Full color display with intrinsic transparency

• US 10,565,925 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Perdices-Gonzalez, Sergio, Sadi, Sajid, Post, Ernest Rehmatulla
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis-Burns, Chineyere D
• Application Number:
  US15/629,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20170301288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 345 5
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0456 with a reflective area and a transmissive area combined in one pixel, such as in transflectance pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3446 with more than two electrodes controlling the modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/348 based on the deformation of a fluid drop, e.g. electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A device can include a first transparent display having a at least one pixel, wherein transparency of the at least one pixel is electronically controlled, and a second transparent display configured to emit an image. Selected regions of the image are shown by having regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image be transparent and regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image appear opaque.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first transparent display having a plurality of pixels, wherein transparency of the plurality of pixels is electronically controlled;

a second transparent display configured to emit an image;

wherein selected regions of the image are shown by having regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image be transparent and regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image appear at least partially opaque;

wherein the second transparent display is positioned in front of the first transparent display;

a camera configured to generate and store image data in a memory for a viewing cone defining an angular region from within which the first and second transparent displays can be viewed, wherein the viewing cone is located in front of the second transparent display; and

a processor configured to detect a gaze of a person located in the viewing cone from the image data and shift at least one of the regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image or the regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image based on alignment of the regions of the second transparent display with the regions of the first transparent display determined from an angle of the gaze of the person relative to a surface of the second transparent display facing the person.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second transparent display is a color transparent display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first transparent display is semi-static.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display, when electronically controlled to display as opaque, display as black.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second transparent display is an emissive display having emissive pixels configured to emit or modulate visible light, and the first transparent display is a non-emissive display wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display are configured to reflect, transmit, or absorb visible light.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the non-emissive display is a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display, an electrochromic display, an electro-dispersive display, a polymer stabilized liquid crystal, or an electrowetting display; and

the emissive display is a liquid-crystal display, a liquid crystal display comprising Smectic A liquid crystals, a light-emitting diode display, a light enhanced layer, or an organic light-emitting diode display.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the emissive display is a transparent organic light emitting diode display and the non-emissive display is an electrophoretic display.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the emissive display is a transparent light emitting diode display and the non-emissive display is a liquid crystal display comprising Smectic A liquid crystals.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display include dye.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display does not include dye and appears substantially white.

11. The device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display includes dye in particles, liquid crystal droplets, or liquid crystals of the non-emissive display.

12. The device of claim 5, wherein the second transparent display comprises a plurality of partially emissive pixels, wherein each partially emissive pixel comprises an addressable region and a clear region, and wherein the second transparent display does not include a fixed black mask, achieving increased transparency.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display are aligned with the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display and are viewable through the clear regions of the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein:

the memory is configured to store instructions; and

the processor is coupled to the memory and, in response to executing the instructions, is configured to initiate operations for controlling transparency of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display and the addressable regions of the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display is electronically controllable to display as clear, opaque, and grayscale at different times to improve contrast of the image when using an ambient light source.

16. A method, comprising:

providing a first transparent display having a plurality of pixels, wherein transparency of the plurality of pixels is electronically controlled;

providing a second transparent display configured to emit an image;

wherein selected regions of the image are shown by having regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image be transparent and regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image appear at least partially opaque;

wherein the second transparent display is positioned in front of the first transparent display;

generating image data for a viewing cone defining an angular region from within which the first and second transparent displays can be viewed, wherein the viewing cone is located in front of the second transparent display;

detecting a gaze of a person located in the viewing cone from the image data; and

shifting at least one of the regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image or the regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image based on alignment of the regions of the second transparent display with the regions of the first transparent display determined from an angle of the gaze of the person relative to a surface of the second transparent display facing the person.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second transparent display is a color transparent display.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first transparent display is semi-static.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display, when electronically controlled to display as opaque, display as black.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second transparent display is an emissive display having emissive pixels configured to emit or modulate visible light, and the first transparent display is a non-emissive display wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display are configured to reflect, transmit, or absorb visible light.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the non-emissive display is a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display, an electrochromic display, an electro-dispersive display, a polymer stabilized liquid crystal, or an electrowetting display; and

the emissive display is a liquid-crystal display, a liquid crystal display comprising Smectic A liquid crystals, a light-emitting diode display, a light enhanced layer, or an organic light-emitting diode display.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the emissive display is a transparent organic light emitting diode display and the non-emissive display is an electrophoretic display.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the emissive display is a transparent light emitting diode display and the non-emissive display is a liquid crystal display comprising Smectic A liquid crystals.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display includes dye.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display does not include dye and appears substantially white.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of pixels of the non-emissive display include dye in particles, liquid crystal droplets, or liquid crystals of the non-emissive display.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the second transparent display comprises a plurality of partially emissive pixels, wherein each partially emissive pixel comprises an addressable region and a clear region, and wherein the second transparent display does not include a fixed black mask, achieving increased transparency.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display are aligned with the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display and are viewable through the clear regions of the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

a memory is configured to store instructions; and

a processor is coupled to the memory and, in response to executing the instructions, is configured to initiate operations for controlling transparency of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display and the addressable regions of the partially emissive pixels of the second transparent display.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display is electronically controllable to display as clear, opaque, and grayscale at different times to improve contrast of the image when using an ambient light source.

31. A method, comprising:

receiving an image to be displayed on a device, the device comprising;

a first transparent display having a plurality of pixels, wherein transparency of the plurality of pixels is electronically controlled;

a second transparent display configured to emit an image; and

displaying the image on the device, wherein selected regions of the image are shown by having first regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image be transparent, and by having first regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image appear at least partially opaque;

wherein the second transparent display is positioned in front of the first transparent display;

wherein the second transparent display is an emissive display having emissive pixels configured to emit or modulate visible light, and the first transparent display is a non-emissive display wherein the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display are configured to reflect, transmit, or absorb visible light;

wherein each of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display is electronically controllable to display as clear, opaque, and grayscale at different times to improve contrast of the image when using an ambient light source;

generating image data for a viewing cone defining an angular region from within which the first and second transparent displays can be viewed, wherein the viewing cone is located in front of the second transparent display;

detecting a gaze of a person located in the viewing cone from the image data; and

shifting at least one of the first regions of the second transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image or the first regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the selected regions of the image based on alignment of the first regions of the second transparent display with the first regions of the first transparent display determined from an angle of the gaze of the person relative to a surface of the second transparent display facing the person.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second transparent display is a color transparent display.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the first transparent display is semi-static.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the displaying the image further comprises:

having second regions of the second transparent display corresponding to colored regions of the image display colors and having second regions of the first transparent display corresponding to the colored regions appear at least partially opaque to improve contrast of the colored regions of the image.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the first transparent display comprises a plurality of pixels and the second transparent display comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the shifting comprises:

adjusting transparency of at least one of the plurality of pixels of the first transparent display based on the angle of the gaze of the person.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the first transparent display comprises a plurality of pixels and the second transparent display comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the shifting comprises:

adjusting appearance of at least one of the plurality of pixels of the second transparent display based on the angle of the gaze of the person to align regions of the image displayed on the first transparent display with corresponding regions of the image displayed on the second transparent display.