Three-dimensional display device

Abstract

A three-dimensional display device comprises a flat display panel and an image-converting sheet disposed on or above the display panel. The display panel comprises a matrix of unit display cells arranged as rows and columns and where the cells are spaced apart to have respective row and column direction pitches. The image-converting sheet comprises a plurality of inclined lenticular lenses where the inclination is set according to the row and column direction pitches so as to reduce perception of Moiré patterns when stereo-scopic images are projected through the image-converting sheet to an observer viewing the display panel as an upright panel having respectively different left and right stereo-scopic image projections.

1 . A three-dimensional display device comprising:
 a display panel having a plurality of unit display cells disposed as a matrix in the form of rows and columns where a central point to central point first pitch between adjacent cells in each row is ‘a’ and a central point to central point second pitch between adjacent cells in each column is ‘b’ and the display cells may be controlled to respectively emit or pass through different amounts of light so that intermixed 2D images may be formed on the display panel for stereo-scopic projection therefrom; and   an image-converting sheet disposed on the display panel and including a plurality of elongated lenticular lenses, each of the lenticular lenses having a longitudinal lens axis inclined with respect to the rows and columns of the matrix where the inclination of the lens axis may be expressed as a ratio of a first distance, y in the column direction divided by a second distance, x in the row direction, where x is an integer multiple of the first pitch ‘a’ and y is an integer multiple of the second pitch ‘b’.   
     
     
         2 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 1 , wherein the x multiple is greater than the y multiple (said multiples are respectively m and n, and m>n). 
     
     
         3 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the first and second pitches is about 2/3. 
     
     
         4 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 3 , wherein an inclined angle of the lens axis as measured relative to a longitudinal side of a matrix column is about 53.13°. 
     
     
         5 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 3 , wherein an inclined angle of the lens axis as measured relative to a longitudinal side of a matrix column is about 63.43°. 
     
     
         6 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the display unit cells includes a respective color filter and the color filters of first and second unit cells in a same column have a substantially same color. 
     
     
         7 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the display unit cells includes a respective color filter and the color filters of adjacent first and second unit cells have different colors from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unit display cells includes:
 a first unit cell including a first switching element and a first pixel electrode, the first switching element being connected to a first gate line extended in a first direction and to a first data line extended in a second direction different from the first direction, the first pixel electrode being connected to the first switching element; and   a second unit cell disposed adjacent to the first unit cell in the second direction and including a second switching element and a second pixel electrode, the second switching element being connected to the first gate line and to a second data line extending parallel to the first data line, the second pixel electrode being connected to the second switching element;   wherein an area of the first pixel electrode is different from that of the second pixel electrode.   
     
     
         9 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 8 , wherein the display panel further comprises a light blocking pattern disposed between the display unit cells. 
     
     
         10 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 9 , wherein the light blocking pattern has openings defined therein and the openings of the light blocking pattern each have a substantially same area. 
     
     
         11 . A three-dimensional display device comprising:
 a display panel comprising a plurality of unit cells, each of the unit cells having a first side extended in a first direction and a second side extended in a second direction different from the first direction; and   an image converting sheet disposed on the display panel and including a plurality of lenticular lenses, each of the lenticular lenses having a lens axis inclined with respect to the second side,   wherein an inclination of the lens axis is defined by dividing a first distance x into a second distance y, the first distance x is between a central point of a first unit cell and a central point of a m-th adjacent unit cell from the first unit cell in the first direction, and the second distance y is between the central point of the first unit cell and a central point of a n-th adjacent unit cell from the first unit cell in the second direction (m and n are natural numbers and m>n).   
     
     
         12 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein a first pitch a is defined as a distance between central points of the unit cells adjacent to each other in the first direction, a second pitch b is defined as a distance between central points of the unit cells adjacent to each other in the second direction, a ratio between the first and second pitches is about 1:1.5, the first pitch a and the first distance x satisfy a following equation (1), and the second pitch b and the second distance y satisfy a following equation (2),
     x=a×m   (1)
       y=b×n   (2).
   
     
     
         13 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein m/n=2/1 and the inclination of the lens axis is about 4/3. 
     
     
         14 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein m/n=3/1 and the inclination of the lens axis is about 2/1. 
     
     
         15 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein the first unit cell comprises a first switching element connected to a first gate line and a first pixel electrode connected to the first switching element, and
 a second unit cell disposed adjacent to the first unit cell in the second direction comprises a second switching element connected to the first gate line and a second pixel electrode connected to the second switching element and disposed adjacent to the first pixel electrode in the second direction.   
     
     
         16 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 15 , wherein the display panel further comprises first and second data lines crossing the first gate line and adjacent to each other,
 the first switching element is connected to the first data line,   the second switching element is connected to the second data line, and   the first and second pixel electrodes are formed within an area defined by the first gate line and the first and second data lines.   
     
     
         17 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 16 , wherein a line connecting the central point of the first unit cell with the central point of the second unit cell is substantially parallel with the second direction. 
     
     
         18 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 15 , wherein an area of the first pixel electrode is different from that of the second pixel electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 18 , wherein the display panel further comprises a light blocking pattern disposed between the first and second unit cells and including a plurality of openings corresponding to the first and second unit cells respectively, and
 a first pitch is defined as a distance between the openings adjacent to each other in the first direction, a second pitch is defined as a distance between the openings adjacent to each other in the second direction and a ratio between the first and second pitches is about 1:1.5.   
     
     
         20 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 15 , wherein unit cells in a first row of the first unit cell arranged along the first direction are connected to the first gate line, unit cells in a second row of the second unit cell arranged along the first direction are connected to the first gate line,
 unit cells in a third row adjacent to the unit cells in the second row along the second direction are connected to a second gate line adjacent to the first gate line, and   unit cells in a fourth row adjacent to the unit cells in the third row along the second direction are connected to the second gate line.   
     
     
         21 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein unit cells in a first row of the first unit cell arranged along the first direction comprise color filters having different colors, and
 unit cells adjacent to the unit cells in the first row along the second direction comprise color filters having a substantially same color.   
     
     
         22 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 21 , wherein an inclined angle of the lens axis is about 53.13°. 
     
     
         23 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein unit cells in a first row of the first unit cell arranged along the first direction comprise color filters having a substantially same color, and
 unit cells adjacent to the unit cells in the first row along the second direction comprise color filters having different colors.   
     
     
         24 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 23 , wherein an inclined angle of the lens axis is about 63.43°. 
     
     
         25 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein a first width of the display panel in the first direction is larger than a second width of the display panel in the second direction. 
     
     
         26 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 11 , wherein a first width of the display panel in the first direction is smaller than a second width of the display panel in the second direction. 
     
     
         27 . A three-dimensional display device comprising:
 a display panel comprising a plurality of unit cells, each of the unit cells including a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed within an area defined by crossing gate lines extended in a first direction and data lines extended in a second direction different from the first direction; and   an image converting sheet disposed on the display panel and including a plurality of lenticular lenses, each of the lenticular lenses having an lens axis inclined with respect to the data line,   wherein a first pitch of the display panel is defined as a distance between central points of the unit cells adjacent to each other in the second direction, a second pitch is defined as a distance between central points of the unit cells adjacent to each other in the first direction and a ratio between the first and second pitches is about 1:1.5, and   an inclination of the lens axis of each of the lenticular lenses is defined by dividing a first distance x into a second distance y, the first distance x is between a central point of a first unit cell and a central point of a m-th adjacent unit cell from the first unit cell in the first direction, and the second distance y between the central point of the first unit cell and a central point of a n-th adjacent unit cell from the first unit cell in the second direction (m and n are natural numbers and m>n).   
     
     
         28 . The three-dimensional display device of  claim 27 , wherein the first unit cell comprises a first pixel electrode connected to a first gate line and a first data line,
 a second unit cell disposed adjacent to the first unit cell in the second direction comprises a second pixel electrode connected to a second gate line adjacent to the first gate line and the first data line, and   a third unit cell disposed adjacent to the first unit cell in the first direction comprises a third pixel electrode connected to the first gate line and a second data line adjacent to the first data line.   
     
     
         29 . A method of reducing perception of Moiré patterns when using a lenticular type 3D display apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing a display panel having a plurality of unit display cells disposed as a matrix in the form of rows and columns where a central point to central point first pitch between adjacent cells in each row is ‘a’ and a central point to central point second pitch between adjacent cells in each column is ‘b’ and the display cells may be controlled to respectively emit or pass through different amounts of light so that intermixed 2D images may be formed on the display panel for stereo-scopic projection therefrom; and 
 providing a plurality of elongated lenticular lenses on or above the display panel, with each of the lenticular lenses having a longitudinal lens axis inclined with respect to the rows and columns of the display panel matrix, where the inclination of the lens axis may be expressed as a ratio of a first distance, y in the column direction divided by a second distance, x in the row direction, where x is an integer multiple of the first pitch ‘a’ and y is an integer multiple of the second pitch ‘b’.