Optical shutter for plasma display panel and driving method thereof

• US 20050128370A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Moon, Won Seok
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an optical shutter for a plasma display panel and driving method thereof. According to the present invention, an optical shutter, which employs a black organic solution that moves according to the electrowetting phenomenon and a pair of electrodes for providing voltages, is disposed on a display surface of the plasma display panel. In this state, during the non-display period, voltages are not applied to the optical shutter so that light emitted from the panel cannot transmit the optical shutter. During the display period, voltages having a different polarity are applied to the electrodes of the optical shutter so that light emitted from the panel can transmit the optical shutter. It is thus possible to completely prevent weak emission generating during the non-display period where cells are initialized and selected. Accordingly, there are effects in that contrast can be improved and the picture quality can be thus enhanced.

Claims

1. An optical shutter, comprising:

a first transparent substrate having a first electrode pattern and a dielectric layer;

barrier ribs formed on the dielectric layer for separating operating regions;

solutions that fill spaces between the barrier ribs; and

a second transparent substrate, which is formed on the barrier ribs and has a second electrode pattern.

2. The optical shutter according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has a hydrophobic property surface.

3. The optical shutter according to claim 1, wherein the solutions include a black organic solution and an aqueous solution.

4. An optical shutter, comprising:

a first transparent substrate, which includes a first electrode pattern and a dielectric layer having a hydrophobic property surface;

barrier ribs, which are formed on the dielectric layer and separate operating regions

a black organic solution and an aqueous solution both of which fill spaces between the barrier ribs; and

a second transparent substrate, which is formed on the barrier ribs and has a second electrode pattern.

5. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric layer is formed using polyimide or parylene and is below 10 μ

m in thickness, wherein fluorine based polymer of below 0.1 μ

m is coated on the dielectric layer so as to form the hydrophobic property surface.

6. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein the aqueous solution is a solution in which distilled water or electrolyte is dissolved, and if the aqueous solution in which the electrolyte is dissolved is used, the concentration of the electrolyte is below 0.3 mol/liter.

7. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein the organic solution is a solution in which a black non-polarity dye is dissolved using alkane of 10 to 16 in the carbon number as a solvent.

8. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern are symmetric to each other, and if voltages are applied to the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern, portions in which a black organic solution is concentrated are portions in which the respective electrodes are patterned and removed.

9. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein portions in which electrodes of the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern are removed are coincident with the location of the black matrix formed in an upper plate of a plasma display panel.

10. The optical shutter according to claim 4, wherein the first transparent substrate the second transparent substrate are a glass composition or a film (PET, PE, etc.).

11. A method of driving an organic solution optical shutter disposed on a display surface of a plasma display panel, comprising the steps of:

(a) during a non-display period where cells are initialized and selected for driving the panel, allowing an organic solution to block light emitted from the panel; and

(b) during a display period where the cells selected during the non-display period are light-emitted, applying voltages having a different polarity to electrodes of the optical shutter, whereby light emitted from the panel transmits portions of the optical shutter from which the organic solution is removed.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the voltages for driving the optical shutter are at least 80V, preferably over 100V.