Light Guide Member for LCD Through Hole Backlight

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Solution Overview

Problem

In liquid crystal displays (LCDs), the presence of a through hole in the backlight member for the front camera disrupts the backlight source, leading to incomplete display effects, particularly affecting full-screen displays and integration with other functional modules.

Innovation Solution

A liquid crystal display design incorporating a light guide member with obliquely arranged first and second light emergent surfaces within the through hole, along with a light emission member, ensures that light is projected onto the liquid crystal module, providing a backlight source and optimizing the display effect, while also enhancing the fit and structural integration with other modules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a through hole is formed in the backlight member for the front camera, then the image-capturing function of the front camera is ensured, but the backlight source is disrupted and full-screen display effect is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage-capturing functionVSAvoidfull-screen display effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The through hole in the backlight member is segmented into multiple functional zones: a camera passage for the front camera and a light guide passage for light transmission. This segmentation allows both the camera function and display function to coexist without interfering with each other, resolving the contradiction between image-capturing capability and full-screen display effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the liquid crystal module. This light guide member redirects light around the camera passage, ensuring that light can still reach the liquid crystal module even though the through hole disrupts the direct light path. This intermediary solution maintains both camera functionality and display quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a through hole is formed in the backlight member for the front camera, then the front camera function is maintained, but the display integrity is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefront camera functionVSAvoiddisplay integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The through hole is divided into distinct functional regions: a camera passage for optical access and a light guide passage for light transmission. This segmentation ensures that the camera function is preserved while the light guide passage maintains display integrity by providing an alternative light transmission path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The light guide member acts as an intermediary that redirects light around the camera passage, ensuring that light can still reach the liquid crystal module through the light guide passage. This maintains display integrity while allowing the camera to function through the same through hole structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Shape

If the light guide member is added to provide backlight for the through hole area, then the full-screen display effect is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefull-screen display effectVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide member is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it guides light from the light source, redirects light around the camera passage, provides backlight for the liquid crystal module, and maintains the full-screen display effect. By making this single component multi-functional, the patent avoids the need for multiple separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The light guide member combines several functions into a single integrated component: light guidance, light redirection, and display support. This merging of functions reduces the overall number of components needed in the system, offsetting the added complexity of introducing the light guide member itself.

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

This solution enables a full-screen display effect by providing a consistent backlight source to areas previously affected by the through hole, improving display integrity and structural fit with other components, such as cameras, without compromising image-capturing functionality.

Implementation Method 1

a light guide member arranged in the first through hole and having a second through hole, the light guide member including a light incident surface and a first light emergent surface on a wall surrounding the second through hole

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3722870B1Liquid crystal display and terminal
Publication Date: 2021.06.16 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3722870B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3722870B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3722870B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A liquid crystal display and a terminal are provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a liquid crystal module; a backlight member arranged under the liquid crystal module and having a first through hole; a light guide member arranged in the first through hole and having a second through hole, the light guide member including a light incident surface and a first light emergent surface on a wall surrounding the second through hole, the first light emergent surface being obliquely arranged towards the liquid crystal module; and a light emission member arranged opposing the light incident surface and configured to emit light into the light guide member therethrough. A part of the light entering the light guide member is projected on a portion of the liquid crystal module corresponding to a center area of the first through hole after being emitted from the first light emergent surface.