light-emitting diode (ILED) display, a miniature light-emitting diode (MLED) display, an active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a transparent organic light-emitting diode (TOLED) display, or some other display. In near-eye display systems, it is generally desirable for the image source or display panel to have a high resolution and a large size, so that the near-eye display system can have a large field of view (FOV) and good image quality, to improve, for example, the immersive experience of using the near-eye display system. The FOV of a display system is the angular range in which an image can be projected in the near or far field. The FOV of a display system is typically measured in degrees, and the resolution on the FOV is typically measured in pixels per degree (PPD). The FOV of a display system can be linearly proportional to the size of the image source (e.g., the display panel) and inversely proportional to the focal length of the display optics (e.g., a collimating lens or lens assembly). To achieve a good modulation transfer function (MTF) and reduce size, weight, and cost, a balance may need to be struck between the size of the image source and the optical power of the display optics. The field of view can be increased by bringing the image source closer, but this requires a higher pixel density (PPD), and aberrations in the peripheral display optics can limit the effective field of view. Achieving a high PPD may require microdisplays with ultra-high pixels per inch (PPI). Manufacturing high-PPI display panels (such as high-resolution LCD panels) can present numerous technical challenges and cost issues.

[0089] Many consumer virtual reality (VR) near-eye display systems use LCD panels to generate displayed images. LCD panels used for VR applications typically operate in transmissive mode, where light can be modulated while being transmitted through the LCD panel. For example, a transmissive LCD panel may include a backlight unit (BLU) and a liquid crystal (LC) panel that modulates and filters light from the BLU at individual pixels. The LC panel may include liquid crystal cells sandwiched between a bottom (or rear) substrate and a top (or front) substrate. In some embodiments, the bottom substrate may include thin-film transistor (TFT) circuitry formed on a glass substrate for controlling the liquid crystal cells, while the top substrate may include a common electrode and a color filter array formed thereon. In some embodiments, the bottom substrate may include TFT circuitry and a color filter array (referred to as a color filter on array (COA)) formed on a glass substrate, while the top substrate may include a common electrode and a black matrix formed thereon. In some embodiments, for example, in an edge field switching (FFS) mode liquid crystal display, both pixel electrodes and a common electrode may be formed on the bottom substrate, while the top substrate may include a black matrix and an outer coating formed thereon.

[0090] Figure 6 An example of an LCD panel 600 is shown. As illustrated, the LCD panel 600 may include a backlight unit (BLU) 610, a first polarizer 620, an LCD unit, and a second polarizer 660. The backlight unit is configured to emit illumination light, the first polarizer is configured to control the type of light that can pass through (e.g., based on the polarization state of the light), the LCD unit can modulate the incident light (e.g., the phase or polarization state of the incident light), and the second polarizer is used to control the type of light that can pass through (e.g., based on the polarization state of the light). In some embodiments, the BLU 610 may include a light source configured to emit white light (e.g., a cold cathode fluorescent lamp). In some embodiments, the BLU 610 may include an LED emitting blue light, a light guide plate, and a quantum dot film including quantum dots for converting some of the blue light into red and green light.

[0091] In the example shown, the LCD unit may include a first substrate 630 (e.g., a glass substrate or another transparent dielectric substrate) including a thin-film transistor (TFT) array 632 formed thereon. The TFT array 632 may include an array of multiple transistors, each transistor used to control the intensity of each pixel (e.g., by controlling the rotation angle of the polarization direction of incident light by controlling the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer). The LCD unit may also include a second substrate 640 having a common electrode 644 and a color filter (CF) / black-matrix (BM) array 642 formed on the common electrode. One or more liquid crystal layers 650 may be sandwiched between the first substrate 630 and the second substrate 640.

[0092] In some other embodiments, the first substrate 630 may include both a TFT array 632 and a color filter formed on the TFT array 632 to form a color filter on array (COA) structure, while the top substrate may include a common electrode and a black matrix formed on another glass substrate. This COA structure can simplify the process, improve the aperture ratio, and reduce production costs. In some embodiments, the LCD cell may be an edge field switching (FFS) mode LCD cell, wherein both the pixel electrode and the common electrode may be formed on the bottom substrate, and the top substrate may include a black matrix and an outer coating formed thereon.

[0093] Light emitted by BLU 610 (e.g., white or blue light) can be polarized by a first polarizer 620 (e.g., a linear polarizer having a polarization axis in a first direction). The polarized light can pass through an array of holes between multiple TFTs in TFT array 632. The polarized light can be modulated by one or more liquid crystal layers 650 to change its polarization state (e.g., polarization direction) according to a voltage signal applied to each region of the one or more liquid crystal layers 650. CF / BM array 642 may include a red, green, and blue color filter for each color sub-pixel, where each filter can allow light of one color to pass through. Light passing through each color filter can become a sub-pixel of a color image pixel that may include three sub-pixels and can be filtered by a second polarizer 660, thereby converting the change in polarization state into a change in light intensity or brightness. For example, the second polarizer 660 may include a linear polarizer having a polarization axis in a second direction that may be the same as or different from the first direction.

[0094] Figure 7An example of a stack of LCD panel 700 is shown. LCD panel 700 can be an example of LCD panel 600. In the example shown, LCD panel 700 may include a BLU 710, a first polarizer 720, a first substrate 730, a common electrode layer 735, a second substrate 740, and a second polarizer 750. The first substrate 730 includes a TFT array and / or a black mask 732 and an array of holes 734 formed on the TFT array and / or black mask. The second substrate 740 has a CF / BM array including a black matrix layer 742 and optionally an array of color filters 744 located in the black matrix layer 742. BLU 710 may be similar to BLU 610 described above. The TFT array and / or black mask 732 may include TFT circuitry (e.g., TFTs, gates, sources, etc.) for controlling liquid crystal molecules filling between the first substrate 730 and the second substrate 740. The common electrode layer 735 may include a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), such as indium tin oxide (ITO). Color filter 744 may include a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter for each color sub-pixel. The center of color filter 744 may be aligned with the corresponding center of aperture 734 on the first substrate 730, allowing light from BLU 710 and the first polarizer 720 to pass through aperture 734 and color filter 744. Second polarizer 750 may include a linear polarizer having a polarization axis in a direction different from or the same as the polarization axis of the first polarizer 720. For example, the direction of the polarization axis of the first polarizer 720 may be orthogonal to the direction of the polarization axis of the second polarizer 750. The first polarizer 720 and the second polarizer 750 may be used in combination to convert changes in polarization state (e.g., polarization direction) into changes in light intensity through the liquid crystal layer, thereby displaying an image to the user's eye.

[0095] As mentioned above Figure 6 As described, in some embodiments, the color filter 744 may be formed on the first substrate 730 (e.g., between the TFT array and / or black mask 732) to form a COA structure, rather than forming the color filter 744 on a separate substrate. In some embodiments, the LCD cell may be an FFS-mode LCD cell, in which both the pixel electrode and the common electrode may be formed on the first substrate 730 including the TFT array and / or black mask 732. In other embodiments, the TFT array, color filter, black matrix, and electrodes may be otherwise arranged on two substrates sandwiching the liquid crystal material.

[0096] although Figure 7Not shown, but a spacer (e.g., a plastic spacer) may be used between the TFT array and / or black mask 732 and the common electrode layer 735 to separate the TFT array and / or black mask 732 from the common electrode layer 735, thereby allowing liquid crystal material to be filled between the TFT array and / or black mask 732 (or protective layer or planarization layer 736) and the common electrode layer 735 to modulate incident light. For example, the TFT array and / or black mask 732 may include a column spacer formed thereon (e.g., on top of the source electrode), and the CF / BM array (or black matrix layer 742 or common electrode layer 735) may include a photo spacer formed thereon. When the first substrate 730 and the second substrate 740 are assembled to form an LCD cell, the photo spacer may be located on the corresponding column spacer to achieve the desired spacing between the TFT array and / or black mask 732 and the CF / BM array (or black matrix layer 742 or common electrode layer 735).

[0097] As mentioned above, LCD panels offer numerous advantages over other display technologies, such as lower cost, longer lifespan, higher energy efficiency, and larger size. For example, the pixel driving circuitry for LCD panels can be simple (e.g., including one transistor and one capacitor in each 1T1C pixel driving circuit), allowing implementation using TFT circuitry formed on a glass substrate even with a high PPI. This enables large LCD panels to be formed on large glass substrates with TFT driving circuitry, resulting in significantly lower costs compared to large display panels implemented using other technologies. However, due to the large ineffective areas for TFT circuitry, even with state-of-the-art technology, the resolution of transmissive LCD panels can be limited to approximately 2000 pixels per inch. Furthermore, high-resolution LC panels (e.g., PPI greater than approximately 600 or higher, such as 1400 or higher) may have low panel transmittance and therefore low power efficiency, at least due to a reduced aperture ratio per pixel (e.g., the effective pixel area over the entire pixel area). For example, some existing display panels may transmit only about 1.5% of the total illumination light.

[0098] Figure 8A An example of a pixel in a transmissive LCD 800 is shown. As mentioned above regarding, for example... Figure 6 and Figure 7As described, a transmissive LCD 800 may include a first substrate 810 (e.g., a glass substrate), a second substrate 850 (e.g., another glass substrate), and a liquid crystal material layer 840 located between the first substrate 810 and the second substrate 850. Electrodes may be formed on the first substrate 810 and the second substrate 850. Pixel circuitry (e.g., TFT circuitry), buses, and black masks / black matrices may be formed on the first substrate 810 and may occupy an opaque area 820 in each pixel area through which light may not be able to pass. Illumination light (from the backlight unit) may only pass through an effective pixel area 830, which may be much smaller than the total pixel area. Therefore, only a portion of the incident backlight can pass through in each pixel area. Because most of the incident backlight may be blocked by the opaque area 820, the energy efficiency of the transmissive LCD 800 may be low. To enable each pixel to have a sufficiently large effective pixel area to achieve the desired brightness, contrast, and other image qualities, the pixel area may need to be large. Therefore, it may be difficult to achieve high pixel density or resolution in a transmissive LCD 800.

[0099] OLED display panels may not have the large unused areas of transmissive LCD panels, thus enabling high resolution. However, the driving circuitry used in OLED display panels can be more complex (e.g., using 5-7 transistors per pixel). OLED display panels formed on glass substrates (including the TFT driving circuitry formed thereon) may only achieve a resolution of around 1000 PPI due to the complex pixel driving circuitry. Therefore, to achieve large, high-resolution OLED display panels, large silicon dies with driving circuitry formed on them can be used. However, due to the high cost of large silicon dies, manufacturing large-size OLED display panels on large silicon dies with driving circuitry formed on them can be expensive.

[0100] According to certain embodiments disclosed herein, an emissive LCD panel formed on a glass substrate can be used in VR / AR display systems to improve the resolution, field of view, power efficiency, brightness, and other characteristics of the VR / AR display system, while reducing its cost, weight, and thickness. In examples of emissive LCD panels disclosed herein, a light emitter (e.g., a white or colored OLED) can be located between the LC cell and the LCD pixel driving circuitry formed on the glass substrate. The light emitter, such as an OLED, is used to illuminate the LC cell and can therefore be driven globally or in groups, thus eliminating the need for complex driving circuitry for individual OLEDs. The driving circuitry (including the LCD pixel driving circuitry and global or group driving circuitry for the light emitter) can be implemented using TFT circuitry on the glass substrate below the light emitter and the LC cell, thus not blocking the illumination light emitted by the light emitter for illuminating the LC cell. When using a colored light emitter, a color filter and a black matrix may not be required in the emissive LCD panel. The bottom polarizer of the LC cell can be formed above the light emitter, for example, by coating a thin layer (e.g., less than about 1 μm) with a polymer polarizer.

[0101] Figure 8B An example of an emissive LCD panel 802 according to certain embodiments is shown. The emissive LCD panel 802 may include a first substrate 812, an LCD pixel driving circuit 822 formed on the first substrate 812, one or more light emitters 832 (e.g., OLED) above the LCD pixel driving circuit 822, an LC cell 842, and a second substrate 852. A top polarizer (also called an analyzer) may be included in or located on the second substrate 852. In the emissive LCD panel 802, the light emitter 832 (e.g., OLED) may be globally or partially turned on to globally or partially illuminate the LC cell 842. The emitted light may be polarized by the polarizer. The polarized light may be filtered before or after entering the LC cell 842 (if the light emitted by the light emitter 832 is white light). The LC cell 842 may be controlled by the LCD pixel driving circuit 822 to modulate the light transmitted through the LC cell 842, as described above regarding, for example... Figures 6 to 8A The light transmitted through and modulated by the LC unit 842 can be filtered by another polarizer to display an image with the desired pixel color and intensity.

[0102] The first substrate 812 may include, for example, a dielectric material with low leakage, such as a glass substrate. The LCD pixel driving circuit 822 may include, for example, a TFT circuit formed on the glass substrate. For example, as described above, each LCD pixel driving circuit may be an ITTIC driving circuit including a transistor and a capacitor. The circuitry on the first substrate 812 may also include driving circuitry (e.g., TFT circuitry) for globally or locally driving one or more light emitters 832. However, the light emitters 832 may not require separate addressing or control. Therefore, the driving circuitry for driving the light emitters 832 may be simple and may utilize only a small area on the first substrate 812.

[0103] One or more light emitters 832 may include white light emitters or colored light emitters. In one example, each light emitter 832 may include an OLED, which may include, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and an electrode layer. In some embodiments, the light emitter 832 may include, for example, a thermally evaporated OLED or a solution-processed OLED. For example, the multilayer structure of an OLED can be formed by processes such as spin coating, ultrasonic spraying, blade coating, inkjet printing, etc.

[0104] In some embodiments, one or more light emitters 832 may share a common anode and a common cathode and may be turned on or off together. In some embodiments, light emitters configured to emit light of the same color (e.g., red, green, or blue) may be grouped together to share a common anode and a common cathode and thus may be turned on or off together. In some embodiments, one or more light emitters may be divided into multiple groups in multiple areas of a display panel, and the light emitters in each respective group (and area) may share a common anode and a common cathode and thus may be controlled together by the same circuitry. In some embodiments, one or more light emitters may be divided based on their area and the color of the emitted light, wherein light emitters in each respective area and configured to emit light of the same color may be grouped to share a common anode and a common cathode and thus may be controlled together using the same control circuitry.

[0105] LC cell 842 can be formed on light emitter 832, for example, a passivation layer, planarization layer or encapsulation layer formed on light emitter 832. Figure 8B (Not shown in the image). As described above, the LC cell 842 may include a liquid crystal material layer between two substrates (or material layers) (including the second substrate 852). Electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal material layer may be formed on both substrates. The electrodes may include a common electrode and pixel electrodes. For example, the common electrode may be formed on the second substrate 852, and the pixel electrodes may be formed on opposite sides of the liquid crystal material layer. Even if Figure 8B As not shown in the diagram, LC cell 842 may also include an alignment layer, a color filter, a polarizer (e.g., a bottom polarizer), etc., as described above regarding... Figures 6 to 8A As described.

[0106] Because it does not use the backlight unit below the LCD pixel driving circuit used in existing transmissive LCD panels, and the OLED for illuminating the LC unit is located between the LCD pixel driving circuit (e.g., TFT circuit) and the LC unit, the emissive LCD panel described herein does not have large ineffective areas that could block light. Therefore, it does not suffer from high losses due to TFT circuits blocking light in ineffective areas, as is the case with existing transmissive LCD panels. Thus, compared to transmissive LCD panels, the resolution and power efficiency of emissive LCD panels can be improved. Since no backlight unit is used, the weight and thickness of emissive LCD panels can be reduced. Furthermore, since the driving circuitry (including the LCD pixel driving circuitry and the global or group driving circuitry for the OLED) can be implemented using TFT circuitry on the glass substrate, emissive LCD panels can be large (and therefore have a large FOV) and have a lower cost.

[0107] Figure 9 An example of an emissive LCD panel 900 according to certain embodiments is shown. The emissive LCD panel 900 can be an example of the emissive LCD panel 802 described above. In the example shown, the emissive LCD panel 900 may include one or more white-emitting OLEDs 932 and color filters 960, 962, and 964 for providing colored illumination light to LC cells. The one or more white-emitting OLEDs 932 may be driven and controlled in groups or globally, rather than individually. For example, in some embodiments, OLEDs 932 in each corresponding region of a plurality of regions of the emissive LCD panel 900 may be grouped together and share the same electrodes and control circuitry, such that local dimming can be implemented in each corresponding region of the plurality of regions of the emissive LCD panel 900 to reduce power consumption. In some embodiments, OLEDs 932 for illuminating color filters of the same color may be combined together and share the same electrodes and control circuitry.

[0108] exist Figure 9In the example shown, the emitting LCD panel 900 may include a first substrate 910 (e.g., comprising a dielectric material such as glass) and an LCD pixel driving circuit 920 (e.g., a TFT circuit) formed on the first substrate 910. A dielectric layer 922 may be deposited on the LCD pixel driving circuit 920 to encapsulate and electrically isolate the LCD pixel driving circuit 920. The dielectric layer 922 may include, for example, SiO2, SiN, Al2O3, etc., and may be thinned and planarized, for example, using chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), to form a thin layer with a flat top surface. In some embodiments, the OLED driving circuit may also be implemented using a TFT circuit fabricated on the first substrate 910. In some other embodiments, the OLED may be controlled using a driving circuit outside the effective region and a common cathode and a common anode within the effective region.

[0109] One or more white light-emitting OLEDs 932 and their electrodes can then be formed on the dielectric layer 922. For example, a first OLED electrode layer 930 (e.g., an anode layer) can be formed on the dielectric layer 922, and an OLED 932 having the multilayer structure described above can be formed on the first OLED electrode layer 930 (e.g., using thermal evaporation or solution processing techniques), and a second OLED electrode layer 934 (e.g., a cathode layer) can be deposited on the OLED 932. The first OLED electrode layer 930 may include conductive and reflective materials, such as metals or metal alloys (e.g., copper, aluminum, silver, etc.), and can be used to reflect light emitted by the OLED back to the LC cells. In some embodiments, the first OLED electrode layer 930 may be patterned to form multiple sets of OLEDs 932 in multiple regions (e.g., a two-dimensional array of regions). The second OLED electrode layer 934 may include a transparent conductive material, such as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO, e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO)). The first OLED electrode layer 930 and the second OLED electrode layer 934 can be connected to an OLED driving circuit formed on the first substrate 910, or can be connected to a control circuit (e.g., a switchable power supply) outside the effective area to turn on the OLED. As described above, each OLED 932 may include, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer, wherein the multilayer structure can be formed by processes such as spin coating, ultrasonic spraying, blade coating, inkjet printing, etc.

[0110] A dielectric layer 938 (e.g., including SiO2, SiNa, Al2O3, etc.) may be deposited on the second OLED electrode layer 934 to encapsulate and electrically isolate the OLED and its electrodes. The dielectric layer 938 may serve as a substrate for the LC cell. The dielectric layer 938 may be thinned and planarized (e.g., using CMP technology) to form a thin-film encapsulation (TFE) layer with a flat top surface. A first LCD pixel electrode layer 940 may then be deposited on the dielectric layer 938 and may be patterned to form individual electrodes for each LCD sub-pixel, wherein the individual electrodes may be connected to the LCD pixel driving circuitry 920 via, for example, vias 936 or other electrical connectors passing through the dielectric layer 938 and the OLED layer. Like the second OLED electrode layer 934, the first LCD pixel electrode layer 940 may also include a TCO such as ITO to allow light emitted by the OLED 932 to pass through. A polarizing layer 950 may be coated on the first LCD pixel electrode layer 940 to form a polarizer (e.g., a bottom polarizer) for the LC cell. As described above, the polarizer may include a thin layer of polymer polarizer (e.g., less than about 1 μm). In some embodiments, a polarization layer 950 may be formed on the dielectric layer 938 prior to the deposition of the first LCD pixel electrode layer 940.

[0111] Color filters 960, 962, and 964 can be formed on polarization layer 950 and can include red, green, and blue color filters for color subpixels of each pixel. In some embodiments, color filters 960, 962, and 964 can be located in the black matrix. In some embodiments, color filters 960, 962, and 964 can be located on top of the LC cell. Even Figure 9 As not shown, in some embodiments, a passivation layer and / or alignment layer may be formed on color filters 960, 962, and 964 to isolate LC material and / or align LC molecules in the LC material. A liquid crystal material layer 970 may be located between the color filters (and the passivation layer and / or alignment layer) and the second substrate 980. The second substrate 980 may include a common LCD electrode layer formed thereon. In some embodiments, the second substrate 980 may include an alignment layer. In some embodiments, color filters 960, 962, and 964 may be attached to the second substrate 980 (e.g., in a black matrix attached to the second substrate 980). A polarizer 990 (e.g., including a polarizer) may be located on the second substrate 980 to filter light modulated by the liquid crystal material layer 970, thereby providing an image with desired color and intensity at each pixel.

[0112] Figure 10Another example of an emissive LCD panel 1000 according to some embodiments is shown. The emissive LCD panel 1000 can be an example of the emissive LCD panel 802 described above. As shown, the emissive LCD panel 1000 may include color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 for providing colored illumination light to LC cells. The color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 can emit red, green, and blue light. Therefore, a color filter is not required in the emissive LCD panel 1000. The color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 can be driven and controlled in groups or globally, rather than individually. For example, in some embodiments, all color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 can be combined together and controlled by the same control circuit using a common anode and a common cathode. In some embodiments, all color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 emitting the same color light can be grouped together and controlled by the same control circuit using a common anode and a common cathode. In some embodiments, the color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 in each corresponding region of a plurality of regions of the emissive LCD panel 1000 can be grouped together and controlled by the same electrodes and control circuitry, enabling local dimming in each corresponding region of the plurality of regions of the emissive LCD panel 1000 to reduce power consumption. In some embodiments, the color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 can be divided based on their position and the color of the light they emit, wherein the color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 configured to emit the same color of light in each corresponding region can be grouped to share a common anode and a common cathode, and thus can be controlled together by the same control circuitry, enabling local dimming.

[0113] exist Figure 10 In the example shown, the emitting LCD panel 1000 may include a first substrate 1010 (e.g., comprising a dielectric material such as glass) and an LCD pixel driving circuit 1020 (e.g., a TFT circuit) formed on the first substrate 1010. A dielectric layer 1022 may be formed on the LCD pixel driving circuit 1020 to encapsulate and electrically isolate the LCD pixel driving circuit 1020. The dielectric layer 1022 may include, for example, SiO2, SiN, Al2O3, etc., and may be thinned and planarized, for example, using CMP technology, to form a thin encapsulation layer with a flat top surface. The OLED driving circuit may also be implemented using the TFT circuit formed on the first substrate 1010.

[0114] The color OLEDs and their electrodes can then be formed on the dielectric layer 1022. For example, a first OLED electrode layer 1024 (e.g., an anode layer) can be formed on the dielectric layer 1022, and color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 with a multilayer structure as described above can be formed on the first OLED electrode layer 1024. A second OLED electrode layer 1036 (e.g., a cathode layer) can be deposited on the color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034. The color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 can be configured to emit, for example, blue light, green light, and red light, respectively. The first OLED electrode layer 1024 can include conductive and reflective materials, such as metals or metal alloys (e.g., Cu, Al, Ag, etc.), and can be used to reflect the light emitted by the OLED back to the LC cell. In some embodiments, the first OLED electrode layer 1024 can be patterned to form multiple sets of color OLEDs, wherein each set of color OLEDs can include color OLEDs in corresponding regions of multiple regions (e.g., a two-dimensional array of regions) and / or color OLEDs emitting the same color light. The second OLED electrode layer 1036 may include a transparent conductive material, such as TCO (e.g., ITO). The first OLED electrode layer 1024 and the second OLED electrode layer 1036 may be connected to an OLED driving circuit formed on the first substrate 1010 or outside the effective area.

[0115] Color OLEDs 1030, 1032, and 1034 may include, for example, thermally evaporated OLEDs or solution-processed OLEDs. Each color OLED may include, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer, wherein the multilayer structure can be formed by processes such as spin coating, ultrasonic spraying, blade coating, inkjet printing, etc. In one embodiment, a color OLED emitting a first color (e.g., red) light can be formed by forming a multilayer structure configured to emit the first color light and etching the multilayer structure to form individual color OLEDs for color subpixels. The color OLED emitting the first color light can then be encapsulated, and a color OLED emitting a second color (e.g., green) light can be formed by forming a multilayer structure configured to emit the second color light in an unencapsulated area and etching the multilayer structure to form individual color OLEDs for color subpixels. The color OLED emitting the second color light can also be encapsulated after etching, and a color OLED emitting a third color (e.g., blue) light can be formed by forming a multilayer structure configured to emit the third color light in an unencapsulated area.

[0116] A dielectric layer 1038 (e.g., including SiO2, SiN, Al2O3, etc.) can be deposited on the second OLED electrode layer 1036 to encapsulate and electrically isolate the OLED and its electrodes. The dielectric layer 1038 can serve as a substrate for an LC cell. The dielectric layer 1038 can be thinned and planarized (e.g., using CMP technology) to form a thin encapsulation layer with a flat top surface. A first LCD pixel electrode layer 1040 can then be deposited on the dielectric layer 1038 and can be patterned to form individual electrodes for each LCD sub-pixel, wherein each electrode can be connected to the LCD pixel driving circuitry 1020 via, for example, via 1042. Like the second OLED electrode layer 1036, the first LCD pixel electrode layer 1040 can also include a TCO such as ITO.

[0117] A polarizing layer 1050 can be coated on the first LCD pixel electrode layer 1040 to form a polarizer (e.g., a bottom polarizer) for the LC cell. As described above, the polarizer may comprise a thin layer of polymer polarizer (e.g., less than about 1 μm). In some embodiments, the polarizing layer 1050 may be formed on the dielectric layer 1038 prior to the deposition of the first LCD pixel electrode layer 1040. It is generally desirable that the polarizing layer 1050 and the dielectric layer 1038 be thin so that light emitted from one color OLED 1030, 1032, or 1034 does not leak into the liquid crystal material layer 1060 on top of the adjacent color OLED, causing crosstalk between adjacent color sub-pixels and / or adjacent pixels. For example, it may be desirable that the total thickness of the polarizing layer 1050 and the dielectric layer 1038 is no greater than the spacing between the color OLEDs. Because the polarizing layer 1050 can be made very thin (e.g., less than about 1 μm), the spacing between the color OLEDs can be very small to achieve high resolution.

[0118] although Figure 10 Not shown, but a passivation layer and / or alignment layer may be formed on the polarization layer 1050 to isolate the liquid crystal material and / or liquid crystal molecules in the aligned liquid crystal material. A liquid crystal material layer 1060 may be formed on the polarization layer 1050 (or the passivation and / or alignment layer). A second substrate 1070 may be formed on the liquid crystal material layer 1060 to sandwich the liquid crystal material layer 1060 with the structure beneath it. The second substrate 1070 may include a common LCD electrode layer formed thereon. In some embodiments, the second substrate 1070 may include an alignment layer. An analyzer 1080 (e.g., including a polarizer) may be located on the second substrate 1070 to filter light modulated by the liquid crystal material layer 1060, thereby providing an image with desired color and intensity at each pixel.

[0119] As described above Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, since no backlight unit is used and the polarizer within the unit can be made thin, the weight and thickness of the emissive LCD panel can be reduced. Furthermore, since the driving circuitry (including the LCD pixel driving circuitry and the global or group driving circuitry for the OLED) can be implemented using TFT circuitry on the glass substrate, the emissive LCD panel can be large (and therefore has a large FOV) and has a lower cost. Moreover, since the backlight unit below the LCD pixel driving circuitry used in conventional transmissive LCD panels is not used in the emissive LCD panel disclosed herein, and the light emitter (e.g., OLED) for illuminating the LC unit is located between the LCD pixel driving circuitry (e.g., TFT circuitry) and the LC unit, the emissive LCD panel disclosed herein does not have large ineffective areas that could block illumination light, and therefore does not suffer from the high losses caused by TFT circuitry blocking light in ineffective areas as in conventional transmissive LCD panels. Therefore, the resolution and power efficiency of the emissive LCD panel can be improved compared to conventional transmissive LCD panels. When using a color OLED, the power efficiency and brightness of the emissive LCD panel can be even higher because no color filter is used to filter the illumination light.

[0120] Figure 11 The flowchart 1100 includes the following: This flowchart illustrates an example of a process for manufacturing an emissive LCD panel according to certain embodiments. Note that... Figure 11 The operations illustrated provide a specific process for manufacturing the emitting LCD panel described herein. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of operations may also be performed. For example, in alternative embodiments, the operations may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, Figure 11 The various operations shown may include multiple sub-operations, which may be executed in various orders suitable for each operation. Furthermore, depending on the specific implementation, some operations may be added or removed. In some implementations, two or more operations may be executed in parallel. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0121] The operation in block 1110 of flowchart 1100 may include fabricating a TFT driving circuit on a first substrate (e.g., a glass substrate). The TFT driving circuit may include LCD pixel driving circuitry, and may also include driving circuitry for controlling all or a group of OLEDs in an emissive LCD panel. The TFT driving circuitry may be fabricated on the glass substrate by a process including, for example, depositing (e.g., by sputtering) and patterning (e.g., by photolithography) a gate (e.g., including a metal) on the glass substrate; depositing an insulator (e.g., including SiN). xAnd / or SiO2); deposit active layers (e.g., including low-temperature polycrystalline (LTPS), hydrogenated amorphous silicon, amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO), etc.); and deposit source and drain metals. TFT driving circuits can use dielectric layers (e.g., including SiN... x The dielectric layer can be thinned and planarized using processes such as CMP (SiO2 or Al2O3) for encapsulation.

[0122] The operation in block 1120 may include forming an OLED over the TFT driving circuit. Including, as... Figure 9 In the illustrated white OLED embodiment, a first OLED electrode layer can be deposited and optionally patterned, a multilayer OLED structure can be formed on the first OLED electrode layer, and a second OLED electrode layer can be deposited on the multilayer OLED structure. The first OLED electrode layer may include a reflective conductive material (e.g., a metal or metal alloy such as Cu, Al, Ag, etc.). The multilayer OLED structure may include, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. In some embodiments, the multilayer OLED structure can be formed by processes such as spin coating, ultrasonic spraying, blade coating, inkjet printing, etc. The second OLED electrode layer may include a total organic carbon (TCO) such as ITO.

[0123] Including, such as Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment of the color OLED, a color OLED emitting a first color (e.g., red) light can be formed by forming the multilayer structure described above and etching the multilayer structure to form a separate color OLED. The color OLED emitting the first color light can then be encapsulated, and a color OLED emitting a second color (e.g., green) light can be formed by forming a multilayer structure in the unencapsulated area as described above and etching the multilayer structure to form a separate color OLED. The color OLED emitting the second color light can also be encapsulated after etching, and a color OLED emitting a third color (e.g., blue) light can be formed by forming a multilayer structure in the unencapsulated area.

[0124] The operation in block 1130 may include forming transparent LCD sub-pixel electrodes over the OLED. In some embodiments, prior to forming the transparent LCD pixel electrodes, a dielectric encapsulation layer may be deposited on the OLED and may be thinned and planarized, for example, using CMP, to have a flat top surface. In some embodiments, vias or other electrical connectors may be formed in the underlying layer for connection to the TFT driving circuitry, and then the transparent LCD pixel electrode layer (e.g., including a TCO such as ITO) may be deposited and patterned to form LCD sub-pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuitry.

[0125] The operation in block 1140 may include coating an intra-cell polarizing layer after or before forming the transparent LCD sub-pixel electrode. As described above, the intra-cell polarizing layer can be formed using a polymer polarizer material that can be deposited through a coating process. The coated intra-cell polarizing layer may have a thickness of less than, for example, about 1 μm to avoid crosstalk between adjacent color sub-pixels when the spacing of the color OLED is small.

[0126] The operations in box 1150 may include completing the remainder of the LCD panel process to form, for example, an alignment layer, a selectable color filter, an LC material layer, a second LCD electrode layer, a cover substrate, and a polarizer (e.g., a polarizer), as described above regarding... Figure 6 and Figure 7 As described.

[0127] The embodiments disclosed herein can be used as components of an artificial reality system, or can be implemented in conjunction with an artificial reality system. An artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some way before being presented to a user. This artificial reality can include, for example, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, or some combination and / or derivative thereof. Artificial reality content can include fully generated content or generated content combined with acquired (e.g., real-world) content. Artificial reality content can include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, and any one of these can be presented in a single channel or multiple channels (e.g., stereoscopic video that produces a three-dimensional effect for the viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, the artificial reality can also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof for purposes such as creating content in the artificial reality and / or otherwise using it in the artificial reality (e.g., performing activities in the artificial reality). Artificial reality systems that deliver artificial reality content can be implemented on a variety of platforms, including HMDs connected to a host computer system, standalone HMDs, mobile devices or computing systems, or any other hardware platform capable of delivering artificial reality content to one or more viewers.

[0128] Figure 12This is a simplified block diagram of an example electronic system 1200 for implementing some of the examples of the various examples disclosed herein, such as an HMD device. Electronic system 1200 can be used as the electronic system for the HMD device or other near-eye displays described above. In this example, electronic system 1200 may include memory 1220 and one or more processors 1210. The one or more processors 1210 may be configured to execute instructions for performing operations at multiple components and may be, for example, a general-purpose processor or microprocessor suitable for implementation within a portable electronic device. The one or more processors 1210 may be communicatively coupled to multiple components within electronic system 1200. To achieve this communicative coupling, the one or more processors 1210 may communicate with other components shown via bus 1240. Bus 1240 may be any subsystem suitable for transmitting data within electronic system 1200. Bus 1240 may include multiple computer buses and additional circuitry for transmitting data.

[0129] Memory 1220 may be coupled to one or more processors 1210. In some embodiments, memory 1220 may provide both short-term and long-term storage and may be divided into several units. Memory 1220 may be volatile, such as static random-access memory (SRAM) and / or dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and / or the memory may be non-volatile, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc. Furthermore, memory 1220 may include a removable memory device, such as a secure digital card (SD card). Memory 1220 may provide storage for computer-readable instructions, data structures, program code, and other data for electronic system 1200. In some embodiments, memory 1220 may be distributed across different hardware subsystems. A set of instructions and / or code may be stored on memory 1220. The instructions may take the form of executable code that can be executed by the electronic system 1200, and / or may take the form of source code and / or installable code, which may take the form of executable code when compiled and / or installed on the electronic system 1200 (e.g., using any of a variety of commonly used compilers, installers, compression / decompression utilities, etc.).

[0130] In some embodiments, memory 1220 may store multiple applications 1222 to 1224, which may include any number of applications. Examples of applications may include game applications, conferencing applications, video playback applications, or other suitable applications. These applications may include depth sensing functionality or eye-tracking functionality. Applications 1222 to 1224 may include specific instructions to be executed by one or more processors 1210. In some embodiments, some or a portion of applications 1222 to 1224 may be executed by other hardware subsystems 1280. In some embodiments, memory 1220 may additionally include secure memory, which may include additional security controls to prevent copying of secure information or other unauthorized access to secure information.

[0131] In some embodiments, memory 1220 may include an operating system 1225 loaded thereon. Operating system 1225 may be operable to initiate the execution of instructions provided by applications 1222 to 1224 and / or manage other hardware subsystems 1280 and interaction with a wireless communication subsystem 1230, which may include one or more wireless transceivers. Operating system 1225 may be adapted to perform other operations on components of electronic system 1200, including threading, resource management, data storage control, and other similar functions.

[0132] The wireless communication subsystem 1230 may include, for example, infrared communication devices, wireless communication devices and / or chipsets (such as Bluetooth® devices, IEEE 802.11 devices, Wi-Fi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication facilities, etc.) and / or similar communication interfaces. The electronic system 1200 may include one or more antennas 1234 for wireless communication, which may be part of the wireless communication subsystem 1230 or as separate components coupled to any part of the system. Depending on the desired functionality, the wireless communication subsystem 1230 may include separate transceivers for communicating with base transceiver stations and other wireless devices and access points. This may include communication using different data networks and / or network types, such as Wireless Wide-area Network (WWAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), or Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). A WWAN may be, for example, a WiMax (IEEE 802.16) network. A WLAN may be, for example, an IEEE 802.11x network. WPAN can be, for example, a Bluetooth network, IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The technologies described herein can also be used in any combination of WWAN, WLAN, and / or WPAN. The wireless communication subsystem 1230 can allow data to be exchanged with the networks described herein, other computer systems, and / or any other devices. The wireless communication subsystem 1230 may include means for transmitting or receiving data (e.g., identifiers of HMD devices, location data, geographic maps, heat maps, photographs, or videos) using one or more antennas 1234 and one or more wireless links 1232.

[0133] Embodiments of the electronic system 1200 may also include one or more sensors 1290. The one or more sensors 1290 may include, for example, an image sensor, an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a proximity sensor, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an inertial sensor (e.g., a subsystem combining an accelerometer and a gyroscope), an ambient light sensor, or any other similar device or subsystem operable to provide sensory output and / or receive sensory input, such as a depth sensor or a position sensor. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more sensors 1290 may include one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) and / or one or more position sensors. The IMU may generate calibration data representing an estimated position of the HMD device relative to an initial position of the HMD device based on received measurement signals from one or more of the plurality of position sensors. The position sensors may generate one or more measurement signals in response to motion of the HMD device. Examples of position sensors may include, but are not limited to, one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, another suitable type of sensor for detecting motion, a type of sensor for IMU error correction, or some combination thereof. Position sensors can be located outside the IMU, inside the IMU, or some combination thereof. At least some sensors can use structured light patterns for sensing.

[0134] Electronic system 1200 may include display 1260. Display 1260 may be a near-eye display and may graphically present information, such as images, videos, and various instructions, to a user from electronic system 1200. This information may be obtained from one or more applications 1222 to 1224, virtual reality engine 1226, one or more other hardware subsystems 1280, combinations thereof, or any other suitable means for resolving graphical content to a user (e.g., via operating system 1225). Display 1260 may use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light-emitting diode (LED) technology (e.g., including OLED, ILED, μLED, AMOLED, TOLED, etc.), light-emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, or some other display technology.

[0135] Electronic system 1200 may include a user input / output interface 1270. User input / output interface 1270 allows a user to send action requests to electronic system 1200. An action request may be a request to perform a specific action. For example, an action request may be to launch or terminate an application, or to perform a specific action within an application. User input / output interface 1270 may include one or more input devices. Example input devices may include: a touchscreen, a touchpad, one or more microphones, one or more buttons, one or more dials, one or more switches, a keyboard, a mouse, a game controller, or any other suitable device for receiving action requests and transmitting the received action requests to electronic system 1200. In some embodiments, user input / output interface 1270 may provide haptic feedback to the user based on instructions received from electronic system 1200. For example, haptic feedback may be provided when an action request is received or when an action request has been performed.

[0136] Electronic system 1200 may include camera 1250, which can be used to capture photos or videos of a user, for example, to track the user's eye position. Camera 1250 may also be used to capture photos or videos of the environment, for example, for use in VR, AR, or MR applications. Camera 1250 may include, for example, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor with millions or tens of millions of pixels. In some embodiments, camera 1250 may include two or more cameras that can be used to acquire 3D images.

[0137] In some embodiments, electronic system 1200 may include a plurality of other hardware subsystems 1280. Each of the other hardware subsystems 1280 may be a physical subsystem within electronic system 1200. While each of the other hardware subsystems 1280 may be permanently configured as a structure, some of the other hardware subsystems 1280 may be temporarily configured to perform a specific function or be temporarily activated. Examples of other hardware subsystems 1280 may include, for example, audio output and / or input interfaces (e.g., microphones or speakers), near field communication (NFC) devices, rechargeable batteries, battery management systems, wired / wireless battery charging systems, and so on. In some embodiments, one or more functions of the other hardware subsystems 1280 may be implemented in software.

[0138] In some embodiments, the memory 1220 of the electronic system 1200 may also store a virtual reality engine 1226. The virtual reality engine 1226 can execute applications within the electronic system 1200 and receive position information, acceleration information, velocity information, predicted future position, or some combination thereof from various sensors of the HMD device. In some embodiments, the information received by the virtual reality engine 1226 can be used to generate signals (e.g., display instructions) to the display 1260. For example, if the received information indicates that the user has looked to the left, the virtual reality engine 1226 can generate content for the HMD device reflecting the user's movement in the virtual environment. Furthermore, the virtual reality engine 1226 can perform in-application actions in response to received action requests from the user input / output interface 1270 and provide feedback to the user. The provided feedback may be visual, auditory, or tactile feedback. In some embodiments, one or more processors 1210 may include one or more GPUs capable of executing the virtual reality engine 1226.

[0139] In various implementations, the aforementioned hardware and subsystems can be implemented on a single device or on multiple devices that can communicate with each other using wired or wireless connections. For example, in some implementations, some components or subsystems (e.g., GPU, virtual reality engine 1226, and applications (e.g., tracking applications)) can be implemented on a console separate from the head-mounted display device. In some implementations, a console can connect to or support more than one HMD.

[0140] In alternative configurations, the electronic system 1200 may include different components and / or additional components. Similarly, the functionality of one or more of these components may be distributed among them in a manner different from that described above. For example, in some embodiments, the electronic system 1200 may be modified to include other system environments, such as AR system environments and / or MR environments.

[0141] The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are all examples. Various procedures or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added in various embodiments. For example, in alternative configurations, the described methods may be performed in a different order than that described, and / or various stages may be added, omitted, and / or combined. Furthermore, features described with respect to certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements in these embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. Moreover, technology is evolving, and therefore many elements are examples, which do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific examples.

[0142] Specific details are set forth in this specification to provide a thorough understanding of these embodiments. However, these embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, systems, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring these embodiments. This specification provides only a number of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the above description of these embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing various embodiments. Various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0143] Furthermore, some embodiments are described as processes depicted as flowcharts or block diagrams. Although each process can describe multiple operations as a sequential process, many of these operations can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. Moreover, the order of these operations can be rearranged. Processes may have additional steps not included in the figures. Furthermore, embodiments of the method can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented as software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, program code or multiple code segments for performing multiple related tasks can be stored in a computer-readable medium such as a storage medium. A processor can execute the associated tasks.

[0144] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial changes can be made to suit specific requirements. For example, custom or dedicated hardware may be used, and / or multiple specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connectivity to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, may be employed.

[0145] Referring to the accompanying drawings, components that may include memory may include non-transitory machine-readable media. The terms "machine-readable media" and "computer-readable media" can refer to any storage medium involved in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may relate to providing instructions / code to a processing unit and / or one or more other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many embodiments, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include magnetic and / or optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs), punched cards, paper tape, any other physical media with a pattern of multiple holes, RAM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory (FLASH-EPROM), any other memory chip, or cartridge, carrier waves as described below, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code. Computer program products may include code and / or machine-executable instructions that can represent procedures, functions, subroutines, programs, routines, applications (Apps), subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will understand that the information and signals used to transmit the messages described herein can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the foregoing description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0147] As used herein, the terms “and” and “or” can have a variety of meanings, which are expected, at least in part, based on the context in which these terms are used. Generally, “or,” when used to relate a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (used herein in an inclusive sense) and A, B, or C (used herein in an exclusive sense). Furthermore, the term “one or more,” as used herein, can be used to describe any feature, structure, or property in the singular form, or can be used to describe some combination of multiple features, structures, or properties. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Additionally, the term “at least one of…” when used to relate a list, such as A, B, or C, can be interpreted as A, B, C, or any combination of A, B, and / or C (e.g., AB, AC, BC, AA, ABC, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.).

[0148] In this specification, the expression "based on" means "at least partially based on". Therefore, if X is based on Y, then X can be a function of at least a portion of Y and any number of other factors. If action X is "based on" Y, then action X can be at least partially based on at least a portion of Y.

[0149] Furthermore, although certain embodiments have been described using specific combinations of hardware and software, it should be recognized that other combinations of hardware and software are also feasible. Some embodiments may be implemented using only hardware, only software, or a combination of hardware and software. In one example, the software may be implemented using a computer program product containing computer program code or instructions that can be executed by one or more processors to perform any or all of the multiple steps, operations, or processes described herein, wherein the computer program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The various processes described herein may be implemented on the same processor or on different processors in any combination.

[0150] When a device, system, component, or module is described as being configured to perform certain operations or functions, such configuration can be achieved, for example, by designing multiple electronic circuits to perform the operation, by programming programmable electronic circuits (e.g., a microprocessor) to perform the operation (e.g., by executing computer instructions or code), by a processor or kernel programmed to execute code or instructions stored on a non-transitory storage medium, or by any combination thereof. Processes can communicate using various technologies, including but not limited to conventional technologies for inter-process communication, and different pairs of processes can use different technologies, or the same pair of processes can use different technologies at different times.

[0151] Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. However, it will be apparent that additions, deletions, omissions, and other modifications and alterations can be made therein without departing from the scope of the claims. Thus, although specific embodiments have been described, these embodiments are not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and equivalents fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An emissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, comprising: A first substrate, the first substrate including a thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuit formed thereon; A liquid crystal (LC) cell, the LC cell including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuit; as well as One or more light emitters are located between the TFT driving circuit and the LC cell and are configured to illuminate the LC cell.

2. The emission-type LCD panel according to claim 1, wherein, The first substrate includes a glass substrate.

3. The emitting LCD panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The one or more light emitters include one or more organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that emit white light; and the LC unit includes a color filter array; Alternatively, one or more light emitters may include an OLED array configured to emit light of multiple colors.

4. The emitting LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The one or more light emitters share a common anode and a common cathode.

5. The emitting LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The TFT driving circuit includes an LCD pixel driving circuit and a driving circuit for globally driving the one or more light emitters.

6. The emitting LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The one or more light emitters are divided into multiple groups, and the light emitters in each group are located in corresponding areas of multiple regions of the emissive LCD panel and share a common anode and a common cathode.

7. The emitting LCD panel according to claim 6, wherein, The TFT driving circuit includes an LCD pixel driving circuit and a corresponding driving circuit for driving each group of light emitters in the plurality of groups; preferably wherein... The corresponding drive circuitry for driving each group of light emitters in the plurality of groups can be configured to locally dim the group of light emitters in the plurality of groups.

8. The emission LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The LC unit includes: LC material layer; and An intra-unit polarizer located between the LC material layer and the one or more light emitters.

9. The emitting LCD panel according to claim 8, wherein, The intra-unit polarizer includes a polymer polarizer; and / or wherein the intra-unit polarizer is characterized by a thickness of less than 2 μm.

10. The emissive LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, the emissive LCD panel further comprising a planarization encapsulation layer located between the one or more light emitters and the LC unit.

11. The emitting LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The LCD pixel electrodes are electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuit via electrical connectors passing through the one or more light emitters.

12. The emitting LCD panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The emitting LCD panel is characterized by a resolution greater than 1000 pixels per inch; and / or wherein, The emitting LCD panel is characterized by an effective area greater than 1.5 × 1.5 square inches.

13. A near-eye display system, comprising: An emissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, the emissive LCD panel comprising: A first substrate, the first substrate including a thin-film transistor (TFT) driving circuit formed thereon; A liquid crystal (LC) cell, the LC cell including LCD pixel electrodes electrically coupled to the TFT driving circuit; and One or more light emitters, the one or more light emitters being located between the TFT driving circuit and the LC cell and configured to illuminate the LC cell; and Display optics configured to project an image displayed by the emitting LCD panel onto the eye of the user of the near-eye display system.

14. The near-eye display system according to claim 13, wherein: The first substrate includes a glass substrate; The one or more light emitters include one or more organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); and The emissive LCD panel is characterized by an effective area greater than 1.5 × 1.5 square inches; Preferably, The one or more OLEDs include OLEDs that emit white light or OLEDs that emit colored light.

15. The near-eye display system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The one or more light emitters are divided into multiple groups, wherein the light emitters in each group are located in corresponding areas of multiple regions of the emissive LCD panel and share a common anode and a common cathode; and The TFT driving circuit includes a corresponding driving circuit for driving each group of light emitters in the plurality of groups and can be configured to locally dim the group of light emitters in the plurality of groups.

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