Patent Application
20160269720
In a virtual reality headset, left and right eye display areas are formed by separate display units for each eye via separate manufacturing processes on separate substrates and then coupled together or integrated into the virtual reality headset. However, the separate manufacturing processes and subsequent integration of the left and right eye display units do not allow for micron level alignment of corresponding pixels or corresponding pixel rows of the left and right eye units, neither does it allow for uniformity in color and brightness between the two display units.
In a virtual reality headset with left and right eye display area with inter-axial adjustment to match the range of inter-pupillary distances (IPDs) on users, rather than having a separate display for each eye, both display areas are formed in a single display module. In this display module, the left and right eye units are fabricated side by side on the same substrate, allowing for micron level alignment as well as greater uniformity in color and brightness. The region between the left and right eye units may be area used for various electronic components (such as wiring, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor (TFT) circuitry, driver circuitry, etc.) as well as unused substrate area. This region buckles and folds to allow for adjustment of the distance between the left and right display areas.
In one or more embodiments, for use in a head mounted display, the active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) substrate can be diced into shapes that accommodate the clearances necessary to make face ergonomics. The nose and brow areas can be cut away symmetrically to avoid creating separate parts for the left and right eyes. Removing this active area also reduces the organic material used in the manufacturing of the AMOLED display panel.
In one or more embodiments, a display apparatus comprises a flexible substrate and a display panel formed on a first surface of the flexible substrate. The display panel comprises a first panel region formed on a first portion of the flexible substrate, the first panel region forming a left eye display unit, a first central axis of the first panel region being perpendicular to scan rows of the first panel region. The display panel further comprises a second panel region formed on a second portion of the flexible substrate, the second panel region forming a right eye display unit, a second central axis of the second panel region being perpendicular to scan rows of the second panel region. The second central axis of the second panel region is separated from the first central axis of the first panel region by an inter-axial distance, and the inter-axial distance between the first and second central axes is adjustable responsive to deformation of a third portion of the flexible substrate that is formed between the first and second portions of the flexible substrate.
The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
This configuration where the two panel regions 102-a and 102-b correspond to a single display unit allows for micron level alignment between the two panels. The scan lines and pixel rows can be better aligned between the two panels since the panels are formed simultaneously via the same processing steps, on the same substrate. In some embodiments, corresponding pixels of the first and second panel regions of the display panel are aligned to match in spatial placements within a certain tolerance referenced to the corresponding panel regions, for example in micrometer ranges. Furthermore, in some embodiments, corresponding pixel rows of the first and second panel regions of the display panel are aligned to match in spatial placements within a certain tolerance referenced to the corresponding panel regions, for example in micrometer ranges. An additional benefit of the two panels being formed concurrently via the same processing steps on a single substrate is that the two panels (individual pixel pairs) or all of the pixels of one panel with respect to another can be better matched for brightness and color responses, thus providing greater uniformity in color and brightness between the two panel regions. Thus, effects of process variations (in spatial alignment and pixel display characteristics) can be mitigated when the two panels are formed on the same substrate via the same process steps. In some embodiments, display characteristics of corresponding pixels of the first and second panel regions of the display panel are matched to have less than a predetermined percentage of difference in luminance response and less than a predetermined percentage of difference in color response.
The two regions 102-a and 102-b may be attached to substantially inflexible mounting regions 106-a and 106-b. The inflexible mounting regions 106-a and 106-b are configured to slide along rails or guides 110. The flexible substrate 104 folds (bends or buckles) to allow for adjustment of the distance between the left and right display regions (102-a and 102-b). In
In one or more embodiments, electronic components such as circuit passives, optical components, circuit traces and signal wires that carry electrical or optical signals, active circuit elements (integrated circuits or chips), and/or energy sources such as battery cells may be formed within the flexible substrate region 104 between the two regions of the panel.
In addition to the left and right display panel regions (102-a and 102-b) and the flexible interconnecting substrate region 104,
The pattern of bending and folding of the flexible substrate region 104 may be controlled or predefined so that the flexible substrate region 104 bends in a fixed and predefined fashion (along predefined fold axes) perpendicular to the interconnecting dimension (length) between the panel regions 102-a and 102-b. This could be achieved via several alternative design configurations. For example, support structures (e.g., ball bearings, cylindrical bearings, or other suitable supporting and pivoting (fold guiding) structures such as structures 250 illustrated in
As shown in
In such embodiments, where the first and second panel regions 102-a and 102-b are non-rectangular, widths of upper portions of the first and second panel regions are shorter than respective widths of central portions of the first and second panel regions. In such embodiments, the first and second central axes dissects the respective central portions of the first and second panel regions; and the upper portion of the first panel region 102-a has a greater width to a left of the first central axis and the upper portion of the second panel region 102-b has a greater width to the right of the second central axis. In such embodiments, widths of scan rows in upper portions of the first and second panel regions are shorter than widths of scan rows in the central portions of the first and second panel regions.
Alternatively, or in addition, the first and second panel regions 102-a and 102-b are non-rectangular, widths of lower portions of the first and second panel regions are shorter than respective widths of central portions of the first and second panel regions. In such embodiments, the first and second central axes dissecting the respective central portions of the first and second panel regions; and the lower portion of the first panel region 102-a has a greater width to a left of the first central axis and the lower portion of the second panel region 102-b has a greater width to the right of the second central axis. In such embodiments, widths of scan rows in lower portions of the first and second panel regions are shorter than widths of scan rows in the central portions of the first and second panel regions.
In a stereoscopic display, this region between the eyes corresponds to or a spatial region where the human eyes cannot see—neither the left nor the right eye field of view encompasses this region. Thus, although content that would have been displayed in the excised regions had the rectangular geometry been used, is lost, the loss of the displayed image content does not necessarily result in a loss of perceived image content. This is because the eyes may not have been able to view this region in the first place. In other words, the display regions from the left and right panels are optionally specifically excised in a manner that the excised portions would have fallen within the region between the eyes where the eyes cannot perceive vision. But eliminating these display regions still provides ergonomic benefits.
Although the regions illustrated as being cut out are shown to be linear, other non-linear shapes and contours for delineating the excised regions are possible as well—e.g., curved, curvilinear, piece-wise linear, and so on. The sections that are cut out from the display panel between the two panel regions may be symmetric along the top-down axis and/or along the left-right axis. Alternatively the sections may not be cut out symmetrically along one or both of these axes.
In one or more embodiments, an image that was originally meant for display on a rectangular display is rendered for the non-rectangular display. Portions of image content corresponding to regions that are cut-out may be omitted—e.g., not displayed. In other words the original image meant for rectangular display regions may be truncated at these regions. Image content may be intelligently adjusted or offset within the panel regions so that important display content is preserved. Some display lines (near the top and bottom, where portions are cut out) are shorter than others (near the center where substantially the entire display width is preserved). Thus, fewer display pixels may be provided along the shorter (narrower) display width regions than along the wider display width regions. The scan time for the shorter lines may be reduced in comparison with the scan time for the wider display rows/regions. In the alternative, scan time for the short and long scan lines may be kept substantially the same. In the latter case, the scan time that would have been used for display of image content in the regions that are cut out is idle time (no content is displayed during these scan times).
As explained above with reference to
This application claims the benefit of and priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/131,731, filed Mar. 11, 2015, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62131731 | Mar 2015 | US |
