Display device, display apparatus and display method

• US 10,712,611 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Zhongxiao, Chen, Xiaochuan, Zhao, Wenqing, Wang, Qian, Yang, Ming, Chen, Chen Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang V
• Application Number:
  US15/779,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20190294001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13363 Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/30 grating

Abstract

A display device, a display apparatus and a display method are provided, the display device includes: a backlight source module; a display module; and a liquid crystal grating structure, arranged between the backlight source module and the display module.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a backlight source module;

a display module; and

a liquid crystal grating structure, arranged between the backlight source module and the display module, wherein

the liquid crystal grating structure includes;

a lower substrate;

a plurality of lower electrodes, arranged in parallel to each other and spaced from each other on an upper surface of the lower substrate;

a liquid crystal layer, arranged on the lower substrate and the plurality of lower electrodes;

an upper substrate, arranged on the liquid crystal layer; and

a plurality of upper electrodes, arranged in parallel to each other and spaced from each other on a lower surface of the upper substrate and corresponding to the plurality of lower electrodes in a one-to-one manner;

the liquid crystal grating structure has a divergent mode and a non-divergent mode;

in the divergent mode, a voltage difference exists between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure; and

in the non-divergent mode, the voltage difference does not exist between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

in the divergent mode, the liquid crystal grating structure diverges light from the backlight source module, and

in the non-divergent mode, the liquid crystal grating structure does not diverge the light from the backlight source module.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between any two adjacent lower electrodes is equal, and a distance between any two adjacent upper electrodes is equal.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the distance between any two adjacent lower electrodes is equal to a width of any one of the lower electrodes, and the distance between any two adjacent upper electrodes is equal to a width of any one of the upper electrodes.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between centers of any two adjacent lower electrodes and a distance between centers of any two adjacent upper electrodes are 1.5 to 3.5 micrometers.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the centers of any two adjacent lower electrodes and the distance between the centers of any two adjacent upper electrodes are 1.5 micrometers.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

in the divergent mode, an optical path difference between an electrode region of the liquid crystal grating structure where one of the upper electrodes and one of the lower electrodes are arranged and a non-electrode region of the liquid crystal grating structure where none of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes is arranged is half of a wavelength of the light from the backlight source module or a sum of half of the wavelength of the light from the backlight source module and integral multiples of the wavelength of the light from the backlight source module.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed by electrically controlled birefringence liquid crystals.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display module includes:

an array substrate and an opposed substrate which are arranged oppositely, the array substrate being arranged closer to the liquid crystal grating structure than the opposed substrate;

a display liquid crystal layer arranged between the array substrate and the opposed substrate;

a lower polarizer arranged on a side of the array substrate which faces away from the opposed substrate; and

an upper polarizer arranged on a side of the opposed substrate which faces away from the array substrate; and

an extension direction of a long axis of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal grating structure is parallel to a direction of a transmission axis of the lower polarizer of the display module.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

in the divergent mode, the greater the voltage difference between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure is, the wider an angle range of the light from the backlight source module after the light passes through the liquid crystal grating structure is.

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

a backlight collimation structure, arranged between the liquid crystal grating structure and the backlight source module.

12. A display apparatus, comprising the display device according to claim 1.

16. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between any two adjacent lower electrodes is equal to a distance between any two adjacent upper electrodes.

17. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a width of any one of the lower electrodes is equal to a width of any one of the upper electrodes.

13. A display method of a display device, wherein

the display device includes a backlight source module, a display module and a liquid crystal grating structure, and the liquid crystal grating structure is arranged between the backlight source module and the display module,

the display method comprising:

determining a display mode of the display device, the display mode being selected from a peep-proof mode and a shared mode; and

based on the determined display mode, adjusting a working mode of the liquid crystal grating structure,

for the peep-proof mode, the liquid crystal grating structure adopts a non-divergent mode,

for the shared mode, the liquid crystal grating structure adopts a divergent mode,

the liquid crystal grating structure includes;

a lower substrate;

a plurality of lower electrodes, arranged in parallel to each other and spaced from each other on an upper surface of the lower substrate;

a liquid crystal layer, arranged on the lower substrate and the plurality of lower electrodes;

an upper substrate, arranged on the liquid crystal layer; and

a plurality of upper electrodes, arranged in parallel to each other and spaced from each other on a lower surface of the upper substrate and corresponding to the plurality of lower electrodes in a one-to-one manner,

the display method comprises;

forming a voltage difference between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure so as to enable the liquid crystal grating structure to be in the divergent mode; and

not forming the voltage difference between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure so as to enable the liquid crystal grating structure to be in the non-divergent mode.

14. The display method according to claim 13, wherein

in the divergent mode, an optical path difference between an electrode region of the liquid crystal grating structure where one of the upper electrodes and one of the lower electrodes are arranged and a non-electrode region of the liquid crystal grating structure where none of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes is arranged is half of a wavelength of the light from the backlight source module or a sum of half of the wavelength of the light from the backlight source module and integral multiples of the wavelength of the light from the backlight source module.

15. The display method according to claim 13, wherein

in the divergent mode, the greater the voltage difference between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes of the liquid crystal grating structure is, the wider an angle range of the light from the backlight source module after the light passes through the liquid crystal grating structure is.