Display module, electronic watch having the same, and electronic device having the display module

• US 10,685,626 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Mugyeom, Kwak, Heejune, Seo, Young-seok, Sohn, Jiwon, Lee, Doyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US15/417,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20170301314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/045 Mounting of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• 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 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/352 : the areas of the RGB subpixels being different
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/353 : characterised by the geometrical arrangement of the RGB subpixels

Abstract

A display module includes a window member configured to include a first window area having a first thickness and a second window area having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and a display panel configured to include a first display area overlapped with the first window area in a thickness direction and including a first pixel and a second display area overlapped with the second window area in the thickness direction and including a second pixel. The second pixel has a second pixel area smaller than a first pixel area of the first pixel.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising:

a window member including a first window area having a first thickness and a second window area having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; and

a display panel including;

a first display area overlapping the first window area in a thickness direction and including a plurality of first pixels; and

a second display area overlapping the second window area in the thickness direction and including a plurality of second pixels, at least one of the plurality of second pixels having a second pixel area smaller than a first pixel area of at least one of the plurality of first pixels, wherein

the first and second pixels satisfy equation (ES1/PS1)<

(ES2/PS2),

where PS1 denotes the first pixel area, ES1 denotes an area of a first light emitting area of at least one of the plurality of first pixels, PS2 denotes the second pixel area, and ES2 denotes an area of a second light emitting area of at least one of the plurality of second pixels.

2. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the window member further comprises a third window area having a third thickness greater than the second thickness, and

the display panel further comprises a third display area overlapping the third window area in the thickness direction and having a plurality of third pixels, the second pixel area being greater than a third pixel area of at least one of the plurality of third pixels.

3. The display module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second display area is between the first and third display areas to connect the first display area to the third display area when viewed in plan view.

4. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises:

a first pixel definition layer exposing a lower electrode of at least one of the plurality of first pixels to correspond to the first light emitting area; and

a second pixel definition layer exposing a lower electrode of at least one of the plurality of the second pixels to correspond to the second light emitting area.

5. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises:

a first black matrix overlapping the plurality of first pixels in the thickness direction to define the first light emitting area; and

a second black matrix overlapping the plurality of second pixels in the thickness direction to define the second light emitting area, the first black matrix having an area greater than an area of the second black matrix.

6. The display module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of the first and second pixels are arranged in a matrix form along a radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}) and a tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) of a cylindrical coordinate system.

7. The display module as claimed in claim 6, wherein a width in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) of the first black matrix is greater than a width in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) of a portion of the second black matrix.

8. The display module as claimed in claim 6, wherein a width in the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}) of the first black matrix is greater than a width in the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}) of a portion of the second black matrix.

9. The display module as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of first pixels includes first and second sub-pixels arranged in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}), and

at least a portion of a sub-light emitting area of the first sub-pixel does not overlap at least a portion of a sub-light emitting area of the second sub-pixel in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}).

10. The display module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display panel further comprises first and second display lines substantially parallel to the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}), the second display line being between first pixels adjacent to each other in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) among the plurality of first pixels and between second pixels adjacent to each other in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) among the plurality of second pixels, and the first display line being between first pixels adjacent to each other in the tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) among the plurality of first pixels and spaced apart from the plurality of second pixels in the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}).

11. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the window member has a substantially circular shape or an oval shape when viewed in plan view, the first display area being external to the second display area when viewed in plan view, and

a boundary of the first and second display areas has a circular shape or an oval shape.

12. The display module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller to receive a first input image data having information on an image displayed in the first display area and a second input image data having information on an image displayed in the second display area, wherein

the controller compensates for a grayscale value of at least one of the first and second input image data to compensate for a difference in brightness between the first and second pixel areas, which is caused by a different in area between the first and second pixel areas.

13. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein an entire upper surface of the window member is curved, and a curvature of an upper surface of the first window area is different from a curvature of an upper surface of the second window area.

14. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a length of at least one of the plurality of second pixels in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction is smaller than a length of at least one of the plurality of the first pixels in the horizontal direction.

15. The display module as claimed in claim 14, wherein a total number of the plurality of first pixels in the first area is smaller than a total number of the plurality of second pixels in the second area.

16. The display module as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first distance in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction between the first pixels adjacent to each other among the plurality of first pixels is greater than a second distance in the horizontal direction between the second pixels adjacent to each other among the plurality of second pixels.

17. The display module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a touch module including:

a first touch area overlapping the first window area in a thickness direction and including a first touch electrode; and

a second touch area overlapping the second window area in the thickness direction and including a second touch electrode, the second touch electrode having a touch sensitivity greater than a touch sensitivity of the first touch electrode.

18. The display module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second touch electrode has an area smaller than an area of the first touch electrode.

19. The display module as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the first and second touch electrodes is provided in a plural number, and a distance between adjacent second touch electrodes to each other among the second touch electrodes is smaller than a distance between adjacent first touch electrodes to each other among the first touch electrodes.

20. The display module as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the first and second touch electrodes is provided in a plural number, and the first and second touch electrodes are arranged in a matrix form along a radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}) and a tangential direction ({circumflex over (φ

)}) of a cylindrical coordinate system.

21. The display module as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the touch module further comprises a plurality of first touch lines and a plurality of second touch lines, which are substantially parallel to the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}),

the second touch lines are located between the first touch electrodes and between the second touch electrodes, and transmit a signal caused by a self-capacitance of the second touch electrodes, and

the first touch lines are located between the first touch electrodes and spaced apart from the second touch electrodes in the radial direction ({circumflex over (ρ

)}), and transmit a signal caused by a self-capacitance of the first touch electrodes.

22. The display module as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the touch module further comprises a sensing controller that outputs a first sensing signal to the first touch area and outputs a second sensing signal to the second touch area, and

the second sensing signal has an intensity greater than an intensity of the first sensing signal.

23. An electronic watch, comprising the display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the display panel includes the first display area to display a first partial image to a first direction and the second display area to display a second partial image to the first direction;

the window member includes an edge portion on the first display area to enlarge the first partial image M1 times and a center portion on the second display area to enlarge the second partial image M2 times, the window member having an upper surface convex in the first direction; and

a housing is positioned under the display panel to accommodate the display panel, wherein

M2 is greater than M1, and

a number of pixels per a unit area in the first display area is smaller than a number of pixels per a unit area in the second display area.

24. The electronic watch as claimed in claim 23, wherein an equation of PN2/PN1=M2/M1 is satisfied, where

PN1 denotes the number of the pixels per the unit area of the first display area, and

PN2 denotes the number of the pixels per the unit area of the second display area.

25. An electronic device, comprising:

a window member including an upper surface convex in a thickness direction in which an image is provided; and

a display panel including a first display area overlapping an edge portion of the upper surface in the thickness direction and having a first pixel, and a second display area overlapping a center portion of the upper surface in the thickness direction and having a second pixel, the second pixel having a second pixel area smaller than a first pixel area of the first pixel, wherein

the first and second pixels satisfy equation (ES1/PS1)<

(ES2/PS2),

where PS1 denotes the first pixel area, ES1 denotes an area of a first light emitting area of the first pixel, PS2 denotes the second pixel area, and ES2 denotes an area of a second light emitting area of the second pixel.