Display apparatus

• US 6,741,228 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Osamu, Shimoda, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US09/509,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 345/76, 345/77, 345/44, 345/45, 345/48, 353/31, 353/38, 349/69
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133622 Colour sequential illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/34 reflector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/15 involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/30 using solid-state colour display devices

Abstract

There is provided behind an optical modulation panel (101) which is not provided with a color filter a planar light source which is provided with EL elements (100R, 100G and 100B) with a built-in optical resonator structure adapted to emit light in red, green and blue and which are periodically arranged on a single glass substrate (103). Lights of different colors obtained by lighting the EL elements (100R, 100G and 100B) are modulated by an optical modulation panel (101) to obtain a color image.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

a plane optical modulation panel;

a planar light source arranged facing one surface of the plane optical modulation panel and having, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane optical modulation panel, a first light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a first color, and a second light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a second color different from the first color, each of the light emission regions having different thickness, the light emitted from the resonators having directivity in the frontal direction thereof,

a projection lens arranged at a frontal position of the plane optical modulation for enlarging images formed on the plane optical modulation panel, the projection lens projecting the images onto a screen; and

a controller that independently controls electric current supplied to the electroluminescent elements of the different colors to adjust the color in which the optical modulation panel is illuminated.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, the plane optical modulation panel is a liquid crystal panel.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, the pattern configuration of the light emission regions being stripe-like.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, the light emission regions corresponding to the respective colors, emitting light to generate a color image in synchronism with the period in which images of different color components in the optical modulation panel are displayed.

5. A display apparatus, comprising:

a plane optical modulation panel;

a planar light source arranged facing one surface of the optical modulation panel and having, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane optical modulation panel, a first light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a first color, a second light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a second color different from the first color, and a third light emission region including an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a third color different from the first and second colors, each of the light emission regions having different thickness, the light emitted from the resonators having directivity in the frontal direction thereof;

a projection lens arranged at a frontal position of the plane optical modulation for enlarging images formed on the plane optical modulation panel, the projection lens projecting the images onto a screen; and

a controller that independently controls electric current supplied to the electroluminescent elements of the different colors to adjust the color in which the optical modulation panel is illuminated.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, the light source including a set of light source elements including the first organic electroluminescent element emitting light in a color of the red region, the second organic electroluminescent element emitting light in a color of the green region, and the third organic electroluminescent element emitting light in a color of the blue region, each of the first, second and third organic electroluminescent elements being provided with an optical resonator, and the set of light source elements being arranged side by side on a same substrate.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, the pattern configuration of the light emission regions formed by the organic electroluminescent elements being stripe-like.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 6, images of red, green and blue components being displayed in time sequence on the optical modulation panel, the first organic electroluminescent element emitting light when the red component is being displayed, the second organic electroluminescent light element emitting light when the green component is being displayed, and the third organic electroluminescent element emitting light when the blue component is being displayed, to thereby generate a color image.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 5, the plane optical modulation panel is a liquid crystal panel.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 5, the pattern configuration of the light emission regions being stripe-like.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 5, the light emission regions corresponding to the respective colors, emitting light to generate a color image in synchronism with the period in which images of different color components in the optical modulation panel are displayed.

12. A display apparatus, comprising:

a plane optical modulation panel; and

a planar light source arranged facing one surface of the optical modulation panel and having, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the optical modulation panel, a first light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a first color, a second light emission region that includes an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a second color different from the first color, and a third light emission region including an electroluminescent element having an optical resonator emitting light in a third color different from the first and second colors, each of the first, second and third light emission regions having a light emission region of red light emission, a light emission region of green light emission, and a light emission region of blue light emission, each of the light emission regions having different thickness, the light emitted from the resonators having directivity in the frontal direction thereof,

a projection lens arranged at a frontal position of the plane optical modulation for enlarging images formed on the plane optical modulation panel, the projection lens projecting the images onto a screen; and

a controller that independently controls electric current supplied to the electroluminescent elements of the different colors to adjust the color in which the optical modulation panel is illuminated.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 12, the plane optical modulation panel is a liquid crystal panel.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 12, the pattern configuration of the light emission regions being stripe-like.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 12, the light emission regions corresponding to the respective colors, emitting light to generate a color image in synchronism with the period in which images of different color components in the optical modulation panel are displayed.