Projector employing OEL image panels

• US 6,573,579 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Ho, Kuan-Jui, Chung, Shuang-Chao, Chen, Peng-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/051,130
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 257/431
• US Class Current: 257/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3138 using arrays of modulated light sources electroluminescent display devices G09G3/30
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• 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

Abstract

A projector employing multiple organic electroluminescence (OEL) image panels, in which each image panel is made with multiple light-emitting OEL components. Each light-emitting OEL component represents one image element. The OEL component is capable of emitting individual prime colors, red (R), green (G) or blue (B), or producing white light which is then made to passes through color filters to produce RGB colors. The new structure for the projector provides the features of downsized dimensions, luminous efficiency and light-focusing capability.

Claims

1. A projector employing organic electroluminescence (OEL) image panels, the projector comprising:

at least one image panel, wherein multiple OEL components are mounted on the at least one image panel to emit RGB prime colors to form a full color image, and the multiple OEL components represent multiple image pixels of the full color image;

three image panels in three separate colors red, green and blue, wherein multiple OEL components are mounted on each image panel to emit light rays in one of the three RGB prime colors, and each one of the OEL components represents an image element on the image panel;

a driving circuit to control the light intensity from the multiple OEL components mounted on the at least one image panel;

an imaging apparatus to compose the individual image signals output from the three image panels to produce a full color image; and

a light correction means to correct the light projection angle from the at least one image panel, set up front of the at least one image panel to bring the color image into focus.

2. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one image panel is made up of three image panels in three separate colors red, green and blue, wherein the multiple OEL components are mounted on each image panel to emit light rays in one of the three RGB prime colors, and each one of the OEL components represents an image pixel, and

wherein the imaging apparatus to compose individual image signals output from the three image panels to produce the full color image,

and the light correction means is used to correct the light projection angle from each image panel, set up between the three image panels and the imaging apparatus to bring the full color image into focus.

3. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 2, wherein each OEL component includes:

a transparent base plate, an anode layer formed on the base plate, a light-emitting OEL layer formed on the anode and a cathode layer formed on the light-emitting OEL layer, such that when a voltage is applied across the cathode layer and anode layer, light is emitted through the transparent base plate.

4. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 3, wherein a passivation layer is coated on the stack structure composed of the base plate, the anode layer, the light-emitting OEL layer and the cathode layer.

5. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 4, wherein a covering strip and resin filling package the OEL component assembly.

6. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 5, wherein the base plate of the OEL component can be made of polyester, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polyacystyrene or polyethyleneterephthalate.

7. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 6, wherein the anode layer of the OEL thin film is made of indium tin oxide (ITO).

8. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cathode layer of the OEL component can be made of Ca, Ag, Mg, Al, Li or other metal materials with low operating conditions, or compounds from those metals.

9. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 8, wherein a molecule-based light emitting layer of the OEL thin film is formed by vacuum thermal evaporation.

10. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 8, wherein the polymer-based OEL thin film of OEL component is formed by spin-coating, ink jet printing or screen printing.

11. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light correction means has a microlens mounted on each OEL component, together forming a microlens matrix on each image panel, such that the light ray output from each image panel can be made to converge on the imaging apparatus within the angle of reception.

12. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light correction means has a microlens mounted on each OEL component, together forming a microlens matrix on each image panel, such that the light ray output from each image panel can be made to converge on the imaging apparatus within the angle of reception.

13. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light correction means is to have a microlens mounted on each OEL component, together forming a microlens matrix on each image panel, such that the light ray output from each image panel can be made to converge on the imaging apparatus within the angle of reception.

14. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light correcting means is to design a specific curvature on the transparent base plate of each OEL component, such that light output from the transparent base plate will converge on the imaging apparatus.

15. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light correcting means is to design a specific curvature on the transparent base plate of each OEL component, such that light output from the transparent base plate will converge on the imaging apparatus.

16. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light correcting means is to design a specific curvature on the transparent base plate of each OEL component, such that light output from the transparent base plate will converge on the imaging apparatus.

17. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light correction means covers the transparent base plate of each OEL component with multi-layer thin film, such that light passing through will cause resonance, enabling light convergence through the transparent base plate.

18. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light correction means covers the transparent base plate of each OEL component with multi-layer thin film, such that light ray passing through will cause resonance, enabling light convergence through the transparent base plate.

19. The projector employing OEL image panels as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light correction means covers the transparent base plate of each OEL component with multi-layer thin film, such that light ray passing through will cause resonance, enabling light convergence through the transparent base plate.