Multi-view display

• US 20060191177A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Pure Depth Limited
• Inventors: Engel, Gabriel Damon
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/453
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/656 the user being a passenger
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13

Abstract

A multi view display (5) provides different viewing angles for different images (3, 4). The display (5) may comprise a single screen on which two or more images (3, 4) are interleaved, or a number of overlapping screens on which respective images (3, 4) are displayed. Viewing manipulation means such as privacy films or lenticular arrays control the viewing angles for each image (3, 4). The multiview display (5) may be used in a vehicle, to simultaneously display a movie (3) to a passenger (1), and a navigation image (3) to a driver (2).

Claims

1. A multiple layer display comprising:

a first substantially planar display layer,

a second substantially planar display layer overlapping at least a portion of the first display layer and positioned substantially parallel thereto, the first and second display layers capable of displaying first and second video images respectively thereon and the transparency of the second layer being adjustable to control the visibility of the overlapping portion of the first display layer through the second display layer,

wherein the first and second display layers include image directing means which direct the images displayed thereon in first and second directions, or ranges of directions, respectively so that the images displayed on the first and second display layers are viewable only at first and second viewing angles or ranges of viewing angles respectively, and

wherein the first and second viewing angles or ranges of viewing angles are not the same.

2. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second display layers are both liquid crystal display layers.

3. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diffusion means is provided between the overlapping portions of the first and second display layers to reduce moire interference therebetween.

4. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is no overlap between the viewing angles or range of viewing angles of the first display layer and the viewing angle or range of viewing angles of the second display layer.

5. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is some overlap between the viewing angles or range of viewing angles of the first display layer and the viewing angle or range of viewing angles of the second display layer.

6. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein viewing angle enhancing means are applied to at least one of said first and second display layers to increase the range of viewing angles at which an image displayed on said at least one display layer is viewable.

7. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 6, wherein said viewing angle enhancing means comprises a wide angle viewing diffuser positioned in front of one of said display layers.

8. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image directing means comprise at least one of:

i) light control film,

ii) holographic diffusion film,

iii) prismatic film,

iv) a parallax barrier, and

v) a lenticular lens.

9. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image directing means controls the cell structure of the liquid crystal within at least one of the first or second display layers.

10. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image directing means is formed by arranging the liquid crystal molecules within at least one of the first or second display layers at a predetermined angle to the surface of that display layer.

11. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image displayed on one display layer is made up of separate interlaced primary and secondary images and a viewing angle dependent filtering means is provided in front of said display layer,

wherein the primary image is viewable from a range of primary viewing angles and the secondary image is viewable from a range of secondary viewing angles, and

wherein the range of primary viewing angles overlaps with either the first or second range of viewing angles of the other display layer and the range of secondary viewing angles overlaps with the second or first range of viewing angles or the other display layer.

12. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viewing angle dependent filtering means comprises a lens stripe pattern.

13. A multiple layer display as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional substantially planar, selectively transparent, display layers are provided beneath the second display layer overlapped with said first and second display layers.