Display device

• US 9,495,041 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baek, Seung Soo, Kim, Woong Kwon, Kim, Sang Ho, Song, Jae-Jin, Lee, Sang Wook, Lee, Hea Chun, Song, Young Goo, Kim, Nam-Heon, Kim, Dae Cheol, Kim, Sung Ryul, Bang, Jung Suk, Jeong, Ki Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH NHAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/923,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 349/129, 349/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133374 for displaying permanent signs or marks
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133707 Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133753 with different alignment orientations or pretilt angles on a same surface, e.g. for grey scale or improved viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133757 with different alignment orientations
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136209 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix, incorporated in the active matrix substrate, e.g. structurally associated with the switching element
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Touch-related information which cannot be acquired by the naked eye (dubbed here as sub-optical pattern information) has its corresponding sub-optical patterns respectively positioned within the aperture areas of respective domains such that the displayed image, as viewed from different viewing angles is not adversely affected by the embedded sub-optical patterns. One type of touch-related information which can be conveyed is that of touch location of a sub-optical pattern sensing pen positioned over one or more of the sub-optical patterns.

Claims

1. A display device comprising a plurality of pixels, a pixel of the plurality of pixels including a plurality of domains, the plurality of domains of the pixel having different aligning directions of liquid crystal molecules from each other,

wherein the pixel comprises a plurality of sub-optical patterns which are respectively disposed in the plurality of domains, and

at least one of the sub-optical patterns includes a portion disposed inside an opening of the pixel where light is transmitted,

wherein the plurality of sub-optical patterns uniquely identifies an attribute of the pixel among the plurality of pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of sub-optical patterns included in the pixel have substantially the same size as each other so that display characteristics at different viewing angles be substantially the same as each other.

3. The display device of claim 2, further comprising:

a light blocking member that blocks light and defines openings of the domains of the pixel,

wherein the openings of the domains included in the pixel have substantially the same area as each other.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of sub-optical patterns included in the pixel form an optical pattern of the pixel together, and

at least two pixels of the plurality of pixels have optical patterns having different shapes.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein:

the optical pattern included in one pixel of the plurality of pixels is selected from an optical pattern set which includes two or more different optical patterns.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein:

images of the optical patterns included in a photographing unit which comprises two or more adjacent pixels are different from each other according to positions of the photographing unit in the display device.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of pixels include a plurality of first color pixels displaying a first color, a plurality of second color pixels displaying a second color different from the first color,

the first color pixel includes an optical pattern selected from a first optical pattern set including one or more optical patterns, and

the second color pixel includes an optical pattern selected from a second optical pattern set including one or more optical patterns and provided separately from the first optical pattern set.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein:

openings of the first color pixels except for the optical patterns included in the first pixels have substantially the same area as each other.

9. The display device of claim 7, wherein:

the plurality of sub-optical patterns included in the pixel include at least one selected from a same material as a light blocking member, a semiconductive material, and a metal.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the pixel includes a first subpixel and a second subpixel displaying images according to different gamma curves from each other, and

the plurality of sub-optical patterns are respectively disposed in at least one of the first subpixel and the second subpixel.

11. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, a pixel of the plurality of pixels including a plurality of domains, the plurality of domains of the pixel having different aligning directions of liquid crystal molecules from each other; and

a light blocking member that blocks light and defines openings of the domains of the pixel,

wherein the pixel comprises a plurality of sub-optical patterns which are respectively disposed in the plurality of domains,

at least one of the sub-optical patterns includes a portion disposed inside an opening of the pixel where light is transmitted, and

the sub-optical pattern protrudes from an edge portion of the light blocking member inwardly into the opening of the domain.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein:

the sub-optical pattern extends in parallel to an inner edge of the light blocking member.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein:

the inner edge of the light blocking member is bent at least once.

14. The display device of claim 11, wherein:

at least one of the sub-optical patterns has an island shape which is separated from the light blocking member.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein:

the sub-optical patterns positioned in a pair of adjacent domains among the plurality of domains of the pixel are connected to each other.

16. A display device comprising:

a plurality of pixels, a pixel of the plurality of pixels including a plurality of domains, the plurality of domains of the pixel having different aligning directions of liquid crystal molecules from each other,

wherein the pixel comprises a plurality of sub-optical patterns which are respectively disposed in the plurality of domains,

at least one of the sub-optical patterns includes a portion disposed inside an opening of the pixel where light is transmitted, and

the sub-optical patterns positioned in a pair of adjacent domains among the plurality of domains of the pixel are connected to each other.