Display element and display device using the same

• US 20070189667A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Seiji, Wakita, Naohide
• Application Number:
  US11/784,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/31
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3502 involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed waveguide between stationary waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3473 based on light coupled out of a light guide, e.g. due to scattering, by contracting the light guide with external means

Abstract

A display element is provided with a light source and a waveguide that propagates a light emitted from the light source, wherein the light propagated in the waveguide is extracted to outside from a waveguide lateral face, and wherein the light is extracted out of the waveguide from the waveguide lateral face by changing a shape of the waveguide lateral face.

Claims

1. A display element comprising a light source and a waveguide that comprises a deformable core and propagates a light emitted from the light source, wherein the light propagated in the waveguide is extracted to outside the display element from a waveguide lateral face,

the display element further comprising a plurality of actuators that deform a shape of the waveguide,

wherein the actuators are attached to the waveguide lateral face,

wherein the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by deformation of the actuators, and

wherein the actuators are operated selectively to deform a surface shape of at least a portion of the core on the waveguide lateral face to a concavo-convex shape, and the surface of the core deformed to the concavo-convex shape reflects the light propagated in the waveguide toward a direction that extracts the light out of the display element from the waveguide lateral face.

3. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises a cladding formed along one lateral face of the core,

wherein the actuators are attached to the cladding and the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by deforming the actuators.

6. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the actuators comprise a piezoelectric element, and

wherein the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by deforming the piezoelectric element by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element.

7. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the actuators comprise:

a first electrode film arranged at the waveguide lateral face,

a piezoelectric element layered on the first electrode film, and

a second electrode film layered on the piezoelectric element,

wherein the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by deforming the piezoelectric element by applying a voltage between the first electrode film arranged at the waveguide lateral face and the second electrode film layered on the piezoelectric element.

8. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the actuators comprise a convex portion, and

wherein the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by applying pressure to the waveguide lateral face with the convex portion.

9. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the actuators comprise:

an electrode film arranged at the waveguide lateral face, and

an external electrode film that is in opposition to and adjacent to the waveguide,

wherein the shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by an electrostatic force produced by applying a voltage between the external electrode film and the electrode film.

10. The display element according to claim 9, wherein the external electrode film comprises a convex portion at the waveguide lateral face, and a shape of the waveguide lateral face is changed by the convex portion of the external electrode film applying pressure to the waveguide lateral face by using the electrostatic force.

12. The display element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide comprises an elastic material.

13. The display element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide comprises a transparent gel.

14. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the actuators are formed for each of a plurality of pixels.

24. The display element according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a 3-color LED or a 3-color laser.

25. A display device comprising:

the display element according to claim 1,

a light source drive circuit for driving the light source,

an actuator drive circuit for driving the actuators, and

a control circuit that controls the light source drive circuit and the actuator drive circuit.

27. A display device comprising:

the display element according to claim 14, and

an active matrix element that controls the respective actuators.

29. The display device according to claim 27, wherein the active matrix element is a TFT or a TFD.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15-23. -23. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

28. (canceled)