Transparent display device

• US 9,772,538 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shi, Yue
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Vipin
• Application Number:
  US14/358,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 359275
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0063 for extracting light out both the major surfaces of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/44 Arrangements combining different electro-active layers, e.g. electrochromic, liquid crystal or electroluminescent layers

Abstract

A transparent display device, comprising: a display panel; a system light source provided over a non-display surface of the display panel; an article placement area located at a side of the system light source that is away from the display panel; an encapsulated cell provided between the system light source and the article placement area, wherein the encapsulated cell is provided with an electrochromic material therein; and a control member that is capable of controlling the electrochromic material in the encapsulated cell to regionally switch to a transparent state or a colored state. The present invention can realize a regionally transparent display and expand the application range of the transparent display device.

Claims

1. A transparent display device, comprising:

a display panel;

a system light source provided at a side face of non-display surface sides of the display panel;

an article placement area located at a side of the system light source and away from the display panel;

an encapsulated cell provided between the system light source and the article placement area, wherein the encapsulated cell is provided with an electrochromic material therein; and

a control member that is configured to control the electrochromic material in the encapsulated cell to regionally switch to a transparent state or a colored state to allow a regionally transparent display being achieved,

wherein the control member comprises more than one transparent electrode set of which a state of being charged or not is individually controllable, each transparent electrode set includes two transparent electrodes at opposite locations in a height direction of the encapsulated cell, and

wherein the transparent electrodes of the more than one transparent electrode set are arranged at spaces in an array on the external surfaces of the transparent substrates.

2. The transparent display device according to claim 1, wherein the system light source comprises a light source and a light-guide plate;

the light-guide plate is provided on the non-display surface side of the display panel, and the light source is disposed in an area opposite to at least one side of the light-guide plate.

3. The transparent display device according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulated cell is formed by two transparent substrates which are assembled together, and the electrochromic material is disposed between the two transparent substrates.

4. The transparent display device according to claim 3, wherein, the two transparent electrodes in each transparent electrode set are connected to an external power supply through leads;

and the electrochromic material in an area of the encapsulated cell that is corresponding to a location of each transparent electrode set is configured to be respectively controlled to switch to a transparent state or a colored state by individually controlling each transparent electrode set in a state of being charged or not.

5. The transparent display device according to claim 4, wherein the two transparent electrodes included in each transparent electrode set have a predetermined and identical shape.

6. The transparent display device according to claim 4, wherein the transparent electrodes are plate electrodes having a shape of rectangular.

7. The transparent display device according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement manner of the transparent electrodes arranged in an array is identical with an arrangement manner of pixel regions on the display panel.

8. The transparent display device according to claim 4, wherein the transparent electrodes are made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Indium Tin Oxide, Indium Zinc Oxide, and Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide.

9. The transparent display device according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic material includes an organic electrochromic material, an inorganic electrochromic material, or an organic-inorganic composite electrochromic material.

10. The transparent display device according to claim 9, the organic electrochromic material can be polythiophenes and derivatives thereof, viologen, tetrathiafulvalene, metallic phthalocyanine compound, polyaniline and the like;

the inorganic electrochromic material can be tungsten trioxide (WO₃), molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃), vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) and the like;

the organic-inorganic composite electrochromic material can be selected from any combination of two of the above-listed materials.

11. The transparent display device according to claim 2, wherein the encapsulated cell is formed by two transparent substrates which are assembled together, and the electrochromic material is disposed between the two transparent substrates.

12. The transparent display device according to claim 5, wherein the transparent electrodes are plate electrodes having a shape of rectangular.

13. The transparent display device according to claim 12, wherein the transparent electrodes which are plate electrodes in a rectangular shape are arranged in an array on the external surfaces of the transparent substrates.

14. The transparent display device according to claim 5, wherein the transparent electrodes are made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Indium Tin Oxide, Indium Zinc Oxide, and Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide.

15. The transparent display device according to claim 6, wherein the transparent electrodes are made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Indium Tin Oxide, Indium Zinc Oxide, and Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide.

16. The transparent display device according to claim 2, wherein the electrochromic material includes an organic electrochromic material, an inorganic electrochromic material, or an organic-inorganic composite electrochromic material.

17. The transparent display device according to claim 3, wherein the electrochromic material includes an organic electrochromic material, an inorganic electrochromic material, or an organic-inorganic composite electrochromic material.