# US 10,502,872 B2 · Display apparatus and strip-shaped lens

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- Number: US 10,502,872 B2
- Document ID: US10502872B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/390,529
- Filed: 2016-12-25
- Published: 2017-07-06
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-31
- Assignees: Coretronic Corporation
- Applicants: Coretronic Corporation
- Inventors: Yi-Yu Tsai; Hsin-Hung Lee; Huei-Tzu Lin; Chiao-Chih Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502872B2

## CPC

- G02B 3/08: with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens {(diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876)}
- G02B 27/123: {The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power}
- G02B 7/02: for lenses {(supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002)}
- G02B 27/1066: {for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A display apparatus including a first display unit, a second display unit and a strip-shaped lens is provided. The first display unit has a first display area and a first edge area. The second display unit has a second display area and a second edge area. The strip-shaped lens is disposed on a boundary of the first edge area and the second edge area. The strip-shaped lens includes a light entering surface, a light emitting surface, a first stairs-shaped surface and a second stairs-shaped surface. The first stairs-shaped surface is located above a part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary, and connects the light entering surface and the light emitting surface. The second stairs-shaped surface is located above a part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary, and connects the light entering surface and the light emitting surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display apparatus, comprising:
a first display unit, having a first display area and a first edge area surrounding the first display area;
a second display unit, having a second display area and a second edge area surrounding the second display area, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit are arranged side by side with each other through the first edge area and the second edge area; and
a strip-shaped lens, disposed on a boundary of the first edge area and the second edge area, and the strip-shaped lens comprising:
a light entering surface, facing the boundary and extending along the boundary, and extending from the boundary to above the first edge area and a part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary, and extending to above the second edge area and a part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary;
a light emitting surface, opposite to the light entering surface and facing away from the boundary, extending along the boundary, and extending from the boundary to above the first edge area and the part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary, and extending to above the second edge area and the part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary;
a first stairs-shaped surface, located above the part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary, and connecting the light entering surface and the light emitting surface; and
a second stairs-shaped surface, located above the part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary, and connecting the light entering surface and the light emitting surface;
wherein the first stairs-shaped surface of the strip-shaped lens comprises a plurality of first step surfaces, wherein each of the first step surfaces is parallel to the first display area and the second display area, and the second stairs-shaped surface of the strip-shaped lens comprises a plurality of second step surfaces, wherein each of the second step surfaces is parallel to the first display area and the second display area, and
wherein at least a portion of a light beam emitted out from the first display area is directly incident into the strip-shaped lens through the first step surfaces, and at least a portion of a light beam emitted out from the second display area is directly incident into the strip-shaped lens through the second step surfaces.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first stairs-shaped surface and the second stairs-shaped surface are all complied with 0.1<w/h<10, wherein w is a width of each of the first step surfaces and the second step surfaces along a direction parallel to the first display area and the second display area, and h is a height between the adjacent first step surfaces or the adjacent second step surfaces along a direction perpendicular to the first display area and the second display area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first stairs-shaped surface further comprises a plurality of first connection surfaces connected between the first step surfaces, and the second stairs-shaped surface further comprises a plurality of second connection surfaces connected between the second step surfaces.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light entering surface comprising:
a first curved convex, extending from a place adjacent to the boundary to above the first edge area and the part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary; and
a second curved convex, extending from a place adjacent to the boundary to above the second edge area and the part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary, wherein a notch is formed between the first curved convex and the second curved convex.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface comprises:
a third curved convex, extending from a place adjacent to the boundary to above the first edge area and the part of the first display area adjacent to the boundary; and
a fourth curved convex, extending from a place adjacent to the boundary to above the second edge area and the part of the second display area adjacent to the boundary, wherein a notch is formed between the third curved convex and the fourth curved convex.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped lens further comprises a support portion connected to the light entering surface and leaning against the boundary.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the support portion and the strip-shaped lens are formed integrally.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area of an orthogonal projection of the light emitting surface on a plane containing the first display area and the second display area is larger than and covers an area of an orthogonal projection of the light entering surface on the plane.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped lens has a buckle structure for connecting at least one of the first edge area and the second edge area.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped lens is configured with a magnetic unit for connecting at least one of the first edge area and the second edge area through a magnetic force.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface is a plane.

### Claim 12

A strip-shaped lens, comprising:
a light entering surface, facing a reference line and located above the reference line, containing a first notch, and extending from the first notch to two sides of the first notch, wherein the reference line is positioned outside the strip-shaped lens;
a light emitting surface, opposite to the light entering surface and facing away from the reference line, containing a center line, and extending from the center line to the two sides of the center line;
a first stairs-shaped surface, connecting the light entering surface and the light emitting surface; and
a second stairs-shaped surface, connecting the light entering surface and the light emitting surface;
wherein all the reference line, the first notch, and the center line lie in a first reference plane and the reference line, the first notch, and the center line are parallel to one another, and the first notch lies between the reference line and the center line; and the first reference plane and a second reference plane perpendicular to each other intersect in the reference line; and
wherein the first stairs-shaped surface comprises a plurality of first step surfaces, wherein each of the first step surfaces is parallel to the second reference plane, and the second stairs-shaped surface comprises a plurality of second step surfaces, wherein each of the second step surfaces is parallel to the second reference plane, and
wherein the first step surfaces and the second step surfaces are facing the second reference plane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first stairs-shaped surface and the second stairs-shaped surface are all complied with 0.1<w/h<10, wherein w is a width of each of the first step surfaces and the second step surfaces along a direction perpendicular to the first reference plane, and h is height between the adjacent first step surfaces or the adjacent second step surfaces along a direction parallel to the first reference plane and perpendicular to the reference line.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first stairs-shaped surface further comprises a plurality of first connection surfaces connected between the first step surfaces, and the second stairs-shaped surface further comprises a plurality of second connection surfaces connected between the second step surfaces.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light entering surface comprises:
a first curved convex, extending from above the reference line towards a first direction; and
a second curved convex, extending from above the reference line towards a second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction, and a notch is formed between the first curved convex and the second curved convex.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light emitting surface comprises:
a third curved convex, extending from above the reference line towards a first direction; and
a fourth curved convex, extending from above the reference line towards a second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction, and a notch is formed between the third curved convex and the fourth curved convex.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:
a support portion, connected to the light entering surface, and extending towards the reference line.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 17, wherein the support portion and the strip-shaped lens are formed integrally.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light emitting surface has a center line, the first reference plane comprises the center line and the reference line, the second reference plane comprises the reference line and is perpendicular to the first reference plane, and an area of an orthogonal projection of the light emitting surface on the second reference plane is larger than and covers an area of an orthogonal projection of the light entering surface on the second reference plane.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the strip-shaped lens has a buckle structure.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the strip-shaped lens is configured with a magnetic unit.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The strip-shaped lens as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light emitting surface is a plane.