Rainbow Displays, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Rainbow Display, Inc.

Dean W Skinner

Raymond G Greene

Donald P Seraphim

Boris Yost

J Peter Krusius

Robert Babuka

Lawrence T Guzowski

Jennifer M Cohen

Ho Chong Lee

Shunji Suzuki

Gerald R Westcott

John P Koons

Michael D Hryck

Lester Mayes

Koichi Miwa

Kohichi Miwa

Michikazu Noguchi

James E Carrington

Douglas H Strope

Robert W Arnold

Don L Baker

Robert R Schaffer

Michikazu Noquchi

Douglas A Dayger

Christopher D Turock

Kevin G McKenna

A large, efficient, high power collimated backlight assembly has a highly reflective, substantially closed, thin rectangular light cavity containing highly reflective surfaces and one or more light sources. One of the large faces of the cavity is a light exit plate which contains a transmissive, light collimating structure. The cavity side of the collimating structure includes a highly reflective white planar structure containing an array of circular apertures with minimal sidewall absorption. The apertures are centered on the optical axis and located near the focal distance of a closely packed array of hemispherical or spherical lenses located on the outer surface of the collimating structure. Light rays are trapped between the highly reflective surfaces of the cavity, light sources, and aperture walls, until they enter the lenses, which output the majority of rays that enter in a collimated beam. The backlight assembly is advantageously used for transmissive type electro-optical displays, especially those whose performance is enhanced by efficient collimated light, such as seamless tiled liquid crystal displays.

Backlight assembly for collimated illumination

The present invention features are series of techniques for designing and assembling of large, robust monolithic and monolithic-like flat panel displays. Many techniques originally developed for creating tiled, flat-panel displays having visually imperceptible seams may be advantageously applied to monolithic structures. These techniques include single-sided wiring, two-sided wiring from opposite sides, segmented row and column lines, and reordering row and column lines in fan-out region. Single-sided wiring facilitates the construction of displays with small outlines. By using these techniques, display sharpness and contrast may be improved. In addition, color and luminance balance and uniformity across the display may also be improved.

Construction of large, robust, monolithic and monolithic-like, AMLCD displays with wide view angle

The present invention features designs of pixels and designs of control features for seals on AMLCD tiles optimized for tiling AMLCD flat panel displays (FPDs) which have visually imperceptible seams. The FPD structure has an image view plane which is continuous and remote from the pixel apertures or image source plane on the inside of the tiles. The image is formed on the view plane by a distributed ultra low magnification flies-eye optical system (a screen) that is integrated with the tiles, effectively excluding and obscuring an image of the seams. The innovations described herein minimize the defects on the perimeter pixels by effectively damming the waviness of the front of the seal near the perimeter pixels on the tiles. Dark space required for the seal between the interior tile edges and active regions of the pixels is decreased, as is the space allocated for wiring thereby increasing the feasible aperture ratios near the mosaic edges and all apertures. The tile designs make effective use of the area of an entire manufacturing panel.

Tiled flat-panel display having visually imperceptible seams, optimized for HDTV applications

The present invention features a series of techniques for designing and assembling of large, robust monolithic and monolithic-like flat panel displays. Many techniques originally developed for creating tiled, flat-panel displays having visually imperceptible seams may be advantageously applied to monolithic structures. These techniques include single-sided wiring, two-sided wiring from opposite sides, segmented row and column lines, and reordering row and column lines in fan-out region. Single-sided wiring facilitates the construction of displays with small outlines. By using these techniques, display sharpness and contrast may be improved. In addition, color and luminance balance and uniformity across the display may also be improved.

Design features optimized for tiled flat-panel displays

The present invention features techniques for designing large, robust monolithic and monolithic-like displays having good brightness and contrast over a wide range of viewing angles. These techniques include controlling the layout of the pixel array and its access circuits that modify the electrical characteristics in order to minimize undesirable optical, electro-optical, and ambient light aberrations and any electronic anomalies creating visually perceptible discontinuities or boundaries. These artifacts are reduced to levels that allow for better color correction. In addition, the use of optical components such as collimators, light enhancing films, diffusers, screens, polarizers and masks are described. The resulting displays present luminance and chromaticity outputs from areas of originally varying optical response that become uniform within the tolerances of the human visual system.

Construction of large, robust, monolithic and monolithic like, AMLCD displays with wide view angle

The present invention features a system for uniformly distributing luminance and a high degree of collimation from a back light module for flat-panel, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) simultaneously. A constant and uniform luminance output of the back light module in two directions is obtained through appropriate selection of lamps, geometry and optical components. An appropriate balance of lamps, lamp spacing, diffusers and light collimating optics are chosen to produce a high brightness back light module with very high intensity output over two very large surfaces. Variations in intensity over the illuminated area are minimized using light recycling in conjunction with the reflective diffusers and collimating optics. Precision collimators eliminate light beyond a defined angle, as required in tiled or monolithic flat-panel LCDs with predetermined display specifications.

Back light assembly for use with back-to-back flat-panel displays

There is provided an improved method for laminating the components of a tiled display such as an AMLCD tiled display. In conventional laminating processes, forces are applied to the two parallel glass plates (i.e., the cover and back plates) separated by a liquid adhesive film. The two plates are squeezed together over their entire area forcing liquid laterally out from between the glass plates and tiles until the desired spacing or gap (filled with liquid adhesive) between the cover and back plates and the tiles is obtained. However, this process may require several hours to complete for large panels and, in addition the process is susceptible to trapping air bubbles in the adhesive. Consequently, the traditional process is not well suited for the mass production of large panels. The &ldquo;pseudo&rdquo; rolling-like lamination process of the present invention replaces the traditional lamination process and requires significantly less time.

Process and tool for maintaining three-dimensional tolerances for manufacturing tiled AMLCD displays

The present invention features apparatus and a method for controlling luminance emitted from a back light module for a large, tiled, flat-panel, liquid crystal display (LCD). A mechanism is provided for achieving luminance stability of fluorescent lamps, high efficiency and long life through controlling and maintaining lamp tube wall temperatures. Air flow variations are controlled by a microprocessor and a network of electric fans. The lamps may also be dimmed selectively to obtain optimum lamp tube wall temperatures. There is also provided a mechanism for safely preventing overheating of the back light and display due to high ambient temperatures or component failures. Further, the controls can be used in conjunction with ambient light sensing or manual controls to maintain appropriate output light intensity.

Controlling temperatures in a back light of a flat-panel display

The present invention features apparatus for uniformly distributing luminance from a back light module for a flat panel, liquid crystal display (LCD). Luminance uniformity, high efficiency and long lamp life are achieved by distributing the lamp cathode thermal energy and maintaining uniform lamp wall temperatures. A heat sink is attached to the fluorescent lamps in the cathode areas, providing cooler operating temperatures at the lamp ends. A thermal sensor is also mounted in the heat sink body. In addition, open louver slots positioned behind the lamps allow for cool air to enter behind each lamp. The size, shape and position of these louvers can be selected so that the lamp temperatures are essentially constant over their entire length.

Apparatus for producing uniform luminance in a flat-panel display backlight

The present invention features a system for uniformly distributing luminance and a high degree of collimation from a back light module for a flat-panel, liquid crystal display (LCD). A constant and uniform luminance output of the back light module is obtained through appropriate selection of lamps, geometry and optical components. An appropriate balance of lamps, lamp spacing, reflective light back plane, and diffuser and collimating optics are chosen to produce a high brightness back light module with very high intensity output over very large surfaces. Variations in intensity over the illuminated area are minimized using light recycling in conjunction with the collimating optics. Optimum geometries are determined for the purpose of maximizing light output at high efficiencies, while minimizing luminance gradients across the display. Finally, a precise collimator eliminates light beyond a defined angle, as required in a tiled, flat-panel LCD.

High output flat-panel display back light module

A method for applying the sealing material onto the corner regions of the substrate to realize the liquid crystal cell with large display region. A protrude region,is formed on each of the side regions adjacent to a display region of a first substrate,. A difference of level is formed at each boundary of the side region and the corner region on one surface of the first substrate,for providing the corner region with a height which is lower than a height of the side region. A sealing material,is applied on the side regions and the corner regions on the one surface of the first substrate,by a tool for dispensing the sealing material,. When a second substrate,is positioned on the applied sealing material,on one surface of the first substrate,, a distance between the first substrate,and the second substrate,is decreased and the sealing material,applied on the first substrate,is collapsed.

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Vestal, NY, United States of America

Dean W Skinner