WO2001007999A1

WO2001007999A1 - Modular lcd monitors

Info

Publication number: WO2001007999A1
Application number: PCT/SG2000/000102
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter Roland Chen
Original assignee: Walter Roland Chen
Priority date: 1999-07-23
Filing date: 2000-07-21
Publication date: 2001-02-01

Abstract

LCD and flat screen displays are made as one piece, with active TFT screens being more expensive than passive screens. They are as stand-alone monitors (single or cluster), or mounted (single) with desktop computers or used on laptop computer monitors (single). Some of the stand-alone single LCD monitors can be rotated. Some LCD monitors can be detached but are reattached on same axis and position. The laptop computers include notebooks, sub-notebooks and smaller units. The proposal is two fold. The LCD or flat panel screen monitor is made from multiple (two or more) modular pieces to form a single larger screen of various sizes. Both standard LCD and these modular LCD screens as single monitors and/or as a cluster of multiple screens, on laptop computers or when attached to desktop computers, have the special feature of being detached and reattached or shifted (without being detached) to a different axis and/or position relative to the original position. The use of two or more smaller sizes (including undamaged smaller pieces cut from larger damaged pieces) is to form a single larger modular LCD screen. The special feature of the LCD (standard and modular) screen being detached and reattached or shifted (without being detached) to a different axis and/or position relative to the original position is unique for laptop computers and when the LCD monitor is attached to the desktop computer. The cluster concept of multiple LCD monitors (standard and modular) on a single laptop is unique to the laptop computers which currently has only a single LCD monitor for each laptop. LCD monitors include any other type of flat panel display.

Description

Title : Modular LCD monitors

Field : Computer & General Electronics

Background :

LCD ( liquid crystal displays ) and other types of flat-panel displays ( gas plasma displays and electro-luminescent displays ) have been used in many portable computers Colour LCDs use two basic techniques - passive matrix and active matrix also called thin film transistor (TFT), but the latter is expensive technology The LCD screens are backlit to make them easier to read in any bπght surroundings The LCD screens are produced as a single piece, the size of which is limited by quality control to eliminate the bad patches Damaged production pieces are then cut to a smaller size eliminating the bad patches so as to salvage the production and these smaller sizes are used to make smaller screens The final production size of the LCD screens/monitors range from 8 4" , 10 l'\ 12 4", 13 3", 14 1", 15 " and even 18 " with costs and pπcing increasing significantly higher for the upper end larger LCD screens, while becoming cheaper for the lower end small LCD screens so that they are popular and used in digital watches, calculators, camcorders, and even palmtops

For monitors, all the LCD screens are made from a single piece as a separate monitor even though they maybe grouped in clusters of two, three, four or more monitors None of the LCD monitors or any type of flat-panel display monitors, are made from modular smaller size LCD panels or modular size flat- panels display panels joined together to fonn a larger single screen Using the concept of joining modular units, of various size of any flat-panels display units, to form larger modular screens allows costs to come down significantly while not loosing much from the larger screen This also allows repair and replacement for the damaged modules instead of replacing the whole screen

Generally the LCD display screens are stand alone monitors, as part of the laptop computers or even incorporated as a fixed design for desktop computers Some stand alone LCD monitors are capable of rotation so that the axis is changed from honzontal to vertical ( from landscape to portrait ) Even when the LCD monitor is detached from the laptop for projectton viewing, it is reattached to the same position and axis However none of the monitors attached to the laptop and or desktop computers have this particular feature of being capable of detachment and to be reattached to the laptop or desktop at a different axis and or at a different position to the original attachment The proposed modular LCD or flat- panel display monitors or cluster modular flat-panel display monitors maybe as part of the laptop computers or desktop computers or they may also be detached from the computer and reattached in a different axis or relative position different from the original attachment

There are multiple monitors grouped in clusters and used as stand alone cluster unit, but there are no such cluster concept of multiple monitors applied to laptop computers or attached to desktop computers The proposal is to have a cluster of multiple LCD or flat-panel display monitors attached to a single laptop computer (include notebooks, sub-notebooks and smaller computer units) or desktop computers

Description :

1 Variation 1 Two or more LCD ( passive and or active matrix ) panel modules of various diagonal lengths and size are joined in modular fashion to each other in one or more rows in various combinations to form a single larger modular LCD screen The modular LCD panels are stabilised with one and or between two sheets of thin transparent plastic or glass or any other clear material Examples Sixteen ( in four rows ) LCD panels of 5" diagonal length forms a larger LCD screen size of 20" diagonal length Nine ( in three rows ) LCD screens of 5" diagonal length forms a larger LCD screen of 15 " diagonal length Four ( in two rows ) LCD panels of 8 4 " diagonal length forms a larger LCD screen size of 16 8 " diagonal length - See Figures 1 2 and 3

2 Variation 2 As of the above but with one or more modular LCD screen split electronically to provide several adjacent non-overlapping ( tiled ) or overlapping (overlaid ) windows so that two or more software programs can be run simultaneously with its own display screen shown adjacent to the other The use of several display screens showing different data simultaneously allow the user to make rapid comparisons referencing each separate data display on the multiple electronic screens and make the appropnate conclusions/decisions ^"? Variation 3 As of all the abo\e but with two or more modulai LCD screens being used as a cluster of two or more separate monitors See Figute 4 a

4 Variation 4 As of all the above but with the modular LCD display monitor capable of being detached from the laptop or desktop computer to stand alone and or reattached in a different axis oi different position from the original axis and or relative position This capability feature also apply to standard single LCD display monitors and or a cluster of such flat-panel display monitors of vaπous size/s which are attached to laptop computers or desktop computers See Figures 4a.b and 5a,b

5 Variation 5 A cluster of multiple LCD display monitors or modular LCD monitors of vaπous size/s attached to single laptop computer and or desktop computer with the special feature of being detached and leattached or shifted ( without being detached ) to a different axis and oi position relative to the original position This will allow the cluster of multiple LCD monitors to be positioned centrally and balanced instead of being off-balanced to one side or other See Figures 4a.4b,5&5b

6 Variation 6 As any of the above but with any other type of flat-panel display instead of LCD display

Drawings See Attached Annex A and Annex B Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b

Summary :

The concept of joining modular units of vaπous sizes of LCD or any type of flat-panel display panels is to form larger LCD and or flat-panel display screens in vaπous sizes and to reduce the wastage of "factory rejects" in the process of production of the LCD and or flat-panel display panel as a single sheet/panel thereby reducing production costs It also allows repair and or replacement for defective modules of the modular LCD and or flat-panel display screen or replacement of a section of a single LCD and or flat-panel display panel individually instead of replacing the complete single LCD and or flat-panel display panel or the larger modular LCD and or flat-panel display screen The modular LCD and or flat- panel display screens, used individually or as a cluster, can be electronically split into several non- overlapping screens for use by separate software programs for data display allowing the user to make rapid compaπson with all the screens data With lower production costs it is cost effective and feasible to use these modular screens as video and or television (TV) screens instead of the standard CRT (cathode ray tube ) TV screens with the advantage of flat-panel display screens instead of curved screens and no radiation emission

A special feature is for the modular LCD and or single flat-panel display monitors and or cluster of the modular LCD and or multiple flat-panel display monitors m vaπous sizes to be capable of being detached to stand alone or reattached to the computer on a different axis or relative position of the oπginal attachment This apply to current models of standard LCD and other flat-panel display monitors, including a single monitor or the cluster type of multiple monitors A cluster of multiple LCD (standard and or modular) screens is unique for laptop computers ( include notebooks, sub-notebooks and smaller computer units) LCD screens include any other type of flat panel displays

Claims

Claims :Patent is to provide protection for the following :

1. Patent rights to the specific manufacture of modules of LCD panels in various sizes and the use of such modules of LCD panels individually and or as part of a larger single LCD screen and or as part of the larger modular LCD screen of various sizes.

2. Patent rights to a new class of modular LCD screens/monitors in various sizes and used individually (as stand alone LCD and or flat-panel display units ) or as a cluster of several monitors for computers and or video display and or TV screen

3. Patent rights to the concept and production of various sizes of a single LCD monitor and or a cluster of various sizes of multiple monitors ( flat-panel display monitors and or modular LCD monitors ) attached to laptop and or desktop computers with the special feature of being capable to be detached from the computer to stand alone or to be reattached to the computer in a different axis and or relative position from the original attachment, or to be shifted in position (without being detached) for the cluster of multiple monitors to position them centrally and balanced in position relative to the laptop or desktop computer.

4 Patent rights to the concept of using a cluster of multiple LCD monitors for single laptop computers.

5. Where the term LCD is used, the term "any type of flat-panel display" is also applicable.

6. Where the term laptop computer is used, the term applies to notebooks, sub-notebooks and smaller computer units.

7. The design, manufacture, utilisation and sale of the above product s including passive and or active matrix LCD modular panels, except by the owner of the patent and or his agent/s.

8. All of the above claims apply particularly to the personal computer, IBM and compatibles including workstations and servers, and also to other types of computers where applicable.