# US 12,601,944 B2 · Display module, driving method, and display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,944 B2 - Document ID: US12601944B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/622,864 - Filed: 2024-03-29 - Published: 2024-10-03 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-04-03 - Assignees: Hkc Corporation Limited - Applicants: Hkc Corporation Limited - Inventors: Huayin Wen; Shasha Zheng; Baosheng Feng; Haijiang Yuan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601944B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers} - G02F 1/1323: {Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle} - G02F 1/13306: {Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence)} - G02F 1/1335: Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors - G02F 1/134309: {characterised by their geometrical arrangement} - G02F 1/1347: Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells - G02F 1/13471: {in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells (G02F1/13475 takes precedence)} - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A display module, a driving method, and a display device are disclosed. The display module includes a display panel, a backlight module, and a light valve regulator. The light valve regulator includes a first regulating electrode, a first viewing angle control layer arranged on a side of the first regulating electrode facing away from the display panel, a second viewing angle control layer arranged on a side of the first viewing angle control layer facing away from the first regulating electrode, a second regulating electrode, and a first polarizer. The second and first regulating electrode are operative to form an electric field for controlling the first and the second liquid crystal layer. The first polarizer is disposed on a side of the second regulating electrode facing away from the second viewing angle control layer. An absorption axis of the first polarizer is identical with that of the upper polarizer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display module, comprising a display panel, a backlight module, an upper polarizer, and a lower polarizer; wherein the upper polarizer is arranged on a light-emitting surface of the display panel, and the lower polarizer is arranged on a light incident surface of the display panel; wherein an absorption axis of the upper polarizer is not equal to an absorption axis of the lower polarizer; wherein a light emitting surface of the backlight module is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of the display panel; wherein the display module further comprises a light valve regulator arranged between the light incident surface of the display panel and the light emitting surface of the backlight module; wherein the light valve regulator comprises: a first regulating electrode, arranged adjacent to the display panel; a first viewing angle control layer, arranged on a side of the first regulating electrode facing away from the display panel, the first viewing angle control layer comprising a light focusing layer and a first liquid crystal layer that are alternately arranged; a second viewing angle control layer, arranged on a side of the first viewing angle control layer facing away from the first regulating electrode, the second viewing angle control layer comprising a transparent layer and a second liquid crystal layer that are alternately arranged; a second regulating electrode, arranged on a side of the second viewing angle control layer facing away from the first viewing angle control layer, wherein the second regulating electrode and the first regulating electrode are used to form an electric field for controlling the first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer; and a first polarizer, arranged on a side of the second regulating electrode facing away from the second viewing angle control layer, wherein an absorption axis of the first polarizer is identical with the absorption axis of the upper polarizer; wherein in response to the first regulating electrode and the second regulating electrode being energized, liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer of the first viewing angle control layer and in the second liquid crystal layer of the second viewing angle control layer are rotated, and light emitted by the backlight module is operative to pass through the light valve regulator before all entering the display panel; in response to the first regulating electrode and the second regulating electrode being not energized, the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer of the first viewing angle control layer and in the second liquid crystal layer of the second viewing angle control layer are positioned in an initial state, and the light emitted by the backlight module is partially emitted into the display panel after passing through the light valve regulator; wherein the light focusing layer comprises a transparent substrate, wherein a hollow hole is defined in the transparent substrate, wherein the hollow hole comprises an opening that is located on a side of the transparent substrate adjacent to the first regulating electrode, and wherein the hollow hole comprises a side wall that has an arc shape; wherein the transparent substrate is operative to focus the light that vertically enters the light focusing layer to the opening and allow the light to be emitted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein a side of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to an adjacent light focusing layer is obliquely arranged, and wherein a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the first regulating electrode is less than a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the second regulating electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein a side of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to an adjacent light focusing layer is obliquely arranged, and wherein a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the first regulating electrode is greater than a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the second regulating electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein the first liquid crystal layer is filled with a negative liquid crystal, the second liquid crystal layer is filled with a positive liquid crystal, wherein an alignment film is arranged on each of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the first regulating electrode and an end facing away from the first regulating electrode, wherein an initial position of the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer is 90°; wherein an alignment film is arranged on each of an end of the second liquid crystal layer adjacent to the second regulating electrode and an end facing from the second regulating electrode, and wherein an initial position of the liquid crystal molecules in the second liquid crystal layer is 0°. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein an absorption axis of the first polarizer is 0°, an absorption axis of the lower polarizer is 90°, and an absorption axis of the upper polarizer is 0°. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein the light focusing layer of the first viewing angle control layer is arranged corresponding to the second liquid crystal layer of the second viewing angle control layer, and wherein the first liquid crystal layer of the first viewing angle control layer is arranged corresponding to the transparent layer of the second viewing angle control layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The display module as recited in claim 4, wherein when the first regulating electrode and the second regulating electrode are energized to form the electric field, the liquid crystal molecules in the second liquid crystal layer are rotated to a range between 30° and 60°, and the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer are rotated to a range between 30° and 60°. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The display module as recited in claim 7, wherein a liquid crystal rotation angle of the first liquid crystal layer is 45°, and a liquid crystal rotation angle of the second liquid crystal layer is 45°. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The display module as recited in claim 6, wherein the light focusing layer and the second liquid crystal layer have an equal width. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The display module as recited in claim 6, wherein the first liquid crystal layer and the transparent layer have an equal width. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The display module as recited in claim 4, wherein the alignment film is a polyimide alignment film. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein the opening of the hollow hole has a less area than the transparent substrate, and wherein a centerline of the hollow hole coincides with a centerline of the transparent substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a high refractive glass, and wherein a refractive index of the high refractive glass is greater than 1.9. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The display module as recited in claim 1, wherein the transparent layer is a glass layer. ### Claim 15 A display device, comprising a driving circuit and a display module, the driving circuit being configured to drive the display module, wherein the display module comprises a display panel, a backlight module, an upper polarizer, and a lower polarizer; wherein the upper polarizer is arranged on a light emitting surface of the display panel, and the lower polarizer is arranged on a light incident surface of the display panel; wherein an absorption axis of the upper polarizer is not identical with an absorption axis of the lower polarizer; wherein a light emitting surface of the backlight module is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of the display panel; wherein the display module further comprises a light valve regulator arranged between the light incident surface of the display panel and the light emitting surface of the backlight module, wherein the light valve regulator comprises a first regulating electrode, a first viewing angle control layer, a second viewing angle control layer, a second regulating electrode, and a first polarizer; wherein the first regulating electrode is arranged adjacent to the display panel; wherein the first viewing angle control layer is disposed on a side of the first regulating electrode facing away from the display panel, wherein the first viewing angle control layer comprises a light focusing layer and a first liquid crystal layer that are alternately arranged; wherein the second viewing angle control layer is disposed on a side of the first viewing angle control layer facing away from the first regulating electrode, and wherein the second viewing angle control layer comprises a transparent layer and a second liquid crystal layer that are alternately arranged; wherein the second regulating electrode is arranged on a side of the second viewing angle control layer facing away from the first viewing angle control layer, and wherein the second regulating electrode and the first regulating electrode are operative to form an electric field used for controlling the first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer; wherein the first polarizer is disposed on a side of the second regulating electrode facing away from the second viewing angle control layer, and wherein an absorption axis of the first polarizer is identical with the absorption axis of the upper polarizer; wherein in response to the first regulating electrode and the second regulating electrode being energized, the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer of the first viewing angle control layer and the second liquid crystal layer of the second viewing angle control layer are rotated, and light emitted by the backlight module passes through the light valve regulator before all entering the display panel; in response to the first regulating electrode and the second regulating electrode being not energized, the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer of the first viewing angle control layer and the second liquid crystal layer of the second viewing angle control layer are positioned in an initial state, and the light emitted by the backlight module is partially emitted into the display panel after passing through the light valve regulator; wherein the light focusing layer comprises a transparent substrate, wherein a hollow hole is defined in the transparent substrate, wherein the hollow hole comprises an opening that is located on a side of the transparent substrate adjacent to the first regulating electrode, and wherein the hollow hole comprises a side wall that has an arc shape; wherein the transparent substrate is operative to focus the light that vertically enters the light focusing layer to the opening and allow the light to be emitted. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The display device as recited in claim 15, wherein a side of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to an adjacent light focusing layer is obliquely arranged, and wherein a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the first regulating electrode is less than a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the second regulating electrode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The display device as recited in claim 15, wherein a side of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to an adjacent light focusing layer is obliquely arranged, wherein a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the first regulating electrode is greater than a width of an end of the first liquid crystal layer adjacent to the second regulating electrode.