MULTI-DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080224949A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KEE, In-seo, SHIM, Hong-shik, LEE, Young-gu, KO, Ick-hwan
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 Tiled displays

Abstract

A multi-display apparatus includes two panels disposed with a step difference so that pixel boundaries of display devices formed on substrates overlap, and at least one of the two panels includes a thin film encapsulation layer covering the display device and disposed on an adjacent surface of one of the two panels where there is the step difference to improve a disconnection of an image at a seam between the two panels, and mitigate a perspective difference of the image at the seam due to the step difference between the two panels, thereby realizing a large natural and smooth image.

Claims

1. A multi-display apparatus that displays a large image by connecting at least two panels, wherein

first and second panels are disposed with a step difference, and pixel boundaries of display devices formed on substrates of the first and second panels, respectively, overlap, and

at least one of the first and second panels comprises a thin film encapsulation layer formed by stacking organic materials layers and inorganic material layers to cover the display device of the at least one of the first and second panels, and the thin film encapsulation layer is disposed on an adjacent surface of one of the first and second panels where there is the step difference.

2. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second panel is a top emission type panel having the thin film encapsulation layer, and the first panel is a top emission type panel in which the display device thereof is covered by a glass cover, wherein the substrate of the first panel is adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer.

3. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second panel is a top emission type panel having the thin film encapsulation layer, and the first panel is a top emission type panel in which the display device thereof is covered by a glass cover, wherein the substrate of the first panel is adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer and a portion of the substrate that forms the step difference is etched.

4. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second panels comprises a thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the second panel is a top emission type panel and the first panel is a bottom emission type panel, and the thin film encapsulation layers of the panels are adjacent to each other.

5. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first panel is a bottom emission type panel having the thin film encapsulation layer, and the second panel is a bottom emission type panel in which the display device thereof is covered by a glass cover, wherein the substrate of the second panel is adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer and an entire surface of the substrate of the second panel is etched.

6. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first panel is a bottom emission type panel having the thin film encapsulation layer, and the second panel is a bottom emission type panel in which the display device thereof is covered by a glass cover, wherein the substrate of the second panel is adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer, and a portion of the substrate of the second panel where the step difference is formed is etched.

7. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second panels are top emission type panels each having the thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the substrate of the first panel is disposed to be adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer of the second panel, and, a portion of the substrate of the first panel where the step difference is formed is etched.

8. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second panels are bottom emission type panels each having the thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the substrate of the second panel is disposed to be adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer of the first panel, and, a portion of the substrate of the second panel where the step difference is formed is etched.

9. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second panels are bottom emission type panels each having a thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the substrate of the second panel is disposed to be adjacent to the thin film encapsulation layer of the first panel, and an entire surface of the substrate of the first panel is etched.

10. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member is formed on one of the first and second panels located on a lower side of the step difference in order for a top surface of the multi display apparatus to be flush.

11. The multi-display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the reinforcing member is formed of a transparent plastic.

12. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inorganic material layers are formed of an inorganic material including one of a nitride, an oxide, and a carbonate.

13. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the organic material layers are formed of an organic material having flexibility, and including one of polyurea and polyacrylate.

14. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device of each of the first and second panels is one of a liquid crystal display, field emission display, plasma display panel, and organic light-emitting diode.

15. A multi-display apparatus comprising:

a first panel including a first substrate and a first display device; and

,

a second panel including a second substrate, a second display device, and a thin film encapsulation layer including an organic material layer and an inorganic material layer covering the second display device;

wherein the first and second panels partially overlap each other and the thin film encapsulation layer of the second panel faces and contacts an overlapped portion of the first panel.

16. The multi-display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first substrate is etched to reduce a separation distance between the first and second display devices, an etched portion of the first substrate includes a substantially L-shaped cross-section, and the etched portion receives a corner edge portion of the second panel.

17. The multi-display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer contacts the first substrate, and the first substrate is etched to be thinner than the second substrate.

18. A method of improving a multi-display apparatus, the method comprising:

disposing a first display device on a first substrate of a first panel;

disposing a second display device on a second substrate of a second panel;

covering the second display device with a thin film encapsulation layer; and

,

partially overlapping the first panel and the second panel, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer of the second panel faces and contacts an overlapped portion of the first panel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising etching the first substrate and contacting the thin film encapsulation layer of the second panel with an etched portion of the first substrate, wherein etching the first substrate includes etching the first substrate to be thinner than the second substrate.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising etching the first substrate and contacting the thin film encapsulation layer of the second panel with an etched portion of the first substrate, wherein etching the first substrate includes forming a substantially L-shaped etched portion in the first substrate corresponding to a corner edge portion of the second panel.