Display device

• US 7,274,416 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Feenstra, Bokke Johannes, Hayes, Robert Andrew, Schlangen, Lucas Josef Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caley; Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US10/505,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/172 based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/04 dye

Abstract

A subtractive display device comprising picture elements having sub-pixels, each sub-pixel comprising a stack of switchable layers (5,25) or components and a color filter part (21).

Claims

1. A subtractive display device comprising picture elements having sub-pixels, each sub-pixel having, viewed during operation in a direction normal to substrates, at least two independently switchable electro-optical components, the device further comprising:

a color filter in which each sub-pixel color filter part absorbs or reflects one of a part of the optical spectral range, the parts of the optical spectral range being substantially non-overlapping, the device comprising means for controlling absorption or reflection of remaining parts of the spectral range in each sub-pixel by the at least two switchable electro-optical components, the non-overlapping ranges together covering the optical spectral range, wherein the electro-optical components further comprise at least two switchable electro-optical layers, comprising at least one first fluid and a second fluid respectively, and wherein the second fluid and the first fluid are immiscible.

2. A subtractive display device according to claim 1 in which one of the at least two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel is switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and a state absorbing or reflecting a first part of the remainder of the spectral range.

3. A subtractive display device according to claim 2 in which at least one further switchable electro-optical component in each sub-pixel is switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and a state absorbing or reflecting the remainder of the spectral range.

4. A subtractive display device according to claim 2 in which at least one further of the at least two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel is switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and a state substantially transparent or translucent to a part of the remainder of the spectral range.

5. A subtractive display device according to claim 2 or 4 in which at least one further switchable electro-optical component in each sub-pixel is switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and a state substantially transparent or translucent to the remainder of the spectral range.

6. A subtractive display device according to claim 2 having cyan, magenta and yellow color filter parts, at least one of two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel being switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and one of the colors cyan, magenta and yellow.

7. A subtractive display device according to claim 6 the other of the two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel being switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and one of the colors cyan, magenta and yellow.

8. A subtractive display device according to claim 2 having cyan, magenta and yellow color filter parts, at least one of two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel being switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and one of the colors cyan, magenta and yellow, the other of the two switchable electro-optical components in each sub-pixel being switchable between a substantially transparent or translucent state and the colors red, green and blue.

9. A display device according to claim 1 in which a sub-pixel corresponds to a defined space.

10. A display device according to claim 1 each sub-pixel having between a first support plate and a second support plate, viewed in a direction normal to the substrates, the device comprising means for creating at least two different states in each layer, the layers in a sub-pixel switching between a substantially transparent or translucent state and two different colors.

11. A display device according claim 10 having at least two first fluids of different colors of the color filter part, the second fluid being electroconductive or polar in which a picture element corresponds to a defined space having a wall part dividing the space into at least three sub-picture elements, in the first state each of the first fluids adjoining separate support plates within each sub-picture element.

12. A display device according to claim 1 which comprises an absorber or a reflector at the side of one of the substrates.

13. A subtractive display device comprising picture elements having sub-pixels, each sub-pixel having, viewed during operation in a direction normal to substrates, n independently switchable electro-optical components (n>

2), the device further comprising a color filter in which each sub-pixel color filter part absorbs or reflects one of a part of the optical spectral range, the parts of the optical spectral range being substantially non-overlapping, the device comprising means for controlling absorption or reflection of remaining parts of the spectral range in each sub-pixel by (n-1) switchable electro-optical components, the non overlapping ranges together covering the optical spectral range wherein the electro-optical components further comprise least two switchable electro-optical layers, comprising at least one first fluid and a second fluid respectively, and wherein the second fluid and the first fluid are immiscible.