Patent Description:
With development of the society, the application of electronic display products is increasing, and users have increasingly high requirements for the display effect of electronic display products. The contrast is one of the important parameters for measuring the effect of the display image of the electronic display product, and a high-contrast display image can give the user a better visual experience. However, current electronic display products are limited by the design of their own structures, the gray level of the display image is usually fixed, and the gray level is low, thereby making it difficult for the electronic display product to display a display image with higher contrast. <CIT> discloses a light valve device, which includes a driving substrate having a shading zone and a photic zone, a shading unit to promote the display effect. <CIT> discloses a liquid crystal display device provided with a liquid crystal display panel and a light guide plate disposed on the rear surface side of the liquid crystal display panel, in the light guide plate, a reflection sheet moving unit movably holds a reflection sheet. <CIT> discloses a display device. <CIT> discloses a light-adjusting component, a manufacturing method thereof, a backlight component and a display device. <CIT> discloses display with light leakage reduction structures.

It is an object of the present invention as claimed to provide a display device and a display equipment.

The object is achieved by the features of the respective independent claims. Further embodiments are defined in the corresponding dependent claims.

In order to clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described in the following. It is obvious that the described drawings in the following are only related to some embodiments of the present invention and thus are not limitative of the present invention.

In order to make objects, technical details and advantages of the embodiments of the invention apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments will be described in a clearly and fully understandable way in connection with the drawings related to the embodiments of the invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are just a part but not all of the embodiments of the invention. Based on the described embodiments herein, those skilled in the art can obtain other embodiment(s), without any inventive work, which are within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Unless otherwise defined, all the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms "first," "second," etc., which are used in the description and the claims of the present application for invention, are not intended to indicate any sequence, amount or importance, but distinguish various components. Also, the terms such as "a," "an," etc., are not intended to limit the amount, but indicate the existence of at least one. The terms "comprise," "comprising," "include," "including," etc., are intended to specify that the elements or the objects stated before these terms encompass the elements or the objects and equivalents thereof listed after these terms, but do not preclude the other elements or objects. The phrases "connect", "connected", "coupled", etc., are not intended to define a physical connection or mechanical connection, but may include an electrical connection, directly or indirectly. "On," "under," "right," "left" and the like are only used to indicate relative position relationship, and when the position of the object which is described is changed, the relative position relationship may be changed accordingly.

At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a display device and a display method thereof, and a display equipment. In accordance with the invention as claimed, the display device comprises a display panel and a light transmittance adjusting layer, the display panel comprises a plurality of pixel regions, and the light transmittance adjusting layer is configured to adjust display brightness of the plurality of pixel regions. The light transmittance adjusting layer is stacked with the display panel. In the above display device, the light transmittance adjusting layer is configured to adjust display brightness of the pixel regions, so as to allow the gray level of each pixel region to be determined by both the display panel and the light transmittance adjusting layer, thereby even in a case where the design structure of the display panel is fixed, the gray level of the display image of the display device can be further increased, and the contrast of the display image can be further improved.

Hereinafter, the display device and the display method thereof, and the display equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the display device includes a display panel <NUM> and a light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM>. The display panel <NUM> includes a plurality of pixel regions <NUM>, and the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is stacked (overlapped) with the display panel <NUM> (e.g., an orthographic projection of the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> on a plane on which the display panel <NUM> is located is within the display panel <NUM>), and the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is configured to adjust display brightness of the plurality of pixel regions <NUM>. As illustrated in the figure, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> and the display panel <NUM> are stacked in a normal direction (display direction) perpendicular to the display surface, and the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is parallel to the display surface of the display panel <NUM>. Therefore, the intensity of the light emitted from the display device is adjusted by both the display panel <NUM> and the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM>, and the increase of the display gray level of the display device is not limited by the design structure of the display panel <NUM> itself.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the position and the working mode of the light transmittance adjusting layer may be selected according to the type of the display panel.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, the light transmittance adjusting layer is located on a light-emitting side of the display panel. Therefore, the light transmittance adjusting layer may at least adjust the intensity of the light emitted from the display panel, so as to allow the display gray level to be increased.

For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is located on the light-emitting side of the display panel <NUM>, and the pixel region <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> can emit light of the brightness Y1 but cannot emit light of the brightness Y2. According to display requirements, in a display state, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> can adjust the light of the brightness Y1 into the light of the brightness Y2; and in another display state, the brightness of the light through the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is unchanged, alternatively, the display panel <NUM> is adjusted to emit light of other brightness, and the brightness of the light through the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is Y1. Therefore, with respect to the display device, the display gray level of each pixel region <NUM> is increased, and the contrast of the display image can be improved. For example, the display panel <NUM> may be a transmission-type display panel, a reflective display panel, a transflective display panel, or the like. For example, the display panel <NUM> may be an organic light-emitting display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, an electronic paper display panel, or the like.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the display device may further include a backlight module to provide light for display, and the backlight module is on a light-entering side of the display panel. For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the light transmittance adjusting layer may be located between the backlight module and the display panel. The light transmittance adjusting layer may adjust the intensity of the light emitted from the backlight module, so as to control the intensity of the light emitted into each pixel region, thereby increasing the display gray level of the pixel region <NUM>.

<FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of another display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the display panel <NUM> may be a transmission-type display panel. The light-entering side (opposite to the display side) of the display panel <NUM> is provided with a backlight module <NUM>, and the backlight module <NUM> can emit light of uniform brightness Y. The light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> is located between the display panel <NUM> and the backlight module <NUM>. According to display requirements of each of the pixel regions, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> can adjust the light of the brightness Y to the light of the brightness Y1, the light of the brightness Y2, the light of the brightness Y3, the light of the brightness Y4, or the like. Therefore, the brightness of the light emitted into each pixel region <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> may be adjusted as needed; and accordingly, the display gray level of each pixel region <NUM> is increased, and the contrast of the display image can be improved.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the specific structure of the backlight module is not limited as long as the backlight module can provide the display panel with the light for displaying an image. For example, the backlight module can be a direct type backlight module, a side-in type backlight module, or backlight modules of other types.

Hereinafter, the technical solution in at least one embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the light transmittance adjusting layer being on the light-emitting side of the display panel as an example.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, the light transmittance adjusting layer includes a plurality of light adjusting units arranged in an array, each of the pixel regions is disposed corresponding to at least one of the light adjusting units, and the light adjusting unit is switchable to be in different light transmittances in operation. For example, an orthographic projection of at least one light adjusting unit on the plane on which the display panel is located coincides with one pixel region. Therefore, by adjusting the light transmittance of the light adjusting unit, the brightness of the light of the pixel region corresponding to the light adjusting unit can be controlled, thereby increasing the display gray level of the pixel region <NUM>.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, the light adjusting unit is disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel region. For example, an orthographic projection of one light adjusting unit on the plane on which the display panel is located completely coincides with one pixel region. Therefore, each light adjusting unit can adjust the brightness of the light emitted from one pixel region, so as to improve the precision of the adjustment and improve the display effect. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light adjusting unit <NUM> is disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel region <NUM>. For example, the orthographic projection of the light adjusting unit <NUM> on the plane on which the display panel <NUM> is located coincides with the corresponding pixel region <NUM>.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, the pixel region includes at least one pixel unit, and the light adjusting unit is disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel unit. Therefore, each light adjusting unit adjusts the brightness of the light emitted from one pixel unit, which may further increase the display gray level of each pixel region. <FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of further another display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, each pixel region <NUM> includes a red pixel unit R, a green pixel unit G, and a blue pixel unit B, and the light adjusting unit <NUM> is disposed in one-to-one correspondence with each pixel unit. After the adjustment by different light adjusting units, the brightness of the light emitted from the red pixel unit R is changed from Y1 to Y4, the brightness of the light emitted from the green pixel unit G is changed from Y2 to Y5, and the brightness of the light emitted from the blue pixel unit B is changed from Y3 to Y6. The color or gray level of the image comprising the light of the brightness Y4, the light of the brightness Y5, and the light of the brightness Y6 is not independently obtained by the display panel <NUM>, so that not only the display gray level of the pixel region <NUM> is increased, but also the visual effect of the display image is improved.

In the embodiment, the display device further includes a controller <NUM>, such as a control chip, for controlling the display brightness of the pixel region of the display panel and for controlling the light transmittance of the light adjusting unit of the light transmittance adjusting layer, etc., thereby controlling the display brightness of the display panel and achieving the desired display effect. The controller, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, or the like, may be a special purpose processor or a general purpose processor. For example, the controller is in a signal connection with the display panel and the light transmittance adjusting layer through a signal line, and outputs corresponding control signals and output signals.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the specific structure of the light adjusting unit is not limited as long as the light adjusting unit has a function of changing the brightness of the light emitted from the pixel region.

For example, in the display device provided in accordance with the invention as claimed, the light adjusting unit includes: a light attenuating film and a micro-electro-mechanical driving unit, the light attenuating film includes a plurality of light adjusting regions of different light transmittances, and the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit is configured to drive the light attenuating film to move, so as to determine the light adjusting region of the light attenuating film to be used. The micro-electro-mechanical driving unit is configured to drive the light attenuating film to move, so as to allow the light adjusting region to be stacked with the display panel, and for example, the light adjusting region is stacked with the display panel in the normal direction (display direction) of the display surface and is parallel to the display surface. During the display process, the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit drives the light attenuating film to move, so as to allow the light adjusting region of the corresponding transmittance to correspond to the pixel region. In this case, the controller can be used to control the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit whether to drive the light attenuating film. For example, the controller may be in a signal connection with the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit in a wired or wireless manner, so as to realize the control of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the driving type of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit is not limited. For example, the driving mode of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit may be a rotating (or twisting) driving mode or a linear (or oscillating) driving mode. For example, the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit can be realized by a MEMS preparation process, and details are not described herein again.

Hereinafter, the technical solution of at least one embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the driving mode of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit being the rotating driving as an example.

In the display device provided in accordance with the present invention as claimed, the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit includes a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft, the light attenuating film is wound around the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated to allow one of the plurality of light adjusting regions to spread into a plane. By driving the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft to rotate, the light attenuating film is moved to allow the light adjusting regions of different transmittances to correspond to the pixel regions. The arrangement of the light attenuating film being wound around the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft may reduce the size of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit, and the driving mode is simple, which simplifies the structure of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit.

<FIG> are structural schematic diagrams of a light adjusting unit of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of a micro-electro-mechanical driving unit, <FIG> is a cross-sectional diagram of the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit in <FIG> along M1~M2, <FIG> is a planar structure schematic diagram of the rotating shaft in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional diagram of the rotating shaft in <FIG> along N1~N2.

In accordance with the invention as claimed, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light attenuating film <NUM> is wound around the first rotating shaft <NUM> and the second rotating shaft <NUM>, and the light attenuating film <NUM> includes a plurality of light adjusting regions <NUM>, such as a first light adjusting region 411a, a second light adjusting region 411b, and a third light adjusting region 411c. For example, the light transmittances of the first light adjusting region 411a, the second light adjusting region 411b, and the third light adjusting region 411c are sequentially decreased. Thus, driving the first rotating shaft <NUM> and the second rotating shaft <NUM> to rotate can allow the specific light adjusting region <NUM> to correspond to the pixel region. For example, the light transmittance of one light adjusting region (for example, the first light adjusting region 411a) in the light attenuating film <NUM> is about <NUM>%, so as to allow the brightness of the light through the light adjusting region to be unchanged. For example, a portion, corresponding to the pixel region (or pixel unit), of the first light adjusting region 411a is hollowed out, so as to allow the light transmittance of the first light adjusting region 411a to be <NUM>%.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, an orthographic projection of the pixel region on the display panel coincides with an orthographic projection of the light adjusting region on the display panel, alternatively, the orthographic projection of the pixel region on the display panel is within the orthographic projection of the light adjusting region on the display panel. Therefore, the light adjusting unit can adjust the brightness of all the light emitted from the entire pixel region, thereby improving the display effect of the display device.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, an orthographic projection of the pixel unit on the display panel coincides with the orthographic projection of the light adjusting region on the display panel, alternatively, the orthographic projection of the pixel unit on the display panel is within the orthographic projection of the light adjusting region on the display panel. Therefore, the light adjusting unit can adjust the brightness of all the light emitted from each pixel unit, thereby improving the display effect of the display device.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the specific structures of the rotating shafts (the first rotating shaft <NUM> and the second rotating shaft <NUM>) are not limited, as long as the rotating shafts can provide a sufficiently large torque (for example, a dynamic torque). For example, the rotating shaft may be an electrostatic micro-motor, an electromagnetic micro-motor, a piezoelectric micro-motor, or the like. Hereinafter, the technical solution of at least one embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the rotating shaft being the electrostatic micro-motor as an example. For example, each rotating shaft may include two electrostatic micro-motors, and the two electrostatic micro-motors may stretch the light attenuating film, so that the first rotating shaft <NUM> and the second rotating shaft <NUM> may allow at least a portion (for example, one light adjusting region) of the light attenuating film to be stretched into a plane.

For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the rotating shaft (the first rotating shaft <NUM> or the second rotating shaft <NUM>) is an electrostatic micro-motor, the electrostatic micro-motor includes a rotor <NUM> and a plurality of stators <NUM>, and the rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM> are spaced apart from each other. In a case where a bias voltage is applied to the stator <NUM>, an electric field is generated between the corresponding rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM>, and electrostatic attraction is generated between the corresponding rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM>, thereby allowing the rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM> to be aligned and allowing the rotor <NUM> to keep rotating by continuously energizing the stator <NUM> (applying a bias voltage to the stator <NUM>) in groups.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the electrostatic micro-motor may further include a flange <NUM> and a substrate <NUM>. The rotor <NUM> and the flange <NUM> are fixed on the substrate <NUM>, and the flange <NUM> is used for limiting the position of the rotor <NUM> to prevent the rotor <NUM> from falling off. For example, the substrate <NUM> may be a silicon wafer. For example, materials of the rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM> may include a conductive material such as polysilicon or the like.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the electrostatic micro-motor may further include an insulating layer <NUM>. For example, in a case where the material of the substrate <NUM> includes silicon, the insulating layer <NUM> may prevent the rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM> from being electrically connected through the substrate <NUM>.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the rotor <NUM> includes a first portion <NUM>, a second portion <NUM>, and a third portion <NUM>, the second portion <NUM> is disposed in plurality, and the first portion <NUM> and the third portion <NUM> is connected by the second portion <NUM>. The flange <NUM> limits the position of the third portion <NUM>, so that the rotor <NUM> may not fall off. For example, the third portion <NUM> is located between the flange <NUM> and the substrate <NUM>, the flange <NUM> is connected to the substrate <NUM> (or the insulating layer <NUM>), and the inner edge of the third portion <NUM> is located within the outer edge of the flange <NUM>. For example, the space between the second portion <NUM> and the stator <NUM> is relatively small, so that in a case where an electric field is generated between the rotor <NUM> and the stator <NUM>, electric charges in the rotor <NUM> are primarily concentrated at the second portion <NUM>. Therefore, different second portions <NUM> are allowed to generate static electricity by the stator <NUM>, and the rotor <NUM> can be driven to rotate.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the stator <NUM> is located between the second portion <NUM> and the substrate <NUM>. Therefore, during the using process, the electrostatic force between the stator <NUM> and the rotor <NUM> allows the rotor <NUM> to be fixed on the substrate <NUM>, thereby preventing the rotor <NUM> from falling off.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the first portion <NUM> is located on a side, away from the flange <NUM>, of the stator <NUM>, and the outer edge of the first portion <NUM> may be in a circular shape. Therefore, the light attenuating film can be fixed on the rotor <NUM>. Further, for example, the light attenuating film is fixed on the outer edge of the rotor <NUM>. Thus, the rotor <NUM> can drive the light attenuating film to move, and the light attenuating film can be wound around the outer edge of the first portion <NUM>.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, protrusions <NUM> may be disposed on a side, facing the substrate <NUM>, of the first portion <NUM> and the third portion <NUM>. Where the rotor <NUM> moves, the protrusions <NUM> may reduce the friction of the first portion <NUM> on the substrate <NUM> and the friction of the third portion <NUM> on the substrate <NUM>.

It should be noted that, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the first portion <NUM> may increase the stability of the structure of the rotor <NUM>, and the rotor <NUM> may also be configured to include only the second portion <NUM> and the third portion <NUM>. For example, the light attenuating film may be fixed on the second portion <NUM>.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the size of the rotating shaft (electrostatic micro-motor) is not limited. For example, the size of the electrostatic micro-motor may be no greater than <NUM> microns, such as no greater than <NUM> microns.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness and material of the light attenuating film are not limited. For example, the thickness of the light attenuating film may be no greater than <NUM> microns. The material of the light attenuating film may be a flexible material, such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide or other materials. For another example, the light adjusting regions of different transmittances of the light attenuating film can be realized by a rubbing process.

<FIG> are flowcharts of a method of manufacturing rotating shafts in the light adjusting unit illustrated in <FIG>. Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing an electrostatic micro-motor of a display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the manufacture of the rotating shaft (electrostatic micro-motor) illustrated in <FIG> as an example.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the substrate <NUM> is provided, and a polysilicon material is deposited on the substrate <NUM> and is patterned to form the stator <NUM>.

It should be noted that materials of the substrate <NUM> and the stator <NUM> are not limited, as long as the substrate <NUM> can be used to manufacture an electrostatic micro-motor that meets the size requirements, and the stator <NUM> has a certain electrical conductivity.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the patterning process may be a photolithographic patterning process. For example, the photolithographic patterning process may include: coating a photoresist layer on the structure layer to be patterned, using a mask to expose the photoresist layer, developing the exposed photoresist layer to obtain a photoresist pattern, using the photoresist pattern to etch the structure layer, and then optionally removing the photoresist pattern. It should be noted that if the patterned structure layer includes a photoresist material, the photoresist coating process may not be required.

For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, prior to forming the stator <NUM>, an insulating material may be deposited on the substrate <NUM> to form the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layer <NUM> may include materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or the like, and the insulating layer <NUM> may have a single layer structure or may have a multi-layer structure. The above materials can perform the function of insulating, and can further improve the adhesion of other structures (for example, the stator <NUM>, the flange <NUM>, etc.), formed in the subsequent process, on the substrate <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a thin film of insulating material is deposited on the substrate <NUM> and is patterned to form a first sacrificial layer <NUM>. For example, a plurality of hollows <NUM> may be formed in the first sacrificial layer <NUM>, and the shape and position of the hollow may correspond to the protrusion <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>.

For example, the material of the first sacrificial layer <NUM> may include phosphorus doped silicon dioxide (PSG), boron doped phosphorus silicon dioxide (BPSG), or other materials.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a thin film of conductive material (e.g., polysilicon) is deposited on the substrate <NUM> and is patterned to form the rotor <NUM>. The central location of the rotor <NUM> is disposed to expose the substrate <NUM> (or to expose the insulating layer <NUM>), and the central location corresponds to the flange <NUM> formed in the subsequent process.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a thin film of insulating material is deposited on the substrate <NUM> and is patterned to form a second sacrificial layer <NUM>. At the design location of the flange <NUM> in the subsequent process, the second sacrificial layer <NUM> is disposed to expose the substrate <NUM> (or to expose the insulating layer <NUM>). For example, the material of the second sacrificial layer <NUM> may include phosphorus doped silicon dioxide (PSG), boron doped phosphorus silicon dioxide (BPSG), or other materials.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the flange <NUM> is formed on the second sacrificial layer <NUM>, and the flange <NUM> is in contact with the substrate <NUM> or the insulating layer <NUM>. For example, the size of the flange <NUM> can be set by a patterning process. For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the flange <NUM> is not limited as long as the flange <NUM> has a good connection force with the insulating layer <NUM> or the substrate <NUM>. For example, the material of the flange <NUM> may include polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or the like.

Thereafter, for example, by a chemical dissolution method, the first sacrificial layer <NUM> and the second sacrificial layer <NUM> are removed to obtain the structure as illustrated in <FIG>.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention, the light adjusting unit comprises: a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light adjusting layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to be applied with voltages to adjust a light transmittance of the light adjusting layer. Therefore, the controller can be used to control the magnitude of the voltages applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, so as to control the light transmittance of the light adjusting layer. <FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of another light adjusting unit of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light adjusting unit <NUM> includes a first electrode <NUM>, a second electrode <NUM>, and a light adjusting layer <NUM>. After the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> are applied with voltages, an electric field can be generated, and the light transmittance of the light adjusting layer <NUM> is controlled by the electric field, so that the light transmittance of the light adjusting unit <NUM> can be adjusted.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode and the second electrode may be transparent electrodes or translucent electrodes. For example, the material of the transparent electrode may include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium gallium oxide (IGO), gallium zinc oxide (GZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In<NUM>O<NUM>), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), carbon nanotubes, or the like.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the specific structure of the light adjusting layer is not limited as long as the light transmittance of the light adjusting layer can be controlled by the electric field.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention which is not claimed, the light adjusting layer is an electrochromic layer, the electrochromic layer is between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode, the electrochromic layer and the second electrode are sequentially stacked in a direction perpendicular to a plane on which the display panel is located. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light adjusting layer <NUM> is an electrochromic layer, and the first electrode <NUM>, the electrochromic layer <NUM>, and the second electrode <NUM> are sequentially stacked in a direction perpendicular to a plane on which the display panel <NUM> is located. The electrochromic layer <NUM> includes an electrochromic material, and the light transmittance of the electrochromic material can be changed under the action of the electric field, for example, the electrochromic material can be changed from a transparent state to a dark state. For example, in a case where the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> are not applied with voltages or are applied with equal voltages, the potential difference between the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> is zero, and the electrochromic layer <NUM> is in the transparent state; and in a case where the potential difference between the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> is greater than zero, the electrochromic layer <NUM> is in the dark state, and the light transmittance of the electrochromic layer <NUM> gradually decreases as the potential difference increases. For example, the magnitude of the voltages applied to the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> can be controlled by the controller, so that the color of the electrochromic layer <NUM> can be changed to adjust the light transmittance of the electrochromic layer <NUM>.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention which is not claimed, the type of electrochromic material in the electrochromic layer is not limited. For example, the electrochromic material may include tungsten trioxide, polythiophenes and derivatives thereof, viologens, tetrathiafulvalenes, metal phthalocyanines, or the like.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention which is not claimed, the light adjusting layer is an electronic ink layer, the electronic ink layer is between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode, the electronic ink layer and the second electrode are sequentially stacked in a direction perpendicular to a plane on which the display panel is located. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light adjusting layer <NUM> is an electronic ink layer. For example, a polar light shielding material or an electric light shielding material may be disposed in the electronic ink layer <NUM>, and the electric field generated between the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> controls the transfer or inversion of the light shielding material, so as to allow the electronic ink layer to have different light transmittances. For example, the magnitude of the voltages applied to the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> may be controlled by the controller, so as to change the light transmittance of the electronic ink layer.

For example, in the display device provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention which is not claimed, the light adjusting layer includes a liquid crystal layer, and a first polarizing layer and a second polarizing layer respectively on two sides of the liquid crystal layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are on a same side or different sides of the liquid crystal layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are applied with voltages to adjust the light transmittance of the light adjusting layer. <FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of further another light adjusting unit of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention which is not claimed. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light adjusting layer <NUM> includes a liquid crystal layer <NUM>, and a first polarizing layer <NUM> and a second polarizing layer <NUM> respectively located on two sides of the liquid crystal layer <NUM>. The liquid crystal layer <NUM> includes liquid crystal molecules, and the electric field generated by the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> controls the rotation of the liquid crystal molecules. Under the cooperation of the first polarizing layer <NUM> and the second polarizing layer <NUM>, the light transmittance of the light adjusting layer <NUM> can be changed. For example, the magnitude of the voltages applied to the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> may be controlled by the controller, so as to change the rotation degree of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer <NUM>, thereby changing the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer <NUM>.

At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a display equipment, which includes the display device provided by any one of the above embodiments. For example, the display equipment comprises the controller <NUM> for controlling the display brightness of the pixel region of the display panel and for controlling the light transmittance of the light adjusting unit of the light transmittance adjusting layer. For example, in a case where the display brightness of a pixel region of the display panel does not satisfy the requirements of a display image, the controller can control the light transmittance of the light adjusting unit corresponding to the pixel region to a certain degree to adjust the display brightness of the pixel region to meet the requirements. For example, in a case where the display brightness of a pixel region of the display panel satisfies the requirements of a display image, the light adjusting unit corresponding to the pixel region may not be adjusted by the controller <NUM>. The display equipment may be any product or component having a display function, such as a tablet computer, a television, a display, a notebook computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator, etc., which is not limited by at least one embodiment of the present invention.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the display equipment can be applied to a two-dimensional display or three-dimensional display field. For example, the display equipment can be applied to the fields of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), or the like.

For example, the display equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention further includes a lens, and the lens is located on a light-emitting side of the display panel. <FIG> is a structural schematic diagram of a display equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the display panel <NUM> can generate a parallax image, and the parallax image through the lens <NUM> enters the left and right eyes (positions S1 and S2) of the user respectively. The lens <NUM> can form a virtual image P, the size of the virtual image P is greater than the size of the display panel <NUM>, and the distance between the virtual image P and the user's eyes is greater than the distance between the display panel <NUM> and the user's eyes. Therefore, the lens <NUM> can increase the viewing angle and imaging distance of the display image of the display equipment, and can allow the design space between the display panel <NUM> and the user's eyes to be reduced, which is advantageous to the miniaturization of the display equipment.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> may be disposed on the lens <NUM>. For example, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> may be located on a side, facing the display panel <NUM>, of the lens <NUM>, alternatively, the light transmittance adjusting layer <NUM> may be located on a side, away from the display panel <NUM>, of the lens <NUM>.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the type of display panel in the display equipment is not limited. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel can be configured to provide the parallax image. For example, in other embodiments of the present invention, at least two display panels may be disposed in the display equipment, and display images generated by the at least two display panels are respectively into the left and right eyes of the user, so that the display equipment can also realize a 3D display function.

At least one embodiment of the present invention further provides a display method of any one of the above display devices, and the method includes: in at least one of the pixel regions, in a first display state, controlling the light transmittance adjusting layer to have a first light transmittance, and allowing a display image through the display panel and through the light transmittance adjusting layer to have a first brightness; and in a second display state, adjusting the light transmittance adjusting layer to have a second light transmittance, and allowing the display image through the display panel and through the light transmittance adjusting layer to have a second brightness. In the above display method, the light transmittance adjusting layer can adjust the display brightness of the pixel region, so as to allow the gray level of each pixel region to be determined by both the display panel and the light transmittance adjusting layer. In a case where the design structure of the display panel is fixed, the gray level of the display image of the display device can be further increased, and the contrast of the display image can be improved. It should be noted that the specific structure of the display device in the above display method may refer to the related content in the embodiments described above, and at least one embodiment of the present invention is not limited in this aspect.

For the present invention, the following statements should be noted:.

Claim 1:
A display device, comprising:
a display panel (<NUM>), comprising a plurality of pixel regions (<NUM>); and
a light transmittance adjusting layer (<NUM>) stacked with the display panel (<NUM>), wherein the light transmittance adjusting layer (<NUM>) is configured to adjust display brightness of the plurality of pixel regions (<NUM>);
wherein the light transmittance adjusting layer (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of light adjusting units (<NUM>) arranged in an array, each of the plurality of pixel regions (<NUM>) is disposed corresponding to at least one of the plurality of light adjusting units (<NUM>), and
the light adjusting unit (<NUM>) is switchable to be in different light transmittances in operation;
the light adjusting unit (<NUM>) comprises:
a light attenuating film (<NUM>), comprising a plurality of light adjusting regions (<NUM>) of different light transmittances; and
a micro-electro-mechanical driving unit configured to drive the light attenuating film (<NUM>) to move, so as to allow the light adjusting region (<NUM>) to be stacked with the display panel (<NUM>);
characterized in that the micro-electro-mechanical driving unit comprises a first rotating shaft (<NUM>) and a second rotating shaft (<NUM>), the light attenuating film (<NUM>) is wound around the first rotating shaft (<NUM>) and the second rotating shaft (<NUM>), and
the first rotating shaft (<NUM>) and the second rotating shaft (<NUM>) are rotated to allow one of the plurality of light adjusting regions (<NUM>) to spread into a plane.