Abstract:
An electronic apparatus includes a main body, a 2-dimensional display panel and a display-mode switching device. The main body includes a first surface. The 2-dimensional display panel is mounted in the first surface for selectively displaying 2-dimensional images, and left and right parallax images. The display-mode switching device includes a lenticular lens sheet capable of directing the left parallax image light beams to a left eye of the viewer and directing the right parallax image light beams to a right eye of the viewer. The display-mode switching device is movably mounted on the main body between a first position where the lenticular lens sheet is overlaid on the 2-dimensional display panel to convert the left and right parallax images into stereoscopic images and a second position where the lenticular lens sheet is moved away from the 2-dimensional display panel such that the 2-dimensional display panel displays the 2-dimensional images.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a display device and, especially, relates to an electronic apparatus capable of selectively displaying 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) images. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Electronic apparatuses, such as mobile phones, MP4s and personal digital assistants, are widely in use in our everyday life. As the development of 3D display technology progresses, electronic apparatuses capable of displaying 3D images and 3D videos are becoming in greater demand. 
     Typically, a 3D display device is a display device capable of conveying 3D images to the viewer. The 3D display device can be selected from a stereoscopic display, an auto-stereoscopic display, and volumetric displays. In practical use, most users may desire display devices of their electronic apparatuses to be capable of displaying both 2D images/video and 3D images/video. However, 3D display devices typically include multiple lenses or parallax barriers on the outermost surface which cause 2D images to appear blurry. This is not desirable for the users of the electronic apparatuses. 
     Therefore, a display device that can overcome the above-mentioned problems is desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, sectional view of an electronic apparatus in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment, the electronic apparatus including a display-mode switching device in a first position. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic, sectional view of the electronic apparatus of  FIG. 1 , the display-mode switching device being in a second position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, sectional view of an electronic apparatus in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment, the electronic apparatus including a display-mode switching device in a first position. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic, sectional view of the electronic apparatus of  FIG. 3 , the display-mode switching device being in a second position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments will now be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electronic apparatus  100  in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment is provided. The electronic device  100  can be a mobile phone, an MP4 or a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer. The electronic apparatus  100  includes a main body  110 , a 2D display panel  120 , and a display-mode switching device  140  to enable 3D images to be displayed. 
     The main body  110  includes electronic elements and an integrated circuit (not shown) therein for providing various functions to the electronic apparatus  100 . The main body  110  has a surface  112 , and defines a receiving recess  114  with a rectangular cross-section. The electronic apparatus  100  further includes a keypad  116  mounted in/on the surface  112  adjacent to the side of the receiving recess  114 . The keypad  116  is used for inputting data, such as characters and numerals, which can be displayed on the 2D display panel  120 . 
     The 2D display panel  120  is received in the receiving recess  114 , and electrically connected to the main body  110 . The 2D display panel  120  has a thickness substantially equal to a depth of the receiving recess  114  such that a surface of the 2D display panel  120  is substantially coplanar with the surface  112 . The 2D display panel  120  is configured for displaying 2D images. 
     The display-mode switching device  140  includes a connecting portion  142  and a display-mode switching portion  150 . The connecting portion  142  defines a through hole  152  having a rectangular cross-section. The cross-section of the through hole  152  has the same or larger area as the opening of the receiving recess  114 . The display-mode switching portion  150  is received in the through hole  152 , and fixed to the connecting portion  142 . 
     The display-mode switching device  140  is pivotably coupled to the main body  110  with a pivot part  130 . The pivot part  130  includes two pivot posts  130   a . At the viewing angle of  FIG. 1 , only one pivot post  130   a  is shown. The two pivot posts  130   a  are fixed to the main body  110  adjacent to a side of the receiving recess  114  and away from the keypad  116 . One end of connecting portion  142  of the display-mode switching device  140  is positioned between and pivotably connected to the two pivot posts  130   a  of the pivot part  130  in a manner such as shaft-bore fitting. 
     The display-mode switching portion  150  includes a first lenticular sheet  144  and a second lenticular sheet  146  facing toward each other. The first lenticular sheet  144  and the second lenticular sheet  146  are spaced apart by a small distance. The first lenticular sheet  144  includes a plurality of first cylindrical lenses  144   a  parallel with each other and closely arranged. The second lenticular sheet  146  includes a plurality of second cylindrical lenses  146   a  parallel with each other and closely arranged. The first lenticular sheet  144  is aligned with the second lenticular sheet  146 , in such a way that each of the first cylindrical lenses  144   a  is aligned one corresponding second cylindrical lens  146   a . Therefore, a space  148   a  is formed between each first cylindrical lens  144   a  and the corresponding second cylindrical lenses  146   a . The number of the cylindrical lens  148   a  in the lenticular sheet  148  is predetermined using algorithms known in the art. The display-mode switching device  140  further includes a support pad  147 . The support pad  147  is fixed to a surface of the connecting portion  142  adjacent to the end of the connection portion  142  and away from the pivot part  130 . The support pad  147  is configured for spacing the end of the connecting portion  142  and the main body  110  in such a way that the first and second lenticular sheets  144  and  146  are positioned an equal distance to the surface of the 2D display panel  120  and the connecting portion  142  has an equal distance from the surface  112  along a line between the support pad  147  and the pivot part  130 . 
     When the display-mode switching device  140  is pivotably rotated to a first position as shown in  FIG. 1 , the second lenticular sheet  146  faces toward the 2D display panel  120 . In such a case, the 2D display panel  120  displays images comprising left and right parallax images. The light of images shown on the 2D display panel  120  transmits through the third lenticular sheet  148 , whereby the left and right parallax images are observed upon being separated for viewing by the eyes of the user. Thus, 3D images are seen by the user of the electronic apparatus  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , when the display-mode switching device  140  is pivotably rotated to a second position. In such case, the 2D display panel  120  displays 2D images. The first and second lenticular sheets  144  and  146  are rotated to a position away from the 2D display panel  120 . Thus, the 2D display panel  120  is exposed, thereby in a viewing field of the user of the electronic apparatus  100 , without interference of the display-mode switching portion  150 . Thus, 2D images shown on the 2D display panel  120  can be clearly seen. 
     The display-mode switching portion  150  can also be a single lenticular sheet, a parallax barrier, or other optical sheet known in the art capable of separating the parallax images corresponding to the left or right eyes of the viewer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an electronic apparatus  200  in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment includes a main body  210 , a 2D display panel  220 , and a display-mode switching device  240 . 
     The main body  210  includes a surface  212  and a receiving recess  214  within the surface  212 . The electronic apparatus  200  further includes a keypad  216  adjacent to the side of the receiving recess  214 . The keypad  216  is used for inputting data, such as characters and numerals, which can be displayed on the 2D display panel  220 . The main body  210  is partially defined by a first side face  214   a , a bottom face  214   b , and a second side face  214   c  in the receiving recess  214 . The first side face  214   a  and the second side face  214   c  are opposite to each other, and are adjacent to the surface  212  of the main body  210 . The first side face  214   a  is also adjacent to the keypad  216 . A receiving cavity  218  is defined in the first side face  214   a , and extends away from the receiving recess  214 . In this embodiment, the receiving cavity  218  is arranged beneath the keypad  216 . A first electromagnet  230   a  is embedded in the second side face  214   b , and faces toward an opening of the receiving cavity  218 . 
     The display panel  220  is received in the receiving recess  214 . A first permanent magnet  270  is fixed to one side face of the display panel  220  adjacent to the first electromagnet  230   a . The display panel  220  has a first surface  222  parallel to and adjacent to the surface  212  of the main body  210 , and a second surface  224  facing away from the first surface  222 . A side of the display panel  220  opposite to the first permanent magnet  270  defines a slanted surface  226  adjacent to the first surface  222 . The slanted surface  226  extends toward the opening receiving cavity  218  from an edge of the first surface  222 . A number of spring elements  260  are arranged between the second surface  224  and the bottom face  214   b . Two opposite ends of each of the spring elements  260  are fixed on the second surface  224  and the bottom surface  214   b , respectively. In this embodiment, the two spring elements  260  are configured to space the display panel  220  apart from the bottom surface  214   b.    
     The display-mode switching device  240  includes a connecting portion  242 , a first lenticular sheet  244 , a second lenticular sheet  246 , and two second permanent magnets  248 . Similar to the display-mode switching device  140  of the first exemplary embodiment, the first and second lenticular sheets  244  and  246  are fixed to the connecting portion  242 , are parallel to each other, and are spaced from each other. The space between the first and second lenticular sheets  244  and  246  forms a third lenticular sheet  242   a . The third lenticular sheet  242   a  is identical to the third lenticular sheet  148  of the first exemplary embodiment. The two permanent magnets  248  are fixed on two opposite side faces of the connecting portion  242 . 
     The receiving cavity  218  has a similar size to the display-mode switching device  240 . The main body  210  defines a bottom surface  218   a  in the receiving cavity  218  parallel to and adjacent to the bottom surface  214   b  of the receiving recess  214 . A distance between the bottom surfaces  214   b  and  218   a  is larger than a thickness of the 2D display panel  220 . A second electromagnet  230   b  is arranged in the receiving cavity  218  close to the side of the receiving cavity  218  away from the receiving recess  214 . 
     The display-mode switching device  240  is slidably received in the receiving cavity  218 . One of the two second permanent magnets  248  is arranged facing toward the second electromagnet  230   b . The second permanent magnet  248  away from the second electromagnet  230   b  has a slanted surface  240   a . The slanted surface  240   a  is adjacent to the bottom surface  210   a , and is parallel to the slanted surface  226  of the 2D display panel  220 . In this embodiment, the second permanent  248  away from the second electromagnet  230   b  has a magnetic field counter to that of the first permanent magnet  270 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the 2D display panel  220  displays 2D images, the display-mode switching device  240  is entirely received in the receiving cavity  218 , and the first surface  222  of 2D display panel  220  is exposed to the outside. In such case, the electromagnet  230   b  is activated and attracts the adjacent second permanent magnet  248  such that the display-mode switching device  240  is securely maintained in the receiving cavity  218 . The first electromagnet  230   a  is activated and attracts the first permanent magnet  270  such that the 2D display panel  220  can be stably positioned. In that case, the second surface  224  of 2D display panel  220  is preferably and substantially coplanar with the bottom surface  210   a , and the elements  260  are in a natural state, or are compressed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the 2D display panel  220  displays images comprising left and right parallax images, the display-mode switching device  240  is moved out of the receiving cavity  218  to a position on the first surface  222  of the 2D display panel  220 . In such case, the first electromagnet  230   a  is activated and attracts the second permanent magnet  248  away from the second electromagnet  230   b  such that the display-mode switching device  240  can be securely laid over the 2D display panel  220 . The 2D display panel  220  is then pressed by the display-mode switching device  240  into a lower position. A principal of displaying 3D images in this embodiment is identical to the first exemplary embodiment. 
     A movement process of the display-mode switching device  240  from a first position as shown in  FIG. 3  to a second position as shown in  FIG. 4  is described as follows. The second electromagnet  230   b  is reversely excited to repel the adjacent second permanent magnet  248 , and the first electromagnet  230   a  is reversely excited to repel the first permanent magnet  270  and attract the second permanent magnet  248  away from the second electromagnet  230   b . The display-mode switching device  240  begins to move toward the first electromagnet  230   a  by virtue of the repellence of the second electromagnet  230   b  and the attraction of the first electromagnet  230   a . Because of the slanted surface  226  of the 2D display panel  220  and the slanted surface  240   a  of the second permanent magnet  248 , the display-mode switching device  240  is easily moved onto the first surface  222  of the 2D display panel  220  and finally contacts the first electromagnetic  230   a.    
     In the embodiments, the electronic apparatuses  100  and  200  can switch from 2D to 3D display-mode by moving the display-mode switching devices  140  and  240 , respectively. Therefore, the electronic apparatuses  100  and  200  can clearly display both 2D and 3D images interchangeably. 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.