Flexible display apparatus and methods

• US 9,831,223 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanolumens Aquisition, Inc. (NanoLumens, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nanolumens Aquisition, Inc. (NanoLumens, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cope, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US15/497,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 216 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2252/02 of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0493 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/04 Structural and physical details of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 : the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 : the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/153 : in a repetitive configuration, e.g. LED bars
• 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: H01L 2933/0033 : relating to semiconductor body packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03923 : including AIBIIICVI compound materials, e.g. CIS, CIGS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/206 : Particular processes or apparatus for continuous treatment of the devices, e.g. roll-to roll processes, multi-chamber deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 : with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/48 : characterised by the semiconductor body packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/483 : Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 : Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 : CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A flexible display includes a plurality of pixel chips, chixels, provided on a flexible substrate. The chixels and the light emitters thereon may be shaped, sized and arranged to minimize chixel, pixel, and sub-pixel gaps and to provide a desired bend radius of the display. The flexible substrate may include light manipulators, such as filters, light converters and the like to manipulate the light emitted from light emitters of the chixels. The light manipulators may be arranged to minimize chixel gaps between adjacent chixels.

Claims

1. A flexible display comprising:

(a) a plurality of light emitting rigid chixels affixed to a flexible substrate, said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels collectively providing a visible display, said flexible display having both vertical and horizontal directions defined in the plane of said visible display;

(b) each of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels comprising;

i. a plurality of light emitting pixels affixed to a rigid substrate, said rigid substrate having a non-functional edge and an adjacent region devoid of any conductor;

ii. said plurality of light emitting pixels arranged upon said rigid substrate to provide a spaced array of pixels providing a plurality of substantially equal first pixel gaps between adjacent light emitting pixels in a vertical direction;

iii. said plurality of light emitting pixels disposed in a linear arrangement with respect to each other when viewed on said visible display, the direction of said linear arrangement being parallel to said vertical direction;

iv. wherein one of said plurality of light emitting pixels is a top pixel disposed at a terminus of said linear arrangement, and wherein one of said plurality of light emitting pixels is a bottom pixel disposed at another terminus of said linear arrangement;

(c) said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels arranged upon said flexible substrate to provide a spaced array of chixels, said spaced array of chixels providing a plurality of substantially equal second pixel gaps disposed across said non-functional edges between the top pixel of each adjacent light emitting chixel in both said horizontal and said vertical directions;

(d) said spaced array of chixels further providing a plurality of substantially equal third pixel gaps disposed across said non-functional edges between the bottom pixel of each adjacent light emitting chixel in both said horizontal and said vertical directions;

(e) further characterized in that each of said plurality of second gaps is substantially equal to each of said plurality of third pixel gaps across said flexible display.

2. The flexible display of claim 1, further characterized in that each of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels is disposed upon said flexible substrate such that the non-functional edge of any light emitting rigid chixel does not overlap the non-functional edge of any adjacent light emitting rigid chixel.

3. The flexible display of claim 1, further characterized in that the rigid substrate of each of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels is substantially transparent and at least a portion of the light emitted by said light emitting rigid chixel is transmitted through said rigid substrate.

4. The flexible display of claim 1, further characterized in that a portion of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels is disposed upon said flexible substrate such that the non-functional edge of at least one light emitting rigid chixel abuts the non-functional edge of an adjacent light emitting rigid chixel.

5. The flexible display of claim 1, further characterized in that said region devoid of any conductor filters at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting rigid chixel that is directed toward said second pixel gap.

6. The flexible display of claim 5, further characterized in that said region devoid of any conductor is substantially opaque to at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting rigid chixel that is directed toward said second pixel gap.

7. The flexible display of claim 1, in which the light emitting rigid chixel further comprises:

at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially white light emission.

8. The flexible display of claim 1, in which the light emitting rigid chixel further comprises:

at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially blue light emission.

9. The flexible display of claim 8, in which the light emitting rigid chixel further comprises:

(a) at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially green light emission; and

,

(b) at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially red light emission.

10. A method of constructing a flexible display module, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of light emitting rigid chixels, each chixel comprising;

i. a plurality of light emitting pixels affixed to a rigid substrate, each of the plurality having a non-functional edge and an adjacent region devoid of any conductor;

ii. the plurality of light emitting pixels arranged upon said rigid substrate to provide a spaced array of pixels providing a plurality of substantially equal first pixel gaps between adjacent light emitting pixels in a vertical direction;

iii. said plurality of light emitting pixels disposed in a linear arrangement with respect to each other when viewed on said visible display, the direction of said linear arrangement being parallel to said vertical direction;

iv. wherein one of said plurality of light emitting pixels is a top pixel disposed at a terminus of said linear arrangement, and wherein one of said plurality of light emitting pixels is a bottom pixel disposed at another terminus of said linear arrangement;

(b) affixing said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels to a flexible substrate in an arrangement that collectively provides a visible display having both horizontal and vertical directions in the plane of said visible display;

(c) spacing said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels upon said flexible substrate to provide a second pixel gap disposed across said non-functional edges between the top pixel of each adjacent light emitting rigid chixels in both said horizontal and vertical directions;

(d) spacing said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels upon said flexible substrate to provide a third pixel gap disposed across said non-functional edges between the bottom pixel of each adjacent light emitting rigid chixels in both said horizontal and vertical directions;

(e) said second pixel gap being substantially equal to said third pixel gap.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

(a) disposing each of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels upon said flexible substrate such that the non-functional edge of any light emitting rigid chixel does not overlap the non-functional edge of any adjacent light emitting rigid chixel.

12. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a substantially transparent rigid substrate for each of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels in which at least a portion of the light emitted by said light emitting rigid chixel is transmitted through said rigid substrate.

13. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

(a) disposing at least a portion of said plurality of light emitting rigid chixels upon said flexible substrate such that the non-functional edge of at least one light emitting rigid chixel abuts the non-functional edge of an adjacent light emitting rigid chixel.

14. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

(a) filtering in said region devoid of any conductor at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting rigid chixel that is directed toward said second pixel gap.

15. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

(a) filtering in said region devoid of any conductor substantially all of the light emitted by the light emitting rigid chixel that is directed toward said second pixel gap.

16. The method of claim 10, the light emitting rigid chixel further characterized as having at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially white light emission.

17. The method of claim 10, the light emitting rigid chixel further characterized as having at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially blue light emission.

18. The method of claim 10, the light emitting rigid chixel further characterized as having at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially green light emission and at least one light emitting pixel that produces a substantially red light emission.