Patent Application
20230223674
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 111101261, filed on Jan. 12, 2022. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus integrating communication and display functions, and more particularly to an antenna module and a display apparatus.
As fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technologies have been put into commercial use, relevant applications such as telehealth, VR live broadcast, 4K quality live broadcast, and smart home have new development opportunities. Supported by the high data rate, reduced latency, saved energy consumption, reduced cost, improved system capacity, and large-scale apparatus connection of the 5G technologies, operators in different fields may form cross-border alliances to jointly build a new 5G ecological chain. In particular, mobile apparatuses (such as smart phones or tablet computers) with built-in 5G communication modules have more application possibilities due to their high-speed networking capabilities.
In order to increase the flexibility of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals, most mobile apparatuses with 5G communication capabilities are usually disposed with multiple antenna modules on different mechanical surfaces, but this limits the space for placing other elements (such as GPS antennas, Bluetooth antennas, or WiFi antennas) or modules (NFC and wireless charging modules). Therefore, an idea of providing mesh type 5G antennas in a display area is proposed, and a dummy metal mesh pattern is usually provided around the display area to reduce the visibility of the antennas in the display area. However, this metal mesh pattern of antenna electrodes will obviously reduce the radiation efficiency of radiated electromagnetic waves.
The disclosure provides a display apparatus with antenna electrodes disposed in a display area, and the antenna electrodes have better radiation efficiency of electromagnetic waves.
The disclosure provides an antenna module with better concealment of the antenna electrodes.
The display apparatus of the disclosure includes a display panel, multiple antenna electrodes, a dummy electrode, and multiple feed lines. The display panel has a display area. The antenna electrodes are disposed on the display panel and overlap the display area. The dummy electrode is disposed around the antenna electrodes and overlaps the display area. The dummy electrode is electrically separated from the antenna electrodes, and has multiple dummy wire segments whose extension directions intersect each other. The dummy wire segments have multiple breaks. The feed lines are respectively electrically connected to the antenna electrodes.
The antenna module of the disclosure includes a substrate, multiple antenna electrodes, multiple feed lines, and a dummy electrode. The antenna electrodes are disposed on a substrate, and each has multiple wire segments intersecting each other. Every two adjacent wire segments arranged along a first direction and parallel to each other have a first spacing, and each wire segment has a first linewidth. The feed lines are respectively electrically connected to the antenna electrodes. The dummy electrode is disposed around the antenna electrodes and is electrically separated from the antenna electrodes. The dummy electrode has multiple dummy wire segments whose extension directions intersect each other. Every two adjacent dummy wire segments arranged along the first direction and parallel to each other have a second spacing, and each dummy wire segment has a second linewidth. The first spacing is different from the second spacing, or the first linewidth is different from the second linewidth.
Based on the above, in the display apparatus of an embodiment of the disclosure, the dummy electrode disposed around the antenna electrodes has the dummy wire segments whose extension directions intersect each other and are at least partially disconnected. Therefore, the electrical coupling effect between the antenna electrodes and the dummy electrode may be effectively reduced, thereby improving the electromagnetic wave radiation efficiency of the antenna electrodes. In the antenna module of an embodiment of the disclosure, the visibility of the antenna electrodes may be effectively reduced by having different linewidths or arrangement spacings of the dummy wire segments of the dummy electrode and the wire segments of the antenna electrodes.
In order to make the aforementioned features and advantages of the disclosure comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail below.
The usages of “approximately,” “similar to,” “essentially,” or “substantially” indicated throughout the specification include the indicated value and an average value having an acceptable deviation range, which is a certain value confirmed by people skilled in the art, and is a certain amount considered the discussed measurement and measurement-related deviation (i.e., the limitation of measurement system). For example, “approximately” may indicate to be within one or more standard deviations of the indicated value, such as being within ±30%, ±20%, ±15%, ±10%, or ±5%. Furthermore, the usages of “approximately,” “similar to,” “essentially,” or “substantially” indicated throughout the specification may refer to a more acceptable deviation scope or standard deviation depending on measurement properties, cutting properties, or other properties, and all properties may not be applied with one standard deviation.
In the drawings, for clarity, the thickness of layers, films, plates, areas, and the like are magnified. It should be understood that when an element such as a layer, a film, an area, or a substrate is indicated to be “on” another element or “connected to” another element, it may be directly on another element or connected to another element, or an element in the middle may exist. In contrast, when an element is indicated to be “directly on another element” or “directly connected to” another element, an element in the middle does not exist. As used herein, “to connect” may indicate to physically and/or electrically connect. Furthermore, “electrically connected” may also be used when other elements exist between two elements.
Moreover, relative terms such as “below” or “bottom” and “above” or “top” may serve to describe the relation between one element and another element in the text according to the illustration of the drawings. It should also be understood that the relative terms are intended to include different orientations of a device in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, if a device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, an element described as being on the “lower” side of other elements shall be re-orientated to be on the “upper” side of other elements. Thus, the exemplary term “lower” may cover the orientations of “upper” and “lower,” depending on the specific orientations of the accompanying drawings. Similarly, if a device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, an element described as being “below” other elements shall be re-orientated to be “above” other elements. Thus, the exemplary term “above” or “below” may cover the orientations of above and below.
Exemplary embodiments are described with cross-sectional views of schematic illustrations of ideal embodiments. Thus, shape alterations as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances can be expected, and the illustrated regions of the embodiments described herein should not be construed to particular shapes but include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing. For example, regions shown or described as being flat may generally have rough and/or non-linear features. Furthermore, the acute angles shown may be round. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings are only schematic representations and are not intended to illustrate the exact shapes of the regions or to limit the scope of the claims.
References of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are to be made in detail. Examples of the exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. If applicable, the same reference numerals in the drawings and the descriptions indicate the same or similar parts.
With reference to
The pixel driving layer includes, for example, multiple data lines DL, multiple scanning lines SL, and multiple pixel structures. For example, the scanning lines SL may be arranged along the direction X and extend in a direction Y, and the data lines DL may be arranged along the direction Y and extend in the direction X, which means the data lines DL intersect the scanning lines SL and define multiple pixel areas PXA. These pixel structures are respectively disposed in correspondence to the pixel areas PXA. The pixel structures have active elements (not shown) electrically connected to each other and pixel electrodes PE. The active elements are also respectively electrically connected to one corresponding data line DL and one corresponding scanning line SL. The pixel electrodes PE are disposed in the pixel areas PXA.
To ensure electrical independence between these components, an insulation layer 110 is disposed between the scanning lines SL and the data lines DL, and an insulation layer 120 (or a flat layer) may be disposed between the data lines DL and the pixel electrodes PE. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the numbers of insulation layers and flat layers included in the pixel driving layer may be adjusted according to the actual circuit design, and the disclosure is not limited to the content disclosed in the drawings.
The light-shielding pattern layer BM is disposed in correspondence to the data lines DL and the scanning lines SL, which means the light-shielding pattern layer BM may also define the aforementioned pixel areas PXA. In this embodiment, the second substrate 102 is further disposed with a color filter layer 130. The color filter layer 130 includes, for example, multiple color filter patterns (not shown) disposed in correspondence to the pixel areas PXA, and these color filter patterns are adapted to allow light of different colors to pass through to achieve the effect of color display.
Since the display panel 100 of the embodiment is a non-self-luminous display panel, the backlight module BLU is also disposed between the display panel 100 and the circuit board 300. This backlight module BLU is configured to provide multiple illumination beams. Since the backlight module BLU of this embodiment may be a backlight module in any form well known to those skilled in the display technology field, the relevant details are not described herein.
In order to allow the pixel structures in each pixel area PXA to respectively control the intensity of light after the illumination beams pass through the display panel 100 to achieve the display effect, the display panel 100 further includes two polarizing plates POL1 and POL2 respectively disposed on the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102, and the axial directions of the penetration shafts of the two polarizing plates POL1 and POL2 may be configured according to the operation mode of the liquid crystal layer LCL.
It should be noted that the disclosure does not limit the types of the liquid crystal display panel. For example, the display panel 100 of this embodiment may be a vertical alignment (VA) liquid crystal display panel, an in-plane switching (IPS) liquid crystal display panel, a multidomain vertical alignment (MVA) liquid crystal display panel, a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal display panel, a super twisted nematic (STN) liquid crystal display panel, a patterned vertical alignment (PVA) liquid crystal display panel, a fringe field switching (FFS) liquid crystal display panel, or an optically compensated birefringence (OCB) liquid crystal display panel, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
Furthermore, the antenna module 200 includes a substrate 205, an antenna electrode 210, a feed line 215, a ground electrode 220, and a dummy electrode 230. The antenna electrode 210, the feed line 215, the ground electrode 220, and the dummy electrode 230 belong to the conductive layer CL, and the conductive layer CL is disposed on a lateral surface of the substrate 205 away from the display panel 100. The material of the substrate 205 includes, for example, glass or a light-transmitting polymer material (such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), or polyimide (PI)). In this embodiment, the antenna module 200 may include multiple antenna electrodes 210 and multiple feed lines 215, and these antenna electrodes 210 may be arranged in an antenna array, such as being arranged in a one-dimensional antenna array along the direction X.
It should be noted that if each antenna electrode 210 is used with a phase shifter, the antenna array may adjust the direction of electromagnetic waves in transmission or reception function on the XZ plane, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In another embodiment not shown, the antenna electrodes 210 disposed in the display area DA may also be respectively arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows along the direction X and the direction Y to form a two-dimensional antenna array. The two-dimensional antenna array may adjust the direction of electromagnetic waves in transmission or reception function on the XZ plane and/or the YZ plane.
In this embodiment, the feeding lines 215 extend into the display area DA from a side edge area (i.e., a peripheral area PA) of the substrate 205 and respectively electrically connect the antenna electrodes 210. The ground electrode 220 is disposed between the feed lines 215. For example, the feeding lines 215 and the ground electrode 220 may form a coplanar waveguide and serve as a transmission structure for electromagnetic wave signals.
On the other hand, the antenna module 200 may transmit electromagnetic waves of the receiving signals to the circuit board 300 or receive the electromagnetic waves of the transmitting signals from the circuit board 300 through the circuit flexible board 320, and the circuit board 300 is disposed with, for example, multiple control chips 315 of radio frequency (RF) antennas. With reference to
In order to reduce the visibility of the antenna electrodes 210 in the display area DA, the dummy electrode 230 overlapping the display area DA along a direction Z is disposed around the antenna electrodes 210 and is electrically separated from the antenna electrodes 210. More specifically, the areas in the display area DA of the display panel 100 without the antenna electrodes 210 are disposed with the dummy electrode 230 to increase the concealment of the antenna electrodes 210. In order to increase the radiation efficiency of the antenna electrodes 210, the dummy electrode 230 may have a floating potential, which means the dummy electrode 230 is electrically independent of any power supply or any conductor at a fixed potential.
With reference to
In detail, the wire segments 211 or the wire segments 213 of the antenna electrode 210 are arranged along the direction X, with their extension directions intersecting each other in the direction X and the direction Y. Every two adjacent wire segments 211 or wire segments 213 have a spacing S1x in the direction X (i.e., the width of the mesh in the direction X) and have a spacing Sly in the direction Y (i.e., the width of the mesh in the direction Y). Similarly, the dummy wire segments 231 or the dummy wire segments 233 of the dummy electrode 230 are arranged along the direction X, with their extension directions intersecting each other in the direction X and the direction Y. Every two adjacent dummy wire segments 231 or dummy wire segments 233 have a spacing S2x in the direction X and have a spacing S2y in the direction Y.
For example, in this embodiment, the spacing S1x of the wire segments 211 (or the wire segments 213) of the antenna electrode 210 in the direction X may be selectively equal to the spacing S2x of the dummy wire segments 231 (or the dummy wire segments 233) of the dummy electrode 230 in the direction X, and the spacing Sly of the wire segments 211 (or the wire segments 213) of the antenna electrode 210 in the direction Y may be selectively equal to the spacing S2y of the dummy wire segments 231 (or the dummy wire segment 233) of the dummy electrode 230 in the direction Y, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a linewidth LW1 of the wire segments of the antenna electrode 210 may also be selectively equal to a linewidth LW2 of the dummy wire segments of the dummy electrode 230, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
It should be noted that the break 230c of the dummy electrode 230 of this embodiment is disposed at the intersection between the extension direction of the dummy wire segment 231 and the extension direction of the dummy wire segment 233. In detail, every two adjacent breaks 230c arranged along the direction X have a pitch Px, and every two adjacent breaks 230c arranged along the direction Y have a pitch Py. In order to obtain better electromagnetic wave radiation efficiency, the ratio of the pitch Px to the spacing S2x may be less than or equal to 1.25, and the ratio of the pitch Py to the spacing S2y may be less than or equal to 1.25. For example, in this embodiment, the ratio of the pitch Px to the spacing S2x is equal to 1, and the ratio of the pitch Py to the spacing S2y is equal to 1. In this way, the radiation efficiency of the antenna module 200 of this embodiment may reach more than 40% (as shown in
With reference to
With reference to
From another point of view, since the dummy electrode is disposed with the breaks, the distance between the dummy electrode and the antenna electrodes may be reduced, which may further reduce the visibility of the antenna electrodes 210 in the display area DA, and may also ensure the electromagnetic wave radiation efficiency of the antenna electrodes.
With reference to
According to
With reference to
where f is the minimum frequency in the electromagnetic wave operating frequency band of the antenna module 200, μr is the relative permeability of the reflection layer 250, μ0 is the vacuum permeability, and σ is the conductivity of the reflection layer 250. For example, in this embodiment, the reflection layer 250 may be made of a metal material, such as copper or other metals with suitable conductivity.
Since the reflection layer 250 is disposed in the display area DA in correspondence to the antenna electrodes 210, the reflection layer 250 may also have a mesh configuration to reduce the optical transmittance loss of the display panel 100. In other words, the reflection layer 250 may have multiple wire segments 251 and multiple wire segments 253, and the wire segments 251 intersect the wire segments 253 and define multiple meshes. In this embodiment, the reflection layer 250 may have a ground potential.
Other embodiments are described below to explain the disclosure in detail, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same technical content will be omitted. For the description of the omitted part, reference may be made to the above embodiment, and details are not described in the following embodiments.
Since the spacing S1x of the wire segments 211 (or the wire segments 213) of the antenna electrode 210 in the direction X is equal to the spacing S2x of the dummy wire segments 231D (or the dummy wire segments 233D) of the dummy electrode 230D in the direction X, and the spacing Sly of the wire segments 211 (or the wire segments 213) of the antenna electrode 210 in the direction Y is equal to the spacing S2y of the dummy wire segments 231D (or the dummy wire segments 233D) of the dummy electrode 230D in the direction Y, then the breaks 230c disposed with the dummy electrode 230D cause a substantial difference in brightness after light passes through the dummy electrode 230D and the antenna electrode 210, resulting in an increase in the visibility of the antenna electrode (or the dummy electrode) and a decrease in display quality.
Therefore, increasing the linewidth LW2″ of the dummy wire segments of the dummy electrode 230D may compensate the change in transmittance of the dummy electrode 230D due to the breaks 230c, so that the difference in transmittance of light between the antenna electrode 210 and the dummy electrode 230D may be increased, and the concealment of the antenna electrode 210 may thus be improved. For example, when the mesh widths of the antenna electrode 210 in the direction X and the direction Y (i.e., the spacing S1x and the spacing Sly) are 120 micrometers and 240 micrometers respectively, if the opening width W of the break 230c is increased from 10 micrometers to 20 micrometers, then increasing the linewidth LW2″ of the dummy wire segment from 3.5 micrometers to 4.08 micrometers may maintain the concealment of the antenna electrode 210.
However, the disclosure is not limited to the above. In other embodiments, if the opening width of the dummy electrode increases, adjusting the arrangement spacing of the wire segment of the antenna electrode (i.e., the width of the mesh in the direction X or the direction Y) may compensate the change in transmittance of the dummy electrode due to the increase in the opening width of the breaks. In other words, the arrangement spacing of the wire segments of the antenna electrode in a direction may be different from the arrangement spacing of the dummy wire segments of the dummy electrode in the same direction. For example, if the opening width W of the break portion 230c in
It should be noted that since the reflection layer of this embodiment is disposed in the display panel 100, each layer in the display panel 100 between the data lines DL (or the scanning lines SL) and the antenna module 200A (e.g., the polarizing plate POL2, the second substrate 102, the color filter layer 130, the insulation layer, and the liquid crystal layer LCL) are required to have the designed effective dielectric constant and dielectric loss so as to reduce the energy loss of electromagnetic waves passing through these layers.
In summary, in the display device of an embodiment of the disclosure, the dummy electrode disposed around the antenna electrodes has the dummy wire segments intersecting each other and at least partially disconnected. Therefore, the electrical coupling effect between the antenna electrodes and the dummy electrode may be effectively reduced, thereby improving the electromagnetic wave radiation efficiency of the antenna electrodes. In the antenna module of an embodiment of the disclosure, the visibility of the antenna electrodes may be effectively reduced by having different linewidths or arrangement spacings of the dummy wire segments of the dummy electrode and the wire segments of the antenna electrodes.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111101261 | Jan 2022 | TW | national |
