Patent Grant
12007664
This application is a national phase entry under 35 USC 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN 2020/141614, filed on Dec. 30, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010244735.4, filed on Mar. 31, 2020, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present disclosure relates to the field of display technologies, and to a transparent display panel, a display device, and glasses.
Augmented reality (AR) display technologies may realize superimposition display of virtual information and a real scene. For example, a user may superimpose the virtual information onto a real world through AR glasses, so that human eyes see a virtual object and a real environment at the same time, and mutual complementation of the two kinds of information is realized, thereby realizing interaction with the real world.
In an aspect, a transparent display panel is provided. The transparent display panel has a plurality of sub-pixel regions, and the plurality of sub-pixel regions are divided into at least two display unit groups. The transparent display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate assembled with each other, and a light exit control layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The light exit control layer is configured to control a state of exit light of each sub-pixel region. The first substrate includes a first base and a dimming component disposed on a side of the first base. The dimming component includes a plurality of dimming lenses. Each dimming lens is configured to transmit exit light of one sub-pixel region to human eyes and focus the exit light on a corresponding focal plane. The plurality of dimming lenses are configured to focus exit light of the at least two display unit groups on different focal planes. The focal planes are located at a side of the transparent display panel away from the human eyes.
In some embodiments, the dimming lens includes a metasurface lens. The metasurface lens includes a transparent base material and a plurality of microstructures. The plurality of microstructures are disposed on a surface of the transparent base material proximate to the first base. Or the plurality of microstructures are disposed on a surface of the transparent base material away from the first base.
In some embodiments, the plurality of microstructures are arranged into a plurality of loop-shaped structures. Central axes of the plurality of loop-shaped structures substantially coincide, and the plurality of loop-shaped structures are sequentially sleeved in a direction from a center of the transparent base material to an edge of the transparent base material.
In some embodiments, an orthogonal projection of each of the plurality of loop-shaped structures on the transparent base material is substantially in a shape of a rectangle.
In some embodiments, a ratio of a dimension of the rectangle in a length direction to a dimension of the rectangle in a width direction is approximately equal to a ratio of a dimension of a corresponding sub-pixel region in the length direction to a dimension of the corresponding sub-pixel region in the width direction.
In some embodiments, the central axes of the plurality of loop-shaped structures substantially coincide with a central axis of a corresponding sub-pixel region, and/or an edge of an orthogonal projection of the metasurface lens on the first base is substantially overlapped with an edge of an orthogonal projection of a corresponding sub-pixel region on the first base.
In some embodiments, a maximum dimension of each of the plurality of microstructures in a direction perpendicular to the transparent base material is less than or equal to 1 μm.
In some embodiments, the metasurface lens is a transmission phase metasurface lens.
In some embodiments, the plurality of microstructures in the transmission phase metasurface lens include a plurality of cylinders. Axes of the plurality of cylinders are substantially perpendicular to the transparent base material. Dimensions of the plurality of cylinders in respective axis directions are approximately equal, and a diameter of each of the plurality of cylinders is proportional to a phase change amount of light passing through the transmission phase metasurface lens.
In some embodiments, the plurality of microstructures in the transmission phase metasurface lens include a plurality of cylindrical holes. Axes of the plurality of cylindrical holes are substantially perpendicular to the transparent base material. Dimensions of the plurality of cylindrical holes in respective axis directions are approximately equal, and a diameter of each of the plurality of cylindrical holes is proportional to a phase change amount of light passing through the transmission phase metasurface lens.
In some embodiments, the metasurface lens is a geometric phase metasurface lens. The plurality of microstructures in the geometric phase metasurface lens include a plurality of rectangular prisms. Axes of the plurality of rectangular prisms are substantially perpendicular to the transparent base material. Sizes of the plurality of rectangular prisms are approximately equal, and a rotation angle of each of the plurality of rectangular prisms is proportional to a phase change amount of light passing through the geometric phase metasurface lens.
In some embodiments, the transparent display panel further includes a polarizer disposed between the geometric phase metasurface lens and the light exit control layer. The polarizer is configured to convert light entering the geometric phase metasurface lens from the light exit control layer from linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light.
In some embodiments, a phase D of light at each light exit position of the metasurface lens satisfies a following formula:
Here, y is a vertical distance from the light exit position of the metasurface lens to a first plane, x is a vertical distance from the light exit position of the metasurface lens to a second plane, a is a vertical distance from a focus of the metasurface lens to the first plane, b is a vertical distance from the focus of the metasurface lens to the second plane, and f is a focal length of the metasurface lens. The first plane and the second plane are perpendicular to each other, and an intersection line of the first plane and the second plane is a central axis of the metasurface lens.
In some embodiments, the transparent base material is replaced with the first base. The plurality of microstructures are disposed on a surface of the first base proximate to the light exit control layer. Or the plurality of microstructures are disposed on a surface of the first base away from the light exit control layer.
In some embodiments, the light exit control layer includes liquid crystals and an electrode layer. The electrode layer is configured to drive the liquid crystals under an action of an electric field, so as to control the state of exit light of each sub-pixel region.
In some embodiments, the second substrate is a waveguide layer. A refractive index of the waveguide layer is greater than an ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystals, and the refractive index of the waveguide layer is less than or equal to an extraordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystals.
In another aspect, a display device is provided. The display device includes the transparent display panel according to any one of the above embodiments, and at least one side-type collimated light source disposed at at least one side of the second substrate in the transparent display panel.
In yet another aspect, glasses are provided. The glasses include a support structure and at least one transparent display panel according to any one of the above embodiments installed on the support structure.
In order to describe technical solutions in the present disclosure more clearly, accompanying drawings to be used in some embodiments of the present disclosure will be introduced briefly below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings to be described below are merely accompanying drawings of some embodiments of the present disclosure, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may obtain other drawings according to these drawings. In addition, the accompanying drawings to be described below may be regarded as schematic diagrams, but are not limitations on an actual size of a product, an actual process of a method and an actual timing of a signal involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Technical solutions in some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some but not all embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art on a basis of the embodiments of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the term “comprise” and other forms thereof such as the third-person singular form “comprises” and the present participle form “comprising” are construed as an open and inclusive meaning, i.e., “including, but not limited to”. In the description of the specification, the terms such as “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “exemplary embodiments”, “an example”, “specific example” or “some examples” are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics related to the embodiment(s) or example(s) are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s) or example(s). In addition, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner.
Hereinafter, the terms such as “first”, “second” and “third” are only used for descriptive purposes, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating to the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with “first”, “second” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “a plurality of/the plurality of” means two or more unless otherwise specified.
In the description of some embodiments, the terms “coupled” and “connected” and their extensions may be used. For example, the term “connected” may be used in the description of some embodiments to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical contact or electrical contact with each other. For another example, the term “coupled” may be used in the description of some embodiments to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, the term “coupled” or “communicatively coupled” may also mean that two or more components are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents herein.
The term “about” or “approximately” as used herein includes a stated value and an average value within an acceptable range of deviation of a particular value determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art, considering measurement in question and errors associated with measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., limitations of a measurement system).
AR glasses include two transparent display panels respectively corresponding to the left eye and the right eye of a person. Each transparent display panel may generate a virtual image, and superimpose the virtual image onto a real environment observed by the human eye through the transparent display panel, thereby realizing an augmented reality display function.
In the related art, the transparent display panel includes a grating. Exit light of a plurality of sub-pixel regions in the transparent display panel are diffracted by the grating, and then enters human eyes, thereby realizing a function of displaying a stereoscopic virtual image. However, in the related art, an efficiency and an angle of the exit light are affected by the grating diffraction, which results in a low light extraction efficiency, a poor transparency, and a small angle of field of view of the transparent display panel.
Based on this, referring to
The transparent display panel 10 has a plurality of sub-pixel regions P, and the plurality of sub-pixel regions P are divided into at least two display unit groups. For example, as shown in
Referring to
For example, referring to
In a case where the ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal 301 is less than the refractive index of the waveguide layer 21, and exit light of a side-type collimated light source 4 and a surface of the waveguide layer 21 facing the first substrate 1 form an included angle θ1, and a complementary angle of the included angle θ1 is greater than a critical angle of total reflection of light entering the liquid crystal 301 (optically rarer medium) from the waveguide layer 21 (optically denser medium), the exit light of the side-type collimated light source 4 is totally reflected after entering the waveguide layer 21. That is, the light may be reflected back and forth and go forward in the waveguide layer 21 without being transmitted out. The critical angle of total reflection is:
Here, n1 is the ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal 301, and n2 is the refractive index of the waveguide layer 21. In a case where light enters the optically rarer medium (e.g., the liquid crystal 301) from the optically denser medium (e.g., the waveguide layer 21), and an incident angle is greater than the critical angle of total reflection, the total reflection occurs.
In this case, by applying a voltage to the electrode layer 302 (e.g., the driving electrodes 3021 and the common electrode 3022), the liquid crystal 301 in the sub-pixel region P may be driven to deflect under the action of the electric field, and thus the ordinary light refractive index n1 of the liquid crystal 301 in this sub-pixel region P may be changed to break a total reflection state, so as to make this sub-pixel region P emit light. In addition, by adjusting a magnitude of the voltage applied to the electrode layer 302, a deflection angle of the liquid crystal 301 in each sub-pixel region P may be adjusted, and thus the ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal 301 in each sub-pixel region P may be adjusted, so that the sub-pixel regions P generate different gray scales for display. For example, the gray scale may be within a range of 0 to 255, and an adjustment of 256 gray scale levels may be realized by gradually adjusting the applied voltage. In a case where the gray scale of the sub-pixel region P is 0, in this sub-pixel region, light does not enter the liquid crystal 301 from the waveguide layer 21, and this sub-pixel region is in a dark state. In a case where the gray scale is 255, in this sub-pixel region, almost all light enters the liquid crystal 301 from the waveguide layer 21, and this sub-pixel region is in a bright state.
The side-type collimated light source 4 may emit three primary colors of light in a time sequence, for example, red light, green light, and blue light. During display, for each display unit group, one pixel region may be formed of three sub-pixel regions P among them. The light exit control layer controls colors of exit light of the three sub-pixel regions P to be red, green, and blue, and controls the display gray scales of the three sub-pixel regions P, so as to realize display control of the pixel regions, thereby realizing color display.
Referring to
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the dimming component 12 is provided, the dimming component 12 includes the plurality of dimming lenses 121, and the plurality of dimming lenses 121 focus the exit light of the at least two display unit groups on different focal planes, thereby realizing multi-focal plane display. Moreover, the plurality of dimming lenses 121 in this embodiment do not block light, so that the light extraction efficiency and the transparency of the transparent display panel 10 are high, and mixed display effects of a virtual image and a real scene is improved.
For example, referring to
Here, orientations indicated as “top” and “bottom” are merely for convenience of describing the present disclosure and for simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the plurality of sub-pixel regions P referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.
Referring to
Here, y is a vertical distance from the light exit position G of the metasurface lens 122 to a first plane M1, x is a vertical distance from the light exit position G of the metasurface lens to a second plane M2, a is a vertical distance from a focus G1 of the metasurface lens to the first plane M1, b is a vertical distance from the focus G1 of the metasurface lens to the second plane M2, f is a focal length of the metasurface lens 122. The first plane M1 and the second plane M2 are perpendicular to each other, and an intersection line of the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 is a central axis L1 of the metasurface lens (the central axis L1 refers to an axis perpendicular to the metasurface lens).
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the phase (D of light at each light exit position G of the metasurface lens 122 may be determined according to an imaging relationship between the sub-pixel region P and a virtual image region P1 in combination with the above formula. Then, according to the phase D of light at each light exit position G and a phase when the light is incident, a phase change amount during the light passing through the metasurface lens 122 is determined. A corresponding structure at each light exit position G of the metasurface lens 122 is designed by the phase change amount, so that the sub-pixel region P is imaged at a corresponding virtual image region P1.
It will be noted that the structure at each light exit position G of the metasurface lens 122 may be designed according to the phase change amount, so that an off-axis angle (an angle between the light and the central axis L1) α of light may be up to about ±60°, e.g., within a range of −65° to +65°. Therefore, the metasurface lenses 122 have a good off-axis imaging characteristic, and may image all sub-pixel regions in the transparent display panel at the specified positions of the specified focal planes in one-to-one correspondence, so that imagings of the display unit groups are spliced into one display image plane on the focal planes, thereby realizing the multi-focal plane display. Moreover, since the off-axis angle of light is large, the angle of field of view of the transparent display panel is accordingly increased. In addition, due to a large distance from the virtual image region P1 to the transparent display panel and a small distance from the human eyes to the transparent display panel, a beam received by the human eyes is substantially a parallel beam. Thereafter, the human eyes trace in reverse to see imaging light spots. That is, the human eyes observe images displayed on the focal planes. Through superimposition of a plurality of focal planes, an imaging depth of field is increased, and more spatial perceptions are sensed in vision, and thus a better stereoscopic display is achieved.
There are various ways to configure a structure of the metasurface lens 122, and the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, some embodiments shown below.
Referring to
It will be noted that when manufacturing the first substrate 1, the manufactured metasurface lens 122 may be assembled on the first base 11.
Or, referring to
A maximum dimension of the microstructure 12B in a direction perpendicular to the transparent base material 12A is less than or equal to 1 μm. For example, a dimension of the microstructure 12B in the direction perpendicular to the transparent base material 12A may be 500 nm. Compared with an ordinary lens (a thickness of the ordinary lens is about 40 μm), a thickness of the metasurface lens 122 in the direction perpendicular to the transparent base material 12A is smaller.
For example, the microstructure 12B includes a high refractive index material such as silicon nitride and gallium nitride. The transparent base material 12A may be made of a glass material or a high refractive index material. In a manufacturing process, the plurality of microstructures 12B may be manufactured on the surface of the transparent base material 12A through an electron beam exposure process.
In some embodiments, as shown in
On this basis, for example, as shown in
For example, referring to
For example, referring to
For example, referring to
For example, an aperture of each metasurface lens 122 is less than 20 μm, and in this design, a color difference may be effectively reduced, thereby improving display effects of the transparent display panel.
In some embodiments, referring to
For example, as shown in
For another example, as shown in
In some other embodiments, referring to
For example, the rotation angle r of the rectangular prism 1241 and the phase change amount during the light passing through the corresponding periodic structure have a double relationship, i.e., the phase change amount is 2r.
In a case where the phase change amount is 0, a position at which the rectangular prism 1241 is located is a reference position. That is, the rotation angle r refers to an included angle between the rectangular prism 1241 at a rotated position and the rectangular prism 1241 at the reference position.
On this basis, for example, referring to
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device 200 is provided. Referring to
The side-type collimated light source 4 in each transparent display panel 10 may be made of semiconductor laser chips with three colors of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) after light mixing, may be made of light-emitting diode chips (LED) with three colors of R, G and B after collimation and light mixing, may be made of a white LED chip after collimation, or may be made of a strip-shaped cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and a light collimating structure. The foregoing light source structures are merely examples, and the side-type collimated light source 4 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the foregoing structures.
For example, the side-type collimated light source 4 may realize collimation through a reflector, and a collimation degree may be within a range of −3° to +3°. In addition, in order to match a width of the second substrate (e.g., a waveguide layer) in the transparent display panel 10, the side-type collimated light source 4 may further be a laser chip or an LED chip strip with a width consistent with that of the second substrate. Or, a beam expanding structure may further be provided in front of the laser chip or the LED chip trip.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the display device 200 includes the transparent display panel(s) 10 described in any of the embodiments, the display device 200 has all beneficial effects of the transparent display panel 10 as described above, which will not be repeated here.
The display device 200 may be any product or component having a display function such as an AR helmet, AR glasses, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a display, a notebook computer, a digital photo frame, or a navigator.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, glasses 201 are further provided, and the glasses 201 may be AR glasses. As shown in
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the glasses 201 include the transparent display panels 10 described in any of the embodiments, the glasses 201 have all beneficial effects of the transparent display panel 10 as described above, which will not be repeated here.
The foregoing descriptions are merely specific implementation manners of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Changes or replacements that any person skilled in the art could conceive of within the technical scope of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202010244735.4 | Mar 2020 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2020/141614 | 12/30/2020 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/196790 | 10/7/2021 | WO | A |
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| Entry |
|---|
| The First Office Action of Priority Application No. CN 202010244735.4 issued by the Chinese Patent Office on Apr. 1, 2021. |
| Decision of Rejection of Priority Application No. CN 202010244735.4 issued by the Chinese Patent Office on Jul. 22, 2021. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220317542 A1 | Oct 2022 | US |
