Display Light Guide for Through-Hole Camera Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display technologies, particularly LCD, struggle to achieve a true full-screen design due to the presence of openings that hinder image display, such as those required for cameras, leading to suboptimal screen-to-body ratios and user experience.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a light guide body with optical microstructures and a light-emitting unit in the display device's through hole section, which directs light to compensate for the non-display areas, ensuring consistent image quality across the screen, including areas occupied by a camera.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a through hole is formed in the backlight module for camera integration, then the camera can perform image acquisition, but the area corresponding to the through hole cannot properly display images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecamera integration capabilityVSAvoiddisplay function in through hole area
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A light guide body is introduced as an intermediary component in the through hole area. This light guide body redirects light from the backlight module to illuminate the display area above the through hole, enabling both camera functionality and display functionality to coexist in the same physical space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The solution moves from a two-dimensional plane (the through hole opening) to a three-dimensional structure by extending the light guide body vertically into the backlight module. This dimensional transition allows light to be guided from below the display panel up to the display area, resolving the conflict between camera access and display coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the screen-to-body ratio is increased by reducing borders, then the visible area is maximized, but openings for sensors and cameras become more prominent and disrupt the full-screen effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisible display areaVSAvoidopening structures for sensors
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The camera and sensors are extracted from traditional border areas and integrated into the display area through through holes. The light guide body compensates for the removed display function in these extracted areas, allowing components to be placed within the display region without creating visible disruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The light guide body serves multiple functions: it provides backlight illumination for the display area, compensates for light loss in through hole regions, and enables both display and sensor/camera functions to operate simultaneously in the same physical space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables a true full-screen display by maintaining image quality and user experience through uniform brightness compensation, allowing the display device to function seamlessly across all areas, including those with integrated sensors.

Implementation Method 1

a light guide body with optical microstructures and a light-emitting unit in the display device's through hole section, which directs light to compensate for the non-display areas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical microstructure light guidance: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP4116765B1Display device
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECH CO LTD
  • EP4116765B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4116765B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP4116765B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

A display device is provided, including a backlight module, a liquid crystal cell, a light guide body, a light-emitting unit, and a camera unit. The backlight module includes a backlight section and a through hole section, and the backlight section surrounds at least a portion of the through hole section. The liquid crystal cell is disposed on the backlight module. The light guide body is disposed in the through hole section. The light-emitting unit is disposed on a light incident surface of the light guide body. The camera unit is disposed on a first surface of the light guide body. The display device and a corresponding part of an opening area cannot display an image correctly, which is prevented.