Display device and controlling method

• US 10,274,781 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd. (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.), BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd. (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.), BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Gao, Jian, Chen, Xiaochuan, Zhao, Wenqing, Wang, Qian, Lu, Pengcheng, Yang, Ming, Wang, Lei, Xu, Rui, Niu, Xiaochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Thoi V
• Application Number:
  US15/539,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20170371203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13356 characterised by the placement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133626 providing two modes of illumination, e.g. day-night

Abstract

A display device and a controlling method are disclosed to achieve peep-proof effect while increasing utilization rate of light. The display device includes a display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate and a plurality of display units, wherein a first light source is disposed on one side of the first substrate; light emitted by the first light source is incident onto the first substrate and propagated in the first substrate in a manner of total reflection; and a light adjusting structure is disposed on a surface of the first substrate close to the second substrate, and is configured to reduce a divergence angle of light emitted by each of the display units of the display panel.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising a display panel, the display panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a plurality of display units, wherein

a first light source is disposed on one side of the first substrate;

light emitted by the first light source is incident onto the first substrate and propagated in the first substrate in a manner of total reflection; and

a light adjusting structure is disposed on a surface of the first substrate close to the second substrate, and is configured to reduce a divergence angle of light emitted by each of the display units of the display panel.

2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a second light source disposed on a surface of the first substrate far away from the second substrate.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light adjusting structure comprises a plurality of microstructures;

each of the microstructures comprises a grating surface and a groove surface;

an acute angle is formed between the grating surface and the groove surface; and

the divergence angle of the light emitted by each of the display units of the display panel can be changed by adjusting the acute angle between the grating surface and the groove surface and by adjusting a spacing between adjacent groove surfaces.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein each of the microstructures is striped and corresponds to one row of display units of the display panel.

5. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection structure disposed on a surface of the first substrate at which the total reflection is occurred, wherein

the reflection structure and the light adjusting structure are not overlapped on the surface of the first substrate close to the second substrate.

6. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a polarizer disposed on a surface of the second substrate far away from the liquid crystal layer, wherein

the light adjusting structure is configured to allow a polarization state of light emitted through the light adjusting structure to be perpendicular to a transmission axis of the polarizer.

7. The display device according to claim 6, further comprising a second light source disposed on a surface of the first substrate far away from the second substrate, the second light source is configured to emit linearly polarized light, wherein

a polarization state of the linearly polarized light is perpendicular to the transmission axis of the polarizer.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a first transparent base substrate and display elements, the display elements are disposed on the first transparent base substrate and located at the display units respectively;

the first light source is disposed on a side surface of the first transparent base substrate; and

the light adjusting structure is disposed on a surface of the first transparent base substrate close to the liquid crystal layer.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein each of the display elements comprises a thin-film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode electrically connected with a drain electrode of the TFT.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the second substrate comprises a second transparent base substrate and filter patterns, the filter patterns are disposed on the second transparent base substrate and located at the display units respectively.

11. A controlling method of a display device, the display device comprises a display panel, the display panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a plurality of display units, wherein, a first light source is disposed on one side of the first substrate;

light emitted by the first light source is incident onto the first substrate and propagated in the first substrate in a manner of total reflection; and

a light adjusting structure is disposed on a surface of the first substrate close to the second substrate, and is configured to reduce a divergence angle of light emitted by each of the display units of the display panel; and

wherein a second light source is disposed on a surface of the first substrate far away from the second substrate,

the controlling method comprises;

in a peep-proof mode, controlling the first light source to turn on while controlling the second light source to turn off; and

in a normal mode, controlling the first light source to turn off while controlling the second light source to turn on.