See-Through Liquid Crystal Panel Layout for Bidirectional Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid crystal display devices do not allow the background to be seen through while displaying images, limiting their functionality and versatility.
Innovation Solution
A display device design featuring a liquid crystal layer between two transparent substrates with a light source illuminating one side, incorporating a display area with pixels and a non-display area with dummy pixels, allowing visibility from both sides and maintaining consistent light transmittance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a liquid crystal display device uses a backlight arranged behind the liquid crystal panel to display images, then image visibility is achieved, but the background cannot be seen through the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The display area is divided into multiple pixels with different light transmittance characteristics. Some pixels are designed to transmit light strongly for image display, while others transmit light weakly for background visibility, allowing both functions to coexist through spatial segmentation of optical properties
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the liquid crystal panel are assigned different optical properties. The display region uses liquid crystal molecules oriented to control light transmission for image formation, while the background visibility region uses different molecular orientation to maintain high light transmittance, creating local quality differences that resolve the contradiction
2Ease of manufacture
If the display area and non-display area have different light transmittance characteristics, then image display function is achieved, but the boundary between areas becomes visually distinct and aesthetically poor
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid crystal panel utilizes optical property changes rather than color changes. By adjusting the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in different regions, the panel achieves different light transmittance levels that are imperceptible as color differences to the human eye, maintaining visual uniformity while achieving functional differentiation
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal layer composition and substrate structure are kept homogeneous across the entire panel, including both display and non-display areas. Only the molecular orientation differs, which creates subtle optical property variations that maintain overall visual homogeneity while enabling functional differentiation
3Illumination intensity
If a light source is arranged behind the liquid crystal panel for transmissive display, then image brightness is improved, but the device cannot allow background visibility from the front
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-sided backlighting approach to a bidirectional light transmission approach. By designing the liquid crystal panel to transmit light effectively in both directions and using a light source that illuminates from behind while maintaining front visibility through selective light transmission, the system achieves functionality in an additional spatial dimension
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal panel is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it displays images with adequate brightness while also allowing background visibility. The same liquid crystal layer and substrate structure serve both the image display function and the background visibility function, achieving multi-functionality without requiring separate systems
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 the background to be seen through the display while maintaining image visibility from both front and back sides, enhancing the device's functionality and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid crystal layer arranged between a pair of substrates
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a display panel having a liquid crystal layer arranged between a pair of substrates, a light source that makes light incident into the liquid crystal layer from one side surface of the display panel, the display panel includes a display area in which a plurality of pixels is arranged, a non-display area adjacent to the display area and in which a plurality of dummy pixels is arranged, a peripheral area arranged along a periphery of the display panel other than the one side surface and surrounding the non-display area, a driving circuit arranged in the peripheral area, a plurality of first wirings connected to the driving circuit and extending in a first direction, and a plurality of second wirings extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction.