METHOD AND TECHNOLOGY FOR CREATING/INSTALLING DISPLAY DEVICES

Embodiments of the disclosure describe apparatuses, systems and methods for display device creation and installation. Said embodiments execute operations for receiving data identifying dimensions of a target surface, said target surface being a surface for creating and installing a display device and for a user to view the display device. In response to receiving data identifying dimensions of the target surface, a three dimensional (3D) fabrication process is executed to form at least some components of the display device. When the pixel area of the display device is formed, the pixel control circuitry of the display device is communicatively coupled to a display driver component to install the display device onto the target surface; said display driver component receives image data and drives the pixel control circuitry based on the received image data.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to the field of display devices, and more particularly, to apparatuses, systems and processes for creating and installing display devices.

BACKGROUND

Consumer demand for large display devices (e.g., televisions) continues to increase, while the expected sale price of these devices continues to decrease. The manufacturing and installation expenses for these devices are controlling factors for their overall costs. What is needed is a method and technology for creating and installing display devices that reduces the costs of manufacture and installation, while providing the ability to create and install display devices for a wide range of dimensions and shapes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a flow diagram of a process for creating and installing a display device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Flow diagrams as illustrated herein provide examples of sequences of various process actions. Although shown in a particular sequence or order, unless otherwise specified, the order of the actions can be modified. Thus, the illustrated implementations should be understood only as examples, and the illustrated processes can be performed in a different order, and some actions may be performed in parallel. Additionally, one or more actions can be omitted in various embodiments of the disclosure; thus, not all actions are required in every implementation. Other process flows are possible.

Process100includes operations for receiving data identifying dimensions of a target surface,102, wherein the target surface is a surface to create and install a display device and for a user to view the (created and installed) display device. This received data may be, for example, image data of the target surface or data input by a user to specify the dimensions of the target surface. As described below, said target surface is a surface wherein embodiments of the disclosure create and install a display device.

In response to receiving data identifying dimensions of a target surface, a three dimensional (3D) fabrication process is executed to form at least some components of the display device,104. For example, a pixel area of the display device may be created according to the dimensions of the target surface using 3D object fabrication techniques.

3D object fabrication techniques, alternatively referred to as 3D printing, stereolithography, or solid freeform fabrication (SFF), create an object by building it layer-by-layer or point-by-point, and can be executed with or without a pre-formed mold. 3D object fabrication techniques may comprise an additive process in which an object is formed by depositing layers or points (e.g., droplets) of one or more base materials.

In this embodiment, said 3D fabrication process includes operations for depositing, via a 3D print head coupled to an actuating member, one or more layers of material used to form pixels of a display device's pixel area on the target surface,106. In some embodiments, said layers of material are deposited on pixel control circuitry to control illumination of the pixels; in other embodiments, said 3D fabrication process includes operations for forming said pixel control circuitry (e.g., depositing, via the 3D print head, one or more layers of conductive material for forming the pixel control circuitry).

Embodiments of the disclosure may use liquid-ejection processes, such as binder-jetting processes and bulk jetting processes. Binder jetting processes create objects by ejecting a binder onto a layer of powdered build material. Each powder layer may be dispensed or spread as a dry powder or a slurry. When the binder is selectively ejected into the powder layer, the powder is bound into a cross section or layer of the object being formed—i.e., the pixel area of said display device. Bulk-jetting processes generate objects by ejecting a solidifiable build material and a corresponding solidifiable support material. Said support material may be dispensed to enable overhangs in the object and can be of the same or different material from the object.

Other additive manufacturing techniques that may be used to create said pixel area and/or said pixel control circuitry include: selective laser sintering, direct metal laser sintering, electron beam melting, electron beam freeform fabrication, or any other functionally equivalent three-dimensional printing process (such as processes executed via thermal phase change inkjet-style printing systems or photopolymer phase change inkjet-style printing systems).

Embodiments of the disclosure may be used to build and install any display device component that is creatable via a 3D fabrication process. Organic Light Emitting Displays (OLEDs) are discussed below for exemplary purposes; OLEDs comprise several layers of material, so embodiments of the disclosure may deposit one or more layers of material used to form the pixels of the pixel area—specifically for an OLED, an anode layer, a conductive layer, an emissive layer (which comprises, for example, Red-Green-Blue (RGB) pixels) and a cathode layer. However other display devices may be created, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) backlit LCD display, or display devices wherein the pixels of said pixel area comprise layers of phosphor material for forming RGB phosphors, and the pixel control circuitry comprises circuitry to activate each phosphor. Furthermore, said display device may comprise a 3D television (3DTV) device—i.e., a display device configured to convey depth perception via processes such as stereoscopic display, multi-view display, two-dimensional (2D) plus-depth, or any other functionally equivalent process.

In the above described processes, fabrication is typically performed layer-by-layer, with each layer representing another cross section of the resultant pixel area. Adjacent layers are adhered to one another in a predetermined pattern to build up the desired object. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.

In other embodiments, a combination of additive and subtractive processes may be used to create said pixel area and/or said pixel control circuitry. Said subtractive processes may be any process for removing materials, such as dissolving, melting, milling, sanding, polishing or mechanically breaking materials, or simply moving material (such as loose, unfused powder) away. For example, 3D fabrication processes may initially be additive (with material being deposited to make both the parts and support materials), and then subtractive (e.g. support materials being removed).

When the pixel area of the display device is formed, the pixel control circuitry of the display device is communicatively coupled to a display driver component,108, which may be disposed, for example, behind or next to said “printed” pixel control circuitry. Said display driver component receives image data, drives the pixel control circuitry based on the received image data, and may also provide power to the display device. Thus, the display device is both created and installed on the target surface.

FIG. 2is an illustration of a display device being created/installed according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, display device200is being generated by 3D printer210depositing material onto at least a portion of wall220(e.g., an interior or exterior wall of building). Thus, (at least a portion of) wall220is the target surface for creating and installing display device200, and the target surface for a user to view the display device. As shown in this embodiment, 3D printer210includes a plurality of removable wall-mounted tracks212mounted onto wall220(i.e., disposed in front of the target surface); 3D print head214is shown to be included in a motorized housing to move the print head vertically and horizontally across the target surface via the wall-mounted tracks.

Thus, display device200is created according to the dimensions of wall220. 3D printer210may be controlled to create the display device on the entire surface of wall220, or a portion of the wall. A user may purchase or rent the components described above to create an install a display device on a user-selected target surface. Furthermore, while the target surface in this is example is single flat surface, embodiments of the disclosure may also create and install display devices on a plurality of adjacent surfaces, on a protruding or uneven surface (e.g., a spherical surface as illustrated inFIG. 4and described below), or any otherwise non-planar surface.

In this embodiment, display device200is illustrated as an OLED device, including pixel area202formed on pixel control circuitry204. 3D printer210creates the pixel area by forming the layers of the OLED device—i.e., the anode layer, the conductive layer, the emissive layer and the cathode layer.

FIG. 3is a cross section of OLED layers formed according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, OLED display device300is shown to comprise cathode layer302and corresponding anode layer308, emissive (i.e., electroluminescent) layer304and conductive layer306disposed between said cathode and anode layers. These layers are formed via a 3D fabrication process, as described above. Referring back toFIG. 2, pixel control circuitry204provides electric current to the anode layer and the cathode layer, as described below.

When a voltage bias is applied to these layers, electrons are injected by cathode layer302into emissive layer304, while holes are injected into the emissive layer from anode layer308via conductive layer306; light emission may occur as holes combine with electrons within emissive layer304.

Emissive layer304may comprise any layer that, when in operation, contains a significant concentration of both electrons and holes and provides areas for light emission. Cathode layer302, anode layer308and conductive layer306may comprise conductive materials, including (but are not limited to) metals, which can inject holes/electrons into the layers of OLED display device300.

In other embodiments, other layers may be present in OLED display device300—e.g., a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, hole transporting emission (emitting) layers, electron transporting emission (emitting) layers, etc. Furthermore, in some embodiments, OLED display device300may comprise passive matrix displays having orthogonal arrays of anodes and cathodes to form pixels (i.e., wherein the OLED display comprises a passive matrix OLED display having a matrix of pixels, and depositing the anode layer and the cathode layer comprises depositing strips of anode layers and cathode layers perpendicularly to form the matrix of pixels at intersecting points of the strips of anode layers and the strips of cathode layers), or active-matrix displays (i.e., wherein the OLED display comprises an active matrix OLED display having a matrix of pixels, and the 3D printing process further comprises depositing material, disposed above the cathode layer, to form a thin film transistor (TFT) array to form the matrix of the pixels). Furthermore, device300may comprise a top or bottom emitting OLED device.

FIG. 4is an illustration of display device being created/installed according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, display device400is being generated by 3D printer410onto a non-planar surface—in this example, spherical surface420. Thus, spherical surface420is the target surface for creating and installing display device400, and the target surface for a user to view the display device. As shown in this embodiment, 3D printer410is a standalone printer, including stand412, actuating arm414and 3D print head416; said actuating arm is to move said 3D print head based on the dimensions of spherical target surface420when depositing the one or more layers of material used to form the pixels of the pixel area.

In this embodiment, 3D printer410utilizes an image sensor or image scanner (not shown) to capture image data identifying the dimensions of spherical surface420. In other embodiments, previously captured image data or user input data may be used to determine the dimensions of said spherical surface. Device400is shown to include pixel area402formed on pixel control circuitry404. Pixel control circuitry404may also be formed by 3D printer410, or may be pre-fabricated for the user to place on surface420prior to executing the 3D printing process.

FIG. 5is an illustration of a computing device to utilize an embodiment of the disclosure. Platform500may be used to control/execute the 3D printing process described above. Platform500may also be used to provide power, computing ability (e.g., decoding and converting content) and connectivity (e.g., network connectivity) to a created and installed display device, as described above. For example, platform500may comprise the above described display driver component communicatively coupled to the above described pixel control circuitry. Platform500may be used to decode/convert content into video signal formats such as high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), component, composite digital visual interface (DVI), video graphics adapter (VGA), Syndicat des Constructeurs d′Appareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseursor (SCART), or other video signal formats. Furthermore, in some embodiments, portions of platform500described below may be formed by the 3D printing processes described above.

Platform500as illustrated includes bus or other internal communication means515for communicating information, and processor510coupled to bus515for processing information. The platform further comprises random access memory (RAM) or other volatile storage device550(alternatively referred to herein as main memory), coupled to bus515for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor510. Main memory550also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor510. Platform500also comprises read only memory (ROM) and/or static storage device520coupled to bus515for storing static information and instructions for processor510, and data storage device525such as a magnetic disk, optical disk and its corresponding disk drive, or a portable storage device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, a Secure Digital (SD) card). Data storage device525is coupled to bus515for storing information and instructions.

Platform500may further be coupled to display device570, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or an LCD coupled to bus515through bus565for displaying information to a computer user. In embodiments where platform500provides computing ability and connectivity to a created and installed display device, display device570may comprise any of the created and display devices described above. Alphanumeric input device575, including alphanumeric and other keys, may also be coupled to bus515through bus565(e.g., via infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals) for communicating information and command selections to processor510. An additional user input device is cursor control device580, such as a mouse, a trackball, stylus, or cursor direction keys coupled to bus515through bus565for communicating direction information and command selections to processor510, and for controlling cursor movement on display device570. In embodiments utilizing a touch-screen interface, it is understood that display570, input device575and cursor control device580may all be integrated into a touch-screen unit.

Another device, which may optionally be coupled to platform500, is a communication device590for accessing other nodes of a distributed system via a network. Communication device590may include any of a number of commercially available networking peripheral devices such as those used for coupling to an Ethernet, token ring, Internet, or wide area network. Communication device590may further be a null-modem connection, or any other mechanism that provides connectivity between computer system500and the outside world. Note that any or all of the components of this system illustrated inFIG. 5and associated hardware may be used in various embodiments of the disclosure.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any configuration of the system illustrated inFIG. 5may be used for various purposes according to the particular implementation. The control logic or software implementing embodiments of the disclosure can be stored in main memory550, mass storage device525, or other storage medium locally or remotely accessible to processor510.

It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that any system, method, and process to capture media data as described herein can be implemented as software stored in main memory550or read only memory520and executed by processor510. This control logic or software may also be resident on an article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein and being readable the mass storage device525and for causing processor510to operate in accordance with the methods and teachings herein.

Embodiments of the disclosure may also be embodied in a handheld or portable device containing a subset of the computer hardware components described above. For example, the handheld device may be configured to contain only the bus515, the processor510, and memory550and/or525. The handheld device may also be configured to include a set of buttons or input signaling components with which a user may select from a set of available options. The handheld device may also be configured to include an output apparatus such as a LCD or display element matrix for displaying information to a user of the handheld device. Conventional methods may be used to implement such a handheld device. The implementation of the disclosure for such a device would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the disclosure as provided herein.

Embodiments of the disclosure may also be embodied in a special purpose appliance including a subset of the computer hardware components described above. For example, the appliance may include processor510, data storage device525, bus515, and memory550, and only rudimentary communications mechanisms, such as a small touch-screen that permits the user to communicate in a basic manner with the device. In general, the more special-purpose the device is, the fewer of the elements need be present for the device to function.