DISPLAY DEVICE WITH SWITCHABLE VIEWING ANGLE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20170154563A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: LIN, Hui-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 9,898,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2085 Special arrangements for addressing the individual elements of the matrix, other than by driving respective rows and columns in combination
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A display device with switchable viewing angle includes a first pixel and a second pixel. The first pixel has a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel. The second pixel has a third sub-pixel, a fourth sub-pixel and a fifth sub-pixel. The fifth sub-pixel is configured to be enabled when operating in a narrow viewing angle mode and to be disabled when operating in a wide viewing angle mode. When the fifth sub-pixel is enabled, each viewing angle of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, the third sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel is narrower than that when the fifth sub-pixel is disabled.

Claims

1. A display device with switchable viewing angle, comprising:

a first pixel, comprising;

a first sub-pixel; and

a second sub-pixel; and

a second pixel, disposed to be adjacent to said first pixel, comprising;

a third sub-pixel;

a fourth sub-pixel; and

a fifth sub-pixel, having a light emission direction less than 90 degrees from a surface of said display device;

wherein, when operating in a first viewing angle mode, the fifth sub-pixel is configured to be enabled, and said display device displays in a first viewing angle;

wherein, when operating in a second viewing angle mode, the fifth sub-pixel is configured to be disabled, and said said display device displays in a second viewing angle; and

wherein, said first viewing angle is narrower than said second viewing angle.

2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection circuit, for detecting a primary target and a secondary target; and

a switching circuit, for receiving a first control signal to switch said display device to operate in said first angle viewing mode, and for receiving a second control signal to switch said display device to operate in said second viewing angle mode;

wherein, when said detection circuit detects only said primary target, said detection circuit outputs said second control signal to said switching circuit; and

when said detection circuit detects said secondary target, said detection circuit outputs said first control signal to the switching circuit.

3. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels in a first column, wherein each of said first pixels and each of said second pixels are configured alternatively.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, a length-width ratio for said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel, and said third sub-pixel is 2:

1, each of said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel and said third sub-pixel is n times larger than said fourth sub-pixel, and n is a positive number.

5. The display device according to claim 4, further comprising a processing unit, wherein said processing unit determines a backlight brightness of said display device according to a dynamically adjustable color gamut threshold, a color gamut threshold ranges from 0 to 1, and the processing unit controls said backlight brightness to be full open when the color gamut threshold is 1.

6. The display device according to claim 5, further comprising a display data providing unit, configured to provide display data required by said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel and said third sub-pixel.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein said processing unit extracts secondary display data to be displayed by said fourth sub-pixel according to a primary display data received by said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel, and said third sub-pixel.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein, the processing unit extracts the a minimum brightness display data from said primary display data, multiply said minimum brightness data by a mapping value for extracting said secondary display data, and said mapping value is inversely proportional to said backlight brightness.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein, when operating in said second viewing angle mode, said processing unit respectively multiplies said primary display data by said mapping value to form products, subtract a correction value from said products, and accordingly determines an adjusted primary display data to be output by said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel, and said third sub-pixel, said correction value is obtained by dividing said secondary display data to be output by said fourth sub-pixel by n.

10. The display device according to claim 8, when operating in said first viewing angle mode, said mapping value is 1, said processing unit extracts a minimum brightness display data from said primary display data, and divides said minimum brightness display data by n to extract said secondary display data.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein, when operating in said first viewing angle mode, said primary display data is equal to said secondary display data.

12. An operation method of a display device with switchable viewing angle, the display device comprises a first pixel and a second pixel, said first pixel having a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, said second pixel having a third sub-pixel, a fourth sub-pixel, and a fifth sub-pixel, the operation method comprising:

detecting a primary target and a secondary target; and

when said secondary target is detected, setting the display device to be operated in a first viewing angle mode from a second viewing angle mode;

wherein, when operating in said first viewing angle mode, the fifth sub-pixel is enabled, and said display device displays in a first viewing angle;

wherein, when operating in said second viewing angle mode, the fifth sub-pixel is disabled, and said display device displays in a second viewing angle; and

wherein, said first viewing angle is narrower than said second viewing angle, and said fifth sub-pixel has a light emission direction less than 90 degrees from a surface of said display device.

13. The operation method according to claim 12, further comprising:

displaying said display device in said second viewing angle mode, and disabling said fifth sub-pixel when only said primary target is detected, wherein a primary display data is provided to said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel, and said third sub-pixel, and a secondary display data is provided to said fourth sub-pixel according to said primary display data.

14. The operation method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining backlight brightness of said display device when operating in said second viewing angle mode, wherein said backlight brightness is determined according to a dynamically adjustable color gamut threshold, and a minimum brightness display data in said primary display data is extracted to be multiplied by a mapping value for providing said secondary display data, and said mapping value being inversely proportional to said backlight brightness.

15. The operation method according to claim 14, further comprising

when operating in said second viewing angle mode, multiplying said primary display data by said mapping value to form products, subtracting a correction value from the products, and outputting subtracted products to said first sub-pixel, said second sub-pixel, and said third sub-pixel, wherein the correction value is obtained by dividing the secondary display data by n.

16. The operation method according to claim 12, further comprising

when operating in said first viewing angle mode, extracting a minimum brightness display data in the display data, and providing said secondary display data by dividing said minimum brightness display data by n.

17. The operation method according to claim 16, wherein when operating in said first viewing angle mode, said primary display data is equal to said secondary display data.

18. The operation method according to claim 17, wherein when said fifth sub-pixel is disabled, said fifth sub-pixel emits single-color light, and a display brightness of said single-color light is adjustable.

19. The operation method according to claim 14, wherein the color gamut threshold ranges from 0 to 1, said color gamut threshold corresponds to said backlight brightness, and when said color gamut threshold is 1, said backlight brightness is to be full open.