Light source and display device

• US 7,205,964 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota CHUO Kenkyusho and Narumi, Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Osamu, Shimoda, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Satoru, Tokito, Shizuo, Noda, Koji, Taga, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US09/530,099
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 345/32, 345/45, 345 76- 81, 345214-215, 345/36, 345/102, 315/169.3, 349/69, 349/70, 349/76, 349/96, 257/57, 257/60, 313/500, 313/501, 313/504, 313/506
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133622 Colour sequential illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/02 organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/006 using LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/06 by additive-colour projection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/12 using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3164 using multiple light sources
• 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 59/50 OLEDs integrated with light modulating elements, e.g. with electrochromic elements, photochromic elements or liquid crystal elements

Abstract

The invention provides electroluminescent (EL) elements, such that a red EL light source, a green EL light source and a blue EL light source emit red color light, green color light, and blue color light, respectively, and are disposed at the rear of liquid crystal display elements. Each EL light source includes an organic EL element in which an organic thin film emits light. Each EL light source has a structure in which an organic luminescent layer is sandwiched between an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a metal electrode which have striped patterns which are orthogonal to each other, and sections (luminescent sections) at which the striped patterns of the ITO electrode and the metal electrode intersect with each other emit light. The luminescent sections are arrayed two-dimensionally on a glass substrate and illuminate the entire display area of the liquid crystal display element.

Claims

1. A light source, comprising:

a plurality of electroluminescent elements arrayed in a common plane parallel to a support surface of a substrate, the plurality of electroluminescent elements emitting light simultaneously, P being a distance in the common plane between centers of adjacent electroluminescent elements and D being a distance between each electroluminescent element and a display surface of a liquid crystal display element, and a relationship between D and P being such that D is 10 times P or more.

2. The light source according to claim 1, the plurality of electroluminescent elements emitting light of one primary color.

3. The light source according to claim 1, the electroluminescent elements comprising optical micro-resonators.

4. The light source according to claim 1, the electroluminescent elements being formed on the substrate at the intersections of an anode formed in a striped pattern in a first direction and a cathode formed in a striped pattern in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

5. The light source according to claim 1, the electroluminescent elements being one-dimensionally arrayed on the substrate.

6. The light source according to claim 1, the electroluminescent elements being two-dimensionally arrayed on the substrate.

7. A display device for illuminating a liquid crystal display element, comprising:

the light source according to claim 1.

8. The display device according to claim 1, all of the electroluminescent elements on the substrate emitting light simultaneously.