Display device using organic electroluminescent elements

• US 6,259,423 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokito, Shizuo, Taga, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/134,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/76, 359/630, 313/498, 313/501, 313/504, 313/506, 313/507, 313/508, 313/509
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3216 using a passive matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3138 using arrays of modulated light sources electroluminescent display devices G09G3/30
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/87 Arrangements for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/90 Assemblies of multiple devices comprising at least one organic light-emitting element

Abstract

For use in a display device, a simple-matrix-drive-type luminescent panel is formed by stacking a dielectric mirror layer, a transparent electrode, a hole transport layer, a luminous layer, and a metal electrode on a glass substrate, wherein the transparent electrode is formed as a plurality of stripes equally spaced apart a specified distance from each other, and the metal electrode is formed as a plurality of stripes equally spaced apart a specified distance from each other and arranged at right angles with the transparent electrode stripes, and pixels are formed at intersections of the metal electrodes and the transparent electrodes and wherein in order for the pixels of the panel to emit light to display information, the application of a voltage to the pixels is controlled by selection of the electrodes according to information. This luminescent panel contributes to reductions in size and weight of the display device.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a) a luminescent panel having a plurality of organic electroluminescent elements arranged in a matrix formation, wherein each of said plurality of organic electroluminescent elements includes;

a dielectric mirror,

a transparent electrode formed on said dielectric mirror,

a plurality of organic layers including a luminous layer, formed on said transparent electrode, and

a metal electrode formed on said plurality of organic layers; and

b) a driver for driving said electroluminescent elements on said luminescent panel.

2. A display device according to claim 1, wherein said transparent electrode and said metal electrode intersect, said luminescent panel having a pixel arranged at an intersection of said transparent electrode and said metal electrode in a matrix formation, and wherein display is performed by a matrix drive that controls a voltage between said transparent electrode and said metal electrode.

3. A display device according to claim 1, further comprising a projection lens through which light from said luminescent panel is projected onto a screen.

4. A display device according to claim 3, further comprising additional luminescent panels, each of the luminescent panels having different luminescent colors, light emission of said panels being individually controlled, and rays of light from said luminescent panels being combined and projected onto a screen.

5. A display device according to claim 4, wherein said luminescent panels respectively emit red, green and blue rays of light.

6. A display device according to claim 5, wherein the rays of light from said luminescent panels are combined by a dichroic prism.

7. A display device according to claim 1, wherein light including video information generated from said luminescent panel is used in a heads-up display system.

8. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said heads-up display system is a hologram system.

9. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said heads-up display system is a dichroic system.

10. A display device according to claim 1, wherein said luminescent panel provides a direct-viewing type display.

11. A display device according to claim 1, wherein said luminescent panel comprises said electroluminescent elements for respectively emitting R, G and B light, thereby being capable of a full-color display.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric mirror comprises a SiO₂ layer and a TiO₂ layer.

13. A heads-up display (HUD) system comprising:

a) an organic electroluminescent (EL) display configured to emit an image, the organic EL display including;

1) a luminescent panel containing a plurality of organic electroluminescent elements, each of the organic electroluminescent elements including;

a glass substrate,

a dielectric mirror formed on the glass substrate,

a hole transport layer,

a transparent electrode disposed between the dielectric mirror and the hole transport layer,

a luminous layer formed on the hole transport layer, and

a metal electrode formed on the luminous layer; and

2) a driver configured to drive the plurality of organic electroluminescent elements on the luminescent panel; and

b) a mirror configured to reflect the image from the organic EL display onto a windshield.

14. A display device comprising:

a) a luminescent panel having a plurality of organic electroluminescent elements arranged in a matrix formation, wherein each of said plurality of organic electroluminescent elements includes;

a dielectric mirror,

a transparent electrode formed on said dielectric mirror,

a plurality of organic layers including a luminous layer, formed on said transparent electrode, and

a metal electrode formed on said plurality of organic layers;

wherein the dielectric mirror and the metal electrode constitute a micro-optical resonator that causes light of a given wavelength to resonate, and are spaced apart by about half the given wavelength to about one full given wavelength of the light that is resonated; and

b) a driver for driving said electroluminescent elements on said luminescent panel.

15. A display device according to claim 14, wherein said transparent electrode and said metal electrode intersect, said luminescent panel having a pixel arranged at an intersection of said transparent electrode and said metal electrode in a matrix formation, and wherein display is performed by a matrix drive that controls a voltage between said transparent electrode and said metal electrode.

16. A display device according to claim 14, further comprising a projection lens through which light from said luminescent panel is projected onto a screen.

17. A display device according to claim 16, further comprising additional luminescent panels, each of the luminescent panels having different luminescent colors, light emission of said panels being individually controlled, and rays of light from said luminescent panels being combined and projected onto a screen.

18. A display device according to claim 17, wherein said luminescent panels respectively emit red, green and blue rays of light.

19. A display device according to claim 18, wherein the rays of light from said luminescent panels are combined by a dichroic prism.

20. A display device according to claim 14, wherein light including video information generated from said luminescent panel is used in a heads-up display system.

21. A display device according to claim 20, wherein said heads-up display system is a hologram system.

22. A display device according to claim 20, wherein said heads-up display system is a dichroic system.

23. A display device according to claim 14, wherein said luminescent panel provides a direct-viewing type display.

24. A display device according to claim 14, wherein said luminescent panel comprises said electroluminescent elements for respectively emitting R, G and B light, thereby being capable of a full-color display.

25. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the dielectric mirror comprises a SiO₂ layer and a TiO₂ layer.