Liquid crystal display element, display device, electronic device, drive substrate, and method for manufacturing drive substrate

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a liquid crystal display element capable of reducing the effects, on a display image, of a difference in reflection properties of portions positioned above vias. [Solution] A liquid crystal display element comprising: a driving substrate that has light-reflecting pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a facing substrate that is disposed so as to face the driving substrate; and a liquid crystal material layer that is sandwiched between the driving substrate and the facing substrate, wherein the pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer that is provided to the driving substrate, the pixel electrodes and the wiring layer are electrically connected by vias provided to the wiring layer, and the connection position of the vias in each pixel electrode is set so as to change according to the position at which that pixel electrode is disposed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display element, a display device, an electronic device, a drive substrate, and a method for manufacturing the drive substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] In a liquid crystal display element, pixels each containing a liquid crystal cell are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and images are displayed by operating the pixels as optical shutters (light valves). Direct-view and projection (projector) display devices using liquid crystal display elements have been put to practical use. In recent years, the expansion of applications for large conference rooms and entertainment applications has led to a demand for higher resolution and image quality in both direct-view and projection display devices, and so-called active matrix liquid crystal display elements are widely used.

[0003] Reflective liquid crystal display elements such as LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) and HTPS (High Temperature Poly-Silicon) display images by controlling the reflection of light incident on the liquid crystal display element (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Reflective liquid crystal display elements are equipped with light-reflective pixel electrodes, such as pixel electrodes made of a light-reflecting material or pixel electrodes laminated with a light-reflecting film. In reflective liquid crystal display elements, circuit wiring and the like are arranged below the light-reflective pixel electrodes. Therefore, reflective liquid crystal display elements have the advantage of being excellent for achieving high definition because the distance between pixel electrodes can be set narrow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-107482 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A pixel voltage is supplied to the light-reflective pixel electrode from the underlying wiring through a via provided in the insulating layer. The materials that make up the insulating layer and the materials that make up the via usually have different polishing characteristics. Therefore, in an insulating layer that has been planarized by a method such as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), the via portion often has a convex or concave shape.

[0006] Therefore, in a pixel electrode formed on an insulating layer that has been subjected to a planarization process, the reflection characteristics of the portion located above the via may differ from those of other portions, and this difference in reflection characteristics may affect the displayed image.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid crystal display element that can reduce the impact on a displayed image caused by differences in the reflection characteristics of the portion of the pixel electrode located above a via, a display device and electronic device that include such a liquid crystal display element, and a drive substrate used for such a liquid crystal display element, and a method for manufacturing such a drive substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure comprises: a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. It is a liquid crystal display element.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the display device according to the present disclosure comprises: A liquid crystal display element; a light source unit that irradiates light onto the liquid crystal display element; It contains The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. It is a display device.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, an electronic device according to the present disclosure includes: A liquid crystal display element; a light source unit that irradiates light onto the liquid crystal display element; It contains The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The electronic device is equipped with a display device.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a drive substrate according to the present disclosure is a drive substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. This is a drive board.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a drive substrate according to the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a drive substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, the method comprising: forming a wiring layer on a support substrate; a step of forming vias for connecting the wiring layer and each pixel electrode; forming a light-reflective pixel electrode on the wiring layer; It contains In the step of forming vias, the positions at which the vias are formed corresponding to the respective pixel electrodes are set to vary depending on the positions at which the pixel electrodes are disposed. This is a method for manufacturing a drive substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display element according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Fig. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the basic configuration of a liquid crystal display element, and Fig. 2B is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a pixel in the liquid crystal display element. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a liquid crystal display element. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display element according to a reference example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias. [Figure 7]7A and 7B are plan views illustrating the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias in a liquid crystal display element according to a reference example and a liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure, respectively. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are schematic partial cross-sectional views of a substrate and the like for illustrating a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are schematic partial cross-sectional views of the substrate and the like, following FIG. 8B, for explaining the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the positions of openings for forming vias. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view for explaining that the position of the opening for forming the via is changed depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are schematic partial cross-sectional views of the substrate and the like, following FIG. 9B, for explaining the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the substrate etc. for explaining the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element according to the first embodiment, following FIG. 12B. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram of a projection type display device. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 shows the appearance of a single-lens reflex digital still camera with interchangeable lenses, with FIG. 15A showing a front view and FIG. 15B showing a rear view. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an external view of the head-mounted display. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an external view of the see-through head-mounted display. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation positions of the vehicle outside information detection unit and the imaging unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of an operating room system. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an operation screen on the centralized operation panel. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a surgical procedure to which the operating room system is applied. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the camera head and the CCU shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments, and various numerical values ​​and materials in the embodiments are examples. In the following description, the same elements or elements having the same functions will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The description will be given in the following order. 1. General Description of Liquid Crystal Display Elements, Display Devices, Electronic Devices, Drive Substrates, and Drive Substrate Manufacturing Methods Pertaining to the Present Disclosure 2. First embodiment 3. Description of display devices and electronic devices 4. Application Example 1 5. Application Example 2 6.Other

[0015] [General Description of Liquid Crystal Display Element, Display Device, Electronic Device, Drive Substrate, and Drive Substrate Manufacturing Method Pertaining to the Present Disclosure] In the following description, the liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure, the liquid crystal display element used in the display device according to the present disclosure, and the liquid crystal display element used in the electronic device according to the present disclosure may be simply referred to as the "liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure." Furthermore, the drive substrate according to the present disclosure, the drive substrate obtained by the method for manufacturing a drive substrate according to the present disclosure, and the drive substrate used in the liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure may be simply referred to as the "drive substrate of the present disclosure." Furthermore, the liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure, the display device and electronic device according to the present disclosure, and the drive substrate and method for manufacturing a drive substrate according to the present disclosure may be simply referred to as the "present disclosure."

[0016] As described above, the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure has a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

[0017] If the connection position of the vias in each pixel electrode is set to be constant regardless of the position of the pixel electrode, this may cause moire to be visible when a regularly repeating pattern or the like is displayed as an image. In the present disclosure, the connection position of the vias in each pixel electrode is set to vary depending on the position of the pixel electrode, thereby reducing the occurrence of moire.

[0018] In this case, it is preferable that the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set to vary randomly depending on the positions of the pixel electrodes. Alternatively, in the present disclosure including the above-mentioned preferable configuration, it is possible to set the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode to have no periodicity in at least one of the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix.

[0019] In the present disclosure, including the various preferred configurations described above, the pixel electrodes may be configured to be formed on the surface of a wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process. The planarization process can be performed by a method such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In this case, depending on the type of polishing slurry and the polishing conditions, the degree of polishing varies between the insulating layer on the surface of the wiring layer and the vias embedded in this insulating layer. As a result, the exposed vias have a concave or convex shape. In either case, the occurrence of moire can be reduced by setting the connection position of the vias in each pixel electrode to vary depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

[0020] As described above, the method for manufacturing a drive substrate according to the present disclosure for manufacturing a drive substrate including the various preferred configurations described above includes the following steps: forming a wiring layer on a support substrate; a step of forming vias for connecting the wiring layer and each pixel electrode; forming a light-reflective pixel electrode on the wiring layer; It contains In the step of forming vias, the positions at which the vias are formed corresponding to the respective pixel electrodes are set to vary depending on the positions at which the pixel electrodes are disposed.

[0021] The support substrate constituting the drive substrate can be a substrate made of a transparent material such as glass, or a substrate made of a semiconductor material such as silicon. When a glass substrate is used, the transistors that supply voltage to the pixel electrodes can be constructed by forming and processing a semiconductor material layer on the glass substrate. When a substrate made of a semiconductor material such as silicon is used, the transistors can be constructed, for example, by appropriately forming transistors in wells provided in the substrate.

[0022] In the liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure, the configuration of the transistor used for switching is not particularly limited, and may be a p-channel field effect transistor or an n-channel field effect transistor.

[0023] The wiring layer can be constructed by laminating multiple material layers over the entire surface of a support substrate that includes transistors, etc. The wiring and electrodes included in the wiring layer are separated by an insulating layer. Vias for electrically connecting the wiring layer to each pixel electrode can be formed, for example, by forming an opening in an insulating layer on the surface of the wiring layer, depositing a film of tungsten (W) or the like over the entire surface, and then performing a planarization process.

[0024] The metal material layer and insulating layer constituting the wiring layer can be formed using materials appropriately selected from known inorganic and organic materials, and can be formed by combining known film formation methods such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods exemplified by vacuum deposition and sputtering, and various chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, with known patterning methods such as etching and lift-off. The insulating layer constituting the wiring layer can be obtained by the well-known film formation methods described above.

[0025] The light-reflective pixel electrode can be formed using a metal material such as aluminum (Al), aluminum alloys such as Al-Cu and Al-Si, silver (Ag), etc. The pixel electrode can be obtained, for example, by forming a film of a metal material over the entire surface of a wiring layer in which vias are formed by a well-known film-forming method, and then performing a well-known patterning method.

[0026] In the present disclosure, a substrate made of a transparent material such as glass can be used as the counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate. The counter electrode provided on the counter substrate can be formed using a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The counter electrode functions as a common electrode for each pixel of the liquid crystal display element.

[0027] The alignment film that gives the liquid crystal molecules a pretilt can be an alignment film made of an organic material that has been subjected to a rubbing treatment, or an alignment film made of an inorganic material. For liquid crystal display elements used in applications where strong light is irradiated from a light source, it is preferable to use an alignment film made of an inorganic material that has excellent light resistance. An alignment film made of an inorganic material can be formed by depositing an inorganic material such as silicon oxide obliquely onto a substrate.

[0028] The operating mode of the liquid crystal display element is not particularly limited. It may be configured to be driven in the so-called TN mode, VA mode, or IPS mode. Furthermore, the liquid crystal display element may be normally black or normally white. The liquid crystal display element may be configured to display monochrome images or color images. For example, a color liquid crystal display element can be obtained by providing a color filter coated with an overcoat layer made of an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin on the inner surface of the substrate.

[0029] Examples of pixel values ​​for LCD elements include VGA (640,480), S-VGA (800,600), XGA (1024,768), APRC (1152,900), S-XGA (1280,1024), U-XGA (1600,1200), HD-TV (1920,1080), Q-XGA (2048,1536), as well as some image display resolutions such as (1920,1035), (720,480), and (1280,960), but are not limited to these values.

[0030] Examples of display devices including the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure include direct-view and projection display devices, and examples of electronic devices including the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure include various electronic devices with an image display function.

[0031] The various conditions in this specification are satisfied not only when they are strictly met but also when they are substantially met. Regarding the fulfillment of the conditions, various variations arising from the design or manufacturing of display devices, etc., are permitted. Also, the drawings used in the following explanation are schematic. For example, Figure 3, which will be described later, shows the cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal display element, but does not indicate the proportions of width, height, thickness, etc.

[0032] [First embodiment] The first embodiment relates to a liquid crystal display element, a display device, an electronic device, a drive substrate, and a method for manufacturing a drive substrate according to the present disclosure.

[0033] 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display element according to a first embodiment. The liquid crystal display element 1 is an active matrix type liquid crystal display element. The liquid crystal display element 1 includes pixels PX arranged in a matrix, and various circuits such as a horizontal drive circuit 11 and a vertical drive circuit 12 for driving the pixels PX. Symbol SCL denotes a scanning line for scanning the pixels PX, and symbol DTL denotes a signal line for supplying various voltages to the pixels PX.

[0034] The pixels PX are arranged in a matrix, for example, with N pixels in the horizontal direction (X direction in the drawing) and M pixels in the vertical direction (Y direction in the drawing), for a total of N × M pixels. The pixel PX located in the mth row (where m = 1, 2..., M) and nth column (where n = 1, 2..., N) may be referred to as the (n, m)th pixel PX below. Each element constituting the (n, m)th pixel PX may also be referred to as the (n, m)th element.

[0035] The liquid crystal display element 1 is a liquid crystal display element that integrates various circuits such as a horizontal drive circuit 11 and a vertical drive circuit 12. In the example shown in the figure, the horizontal drive circuit 11 and the vertical drive circuit 12 are each arranged on one end side of the liquid crystal display element 1, but this is merely an example.

[0036] Fig. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the basic configuration of a liquid crystal display element, and Fig. 2B is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a pixel in the liquid crystal display element.

[0037] 2A, the liquid crystal display element 1 includes a drive substrate 100, a counter substrate 150 disposed opposite the drive substrate 100, and a liquid crystal material layer 140 sandwiched between the drive substrate 100 and the counter substrate 150. The drive substrate 100 and the counter substrate 150 are sealed by a seal portion 160. The seal portion 160 is annular and surrounds the liquid crystal material layer 140.

[0038] The drive substrate 100 includes light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, a wiring layer including various electrodes and wiring, and transistors serving as switching elements for supplying voltage to the pixel electrodes. The counter substrate 150 is composed of a rectangular substrate made of, for example, transparent glass, a counter electrode provided on the surface of the substrate facing the liquid crystal material layer 140, and an alignment film provided on the counter electrode. For convenience of illustration, the drive substrate 100 and counter substrate 150 in FIG. 2A are shown in a simplified form.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 2B, the liquid crystal cell constituting the pixel PX is composed of a pixel electrode provided on the driving substrate 100, a liquid crystal material layer 140 in a portion corresponding to the pixel electrode, and a counter electrode. In order to prevent deterioration of the liquid crystal material layer 140, a common potential V com are applied alternately. In the pixel PX, each element except for the liquid crystal material layer and the counter electrode is formed on the drive substrate 100 shown in FIG. 2A.

[0040] As is clear from the wiring relationship in Figure 2B, the pixel voltage supplied from the signal line DTL is applied to the pixel electrode via the transistor TR, which is turned on by the scanning signal of the scanning line SCL. Since the pixel electrode and one of the electrodes of the capacitance structure CS are electrically connected, the pixel voltage is also applied to one of the electrodes of the capacitance structure CS. The other electrode of the capacitance structure CS is connected to a common potential V com In this configuration, even after the transistor TR is turned off, the voltage of the pixel electrode is maintained by the capacitance component of the liquid crystal cell and the capacitance structure CS.

[0041] 3 to 13, in the liquid crystal display element 1, the light-reflective pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate 100. The pixel electrodes and the wiring layer are electrically connected through vias provided in the wiring layer. The connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set to vary depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a liquid crystal display element.

[0043] As described above, the liquid crystal display element 1 includes the drive substrate 100, the counter substrate 150, and the liquid crystal material layer 140 sandwiched between the drive substrate 100 and the counter substrate 150. Reference numeral 141 schematically denotes liquid crystal molecules.

[0044] First, the drive substrate 100 will be described. The drive substrate 100 includes a support substrate 110 made of, for example, silicon, a wiring layer 120 including various wirings, and a pixel electrode 131 formed on the wiring layer 120. A transistor 111 corresponding to the transistor TR shown in FIG. 2B is formed on the support substrate 110. Although not shown in FIG. 3, one of the source / drain regions of the transistor 111 is connected to a data line DTL as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0045] A planarization film 132 and an alignment film 133 are laminated over the entire surface including the pixel electrode 131. As will be described later, the pixel electrode 131 is connected to the other source / drain region of the transistor 111 via the via 128 as well as various electrodes, wirings, and vias.

[0046] In the wiring layer 120, reference numeral 122 denotes wiring that also serves as a light shield. These constitute the wiring on the lower layer side of the wiring layer 120. Note that the wiring 122 includes a mixture of wiring that extends in the X direction and wiring that extends in the Y direction, but FIG. 3 shows only a cross section extending in the X direction. Reference numeral 121 denotes an insulating layer that separates the wirings. Note that the insulating layer 121 is formed by stacking multiple interlayer insulating layers, but is shown in a simplified form for convenience of illustration.

[0047] Next, the upper layer side of the wiring layer 120 will be described. An interlayer insulating layer 123 is formed on the wiring 122, and a first relay electrode 125 is formed thereon. The first relay electrode 125 and the wiring 122 are electrically connected by a via 124 provided in the interlayer insulating layer 123. An interlayer insulating layer 123A is formed on the entire surface including the first relay electrode 125, and a second relay electrode 127 is formed thereon. An interlayer insulating layer 123B is formed on the entire surface including the second relay electrode 127.

[0048] The second relay electrode 127 and the first relay electrode 125 are electrically connected by a via 126 provided in the interlayer insulating layer 123A. The second relay electrode 127 is connected to the other source / drain region of the transistor 111 through the via 126, the first relay electrode 125, the via 124, and the wiring 122.

[0049] The light-reflective pixel electrodes 131 are formed on the wiring layer 120. More specifically, the pixel electrodes 131 are arranged in a matrix on an interlayer insulating layer 123B, which is the surface layer of the wiring layer 120. A via 128 is formed in the interlayer insulating layer 123B. The surface of the interlayer insulating layer 123B is planarized, and a cross section of the via 128 is exposed on the surface of the interlayer insulating layer 123B. The pixel electrodes 131 are formed on the surface of the wiring layer 120 that has been planarized, and are electrically connected to the wiring layer 120 via the via 128. More specifically, the pixel electrodes 131 are connected to the other source / drain region of the transistor 111 via the via 128, the second relay electrode 127, the via 126, the first relay electrode 125, the via 124, and the wiring 122.

[0050] When a planarization process is performed, there is a difference in the degree of polishing between the interlayer insulating layer 123B on the surface of the wiring layer 120 and the via 128 embedded in this interlayer insulating layer 123B. As a result, the exposed portion of the via 128 has a concave or convex shape. Therefore, in the pixel electrode 131 formed on the wiring layer 120, the portion that overlaps the cross section of the via 128 has a concave or convex shape. As a result, the reflectivity of the portion located above the via 128 differs from that of the other portions.

[0051] 4 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias. For convenience of illustration, the positional relationship between pixel electrodes 131 and vias 128 for the (n-1, m)th to (n+1, m)th pixels PX and the (n-1, m+1)th to (n+1, m+1)th pixels PX is shown. Note that FIG. 3 shows a cross section including the portion indicated by AA in FIG. 4.

[0052] The connection position of the via 128 in each pixel electrode 131 is set to change depending on the position of the pixel electrode 131. More specifically, the connection position of the via 128 in the pixel electrode 131 of the pixel PX located in the m-th row and n-th column is set to change depending on the values ​​of [m] and [n].

[0053] In the liquid crystal display element 1, the connection positions of the vias 128 in each pixel electrode 131 are set to vary randomly depending on the position of the pixel electrode 131. Therefore, the positions of the portions of the pixel electrode 131 where the reflection characteristics differ also vary randomly. It is preferable that the connection positions of the vias 128 in each pixel electrode 131 are set to have no periodicity in at least one of the X direction, Y direction, and XY directions (diagonal directions) of the pixel electrodes 131 arranged in a matrix.

[0054] The drive substrate 100 has been described above. Next, the counter substrate 150 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the counter substrate 150, which is disposed opposite the drive substrate 100, includes a rectangular base material 151 made of, for example, quartz glass, a counter electrode 152 provided on the surface facing the liquid crystal material layer 140, and an alignment film 153 provided on the counter electrode 152. The counter substrate 150 further includes a polarizer 154 disposed on the base material 151. The configuration of the polarizer 154 is not particularly limited, and it may be an absorption polarizer or a wire grid polarizer. When heat resistance is required, it is preferable that the polarizer 154 be a wire grid polarizer.

[0055] The liquid crystal material layer 140 is sandwiched between an alignment film 133 of the drive substrate 100 and an alignment film 153 of the counter substrate 150. The alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules 141 in the absence of an electric field is determined by the alignment films 133 and 153. The liquid crystal display element 1 is, for example, a vertical alignment (VA) type liquid crystal display element.

[0056] The above has provided a detailed description of the structure of the liquid crystal display element 1. Note that the relay electrodes and other components described in the wiring layer 120 can take various shapes depending on the configuration of the liquid crystal display element. Also, the layering relationship shown in Fig. 3 is merely an example, and any suitable configuration may be adopted depending on the configuration of the liquid crystal display element.

[0057] Here, to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal display element according to a reference example will be described. Fig. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display element according to the reference example. Fig. 6 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias.

[0058] In the liquid crystal display element 9 of the reference example shown in Fig. 5, the positions of the vias 128 in the wiring layer 920 of the drive substrate 900 are different from those of the liquid crystal display element 1. Specifically, the connection positions of the vias 128 in each pixel electrode 131 are set to be the same regardless of the position of each pixel electrode 131, as shown in Fig. 6. Therefore, the positions of the portions of the pixel electrodes 131 where the reflection characteristics differ are also constant. Note that Fig. 5 shows a cross section including the portion indicated by BB in Fig. 6.

[0059] The liquid crystal display element according to the reference example has been described above.

[0060] 7A and 7B are plan views illustrating the positional relationship between pixel electrodes and vias in a liquid crystal display element according to a reference example and a liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure, respectively.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7A, if the portions of pixel electrode 131 with different reflection characteristics are constant, this causes interference fringes (moiré) to be visible in relation to the image to be displayed. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 7B, if the portions of pixel electrode 131 with different reflection characteristics are set to change randomly depending on the position of pixel electrode 131, interference fringes are less likely to be visible. Therefore, the impact on the displayed image caused by differences in reflection characteristics of the portions of pixel electrode 131 located above via 128 can be reduced.

[0062] Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element 1, which includes a method for manufacturing the drive substrate 100. The method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element 1 includes the steps of forming a wiring layer 120 on the support substrate 110, forming vias 128 for connecting the wiring layer 120 to each pixel electrode 131, and forming light-reflective pixel electrodes 131 on the wiring layer 120. In the step of forming the vias 128, the positions at which the vias 128 corresponding to each pixel electrode 131 are formed are set to vary depending on the positions at which the pixel electrodes 131 are arranged.

[0063] 8 to 13 are various diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element 1. The method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element 1 will be described in detail below.

[0064] [Step-100] (See Figures 8A, 8B, and 9A) A support substrate 110 on which a transistor 111 is formed is prepared, and a lower layer of the wiring layer 120 is formed thereon by a well-known film formation method or patterning method (see FIG. 8A). The wiring and electrodes constituting the wiring 122 can be formed from a metal material such as tungsten (W) or Al-Cu. The same applies to the other wiring and electrodes described below. The insulating layer 121 can be formed from silicon oxide, for example. The same applies to other insulating layers.

[0065] Next, an interlayer insulating layer 123 is formed on the wiring 122 (more specifically, on the insulating layer 121), and then a via 124 is formed to penetrate the interlayer insulating layer 123. Thereafter, a conductive film made of a metal material is formed on the interlayer insulating layer 123, and then patterned by a well-known patterning method to form a first relay electrode 125.

[0066] Next, an interlayer insulating layer 123A is formed on the entire surface including on the first relay electrode 125, and then a via 126 is formed through the interlayer insulating layer 123A. After that, a conductive film made of a metal material is formed on the interlayer insulating layer 123A, and then patterned by a well-known patterning method to form a second relay electrode 127 (see FIG. 8B).

[0067] Next, an interlayer insulating layer 123B is formed on the entire surface including the second relay electrodes 127 (see FIG. 9A). Through the above steps, the wiring layer 120 can be formed on the support substrate 110.

[0068] [Step-110] (See Figures 9B, 10, 11, 12A and 12B) Thereafter, vias 128 are formed to connect the wiring layer 120 and each pixel electrode 131. First, openings OP are formed in the interlayer insulating layer 123B of the wiring layer 120 so that the relay electrodes 127 are exposed at the bottom (see FIG. 9B). The openings OP can be formed by forming a mask pattern on the interlayer insulating layer 123B and performing a well-known etching technique.

[0069] The aperture OP is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode 131 is arranged. The position of the aperture OP corresponding to the pixel electrode 131 of the pixel PX located in the mth row and nth column is set to change depending on the values ​​of [m] and [n]. More specifically, the position of the aperture OP is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode 131 is arranged. FIG. 10 is a schematic partial plan view for explaining the position of an aperture for forming a via. For convenience of illustration, the positional relationship between the second relay electrode 127, the pixel electrode 131, and the aperture OP for the (n-1, m)th to (n+1, m)th pixels PX and the (n-1, m+1)th to (n+1, m+1)th pixels PX is shown.

[0070] An example of a method for randomly arranging the openings OP will be described below. Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view for explaining that the positions of the openings for forming vias are changed depending on the positions where the pixel electrodes are arranged.

[0071] The opening OP needs to be arranged in a region where the region occupied by the second relay electrode 127 and the region occupied by the pixel electrode 131 overlap in plan view, from the viewpoint of allowing a via formed in the opening OP to electrically connect the second relay electrode 127 and the pixel electrode 131. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the entire region of the second relay electrode 127 is included in the region where the pixel electrode 131 is to be formed. Therefore, the openings OP may be arranged randomly within the region of the second relay electrode 127. For convenience of explanation, the second relay electrode 127 is described as having a square planar shape, but this is not limited to this.

[0072] The lower left corner of each pixel electrode 131 is set as the origin, and the central coordinates for forming an opening OP corresponding to the pixel electrode 131(m,n) are expressed as (u(n,m),v(n,m)). It is assumed that the lengths of the sides of the pixel electrodes 131 are all the same. The length of the side of the pixel electrode 131 is represented by the symbol L. Furthermore, in the second relay electrode 127, the coordinates of the lower left corner are (u0,v0), and the coordinates of the upper right corner are (u C ,v C ) Furthermore, the radius of the opening OP is represented by the symbol d.

[0073] Then, the functions that generate random numbers between 0 and 1 with (n, m) as arguments are represented as Rnd1(n, m) and Rnd2(n, m). Let u(n, m) be u(n,m)=u0+d+(u C -u0-2·d)·Rnd1(n,m) and v(n,m) is determined based on the formula v(n,m)=v0+d+(v C -v0-2·d)·Rnd2(n,m) The central coordinates of the opening OP can be determined randomly by determining them using the formula: Based on the central coordinates (u(n,m),v(n,m)) at which the opening OP is to be formed obtained as described above, a predetermined mask pattern is formed on the interlayer insulating layer 123B, and a well-known etching technique is performed to form the opening OP.

[0074] It is preferable that the connection positions of the vias 128 in each pixel electrode 131 are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions of the matrix-arranged pixel electrodes 131. For this reason, it is preferable that the above-mentioned functions Rnd1(n,m) and Rnd2(n,m) generate random numbers that do not have periodicity based on, for example, a predetermined program.

[0075] Alternatively, periodicity may be determined for the center coordinates (u(n,m),v(n,m)) obtained by the above procedure, and if periodicity is found, the center coordinates may be determined again under different conditions. The presence or absence of periodicity is often left to the observer's subjective evaluation. Therefore, when evaluating using mathematical indices, it is possible to perform a variance analysis on the center coordinates (u(1,1),v(1,1)) to (u(N,M),v(N,M)) on the premise that the functions Rnd1(n,m) and Rnd2(n,m) generate uniform random numbers, and to treat any deviations exceeding a predetermined value as not having periodicity.

[0076] Next, a conductive material layer 128A for forming vias 128 is formed on the entire surface of the interlayer insulating layer 123B, including inside the openings OP. The conductive material layer 128A can be formed using, for example, tungsten (W) (see FIG. 12A). The conductive material layer 128A may be formed after forming a titanium nitride (TiN) film as an adhesion layer by sputtering or the like. Thereafter, the conductive material layer 128A is planarized until the interlayer insulating layer 123B is exposed, thereby exposing the vias 128 embedded in the openings OP (see FIG. 12B). Through the above steps, the vias 128 for connecting the wiring layer 120 and each pixel electrode 131 can be formed.

[0077] [Step-120] (See Figure 13) Next, a light-reflective pixel electrode 131 is formed on the wiring layer 120. A conductive film made of, for example, aluminum is formed on the entire surface of the interlayer insulating layer 123B where the via 128 is exposed, and then patterned by a well-known patterning method to form the pixel electrode 131. Next, a planarizing film 132 and an alignment film 133 are laminated over the entire surface including the pixel electrode 131. Through the above steps, the drive substrate 100 can be obtained.

[0078] [Step-130] (See Figure 3) Next, a counter substrate 150 is prepared, which includes a rectangular base material 151 made of, for example, quartz glass, a counter electrode 152 provided on one surface of the base material 151, and an alignment film 153 provided on the counter electrode 152. The drive substrate 100 and the counter substrate 150 are then placed opposite each other with the liquid crystal material layer 140 sandwiched between them, and the periphery is sealed. Thereafter, a polarizer 154 is placed on the other surface of the base material 151, thereby completing the liquid crystal display element 1.

[0079] [Explanation of display devices and electronic devices] The liquid crystal display element according to the present disclosure described above can be used as a display unit of electronic devices in a variety of fields that display a video signal input to the electronic device or a video signal generated within the electronic device as an image or video, such as a television set, a digital still camera, a notebook personal computer, a portable terminal device such as a mobile phone, a video camera, a head-mounted display, etc.

[0080] The liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure also includes a sealed module. The display module may be provided with a circuit section or a flexible printed circuit (FPC) for inputting and outputting signals from the outside to the pixel array section. A projection-type display device is exemplified below as a specific example of a display device using the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure, and a digital still camera and a head-mounted display are exemplified as electronic devices equipped with a display device using the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure. However, the specific examples exemplified here are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0081] (Example 1) FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram of a projection-type display device using the liquid crystal display element of the present disclosure. The display device 400 includes a liquid crystal display element 1 and a light source unit 410 that irradiates the liquid crystal display element 1 with light. More specifically, the display device 400 is composed of the light source unit 410, an illumination optical system 420, the liquid crystal display element 1, an image control circuit 430 that drives the liquid crystal display element 1, a projection optical system 440, and a screen 450. The light source unit 410 can be composed of, for example, various lamps such as xenon lamps or semiconductor light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes. The illumination optical system 420 is used to guide light from the light source unit 410 to the liquid crystal display element 1 and is composed of optical elements such as a prism and a dichroic mirror. The liquid crystal display element 1 acts as a light valve, and an image is projected onto the screen 450 via the projection optical system 440.

[0082] (Example 2) Figure 15 shows the appearance of a single-lens reflex digital still camera with an interchangeable lens, with Figure 15A showing a front view and Figure 15B showing a rear view. A single-lens reflex digital still camera with an interchangeable lens has, for example, an interchangeable taking lens unit (interchangeable lens) 512 on the right side of the front of a camera main body 511, and a grip 513 on the left side of the front for the photographer to hold.

[0083] A monitor 514 is provided in the approximate center of the back of camera body 511. A viewfinder (eyepiece window) 515 is provided above monitor 514. By looking through viewfinder 515, the photographer can visually confirm the optical image of the subject guided by photographing lens unit 512 and determine the composition.

[0084] In the lens-interchangeable single-lens reflex digital still camera having the above configuration, the display device of the present disclosure can be used as its viewfinder 515. That is, the lens-interchangeable single-lens reflex digital still camera according to this example is produced by using the display device of the present disclosure as its viewfinder 515.

[0085] (Example 3) 16 is an external view of a head-mounted display. The head-mounted display has, for example, ear hooks 612 on both sides of a glasses-shaped display unit 611 for wearing on the user's head. In this head-mounted display, the display device of the present disclosure can be used as the display unit 611. That is, the head-mounted display according to this example is produced by using the display device of the present disclosure as the display unit 611.

[0086] (Example 4) 17 is an external view of a see-through head mounted display 711. The see-through head mounted display 711 is made up of a main body 712, an arm 713, and an eyepiece tube 714.

[0087] The main body 712 is connected to the arm 713 and the glasses 700. Specifically, an end of the long side of the main body 712 is coupled to the arm 713, and one side of the main body 712 is connected to the glasses 700 via a connecting member. The main body 712 may also be worn directly on the head of the human body.

[0088] The main body 712 incorporates a control board for controlling the operation of the see-through head mounted display 711 and a display unit. The arm 713 connects the main body 712 to the lens barrel 714 and supports the lens barrel 714. Specifically, the arm 713 is coupled to an end of the main body 712 and an end of the lens barrel 714, respectively, and fixes the lens barrel 714. The arm 713 also incorporates a signal line for communicating data related to images provided from the main body 712 to the lens barrel 714.

[0089] The lens barrel 714 projects image light provided from the main body 712 via the arm 713 through an eyepiece lens toward the eyes of a user wearing the see-through head mounted display 711. In this see-through head mounted display 711, the display device of the present disclosure can be used for the display unit of the main body 712.

[0090] [Application example 1] The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be realized as a device mounted on any type of moving body, such as an automobile, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a personal mobility device, an airplane, a drone, a ship, a robot, a construction machine, or an agricultural machine (tractor).

[0091] 18 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system 7000, which is an example of a mobile object control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. The vehicle control system 7000 includes a plurality of electronic control units connected via a communication network 7010. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the vehicle control system 7000 includes a drive system control unit 7100, a body system control unit 7200, a battery control unit 7300, an outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400, an inside-vehicle information detection unit 7500, and an integrated control unit 7600. The communication network 7010 connecting these multiple control units may be an in-vehicle communication network conforming to any standard, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or FlexRay (registered trademark).

[0092] Each control unit includes a microcomputer that performs arithmetic processing according to various programs, a storage unit that stores the programs executed by the microcomputer or parameters used in various calculations, and a drive circuit that drives various devices to be controlled. Each control unit includes a network I / F for communicating with other control units via a communication network 7010, and a communication I / F for communicating with devices or sensors inside and outside the vehicle via wired or wireless communication. Figure 18 illustrates the functional configuration of the integrated control unit 7600, including a microcomputer 7610, a general-purpose communication I / F 7620, a dedicated communication I / F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I / F 7660, an audio / video output unit 7670, an in-vehicle network I / F 7680, and a storage unit 7690. Similarly, the other control units also include a microcomputer, a communication I / F, a storage unit, and the like.

[0093] The drivetrain control unit 7100 controls the operation of devices related to the drivetrain of the vehicle in accordance with various programs. For example, the drivetrain control unit 7100 functions as a control device for a driving force generating device for generating driving force for the vehicle, such as an internal combustion engine or a drive motor, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting driving force to the wheels, a steering mechanism for adjusting the steering angle of the vehicle, and a braking device for generating braking force for the vehicle. The drivetrain control unit 7100 may also function as a control device for an ABS (Antilock Brake System) or an ESC (Electronic Stability Control), etc.

[0094] A vehicle state detection unit 7110 is connected to the drivetrain control unit 7100. The vehicle state detection unit 7110 includes at least one of a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the axial rotational motion of the vehicle body, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, or a sensor that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal, the amount of operation of the brake pedal, the steering angle of the steering wheel, the engine rotation speed, the rotation speed of the wheels, etc. The drivetrain control unit 7100 performs arithmetic processing using signals input from the vehicle state detection unit 7110, and controls the internal combustion engine, the drive motor, the electric power steering device, the brake device, etc.

[0095] Body system control unit 7200 controls the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle body in accordance with various programs. For example, body system control unit 7200 functions as a control device for a keyless entry system, a smart key system, a power window device, or various lamps such as head lamps, backup lamps, brake lamps, turn signals, and fog lamps. In this case, radio waves transmitted from a portable device that serves as a key or signals from various switches may be input to body system control unit 7200. Body system control unit 7200 receives these radio waves or signals and controls the vehicle's door lock device, power window device, lamps, etc.

[0096] The battery control unit 7300 controls the secondary battery 7310, which is the power supply source for the drive motor, in accordance with various programs. For example, information such as battery temperature, battery output voltage, or remaining battery capacity is input to the battery control unit 7300 from a battery device equipped with the secondary battery 7310. The battery control unit 7300 performs arithmetic processing using these signals, and controls the temperature regulation of the secondary battery 7310 or a cooling device or the like provided in the battery device.

[0097] The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 detects information outside the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000. For example, at least one of an imaging unit 7410 and an outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 is connected to the outside vehicle information detection unit 7400. The imaging unit 7410 includes at least one of a ToF (Time Of Flight) camera, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, an infrared camera, and other cameras. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 includes at least one of an environmental sensor for detecting the current weather or climate, or a surrounding information detection sensor for detecting other vehicles, obstacles, pedestrians, etc. around the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000.

[0098] The environmental sensor may be, for example, at least one of a raindrop sensor that detects rain, a fog sensor that detects fog, a sunshine sensor that detects the degree of sunshine, and a snow sensor that detects snowfall. The surrounding information detection sensor may be at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) device. The imaging unit 7410 and the outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 may each be provided as an independent sensor or device, or may be provided as a device in which multiple sensors or devices are integrated.

[0099] 19 shows an example of the installation positions of the imaging unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420. The imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, 7916, and 7918 are provided, for example, at least one of the front nose, side mirrors, rear bumper, back door, and upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose and the imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin mainly acquire images of the front of the vehicle 7900. The imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors mainly acquire images of the sides of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door mainly acquires images of the rear of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin is mainly used to detect leading vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, traffic lights, traffic signs, lanes, etc.

[0100] 19 shows an example of the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916. Imaging range a indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose, imaging ranges b and c indicate the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors, respectively, and imaging range d indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door. For example, by overlaying the image data captured by the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916, a bird's-eye view image of the vehicle 7900 viewed from above can be obtained.

[0101] The vehicle exterior information detection units 7920, 7922, 7924, 7926, 7928, and 7930 provided on the front, rear, sides, and corners of the vehicle 7900 and above the windshield inside the vehicle cabin may be, for example, ultrasonic sensors or radar devices. The vehicle exterior information detection units 7920, 7926, and 7930 provided on the front nose, rear bumper, back door, and above the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900 may be, for example, LIDAR devices. These vehicle exterior information detection units 7920 to 7930 are mainly used to detect preceding vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, etc.

[0102] Returning to FIG. 18 , the explanation will be continued. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 causes the imaging unit 7410 to capture an image outside the vehicle and receives the captured image data. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 also receives detection information from the connected outside vehicle information detection unit 7420. If the outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 is an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, or a LIDAR device, the outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 emits ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves and receives information on the received reflected waves. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform object detection processing or distance detection processing for people, cars, obstacles, signs, text on the road, etc. based on the received information. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform environment recognition processing for recognizing rainfall, fog, road conditions, etc. based on the received information. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also calculate the distance to an object outside the vehicle based on the received information.

[0103] The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform image recognition processing or distance detection processing to recognize people, vehicles, obstacles, signs, characters on the road, etc., based on the received image data. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform processing such as distortion correction or alignment on the received image data, and may also generate an overhead image or a panoramic image by combining image data captured by different image capturing units 7410. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform viewpoint conversion processing using image data captured by different image capturing units 7410.

[0104] The interior information detection unit 7500 detects information inside the vehicle. A driver state detection unit 7510 that detects the state of the driver is connected to the interior information detection unit 7500, for example. The driver state detection unit 7510 may include a camera that captures an image of the driver, a biosensor that detects the driver's biometric information, or a microphone that collects sound from within the vehicle cabin. The biosensor is provided, for example, on the seat or steering wheel, and detects the biometric information of a passenger sitting in the seat or the driver gripping the steering wheel. The interior information detection unit 7500 may calculate the driver's level of fatigue or concentration, or determine whether the driver is dozing, based on the detection information input from the driver state detection unit 7510. The interior information detection unit 7500 may perform processing such as noise canceling on the collected audio signal.

[0105] The integrated control unit 7600 controls the overall operation of the vehicle control system 7000 in accordance with various programs. An input unit 7800 is connected to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be implemented by a device that can be operated by a passenger, such as a touch panel, a button, a microphone, a switch, or a lever. Data obtained by voice recognition of a voice input through a microphone may be input to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a remote control device using infrared or other radio waves, or an externally connected device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) that can operate the vehicle control system 7000. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a camera, in which case the passenger can input information by gestures. Alternatively, data obtained by detecting the movement of a wearable device worn by the passenger may be input. Furthermore, the input unit 7800 may include, for example, an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by the passenger or the like using the input unit 7800 and outputs the input signal to the integrated control unit 7600. By operating this input unit 7800, passengers and the like input various data to the vehicle control system 7000 and instruct processing operations.

[0106] The storage unit 7690 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs executed by the microcomputer, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores various parameters, calculation results, sensor values, etc. The storage unit 7690 may also be realized by a magnetic storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, a magneto-optical storage device, or the like.

[0107] The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 is a general-purpose communication I / F that mediates communication between various devices present in the external environment 7750. The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may implement a cellular communication protocol such as GSM (Global System of Mobile communications), WiMAX, LTE (Long Term Evolution), or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), or other wireless communication protocols such as wireless LAN (also referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may connect to devices (e.g., application servers or control servers) present on an external network (e.g., the Internet, a cloud network, or a carrier-specific network) via, for example, a base station or an access point. The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may also connect to terminals present near the vehicle (e.g., terminals of drivers, pedestrians, or stores, or machine-type communication (MTC) terminals) using, for example, P2P (Peer to Peer) technology.

[0108] The dedicated communication I / F 7630 is a communication I / F that supports a communication protocol designed for use in vehicles. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 may implement a standard protocol such as WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicle Environment), which is a combination of a lower layer IEEE802.11p and an upper layer IEEE1609, a dedicated short range communications (DSRC), or a cellular communication protocol. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 typically performs V2X communication, which is a concept including one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, vehicle-to-home communication, and vehicle-to-pedestrian communication.

[0109] The positioning unit 7640 performs positioning by receiving, for example, GNSS signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites (for example, GPS signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites), and generates position information including the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle. Note that the positioning unit 7640 may identify the current position by exchanging signals with a wireless access point, or may obtain position information from a terminal such as a mobile phone, PHS, or smartphone that has a positioning function.

[0110] The beacon receiver 7650 receives, for example, radio waves or electromagnetic waves transmitted from radio stations or the like installed on the road, and acquires information such as the current location, congestion, road closures, required travel time, etc. The function of the beacon receiver 7650 may be included in the dedicated communication I / F 7630 described above.

[0111] The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 is a communication interface that mediates connections between the microcomputer 7610 and various in-vehicle devices 7760 present in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may establish a wireless connection using a wireless communication protocol such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or WUSB (Wireless USB). The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may also establish a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) via a connection terminal (and a cable, if necessary) not shown. The in-vehicle device 7760 may include, for example, at least one of a mobile device or a wearable device owned by a passenger, or an information device carried or installed in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 7760 may also include a navigation device that searches for a route to a desired destination. The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 exchanges control signals or data signals with these in-vehicle devices 7760 .

[0112] The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 is an interface that mediates communication between the microcomputer 7610 and the communication network 7010. The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 transmits and receives signals in accordance with a predetermined protocol supported by the communication network 7010.

[0113] The microcomputer 7610 of the integrated control unit 7600 controls the vehicle control system 7000 in accordance with various programs based on information acquired via at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may calculate control target values ​​for the driving force generating device, the steering mechanism, or the braking device based on acquired information inside and outside the vehicle, and output control commands to the drivetrain control unit 7100. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control aimed at realizing functions of an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), including vehicle collision avoidance or impact mitigation, following driving based on the following distance, vehicle speed maintenance driving, vehicle collision warning, vehicle lane departure warning, etc. In addition, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control for the purpose of autonomous driving, in which the vehicle travels autonomously without relying on driver operation, by controlling a driving force generating device, a steering mechanism, a braking device, etc. based on information acquired about the vehicle's surroundings.

[0114] The microcomputer 7610 may generate three-dimensional distance information between the vehicle and objects such as surrounding structures and people, and create local map information including information about the vicinity of the vehicle's current location, based on information acquired via at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. Furthermore, the microcomputer 7610 may predict dangers, such as a vehicle collision, the approach of a pedestrian, or entry into a closed road, based on the acquired information, and generate a warning signal. The warning signal may be, for example, a signal for generating a warning sound or turning on a warning lamp.

[0115] The audio / video output unit 7670 transmits at least one of audio and image output signals to an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying vehicle occupants or the outside of the vehicle of information. In the example of FIG. 18 , an audio speaker 7710, a display unit 7720, and an instrument panel 7730 are illustrated as output devices. The display unit 7720 may include, for example, at least one of an on-board display and a head-up display. The display unit 7720 may have an AR (Augmented Reality) display function. The output device may be other devices besides these devices, such as headphones, a wearable device such as an eyeglass-type display worn by the occupant, a projector, or a lamp. When the output device is a display device, the display device visually displays results obtained by various processes performed by the microcomputer 7610 or information received from other control units in various formats, such as text, images, tables, and graphs. When the output device is an audio output device, the audio output device converts audio signals consisting of reproduced audio data or acoustic data into analog signals and audibly outputs the analog signals.

[0116] In the example shown in FIG. 18 , at least two control units connected via the communication network 7010 may be integrated into one control unit. Alternatively, each control unit may be composed of multiple control units. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 7000 may include another control unit not shown. In the above description, some or all of the functions performed by one control unit may be performed by another control unit. In other words, as long as information is transmitted and received via the communication network 7010, predetermined arithmetic processing may be performed by one of the control units. Similarly, a sensor or device connected to one control unit may be connected to another control unit, and multiple control units may transmit and receive detection information to and from each other via the communication network 7010.

[0117] The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, the display unit of an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying information, among the configurations described above.

[0118] [Application example 2] The technology disclosed herein may be applied to a variety of products, for example, an operating room system.

[0119] 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall configuration of an operating room system 5100 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. Referring to FIG. 20, the operating room system 5100 is configured by connecting a group of devices installed in an operating room to each other via an audiovisual controller (AV controller) 5107 and an operating room control device 5109 so that they can cooperate with each other.

[0120] Various devices may be installed in an operating room. As an example, Fig. 20 illustrates a group of various devices 5101 for endoscopic surgery, a ceiling camera 5187 mounted on the ceiling of the operating room to capture an image of the surgeon's hands, an operating room camera 5189 mounted on the ceiling of the operating room to capture an image of the entire operating room, multiple display devices 5103A to 5103D, a recorder 5105, a patient bed 5183, and lighting 5191.

[0121] Here, among these devices, device group 5101 belongs to an endoscopic surgery system 5113 described below, and is composed of an endoscope, a display device that displays images captured by the endoscope, etc. Each device belonging to the endoscopic surgery system 5113 is also called medical equipment. On the other hand, display devices 5103A to 5103D, recorder 5105, patient bed 5183, and lighting 5191 are devices that are installed separately from the endoscopic surgery system 5113, for example, in an operating room. Each device that does not belong to the endoscopic surgery system 5113 is also called non-medical equipment. An audiovisual controller 5107 and / or an operating room control device 5109 controls the operations of these medical and non-medical devices in cooperation with each other.

[0122] The audiovisual controller 5107 comprehensively controls image display processing in medical and non-medical devices. Specifically, among the devices included in the operating room system 5100, the device group 5101, the ceiling camera 5187, and the operating room camera 5189 may be devices (hereinafter also referred to as source devices) that have the function of transmitting information to be displayed during surgery (hereinafter also referred to as display information). The display devices 5103A-5103D may be devices (hereinafter also referred to as destination devices) that output display information. The recorder 5105 may be a device that corresponds to both the source device and the destination device. The audiovisual controller 5107 controls the operation of the source device and the destination device, acquires display information from the source device, and transmits the display information to the destination device for display or recording. The display information includes various images captured during surgery and various information related to the surgery (e.g., physical information about the patient, past test results, information about the surgical procedure, etc.).

[0123] Specifically, information about an image of the surgical site inside the patient's body cavity captured by an endoscope may be transmitted from the device group 5101 to the audiovisual controller 5107 as display information. Furthermore, information about an image of the surgeon's hands captured by the ceiling camera 5187 may be transmitted as display information from the ceiling camera 5187. Furthermore, information about an image showing the overall state of the operating room captured by the operating room camera 5189 may be transmitted as display information from the operating room system 5100. If other devices with imaging capabilities are present in the operating room system 5100, the audiovisual controller 5107 may also acquire information about images captured by the other devices as display information.

[0124] Alternatively, for example, information about these images captured in the past is recorded in the recorder 5105 by the audiovisual controller 5107. The audiovisual controller 5107 can acquire, as display information, the information about the images captured in the past from the recorder 5105. Note that the recorder 5105 may also have various types of information about the surgery recorded in advance.

[0125] The audiovisual controller 5107 displays the acquired display information (i.e., images captured during surgery and various pieces of information related to the surgery) on at least one of the display devices 5103A to 5103D, which are output destination devices. In the example shown, the display device 5103A is a display device hung from the ceiling of the operating room, the display device 5103B is a display device installed on a wall of the operating room, the display device 5103C is a display device installed on a desk in the operating room, and the display device 5103D is a mobile device with a display function (e.g., a tablet PC (personal computer)).

[0126] 20, the operating room system 5100 may also include devices external to the operating room. The devices external to the operating room may be, for example, a server connected to a network established inside or outside the hospital, a PC used by medical staff, or a projector installed in a hospital conference room. When such external devices are located outside the hospital, the audiovisual controller 5107 can also display information on a display device in another hospital via a video conference system or the like for remote medical care.

[0127] The operating room control device 5109 comprehensively controls processes other than those related to image display in non-medical devices. For example, the operating room control device 5109 controls the driving of a patient bed 5183, a ceiling camera 5187, an operating room camera 5189, and lighting 5191.

[0128] The operating room system 5100 is provided with a centralized operation panel 5111, and a user can give instructions regarding image display to the audiovisual controller 5107 and instructions regarding the operation of non-medical devices to the operating room control device 5109 via the centralized operation panel 5111. The centralized operation panel 5111 is configured by providing a touch panel on the display surface of the display device.

[0129] Fig. 21 is a diagram showing a display example of an operation screen on the centralized operation panel 5111. Fig. 21 shows, as an example, an operation screen corresponding to a case where two display devices are provided as output destination devices in the operating room system 5100. Referring to Fig. 21, an operation screen 5193 is provided with a call source selection area 5195, a preview area 5197, and a control area 5201.

[0130] The source selection area 5195 displays, in association with each other, source devices included in the operating room system 5100 and thumbnail screens representing display information held by the source devices. The user can select display information to be displayed on the display device from any of the source devices displayed in the source selection area 5195.

[0131] Preview area 5197 displays a preview of the screen to be displayed on two display devices (Monitor 1, Monitor 2), which are output destination devices. In the example shown, four images are displayed in PinP format on one display device. The four images correspond to the display information transmitted from the source device selected in source selection area 5195. Of the four images, one is displayed relatively large as the main image, and the remaining three are displayed relatively small as sub-images. The user can switch between the main image and the sub-images by appropriately selecting the area in which the four images are displayed. In addition, a status display area 5199 is provided below the area in which the four images are displayed, and the status of the surgery (for example, the elapsed time of the surgery, physical information of the patient, etc.) can be displayed in this area as appropriate.

[0132] The control area 5201 is provided with a source operation area 5203 in which GUI (Graphical User Interface) components for performing operations on the source device are displayed, and an output destination operation area 5205 in which GUI components for performing operations on the output destination device are displayed. In the example shown, the source operation area 5203 is provided with GUI components for performing various operations (pan, tilt, and zoom) on a camera in the source device having an image capturing function. The user can control the operation of the camera in the source device by appropriately selecting these GUI components. Although not shown, when the source device selected in the source selection area 5195 is a recorder (i.e., when an image previously recorded on the recorder is displayed in the preview area 5197), the source operation area 5203 may be provided with GUI components for performing operations such as playing, stopping playback, rewinding, and fast-forwarding the image.

[0133] In addition, the output destination operation area 5205 is provided with GUI components for performing various operations (swap, flip, color adjustment, contrast adjustment, switching between 2D display and 3D display) on the display device, which is the output destination device. The user can operate the display on the display device by appropriately selecting these GUI components.

[0134] In addition, the operation screen displayed on the centralized operation panel 5111 is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and the user may be able to input operations to each device that can be controlled by the audio-visual controller 5107 and the operating room control device 5109 provided in the operating room system 5100 via the centralized operation panel 5111.

[0135] 22 is a diagram showing an example of a surgical procedure to which the above-described operating room system is applied. A ceiling camera 5187 and an operating room camera 5189 are installed on the ceiling of the operating room and are capable of capturing images of the hands of an operator (doctor) 5181 performing treatment on an affected area of ​​a patient 5185 on a patient bed 5183, as well as the entire operating room. The ceiling camera 5187 and the operating room camera 5189 may be equipped with functions for adjusting magnification, focal length, and shooting direction. A light 5191 is installed on the ceiling of the operating room and illuminates at least the hands of the operator 5181. The light 5191 may be capable of adjusting the amount of light emitted, the wavelength (color) of the emitted light, the direction of light emission, etc. as appropriate.

[0136] The endoscopic surgery system 5113, patient bed 5183, ceiling camera 5187, operating room camera 5189, and lighting 5191 are interconnected via an audiovisual controller 5107 and an operating room control device 5109 (not shown in FIG. 22), as shown in Fig. 20. A centralized operation panel 5111 is provided in the operating room, and as described above, the user can operate these devices present in the operating room as appropriate via the centralized operation panel 5111.

[0137] Below, we will explain in detail the configuration of the endoscopic surgery system 5113. As shown in the figure, the endoscopic surgery system 5113 is composed of an endoscope 5115, other surgical tools 5131, a support arm device 5141 that supports the endoscope 5115, and a cart 5151 on which various devices for endoscopic surgery are mounted.

[0138] In endoscopic surgery, instead of cutting the abdominal wall and opening the abdomen, multiple tubular drilling instruments called trocars 5139a to 5139d are punctured into the abdominal wall. Then, a lens barrel 5117 of an endoscope 5115 and other surgical instruments 5131 are inserted into the body cavity of a patient 5185 through the trocars 5139a to 5139d. In the illustrated example, as the other surgical instruments 5131, an insufflation tube 5133, an energy treatment instrument 5135, and forceps 5137 are inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5185. The energy treatment instrument 5135 is a treatment instrument that uses high-frequency current or ultrasonic vibration to incise and dissect tissue, seal blood vessels, or the like. However, the illustrated surgical instrument 5131 is merely an example, and various surgical instruments generally used in endoscopic surgery, such as a suction cup or a retractor, may be used as the surgical instrument 5131.

[0139] An image of the operation site inside the body cavity of the patient 5185 photographed by the endoscope 5115 is displayed on the display device 5155. The surgeon 5181 performs treatment such as excising the affected area using the energy treatment tool 5135 and forceps 5137 while viewing the image of the operation site displayed on the display device 5155 in real time. Although not shown in the figure, the insufflation tube 5133, the energy treatment tool 5135, and the forceps 5137 are supported by the surgeon 5181 or an assistant or the like during surgery.

[0140] (Support arm device) The support arm device 5141 includes an arm portion 5145 extending from a base portion 5143. In the example shown, the arm portion 5145 is composed of joints 5147a, 5147b, and 5147c and links 5149a and 5149b, and is driven under the control of an arm control device 5159. The arm portion 5145 supports the endoscope 5115, and controls its position and posture. This allows the endoscope 5115 to be stably fixed in position.

[0141] (Endoscopy) The endoscope 5115 is composed of a lens barrel 5117, a region of a predetermined length from the tip of which is inserted into a body cavity of a patient 5185, and a camera head 5119 connected to the base end of the lens barrel 5117. In the example shown in the figure, the endoscope 5115 is configured as a so-called rigid lens barrel having a rigid lens barrel 5117, but the endoscope 5115 may also be configured as a so-called flexible lens barrel having a flexible lens barrel 5117.

[0142] An opening into which an objective lens is fitted is provided at the tip of the lens barrel 5117. A light source device 5157 is connected to the endoscope 5115, and light generated by the light source device 5157 is guided to the tip of the lens barrel by a light guide extending inside the lens barrel 5117, and is irradiated via the objective lens towards an object to be observed inside the body cavity of the patient 5185. The endoscope 5115 may be a direct-viewing endoscope, an oblique-viewing endoscope, or a side-viewing endoscope.

[0143] An optical system and an image sensor are provided inside the camera head 5119, and reflected light (observation light) from the observation object is focused onto the image sensor by the optical system. The image sensor photoelectrically converts the observation light to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the observation light, i.e., an image signal corresponding to the observation image. The image signal is transmitted as RAW data to a camera control unit (CCU) 5153. The camera head 5119 is equipped with a function for adjusting the magnification and focal length by appropriately driving the optical system.

[0144] Note that, for example, to support stereoscopic vision (3D display), a plurality of imaging elements may be provided in the camera head 5119. In this case, a plurality of relay optical systems are provided inside the lens barrel 5117 to guide observation light to each of the plurality of imaging elements.

[0145] (Various devices mounted on the cart) The CCU 5153 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and comprehensively controls the operations of the endoscope 5115 and the display device 5155. Specifically, the CCU 5153 performs various image processing, such as development processing (demosaic processing), on an image signal received from the camera head 5119 in order to display an image based on the image signal. The CCU 5153 provides the processed image signal to the display device 5155. The audiovisual controller 5107 shown in FIG. 20 is also connected to the CCU 5153. The CCU 5153 also provides the processed image signal to the audiovisual controller 5107. The CCU 5153 also transmits a control signal to the camera head 5119 to control its drive. The control signal may include information regarding imaging conditions such as magnification and focal length. The information regarding the imaging conditions may be input via the input device 5161 or the centralized operation panel 5111 described above.

[0146] The display device 5155, under the control of the CCU 5153, displays an image based on an image signal that has been subjected to image processing by the CCU 5153. If the endoscope 5115 is compatible with high-resolution imaging, such as 4K (3840 horizontal pixels × 2160 vertical pixels) or 8K (7680 horizontal pixels × 4320 vertical pixels), and / or compatible with 3D display, the display device 5155 may be capable of displaying high resolution and / or 3D display, respectively. If the endoscope is compatible with high-resolution imaging, such as 4K or 8K, a display device 5155 with a size of 55 inches or more can be used to provide a more immersive experience. Furthermore, multiple display devices 5155 with different resolutions and sizes may be provided depending on the application.

[0147] The light source device 5157 is configured from a light source such as an LED (light emitting diode), and supplies the endoscope 5115 with irradiation light when photographing the operation site.

[0148] The arm control device 5159 is configured by a processor such as a CPU, and operates according to a predetermined program to control the driving of the arm portion 5145 of the support arm device 5141 according to a predetermined control method.

[0149] The input device 5161 is an input interface for the endoscopic surgery system 5113. A user can input various types of information and instructions to the endoscopic surgery system 5113 via the input device 5161. For example, the user inputs various types of information related to surgery, such as physical information about the patient and information about the surgical procedure, via the input device 5161. Furthermore, for example, the user inputs via the input device 5161 an instruction to drive the arm unit 5145, an instruction to change the imaging conditions (type of irradiation light, magnification, focal length, etc.) of the endoscope 5115, an instruction to drive the energy treatment tool 5135, etc.

[0150] The type of input device 5161 is not limited, and may be any of various known input devices. For example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a switch, a foot switch 5171, and / or a lever may be applied as the input device 5161. When a touch panel is used as the input device 5161, the touch panel may be provided on the display surface of the display device 5155.

[0151] Alternatively, the input device 5161 is a device worn by the user, such as a glasses-type wearable device or an HMD (Head Mounted Display), and various inputs are made in response to the user's gestures and line of sight detected by these devices. The input device 5161 also includes a camera capable of detecting the user's movements, and various inputs are made in response to the user's gestures and line of sight detected from the video captured by the camera. The input device 5161 also includes a microphone capable of capturing the user's voice, and various inputs are made by voice via the microphone. Since the input device 5161 is configured to be able to input various types of information in a non-contact manner, it becomes possible for a user (e.g., the surgeon 5181) in a clean area to operate equipment in an unclean area in a non-contact manner. Furthermore, the user can operate the equipment without removing their hands from the surgical tools they are holding, improving user convenience.

[0152] The treatment tool control device 5163 controls the driving of an energy treatment tool 5135 for cauterizing tissue, incising, sealing blood vessels, etc. The insufflation device 5165 sends gas into the body cavity of the patient 5185 through the insufflation tube 5133 in order to ensure a field of view for the endoscope 5115 and to ensure a working space for the surgeon. The recorder 5167 is a device capable of recording various types of information related to the surgery. The printer 5169 is a device capable of printing various types of information related to the surgery in various formats such as text, images, or graphs.

[0153] Below, the particularly characteristic configuration of the endoscopic surgery system 5113 will be described in more detail.

[0154] (Support arm device) The support arm device 5141 includes a base 5143 serving as a base and an arm 5145 extending from the base 5143. In the illustrated example, the arm 5145 is composed of a plurality of joints 5147a, 5147b, and 5147c and a plurality of links 5149a and 5149b connected by the joint 5147b; however, for simplicity, FIG. 22 illustrates a simplified configuration of the arm 5145. In practice, the shapes, number, and arrangement of the joints 5147a to 5147c and the links 5149a and 5149b, as well as the directions of the rotation axes of the joints 5147a to 5147c, can be appropriately set so that the arm 5145 has the desired degrees of freedom. For example, the arm 5145 can be preferably configured to have six or more degrees of freedom. This allows the endoscope 5115 to be moved freely within the movable range of the arm portion 5145, making it possible to insert the telescope tube 5117 of the endoscope 5115 into the body cavity of the patient 5185 from the desired direction.

[0155] The joints 5147a to 5147c are provided with actuators, and the joints 5147a to 5147c are configured to be rotatable around predetermined rotation axes by driving the actuators. The driving of the actuators is controlled by an arm control device 5159, thereby controlling the rotation angles of the joints 5147a to 5147c and controlling the driving of the arm 5145. This makes it possible to control the position and attitude of the endoscope 5115. In this case, the arm control device 5159 can control the driving of the arm 5145 by various known control methods, such as force control or position control.

[0156] For example, the surgeon 5181 may appropriately input an operation via the input device 5161 (including the foot switch 5171), and the arm control device 5159 may appropriately control the drive of the arm unit 5145 in accordance with the operation input, thereby controlling the position and posture of the endoscope 5115. Through this control, the endoscope 5115 at the tip of the arm unit 5145 can be moved from any position to any position, and then fixedly supported at the position after movement. The arm unit 5145 may be operated in a so-called master-slave manner. In this case, the arm unit 5145 can be remotely controlled by a user via the input device 5161 installed in a location away from the operating room.

[0157] Furthermore, when force control is applied, the arm control device 5159 may perform so-called power assist control, in which the actuators of the joints 5147a to 5147c are driven so that the arm unit 5145 receives an external force from the user and moves smoothly in accordance with the external force. This allows the arm unit 5145 to be moved with a relatively light force when the user moves the arm unit 5145 while directly touching it. This makes it possible to move the endoscope 5115 more intuitively and with a simpler operation, improving user convenience.

[0158] Generally, in endoscopic surgery, the endoscope 5115 is supported by a doctor called a scopist. In contrast, by using the support arm device 5141, the position of the endoscope 5115 can be fixed more reliably without manual intervention, making it possible to obtain stable images of the surgical site and perform the surgery smoothly.

[0159] It should be noted that the arm control device 5159 does not necessarily have to be provided on the cart 5151. Furthermore, the arm control device 5159 does not necessarily have to be one device. For example, an arm control device 5159 may be provided on each of the joints 5147a to 5147c of the arm section 5145 of the support arm device 5141, and the drive control of the arm section 5145 may be realized by the multiple arm control devices 5159 working together.

[0160] (Light source device) The light source device 5157 supplies the endoscope 5115 with illumination light for photographing the surgical site. The light source device 5157 is composed of a white light source constituted by, for example, an LED, a laser light source, or a combination of these. In this case, if the white light source is constituted by a combination of RGB laser light sources, the output intensity and output timing of each color (each wavelength) can be controlled with high precision, and the light source device 5157 can adjust the white balance of the captured image. In this case, it is also possible to irradiate the object of observation with laser light from each of the RGB laser light sources in a time-division manner and control the drive of the image sensor of the camera head 5119 in synchronization with the irradiation timing, thereby capturing images corresponding to each of the RGB colors in a time-division manner. According to this method, a color image can be obtained without providing a color filter to the image sensor.

[0161] Furthermore, the light source device 5157 may be controlled to change the intensity of light it outputs at predetermined time intervals. By controlling the driving of the image sensor of the camera head 5119 in synchronization with the timing of the change in the light intensity to acquire images in a time-division manner and combining the images, it is possible to generate an image with a high dynamic range that is free from so-called blocked-up shadows and blown-out highlights.

[0162] The light source device 5157 may also be configured to supply light in a predetermined wavelength band corresponding to special light observation. Special light observation, for example, utilizes the wavelength dependency of light absorption in body tissues to irradiate light with a narrower band than the light irradiated during normal observation (i.e., white light), thereby capturing high-contrast images of specific tissues, such as blood vessels on the surface of mucous membranes, known as narrow-band imaging. Alternatively, special light observation may be performed using fluorescence observation, in which an image is obtained using fluorescence generated by irradiating excitation light. Fluorescence observation may involve irradiating excitation light onto a body tissue and observing the fluorescence from the tissue (autofluorescence observation), or irradiating the body tissue with excitation light corresponding to the fluorescent wavelength of a reagent such as indocyanine green (ICG) to obtain a fluorescent image. The light source device 5157 may be configured to supply narrow-band light and / or excitation light corresponding to such special light observation.

[0163] (camera head and CCU) The functions of the camera head 5119 and the CCU 5153 of the endoscope 5115 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the camera head 5119 and the CCU 5153 shown in Fig. 22.

[0164] 23, the camera head 5119 has, as its functions, a lens unit 5121, an imaging unit 5123, a drive unit 5125, a communication unit 5127, and a camera head control unit 5129. The CCU 5153 has, as its functions, a communication unit 5173, an image processing unit 5175, and a control unit 5177. The camera head 5119 and the CCU 5153 are connected by a transmission cable 5179 to be able to communicate bidirectionally.

[0165] First, the functional configuration of the camera head 5119 will be described. The lens unit 5121 is an optical system provided at the connection portion with the lens barrel 5117. Observation light taken in from the tip of the lens barrel 5117 is guided to the camera head 5119 and enters the lens unit 5121. The lens unit 5121 is configured by combining multiple lenses including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The optical characteristics of the lens unit 5121 are adjusted so as to focus the observation light on the light receiving surface of the image sensor of the imaging section 5123. In addition, the zoom lens and focus lens are configured so that their positions on the optical axis can be moved to adjust the magnification and focus of the captured image.

[0166] The imaging unit 5123 is composed of an imaging element and is disposed after the lens unit 5121. Observation light passing through the lens unit 5121 is collected on the light receiving surface of the imaging element, and an image signal corresponding to the observed image is generated by photoelectric conversion. The image signal generated by the imaging unit 5123 is provided to the communication unit 5127.

[0167] The imaging element constituting the imaging unit 5123 is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type image sensor that has a Bayer array and is capable of color imaging. The imaging element may be capable of capturing high-resolution images of, for example, 4K or higher. Obtaining high-resolution images of the surgical site allows the surgeon 5181 to grasp the state of the surgical site in more detail, enabling the surgery to proceed more smoothly.

[0168] Furthermore, the imaging element constituting the imaging unit 5123 is configured to have a pair of imaging elements for respectively acquiring image signals for the right eye and the left eye corresponding to 3D display. 3D display enables the surgeon 5181 to more accurately grasp the depth of the biological tissue in the surgical site. When the imaging unit 5123 is configured as a multi-plate type, multiple lens units 5121 are also provided corresponding to the respective imaging elements.

[0169] Furthermore, the imaging unit 5123 does not necessarily have to be provided in the camera head 5119. For example, the imaging unit 5123 may be provided inside the lens barrel 5117, immediately after the objective lens.

[0170] The drive unit 5125 is configured by an actuator, and moves the zoom lens and focus lens of the lens unit 5121 by a predetermined distance along the optical axis under the control of the camera head control unit 5129. This allows the magnification and focus of the image captured by the imaging unit 5123 to be adjusted appropriately.

[0171] The communication unit 5127 is configured by a communication device for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the CCU 5153. The communication unit 5127 transmits image signals obtained from the imaging unit 5123 as RAW data to the CCU 5153 via the transmission cable 5179. At this time, in order to display the captured image of the surgical site with low latency, it is preferable that the image signals be transmitted by optical communication. This is because, during surgery, the surgeon 5181 performs surgery while observing the condition of the affected area using the captured image, and for a safer and more reliable surgery, it is necessary that moving images of the surgical site be displayed as real-time as possible. When optical communication is performed, the communication unit 5127 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts electrical signals into optical signals. The image signal is converted into an optical signal by the photoelectric conversion module and then transmitted to the CCU 5153 via the transmission cable 5179.

[0172] The communication unit 5127 also receives control signals for controlling the driving of the camera head 5119 from the CCU 5153. The control signals include information regarding imaging conditions, such as information specifying the frame rate of the captured image, information specifying the exposure value during imaging, and / or information specifying the magnification and focus of the captured image. The communication unit 5127 provides the received control signals to the camera head control unit 5129. Note that the control signals from the CCU 5153 may also be transmitted by optical communication. In this case, the communication unit 5127 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts optical signals into electrical signals, and the control signals are converted into electrical signals by the photoelectric conversion module and then provided to the camera head control unit 5129.

[0173] The image capturing conditions such as the frame rate, exposure value, magnification, and focus are automatically set by the control unit 5177 of the CCU 5153 based on the acquired image signal. That is, the endoscope 5115 is equipped with so-called AE (Auto Exposure) function, AF (Auto Focus) function, and AWB (Auto White Balance) function.

[0174] The camera head control unit 5129 controls the driving of the camera head 5119 based on a control signal received from the CCU 5153 via the communication unit 5127. For example, the camera head control unit 5129 controls the driving of the image sensor of the imaging unit 5123 based on information specifying the frame rate of the captured image and / or information specifying the exposure during image capture. Also, for example, the camera head control unit 5129 appropriately moves the zoom lens and focus lens of the lens unit 5121 via the drive unit 5125 based on information specifying the magnification and focus of the captured image. The camera head control unit 5129 may further have a function of storing information for identifying the lens barrel 5117 and the camera head 5119.

[0175] In addition, by arranging the components such as the lens unit 5121 and the imaging unit 5123 in a sealed structure that is highly airtight and waterproof, the camera head 5119 can be made resistant to autoclave sterilization.

[0176] Next, the functional configuration of the CCU 5153 will be described. The communication unit 5173 is configured by a communication device for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the camera head 5119. The communication unit 5173 receives an image signal transmitted from the camera head 5119 via a transmission cable 5179. At this time, as described above, the image signal may be preferably transmitted by optical communication. In this case, in order to support optical communication, the communication unit 5173 is provided with an optoelectric conversion module that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The communication unit 5173 provides the image signal converted into an electrical signal to the image processing unit 5175.

[0177] Furthermore, the communication unit 5173 transmits to the camera head 5119 a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5119. This control signal may also be transmitted by optical communication.

[0178] The image processing unit 5175 performs various types of image processing on the image signal, which is RAW data transmitted from the camera head 5119. The image processing includes various known signal processing such as development processing, high image quality processing (band enhancement processing, super-resolution processing, NR (Noise Reduction) processing, and / or image stabilization processing, etc.), and / or enlargement processing (electronic zoom processing), etc. The image processing unit 5175 also performs detection processing on the image signal to perform AE, AF, and AWB.

[0179] The image processing unit 5175 is configured with a processor such as a CPU or GPU, and the processor operates according to a predetermined program to perform the image processing and detection processing described above. If the image processing unit 5175 is configured with multiple GPUs, the image processing unit 5175 divides information related to the image signal as appropriate, and performs image processing in parallel using these multiple GPUs.

[0180] The control unit 5177 performs various controls related to the imaging of the surgical site by the endoscope 5115 and the display of the captured image. For example, the control unit 5177 generates a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5119. At this time, if the imaging conditions have been input by the user, the control unit 5177 generates the control signal based on the input by the user. Alternatively, if the endoscope 5115 is equipped with an AE function, an AF function, and an AWB function, the control unit 5177 appropriately calculates the optimal exposure value, focal length, and white balance according to the result of detection processing by the image processing unit 5175, and generates the control signal.

[0181] The control unit 5177 also displays an image of the surgical site on the display device 5155 based on the image signal subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 5175. At this time, the control unit 5177 recognizes various objects in the surgical site image using various image recognition technologies. For example, the control unit 5177 can recognize surgical tools such as forceps, specific biological parts, bleeding, mist generated when using the energy treatment tool 5135, and the like by detecting the shape and color of the edges of objects included in the surgical site image. When displaying the image of the surgical site on the display device 5155, the control unit 5177 uses the recognition results to superimpose various surgical support information on the image of the surgical site. By superimposing the surgical support information and presenting it to the surgeon 5181, the surgery can be carried out more safely and reliably.

[0182] The transmission cable 5179 connecting the camera head 5119 and the CCU 5153 is an electrical signal cable for communication of electrical signals, an optical fiber for optical communication, or a composite cable of these.

[0183] In the illustrated example, communication is performed wired using the transmission cable 5179, but communication between the camera head 5119 and the CCU 5153 may be performed wirelessly. When communication between them is performed wirelessly, there is no need to lay the transmission cable 5179 in the operating room, which can eliminate the situation where the transmission cable 5179 interferes with the movement of medical staff in the operating room.

[0184] An example of an operating room system 5100 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied has been described above. Note that, although a case where the medical system to which the operating room system 5100 is applied is an endoscopic surgery system 5113 has been described as an example here, the configuration of the operating room system 5100 is not limited to this example. For example, the operating room system 5100 may be applied to an inspection flexible endoscope system or a microsurgery system instead of the endoscopic surgery system 5113.

[0185] The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, the display unit of an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying information, among the configurations described above.

[0186] [others] The technology of the present disclosure can also be configured as follows.

[0187] [A1] a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. Liquid crystal display element. [A2] The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The liquid crystal display element according to the above [A1]. [A3] the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the diagonal direction of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; The liquid crystal display element according to the above [A1] or [A2]. [A4] The pixel electrode is formed on the surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process. The liquid crystal display element according to any one of [A1] to [A3] above.

[0188] [B1] A liquid crystal display element; a light source unit that irradiates light onto the liquid crystal display element; It contains The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. Display device. [B2] The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The display device according to [B1] above. [B3] the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the diagonal direction of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; The display device according to [B1] or [B2] above. [B4] The pixel electrode is formed on the surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process. The display device according to any one of [B1] to [B3] above.

[0189] [C1] A liquid crystal display element; a light source unit that irradiates light onto the liquid crystal display element; It contains The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between a drive substrate and an opposing substrate; It contains The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. An electronic device equipped with a display device. [C2] The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The electronic device according to [C1] above. [C3] the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the diagonal direction of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; The electronic device according to [C1] or [C2] above. [C4] The pixel electrode is formed on the surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process. The electronic device according to any one of [C1] to [C3] above.

[0190] [D1] A driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, The pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, The pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. Drive board. [D2] The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The driving substrate according to [D1] above. [D3] the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the diagonal direction of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; The driving substrate according to [D1] or [D2] above. [D4] The pixel electrode is formed on the surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process. The driving substrate according to any one of [D1] to [D3] above.

[0191] [E1] A method for manufacturing a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, comprising: forming a wiring layer on a support substrate; a step of forming vias for connecting the wiring layer and each pixel electrode; forming a light-reflective pixel electrode on the wiring layer; It contains In the step of forming vias, the positions at which the vias are formed corresponding to the respective pixel electrodes are set to vary depending on the positions at which the pixel electrodes are disposed. A method for manufacturing a drive substrate. [E2] The connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change randomly depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged. The method for manufacturing the driving substrate according to [E1] above. [E3] The connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the diagonal direction of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix. A method for manufacturing a driving substrate according to [E1] or [E2] above. [E4] forming pixel electrodes on the surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization treatment; A method for manufacturing a driving substrate according to any one of [E1] to [E3] above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0192] 1,9... liquid crystal display element, 11... horizontal drive circuit, 12... vertical drive circuit, 100,900... drive substrate, 110... support substrate, 111... transistor, 120,920... wiring layer, 121... insulating layer, 123,123A,123B... interlayer insulating layer, 124... via, 125... first relay electrode, 126... via, 127... second relay electrode, 128... via, 131... light-reflective pixel electrode, 132... planarization film, 133... alignment film, 140... liquid crystal material layer, 141... liquid crystal molecules, 150... opposing substrate, 151... rectangular base material, 152... Counter electrode, 153... alignment film, 154... polarizer, 160... sealing portion, 400... display device, 410... light source portion, 420... illumination optical system, 430... image control circuit, 440... projection optical system, 450... screen, 511... camera main body portion, 512... photographing lens unit, 513... grip portion, 514... monitor, 515... viewfinder, 611... eyeglass-shaped display portion, 612... ear hook portion, 700... eyeglasses (eyewear), 711... see-through head-mounted display, 712... main body portion, 713... arm, 714... lens barrel

Claims

1. a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between the drive substrate and the counter substrate, the pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, the pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, a surface of the via on the pixel electrode side has a concave or convex shape with respect to a surface of an interlayer insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the wiring layer on the pixel electrode side; a surface of the pixel electrode on the liquid crystal material layer side has a partially concave or convex shape according to a surface of the via; A liquid crystal display element, wherein the connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

2. 2. The liquid crystal display element according to claim 1, wherein the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set to vary randomly depending on the positions at which the pixel electrodes are arranged.

3. 2. The liquid crystal display element according to claim 1, wherein the connection positions of the vias in each pixel electrode are set so as not to have periodicity in at least one of the horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions of the pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix.

4. A liquid crystal display element as described in claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode is formed on a surface of the wiring layer that has been subjected to a planarization process.

5. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display element and a light source unit that irradiates the liquid crystal display element with light, The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between the drive substrate and the counter substrate, the pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, the pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, a surface of the via on the pixel electrode side has a concave or convex shape with respect to a surface of an interlayer insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the wiring layer on the pixel electrode side; a surface of the pixel electrode on the liquid crystal material layer side has a partially concave or convex shape according to a surface of the via; A display device, wherein the connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

6. a liquid crystal display element; and a light source unit that irradiates the liquid crystal display element with light, The liquid crystal display element is a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a counter substrate disposed opposite the drive substrate; a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between the drive substrate and the counter substrate; It contains the pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, the pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, a surface of the via on the pixel electrode side has a concave or convex shape with respect to a surface of an interlayer insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the wiring layer on the pixel electrode side; a surface of the pixel electrode on the liquid crystal material layer side has a partially concave or convex shape according to a surface of the via; An electronic device comprising a display device, wherein the connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

7. A driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, the pixel electrodes are formed on a wiring layer provided on the drive substrate, the pixel electrode and the wiring layer are electrically connected through a via provided in the wiring layer, a surface of the via on the pixel electrode side has a concave or convex shape with respect to a surface of an interlayer insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the wiring layer on the pixel electrode side; a surface of the pixel electrode on the liquid crystal material layer side has a partially concave or convex shape according to a surface of the via; A drive substrate, wherein the connection position of the via in each pixel electrode is set to change depending on the position where the pixel electrode is arranged.

8. A method for manufacturing a driving substrate having light-reflective pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, comprising: forming a wiring layer on a support substrate; forming vias for connecting the wiring layer to each pixel electrode; forming the pixel electrode, which is light reflective, on the wiring layer; The step of forming a via includes: forming an opening in an interlayer insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the wiring layer; forming the via material in the opening; polishing the via material until the interlayer dielectric layer is exposed; a surface of the via has a concave or convex shape with respect to a surface of the interlayer insulating layer, and a formation position of the via corresponding to each pixel electrode is set to change depending on a position where the pixel electrode is arranged; The step of forming the pixel electrode includes: forming and patterning a material for the pixel electrode on a surface of the interlayer insulating layer and the via; The method for manufacturing a driving substrate, wherein the surface of the pixel electrode is partially concave or convex according to the surface of the via.

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