JP2010276706A - Electrooptical device and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrooptical device and electronic equipment having improved visibility. <P>SOLUTION: A thin-film device includes a self-luminous display section 110 formed on a first substrate, and a reflective display section 120 formed on a second substrate. In a planar view, the self-luminous display section 110 does not overlap the reflective display section 120. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus including a self-luminous display unit and a reflective display unit.

  A self-luminous display device typified by an organic EL (electroluminescence) display device is excellent in color development, visibility in a dark place, and contrast, and is mainly applied to a display device in a mobile phone or a television. ing. However, the self-luminous display device has problems such as high power consumption, easy eye fatigue due to flickering of the display unit, and poor visibility in a bright place.

  On the other hand, a reflective display device represented by an electrophoretic display device is organic in that it consumes less power, has less flickering on the display portion and is less likely to cause eye strain, and has better visibility in bright places. Superior to EL display devices. However, the reflective display device does not reach the organic EL in terms of color developability, visibility in a dark place, and contrast. Because of these characteristics, the reflective display device is applied to a thin display device that mainly displays character information such as an electronic book.

  Further, in view of both features as described above, there are the following techniques that use different types of display devices in a stacked manner. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-30321 discloses a display device in which an organic EL display is stacked on an electrophoresis panel. Patent Document 2 (International Publication WO2005 / 034068 pamphlet) discloses an image display device including an electrophoretic display and a liquid crystal display disposed on the entire surface thereof. Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-117283) discloses a handwriting input device that arranges a transparent EL sheet on electronic paper.

JP 2004-30321 A International Publication WO2005 / 034068 Pamphlet JP 2008-117283 A

  However, in the above conventional technique, since a plurality of display devices are simply stacked and used, images and characters of the display device arranged on the back side when viewed from the display surface are displayed on the front side. It was hard to say that the visibility was sufficient because it was blocked by the device. In particular, there is a problem in terms of visibility as a device such as a magazine that displays content in which a colorful image such as a photograph and fine character information are mixed.

  In order to solve such a problem, a display device of the present invention includes a self-luminous display unit provided on a first substrate and a reflective display unit provided on a second substrate. The self-luminous display unit and the reflective display unit do not overlap with each other.

  According to this configuration, the self-luminous display unit and the reflective display unit do not overlap with each other in plan view, and thus visibility can be improved.

  In the display device of the present invention, the second substrate is provided on the first substrate.

  According to such a configuration, the second substrate on which the reflective display unit is provided is provided on the first substrate on which the self-luminous display unit is provided, so that the visibility of the reflective display unit is improved. Can be improved.

  The self-luminous display unit has an organic EL layer, and the reflective display unit has an electrophoretic layer.

  In addition, the invention includes an electronic apparatus including any one of the above electro-optical devices.

  According to this configuration, an electronic device with improved visibility can be provided.

  In addition, the electronic device of the present invention includes a first cover that is configured to cover the self-luminous display unit and is provided so as to be openable and closable. It is preferable that the surface facing the mold display portion has light scattering or light reflecting properties.

  According to such a configuration, by using the first cover whose surface facing the self-luminous display unit in the closed state has light scattering property or light reflecting property, the self-luminous display unit is connected to the reflective display unit. Thus, light can be effectively guided.

  It is preferable to further include a second cover that is configured to cover the reflective display unit and that can be opened and closed independently of the first cover.

  According to this configuration, while enabling effective light guide from the self-luminous display unit to the reflective display unit, the self-luminous display unit and the reflective display unit are provided by the cover when the electronic apparatus is not used. It becomes possible to protect.

  Note that “electronic device” in this specification includes an electronic book, electronic paper, and the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition to electronic books and electronic paper, for example, devices such as portable terminals that can display image information and text information are included.

FIG. 10 illustrates a configuration example of an electronic device including a self-luminous display unit and a reflective display unit. The figure which shows each structural example of an element substrate and a transparent substrate. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross section of an electro-optical device. The 1st figure which shows the structural example of the electronic device provided with the cover. 2nd figure which shows the structural example of the electronic device provided with the cover.

An embodiment according to the present invention will be specifically described according to the following configuration with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.
1. Embodiment 1
(1) Configuration example of electronic device including self-luminous display unit and reflection type display unit (2) Configuration example of element substrate and transmissive substrate in electro-optical device (3) Example of cross section of electro-optical device 2 . Embodiment 2
(1) Configuration example of electronic device provided with a cover Summary

(1. Embodiment 1)
(1) Configuration Example of Electronic Device Provided with Self-Emitting Display Unit and Reflective Display Unit FIG. 1 is a configuration example of an electronic device including the self-emission display unit and the reflective display unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example. The electronic apparatus according to the present embodiment is an electronic book or electronic paper that can simultaneously display a colorful image such as a photograph and content in which fine character information is mixed, but is not limited thereto. It is not a thing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 according to this embodiment includes a self-luminous display unit 110, a reflective display unit 120, and a display switching input unit 130. In addition, a configuration including the self-luminous display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 is referred to as an electro-optical device.

(Self-luminous display unit 110)
The self-luminous display unit 110 is, for example, a top emission type organic EL display device or the like, and is configured to be driven by a switching element formed on an element substrate described later. Since the self-luminous display unit 110 can display desired color light, it is mainly used to display colorful images such as photographs. Further, the self-luminous display unit 110 is configured such that two sides of the outer periphery in plan view are in contact with two sides of the outer periphery of the element substrate in plan view.

(Reflective display unit 120)
The reflective display unit 120 is, for example, an electrophoretic display unit, and is configured to be driven by a switching element formed on a substrate described later. Since the reflective display unit 120 can display two colors, it is mainly used to display character information.

  Here, the switching element used in the self-luminous display unit 110 and the switching element used in the reflective display unit 120 are formed on the same element substrate. That is, the self-luminous display unit 110 is driven by a part of the switching element configured on the element substrate, and the reflection type display unit 120 is driven by the other part of the switching element configured on the element substrate. . Note that elements used for other circuits such as a drive circuit (not shown) as well as switching elements used for either the self-luminous display unit 110 or the reflective display unit 120 are provided on the element substrate. It can also be included.

(Display switching input unit 130)
The display switching input unit 130 is configured to be able to switch between display and non-display of the self-luminous display unit 110 based on an external input. Switching whether or not to display the self-luminous display unit 110 can be performed independently of the display state of the reflective display unit 120.

(2) Configuration Examples of Element Substrate and Transparent Substrate in Electro-Optical Device FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating exemplary configurations of the element substrate 200 and the transmissive substrate 230 in the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. .
As shown in FIG. 2, the electro-optical device of this embodiment has two substrates, an element substrate 200 and a transmissive substrate 230. When the surface close to the viewer of the electro-optical device is called a display surface, the transparent substrate 230 is disposed on the display surface side, and the element substrate 200 is disposed on the back side. Hereinafter, the positional relationship between the element substrate 200 and the transmissive substrate 230 is also referred to as the transmissive substrate 230 being disposed on the element substrate 200.

(Element substrate 200)
The element substrate 200 is configured to form a plurality of switching elements. In addition, the element substrate 200 is configured to form the self-light emitting layer 210 on a part thereof.

(Transparent substrate 230)
The transparent substrate 230 is made of a transparent material such as plastic, and is configured to form the electrophoretic layer 220 on a part thereof. The self-emitting layer 210 on the element substrate 200 and the electrophoretic layer 220 on the transmissive substrate 230 are arranged so as not to overlap each other in plan view. Further, a portion of the transmissive substrate 230 where the electrophoretic layer 220 is not formed is formed on the self-emitting layer 210 so as to cover the entire self-emitting layer 210 as shown in FIG. Is formed. A part of the transmissive substrate 230 may be formed so as to cover at least a part of the self-light emitting layer 210.

  The element substrate 200, the self-light emitting layer 210, the electrophoretic layer 220, and the transmissive substrate 230 will be described in more detail below with reference to cross-sectional views.

  In the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device according to this embodiment, the self-emitting layer 210 is formed on the element substrate 200, the electrophoretic layer 220 is formed on the transmissive substrate 230, and then the element substrate 200 and the transmissive substrate 230 are formed. Are bonded together to manufacture an electro-optical device. Therefore, in the above description, the electrophoretic layer 220 is formed on a part of the transmissive substrate 230. However, in the completed electro-optical device, the electrophoretic layer 220 is formed on a part of the element substrate 200. It can also be said. In this case, it can be said that the self-luminous layer 210 is formed in part on the element substrate 200 and the electrophoretic layer 220 is formed in the other part.

(3) Example of Cross Section of Electro-Optical Device FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross section of the electro-optical device.
As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of switching elements 240 are formed on the element substrate 200. A corresponding pixel electrode 250 is formed in each of the plurality of switching elements 240. A self-emitting layer 210 or an electrophoretic layer 220 is selectively formed on the pixel electrode 250 depending on the location. A common electrode 260 is formed on the self-luminous layer 210 and the electrophoretic layer 220, and a transparent substrate 230 is formed thereon.

(Switching element 240)
The switching element 240 is operable to switch between conduction and non-conduction (on / off) in accordance with a display signal given to the switching element 240. When the switching element 240 is conductive, the pixel electrode 250 formed on each of the switching elements 240 has a predetermined potential. Conversely, when the switching element 240 is non-conducting, the corresponding pixel electrode 250 is at the ground potential. An example of the switching element 240 is a transistor that is a semiconductor element.

(Pixel electrode 250)
As described above, the pixel electrode 250 is configured such that the potential can be switched by the corresponding switching element 240.

(Self-emitting layer 210)
The self-light-emitting layer 210 is composed of a plurality of self-light-emitting elements, and self-lights by the potential difference between the pixel electrode 250 and the common electrode 260 corresponding to each self-light-emitting element. More specifically, in the organic EL display device according to the present embodiment, the self-emitting layer 210 is an organic EL layer, and self-emits desired color light by applying a potential difference to the self-emitting element as described above. The self-light-emitting layer 210 that is a set of self-light-emitting elements can display an image having a color. Here, since the potential of the common electrode 260 is constant, the self-emitting layer 210 operates in accordance with a change in the potential of the pixel electrode 250. The potential of the pixel electrode 250 is switched by the switching element 240 as described above. That is, the self light emitting layer 210 is driven by the corresponding switching element 240. In addition, it can be said that the self-emitting layer 210 self-emits according to a voltage applied by the switching element 240 through the pixel electrode 250.

(Electrophoresis layer 220)
The electrophoretic layer 220 includes a plurality of electrophoretic elements, and can display monochrome characters or the like due to a potential difference between the corresponding pixel electrode 250 and the common electrode 260. Specifically, the electrophoretic element contains black charged particles and a white dispersion medium, and a potential difference is generated in the electrophoretic element, and the charged particles are on the pixel electrode 250 side or the common electrode 260 side. By flowing, two-color display is possible. In the electrophoretic layer 220, the display changes according to the voltage applied by the corresponding switching element 240 via the pixel electrode 250, similarly to the self-light emitting layer 210, and the corresponding switching element 240. It can be said that it is driven by.

  Note that the color displayed by the electrophoretic layer 220 is generally monochrome of white and black, but is not limited thereto. That is, by changing the colors of the charged particles and the dispersion medium contained in the electrophoretic element, it is possible to display other two colors.

(Common electrode 260)
The common electrode 260 is configured to have a constant fixed potential as described above, and is formed of a permeable material.

  That is, the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment includes the self-luminous display unit 110 provided on the element substrate 200 and the reflective display unit 120 provided on the transmissive substrate 230. The mold display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 do not overlap with each other.

  According to this configuration, the self-luminous display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 do not overlap with each other in plan view, and thus visibility can be improved.

  In addition, the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment includes the element substrate 200 on which the plurality of switching elements 240 are formed, the self-luminous display unit 110 driven by a part of the plurality of switching elements 240, and the plurality of switching elements. It can also be said that the apparatus includes a reflective display unit 120 driven by another part of 240.

  In the display device of this embodiment, the transmissive substrate 230 is provided on the element substrate 200.

  According to this configuration, the transmissive substrate 230 on which the reflective display unit 120 is provided is provided on the element substrate 200 on which the self-luminous display unit 110 is provided, whereby the reflective display unit 120 is provided. Visibility can be improved.

  The self-luminous display unit 110 has an organic EL layer as the self-luminous layer 210, and the reflective display unit 120 has an electrophoretic layer 220.

  Further, as shown in the present embodiment, the self-luminous display unit 110 is preferably configured to be able to switch between display and non-display independently of the display state of the reflective display unit 120.

  In an electronic book like this embodiment, there is a case where it is desired to browse only character information without displaying an image. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to display only the reflective display unit 120 without displaying the self-luminous display unit 110 when, for example, it is desired to browse only character information in the electro-optical device. Electric power can be reduced. In general, the visibility of the reflective display unit 120 is deteriorated in a dark place. In this case, the self-luminous display unit 110 can be used as a light source for the reflective display unit 120 to display darkness. The visibility of the reflective display unit 120 at the place can be improved.

  In addition, it is preferable to include a display switching input unit 130 that can switch between display and non-display of the self-luminous display unit 110 based on an external input.

  Moreover, it is preferable that at least one side of the outer periphery of the self-luminous display unit 110 in plan view is in contact with at least one side of the outer periphery of the element substrate 200 in plan view.

  According to such a configuration, the electro-optical device can be easily manufactured as compared with the case where the self-luminous display unit 110 is disposed without being in contact with the outer periphery of the element substrate 200 in a plan view. In addition, when the self-luminous display unit 110 is used as a light source, the light guide property from the self-luminous display unit 110 to the reflective display unit 120 can be improved.

  Further, in the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment, the self-luminous display unit 110 includes a self-luminous layer 210 that self-lumines according to a voltage applied by a part of the plurality of switching elements 240. Further, the reflective display unit 120 preferably includes an electrophoretic layer 220 that displays in accordance with a voltage applied by other portions of the plurality of switching elements 240.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to control the display of the self-luminous display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 by the voltage applied by the switching element 240 formed on the common element substrate 200.

  In addition, as specifically described above, the present embodiment includes the electronic apparatus 100 including any one of the electro-optical devices.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to provide the electronic apparatus 100 including any of the characteristics of the electro-optical device. Specifically, for example, it is possible to provide an electronic device with improved visibility.

(2. Embodiment 2)
(1) Configuration Example of Electronic Device Provided with Cover Next, a configuration example of an electronic device further provided with a cover will be described in addition to the electronic device provided with the electro-optical device described so far.

  FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device including a cover. FIG. 5 is a second diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device including a cover. The electronic apparatus of this embodiment includes two types of a self-luminous display unit cover 300 and a reflective display unit cover 310. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the reflective display unit cover 310 is fully opened and the self-luminous display unit cover 300 is half opened. FIG. 5 shows a state in which both the self-luminous display unit cover 300 and the reflective display unit cover 310 are closed.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the electronic device 100 further includes a self-luminous display unit cover 300 and a reflective display unit cover 310.

(Self-luminous display cover 300)
The self-luminous display unit cover 300 is configured to cover the self-luminous display unit 110 and is provided to be openable and closable. The self-luminous display unit cover 300 includes a light scattering unit 320 having light scattering properties on a surface facing the self-luminous display unit 110 in a closed state. Further, the self-luminous display portion cover 300 can be fixed in the middle of opening and closing. For example, the self-luminous display unit cover 300 can be fixed to the electro-optical device including the self-luminous display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 so as to form a predetermined angle of less than about 45 degrees. .

(Reflective display unit cover 310)
The reflective display unit cover 310 is configured to cover the reflective display unit 120 and is provided so as to be openable and closable. Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the self-luminous display unit cover 300 and the reflective display unit cover 310 can be opened and closed independently.

(Light scattering unit 320)
The light scattering unit 320 has light scattering properties as described above, and is configured to scatter the light emitted from the self-luminous display unit 110 to illuminate the surroundings.

  That is, the electronic device of the present embodiment includes a self-luminous display unit cover 300 that is configured to cover the self-luminous display unit 110 and that can be opened and closed. In addition, the surface facing the self-luminous display unit 110 in the closed state preferably has light scattering properties.

  According to such a configuration, by using the first cover whose surface facing the self-luminous display unit in the closed state has light scattering property or light reflecting property, the self-luminous display unit is connected to the reflective display unit. Thus, light can be effectively guided.

  Note that an electronic device having similar characteristics can be provided even if a light reflecting portion having light reflectivity is provided instead of the light scattering portion 320. However, when the light reflecting portion is provided, the light is mainly reflected in a predetermined direction, whereas when the light scattering portion 320 is provided, the scattered light can appropriately brighten the surroundings. Therefore, it is preferable to use the light scattering unit 320.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the self-luminous display unit 110 is configured to be able to be held in a single color display state.

  According to such a configuration, light can be guided from the self-luminous display unit 110 to the reflective display unit 120 while maintaining the luminance of the self-luminous display unit 110 in a desired state. Further, by maintaining the entire white display state so that the luminance of the self-luminous display unit 110 is maximized, the visibility of the reflective display unit 120 in a dark place can be improved.

  Further, it is preferable that the brightness of the self-luminous display unit 110 is adjustable. According to this configuration, the visibility of the reflective display unit 120 can be adjusted according to the surrounding environment.

  Note that the self-luminous display unit 110 is not necessarily in a single color display state, and may be in a display state with a certain pattern. However, holding in a single color display state is more preferable because the reflective display unit 120 can be made more easily viewable.

  Moreover, it is preferable to further include a reflective display unit cover 310 that is configured to cover the reflective display unit 120 and that can be opened and closed independently of the self-luminous display unit cover 300.

  According to this configuration, the self-luminous display unit 110 and the reflective display unit 120 can be effectively guided from the self-luminous display unit 110 to the reflective display unit 120 while the electronic device is not used. It is possible to protect by the cover.

Further, it is preferable that the self-luminous display unit cover 300 is configured to be openable and closable at a predetermined angle of less than about 45 degrees with the electro-optical device.
According to such a configuration, the light of the self-luminous display unit 110 can be more effectively guided to the reflective display unit 120.

  Further, the self-luminous display unit cover 300 may be configured to scatter light in a closed state and guide the light of the self-luminous display unit 110 to the reflective display unit 120.

Further, the self-luminous display unit 110 may be configured to be held in a predetermined single color display state only during a period in which the display switching input unit 130 is pressed.
According to such a configuration, the self-luminous display unit 110 can be used as light guide illumination only when it is desired to read the character data displayed on the reflective display unit 120.

Further, the self-luminous display unit 110 is held in a predetermined single color display state by pressing the display switching input unit 130 once, and the self-luminous display unit 110 returns to a normal state by pressing again. Also good. The normal state refers to a state where the self-luminous display unit 110 displays an image or a state where nothing is displayed.
According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to keep pressing the display switching input unit 130 during the period while using the self-luminous display unit 110 as light guide illumination only for a desired period, thereby reducing the burden on the user. Can do.

(3. Summary)
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, each embodiment is only an example of this invention to the last, and is not limited to these. That is, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof, and includes those appropriately modified based on each embodiment. In addition, the embodiments can be combined as long as no contradiction arises.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Electronic device, 110 ... Self-light-emitting display part, 120 ... Reflective display part, 130 ... Display switching input part, 200 ... Element board | substrate, 210 ... Self-light-emitting layer, 220 ... Electrophoresis layer, 230 ... Transparent board | substrate, 240 ... switching element 250 ... pixel electrode 260 ... common electrode 300 ... self-luminous display part cover 310 ... reflective display part cover 320 ... light scattering part

Claims (6)

A self-luminous display provided on the first substrate;
A reflective display unit provided on the second substrate,
The electro-optical device, wherein the self-luminous display unit and the reflective display unit do not overlap in a plan view.   The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is provided on the first substrate. The self-luminous display unit has an organic EL layer,
The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective display unit includes an electrophoretic layer.   An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1. A first cover configured to cover the self-luminous display unit and provided to be openable and closable;
5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the first cover has a light scattering property or a light reflecting property on a surface facing the self-luminous display unit when the first cover is closed.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second cover configured to cover the reflective display unit and provided to be openable and closable independently of the first cover.