Hybrid OLED EPD Display for Bright Light Viewability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Emissive and reflective displays have limitations in different lighting conditions, with emissive displays washing out in bright light and reflective displays having slow refresh rates and limited color rendering.

Innovation Solution

Hybrid displays combining organic light emitting diode (OLED) and electrophoretic display (EPD) technologies on the same substrate, utilizing driving schemes to improve viewability across various environments by integrating OLED units and EPD units with color filter arrays and microcapsules or microcavities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If emissive displays are used, then color rendering and refresh rate are improved, but viewability in bright light deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefresh rateVSAvoidviewability in bright light

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines emissive OLED units and reflective EPD units into a single hybrid display structure. The OLED layer and EPD layer are stacked with the EPD layer positioned to reflect light back through the OLED layer, merging the advantages of both display types to achieve fast refresh rates while maintaining excellent viewability in bright light conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hybrid display uses a composite structure where organic light-emitting diode materials are combined with electrophoretic display materials. This composite arrangement allows the display to function as both an emissive and reflective display simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between refresh rate performance and bright light viewability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Illumination intensity

If reflective displays are used, then viewability in bright light is improved, but refresh rate and color rendering deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewability in bright lightVSAvoidrefresh rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges reflective EPD units with emissive OLED units in a stacked configuration. The EPD layer provides excellent reflective display performance for bright light conditions, while the OLED layer maintains fast refresh capabilities, thereby resolving the contradiction between bright light viewability and refresh rate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hybrid display structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it operates as both a reflective display and an emissive display, providing universal performance across different lighting conditions and maintaining both fast refresh rates and excellent color rendering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If a single display type is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different lighting conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay structureVSAvoidadaptability to lighting conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges OLED and EPD technologies into a single integrated hybrid display device. This unified structure maintains relatively simple device architecture while achieving superior adaptability to different lighting conditions through the complementary characteristics of the combined display types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enhances color and contrast in indoor environments, improves lighting and viewability, and increases functionality by accommodating different lighting conditions, offering an improved user experience.

Implementation Method 1

Hybrid displays combining organic light emitting diode (OLED) and electrophoretic display (EPD) technologies

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectroluminescence: Electroluminescence

Implementation Method 2

electrophoretic display (EPD) technologies

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrophoresis: Electrophoresis

Data Source

PatentUS10627694B1Hybrid displays including electrophoretic displays and light emitting diodes

Publication Date: 2020.04.21 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for hybrid displays including electrophoretic displays and organic light emitting diodes. In one embodiment, an example display may include an alternating array with OLED units and EPD units disposed on a substrate, a structural layer defining walls separating each of the EPD units, and a color filter array substrate disposed on a side of the display opposite the substrate. The OLED units may include red OLED units, green OLED units, and blue OLED units, and the color filter array may include red filters, green filters, and blue filters that align with the EPD segments that are adjacent to the red OLED units, the green OLED units, and the blue OLED units, respectively.