Abstract:
A three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus including: a display panel; a backlight configured to supply light to the display panel; and a parallax barrier disposed between the display panel and the backlight, wherein the parallax barrier includes an electrochromic mirror (ECM).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0149426, filed on Oct. 30, 2014 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    Aspects of one or more exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus having an electrochromic mirror. The display apparatus may be a two-dimensional (2D) display apparatus or a three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus that is capable of displaying a 3D image in a glassesless manner. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general, display apparatuses, which are apparatuses for displaying images, include monitors, televisions (TVs), smartphones, personal digital assistants, and the like. 
         [0006]    Three-dimensional (3D) display apparatuses are capable of displaying two-dimensional (2D) images and 3D images have recently been proposed. 
         [0007]    A 3D display apparatus includes a display panel, such as a liquid crystal panel, a backlight disposed behind the display panel that supplies light to the display panel, and a parallax barrier disposed between the display panel and the backlight that causes the light supplied by the backlight to selectively pass through the 3D display apparatus according to a portion of the 3D display apparatus so that screens having different parallax may be output. 
         [0008]    The parallax barrier includes blocking portions that prevent the light supplied by the backlight from being transferred to the display panel and transmitting portions disposed alternately with the blocking portions that cause the light supplied by the backlight to pass through the parallax barrier and to be transferred to the display panel. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    An aspect of one or more exemplary embodiments is to provide a three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus with improved brightness. 
         [0010]    Additional aspects of one or more exemplary embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of one or more exemplary embodiments. 
         [0011]    In accordance with one aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus including: a display panel; a backlight configured to supply light to the display panel; and a parallax barrier disposed between the display panel and the backlight, wherein the parallax barrier includes an electrochromic mirror (ECM). 
         [0012]    The ECM may include blocking portions configured to block light and transmitting portions configured to transmit light, and the blocking portions and the transmitting portions may be alternately formed in the ECM. 
         [0013]    Positions of the blocking portions and positions of the transmitting portions may be adjustable based on a position of a viewer. 
         [0014]    The backlight may include: a light guide panel configured to guide the supplied light toward the display panel; a pair of 3D light sources disposed on opposite ends of the light guide panel; and a two-dimensional light source disposed behind the light guide panel. 
         [0015]    The pair of 3D light sources and the two-dimensional light source may include respective substrates and respective pluralities of light emitting diodes disposed on the respective substrates. 
         [0016]    The display panel may include a liquid crystal panel. 
         [0017]    In accordance with another aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a display apparatus including: a display panel; a backlight configured to supply light to the display panel; and an electrochromic mirror (ECM) disposed between the display panel and the backlight. 
         [0018]    The ECM may include blocking portions configured to block the light supplied by the backlight and transmitting portions configured to transmit the light supplied by the backlight, and the blocking portions and the transmitting portions are alternately formed in the ECM. 
         [0019]    The backlight may include: a light guide panel configured to guide the supplied light toward the display panel; a pair of 3D light sources disposed on opposite side ends of the light guide panel; and a two-dimensional light source disposed behind the light guide panel. 
         [0020]    A reflectivity of the ECM may be adjustable based on electricity applied to the ECM. 
         [0021]    The reflectivity of the ECM may be adjustable based on electricity applied to the ECM to provide one or more blocking portions and one or more transmitting portions. 
         [0022]    The display apparatus may be configured to control a size and position of the one or more blocking portions and the one or more transmitting portions. 
         [0023]    The display apparatus may be further configured to, in response to a portion of the display panel displaying a dark portion of a screen, control an area of the ECM corresponding to the portion of the display panel to be a blocking portion. 
         [0024]    The display apparatus may be further configured to control the ECM to form a parallax barrier with the one or more blocking portions and the one or more transmitting portions. 
         [0025]    The display apparatus may be further configured to control the ECM to form the parallax barrier by forming the one or more blocking portions and the one or more transmitting portions in alternating strips. 
         [0026]    The display apparatus may be further configured to control the ECM to adjust the parallax barrier based on a position of a viewer of the display apparatus relative to a front of the display panel. 
         [0027]    The display apparatus may be further configured to control the ECM to adjust the parallax barrier based on a distance of a viewer of the display apparatus from the display panel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    These and/or other aspects of one or more exemplary embodiments will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a display of a 3D display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a display of a 3D display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0032]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are enlarged views of portion A of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0033]    The certain exemplary embodiments and configurations described in the specification and shown in the drawings are merely non-limiting examples, and various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure. 
         [0034]    Hereinafter, a three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0035]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a 3D display apparatus  1  includes a display  10 , i.e., a display module, for displaying a screen and a case  20  that accommodates the display  10  and forms an exterior of the 3D display apparatus  1 . A stand  30  is connected to a rear side of the case  20  so that the 3D display apparatus  1  can be installed in a standing state on a horizontal plane. 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the display  10  includes a display panel  11  on which an image is displayed, a backlight  12 , i.e., a backlight unit, that generates light and supplies the light to the display panel  11 , and a parallax barrier  13  that is disposed between the display panel  11  and the backlight  12 , and causes the light supplied by the backlight  12  to be selectively emitted toward the display panel  11  according to a portion of the display  10  so that the 3D display apparatus  1  can display a 3D image. 
         [0037]    The display panel  11  is formed as a liquid crystal panel having, for example, a shape of a rectangular flat panel. 
         [0038]    The backlight  12  includes light sources  122  and  123  that generate light and a light guide panel  121  that guides the generated light toward the display panel  11 . 
         [0039]    The light guide panel  121  is formed of a transparent material, and is disposed behind the display panel  11 . The light guide panel  121  has, for example, a shape of a rectangular flat panel corresponding to the display panel  11 . 
         [0040]    The light sources  122  and  123  include 3D light sources  122  used when the 3D display apparatus  1  displays a 3D image and a two-dimensional light source  123  used when the 3D display apparatus  1  displays a two-dimensional image. 
         [0041]    The 3D light sources  122  and the two-dimensional light source  123  include substrates  122   a  and  123   a  and a plurality of light emitting diodes  122   b  and  123   b  disposed on the substrates  122   a  and  123   a , respectively. The substrate  122   a  of each of the 3D light sources  122  is disposed to be parallel to a side end of the light guide panel  121 , and the light emitting diodes  122   b  of each of the 3D light sources  122  are disposed to face the side end of the light guide panel  121  and radiate light toward the side end of the light guide panel  121 . The light emitting diodes  122   b  are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a lengthwise direction of the substrate  122   a , as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Two 3D light sources  122  are disposed on opposite sides of the light guide panel  121  so that light can be incident on the light guide panel  121  through opposite side ends of the light guide panel  121 . 
         [0042]    The substrate  123   a  of the two-dimensional light source  123  is formed having, for example, a shape of a rectangular flat panel and is disposed behind the light guide panel  121 , parallel with the light guide panel  121 . The light emitting diodes  123   b  of the two-dimensional light source  123  are disposed on a front surface of the substrate  123   a  facing a rear side of the light guide panel  121  in order to radiate light toward the rear side of the light guide panel  121 . 
         [0043]    Thus, the light generated by the 3D light sources  122  is incident on the light guide panel  121  through opposite side ends of the light guide panel  121  and then is emitted toward the front display panel  11 . The light generated by the two-dimensional light source  123  is incident through the rear side of the light guide panel  121  and then passes through the light guide panel  121  with no change, and is emitted toward the front display panel  111 . 
         [0044]    The parallax barrier  13  is formed having, for example, a shape of a rectangular flat panel to correspond to the display panel  11 . When the display  10  displays a 3D screen, the parallax barrier  13  causes the light supplied by the backlight  12  to selectively pass through the display  10  according to a portion of the display  10  so that screens having different parallax may be output, and a user may experience a 3D effect. 
         [0045]    To this end, the parallax barrier  13  includes blocking portions  131  that block light supplied by the backlight  12 , and transmitting portions  132  that transmit the light supplied by the backlight  12  to be transferred to the display panel  11 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132  are disposed alternately with each other so that screens having different parallax may be output. The blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132  may be formed in alternating strips. 
         [0046]    The parallax barrier  13  includes an electrochromic mirror (ECM). The ECM includes an electrochromic material, a reflectivity of which is changed as electricity is applied to the ECM. Electricity may be applied or not applied to the ECM to a portion of the ECM so that the blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132  are formed. 
         [0047]    The display apparatus may include a processor or a controller that controls a size and location of the blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132  of the ECM. The processor or controller can control the application of electricity to the ECM to control the size and location of the blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132 . 
         [0048]    As described above, when the parallax barrier  13  is formed as the ECM, the blocking portions  131  of the parallax barrier  13  reflect and block the light. As such, the light reflected by the blocking portions  131  is incident on the light guide panel  121  of the backlight  12  and then is transferred to the parallax barrier  13 . Thus, a greater portion of the light generated in the 3D light sources  122  may be transferred to the display panel  11  such that a brightness of the 3D display apparatus  1  can be improved through the parallax barrier  13  formed as the ECM. 
         [0049]    In the parallax barrier  13  formed as an ECM, positions of the blocking portions  131  and the transmitting portions  132  are adjustable, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Thus, the 3D display apparatus  1  can adjust with respect to a distance between the user and the 3D display apparatus  1  or the user&#39;s position or angle relative to the display panel  11 . 
         [0050]    Also, in the parallax barrier  13  formed as an ECM, all portions of the parallax barrier  13  may be changed into the transmitting portions  132  when the display  10  displays a two-dimensional screen. In this configuration, the light generated in the two-dimensional light source  123  may pass through the parallax barrier  13  without being changed, and may be transferred to the display panel  11 . Thus, even when the 3D display apparatus  1  displays the two-dimensional screen, brightness of the displayed screen can be improved. 
         [0051]    Also, in the parallax barrier  13  formed as an ECM, when dark or black portions are displayed on a screen of the 3D display apparatus  1 , all areas corresponding to the dark portions may be changed into the blocking portions  131  so that light can be prevented from being transferred to the display panel  11  at the dark portions. Thus, representation of the dark portions of the screen of the 3D display apparatus  1  can be improved. 
         [0052]    Exemplary embodiments have been described above as a 3D display apparatus. However, one or more exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and certain exemplary embodiments may be applied to a display apparatus that is capable of displaying only a two-dimensional image so that, as described above, representation of the dark portions of a screen of the display apparatus can be improved. 
         [0053]    As described above, a parallax barrier is formed as an electrochromic mirror (ECM) so that light incident on blocking portions of the parallax barrier is reflected from a backlight and then is supplied to the parallax barrier. Thus, brightness of a 3D display apparatus can be improved using the same light sources. 
         [0054]    Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.