Patent Publication Number: US-2021173965-A1

Title: Hanging type switchable anti-peeping device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hanging type switchable anti-peeping devices, and more particularly, to a hanging type switchable anti-peeping device externally applied on a screen for preventing others from peeping the screen. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     For achieving an anti-peeping effect for the displaying monitor of computers or mobile communication devices, an anti-peeping layer is added between the backlight module and the panel, whereby the angle of the visible range of the displaying monitor is narrowed down. For example, the visible range of certain displayers is narrowed down from 175 degrees to 45 degrees. However, the anti-peeping effect of the computers or mobile communication devices is not achievable without the anti-peeping layer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional anti-peeping layer structure has a liquid crystal layer  2  formed between two conductive layers  1 . When such anti-peeping layer structure is disposed between the backlight module and the display panel, the two conductive layers  1 , by use of a driving voltage, achieve an anti-peeping effect upon the vision from a lateral viewpoint. However, the conductive layer  1  aforementioned is an integral plate member without bores thereon. During the practical usage, the light emitted by the backlight module is greatly weakened when passing through the conductive layer  1 . As a result, although such device achieves the anti-peeping effect upon the vision from the lateral viewpoint, the brightness of the screen is greatly reduced, such that the user is prevented from clear vision when watching the screen because of the insufficient brightness. The resolution upon such issue is desirable for the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For resolving the issues above, a hanging type switchable anti-peeping device is disclosed. With the anti-peeping device removably and externally hung on the displaying screen, an anti-peeping effect is provided on the displaying screen of a computer or mobile device which has no anti-peeping function. The anti-peeping device, when hung up, maintains the brightness of the screen for facilitating an optimal displaying effect. 
     For achieving the aforementioned objectives, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a hanging type switchable anti-peeping device which is removably and externally hung on a displaying screen comprises two conductive layers, a displaying medium layer, and a drive unit. The displaying medium layer is disposed between the two conductive layers. At least one conductive layer comprises a plurality of hollow portions arranged at intervals to form a plurality of division portions in a grille structure. When the displaying screen lightens, the transmittance of the hollow portion is higher than the transmittance of the division portion. The drive unit is electrically connected with the two conductive layers and switchable between an ON status and an OFF status. In the ON status, the drive unit provides a driving voltage between the two conductive layers, thereby driving the displaying medium layer to change the light permeability thereof. 
     With such configuration, when the displaying screen lightens, based on the fact that the hollow portions of the conductive layer have a higher transmittance than the division portions, by driving the displaying medium layer between the two conductive layers to change the light permeability thereof during the ON status of the drive unit, an anti-peeping effect is achieved. Also, by use of the hollow portions of the conductive layer, the light of the displaying screen effectively passes through the conductive layer, providing an optimal transmittance of the conductive layer. Therefore, while achieving the aforementioned anti-peeping effect, an optimal displaying brightness of the displaying screen is maintained, so as to prevent the brightness reduction of the screen due to the anti-peeping device, thereby assuring the anti-peeping effect and the preferable brightness of displaying. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional anti-peeping layer structure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view illustrating the anti-peeping device hung on the displaying screen. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view illustrating the structure of the anti-peeping device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view illustrating the displaying medium layer disposed between the two conductive layers in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hollow portions longitudinally pass through the first conductive layer and are arranged along a transverse orientation at intervals to form a stripe shape arrangement. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view illustrating the displaying medium layer disposed between the two conductive layers in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hollow portions transversely pass through the first conductive layer and are arranged along a longitudinal orientation at intervals to form a stripe shape arrangement. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view illustrating the displaying medium layer disposed between the two conductive layers in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hollow portions of the first conductive layer are arranged along both transverse and longitudinal orientations to form an array arrangement. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The aforementioned and further advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings where the components are illustrated based on a proportion for explanation but not subject to the actual component proportion. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 6 , a hanging type switchable anti-peeping device is provided, which is externally and removably hung on a displaying screen of a, for example, personal computer, laptop, or mobile communication device (smartphone or tablet computer) for providing an anti-peeping effect. As shown by  FIG. 2 , an anti-peeping device  100  in the embodiment is hung on a displaying screen  200  of a personal computer. The anti-peeping device  100  comprises two conductive layers including a first conductive layer  10  and a second conductive layer  20 . Also, the anti-peeping device  100  comprises a displaying medium layer  30  and a drive unit  40 . 
     The first conductive layer  10 , in the embodiment, comprises a plurality of hollow portions  11  arranged at intervals. The hollow portions  11  form a plurality of division portions  12  therebetween, so that the division portions  12  and the hollow portions  11  of the first conductive layer  10  are alternately disposed to form a grille arrangement structure. When the displaying screen  200  lightens, the transmittance of the hollow portions  11  is higher than the transmittance of the division portions  12 . The second conductive layer  20 , in the embodiment, is an integral plate member without hollow portions  11 . The second conductive layer  20  and the first conductive layers  10  in the embodiments are formed of glass material. In other embodiments, the second conductive layer  20  and the first conductive layers  10  are allowed to be a film. Also, the hollow portions  11  and the division portions  12  are alternately arranged at equal intervals. 
     The displaying medium layer  30  is disposed between the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 . The displaying medium layer  30  is allowed to be, for example, liquid crystal (LC), polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), electrophoretic ink, or magnetic material. Therein, when a driving voltage is provided, the liquid crystal is capable of varying the direction of light beam, so as to vary the light permeability for achieving the anti-peeping effect. 
     The drive unit  40  is electrically connected with the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 , thereby forming a power supply circuit therebetween. The drive unit  40  is switchable between an ON status and an OFF status. The ON status is defined as an electrified status that the drive unit  40  provides a driving voltage, and the OFF status is defined as a disconnection status that the drive unit  40  does not provide the driving voltage. When the drive unit  40  is in the ON status, the drive unit  40  provides the driving voltage between the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 , such that the driving voltage drives the displaying medium layer  30  to change the light permeability thereof. The drive unit  40 , in the embodiment, comprises an USB plug  41 , and the anti-peeping device  100  in the embodiment comprises a main body  50  wrapping the first conductive layer  10 , the second conductive layer  20 , and the displaying medium layer  30 , wherein the main body  50  comprises an USB socket  51  electrically connected with the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 . When the USB plug  41  is inserted in the USB socket  51 , the drive unit  40  is electrically connected with the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 . 
     Particularly, the first conductive layer  10  is applied in various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 4 , a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Therein, the plurality of hollow portions  11  of the first conductive layer  10  longitudinally pass through the first conductive layer  10  and are transversely arranged at intervals, so as to provide the anti-peeping effect upon the visions from the left side and right side. Referring to  FIG. 5 , a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Therein, the hollow portions  11 A of the first conductive layer  10  transversely pass through the first conductive layer  10  and are longitudinally arranged at intervals, so as to provide the anti-peeping effect upon the visions from the upper side and lower side. Referring to  FIG. 6 , a third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, the plurality of hollow portions  11 B of the first conductive layer  10  are disposed along a transverse and longitudinal orientations, forming an array shaped arrangement, so as to provide the anti-peeping effect upon the visions from the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side. Notably, the aforementioned “longitudinal” and “transverse” are defined according to the actual direction along which the anti-peeping device  100  is hung on the displaying screen  200 . 
     The first conductive layer  10  includes various forms as mentioned in the first, second, and third embodiments. Further, when the first conductive layer  10  is provided in any form of the three embodiments, the second conductive layer  20  is allowed to be embodied as a plate member without the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, or  11 B. The second conductive layer  20  is also allowed to be optionally provided in any form of the three embodiments as the first conductive layer  10 . Upon the second conductive layer  20  being embodied in any form of the three embodiments, the first conductive layer  10  is allowed to be embodied as a plate member without the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, or  11 B. In other words, when the first conductive layer  10  is provided in any form of the three embodiments, the second conductive layer  20  is also allowed to be embodied in the form of the first, second, or third embodiments of the first conductive layer  10  or as a plate member without the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, or  11 B; when the second conductive layer  20  is provided in any form of the three embodiments, the first conductive layer  10  is also allowed to be embodied in the form of the first, second, or third embodiment, or as a plate member without the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, or  11 B. During the driving voltage being provided as aforementioned, the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20  provide the anti-peeping effect upon the visions from different viewpoints in accordance with the first, the second and the third embodiment, so as to fulfill the actual usage demand. 
     With the foregoing configuration, when the displaying screen  200  lightens in the displaying status, the drive unit  40  is able to be switched to the ON status, so as to drive the displaying medium layer  30  between the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20  to change the light permeability of the displaying medium layer  30 . For example, when the driving voltage is provided, the liquid crystal changes the direction of light beam therein to change the light permeability thereof. Based on the fact that the transmittance of the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, and  11 B of the first conductive layer  10  (or the second conductive layer  20  in other embodiments) is higher than the transmittance of the division portions  12 , the anti-peeping effect is provided upon the visions from the viewpoints on the left, right, upper, or lower side. Besides, the light beam of the displaying screen  200  is allowed to effectively pass through the hollow portions  11 ,  11 A, and  11 B of the first conductive layer  10 . The present invention facilitates an optimal transmittance of the conductive layers (including the first conductive layer  10  and the second conductive layer  20 ), so as to maintain the displaying brightness of the displaying screen  200  while providing the anti-peeping effect simultaneously, preventing the brightness of the displaying screen  200  from decrease due to the anti-peeping device  100 , thereby achieving both the anti-peeping and optimal brightness maintaining functions. 
     Furthermore, regarding the anti-peeping device  100  in the aforementioned embodiments, the twofold functions are provided with only one set of stacked layers which has the displaying medium layer  30  disposed between the two conductively layers  10 ,  20 . In other embodiments, the layer structure is allowed to be carried out by at least two sets of stacked layers, which provides a superior anti-peeping effect compared with the aforementioned embodiments having only one set of stacked layers. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.