# US 2014/0191933 A1 · Adjustable viewing angle display device and method for driving the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191933 A1 - Document ID: US20140191933A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/945,078 - Filed: 2013-07-18 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: Au Optronics Corporation - Applicants: AU Optronics Corporation - Inventors: Chen-Feng FAN; Chao-Wei YEH; Chih-Hsiang YANG; Chien-Huang LIAO; Wen-Hao HSU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191933A1 ## CPC - G02F 1/133: Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements (arrangements or circuits for control of liquid crystal elements in a matrix, not structurally associated with these elements G09G3/36) - G02F 1/1323: {Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle} - G02F 1/134336: {Matrix} - G09G 3/3622: {using a passive matrix (G09G3/3674 - G09G3/3696 take precedence)} - G09G 2320/028: by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction - G09G 2358/00: Arrangements for display data security - 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 - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract Disclosed herein is an adjustable viewing angle display device. The display device includes a display panel composed of a first substrate, a second substrate, a display medium layer interposed therebetween, a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode. Pluralities of sub-pixels are defined in the display panel. The first and second electrodes are disposed on the first substrate in the sub-pixels. The first electrode is spaced apart from the second electrode. The third electrode is disposed on the second substrate. When the display device is operated in a narrow viewing angle mode, there exists a non-zero potential difference between the second electrode and the third electrode, and when the sub-pixel is at gray level of zero, the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is not zero. A driving method for driving the display device is disclosed as well. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adjustable viewing angle display device, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; a non-self-luminous display medium layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a display panel; a pixel array defined in the display panel, wherein the pixel array at least has one first pixel zone and one second pixel zone, and each of the first and the second pixel zones at least has one first sub-pixel and one second sub-pixel; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate in all of the sub-pixels of the first and second pixel zones; a second electrode disposed on the first substrate in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones, wherein the first electrode disposed in the all of the sub-pixels in the first pixel zone is spaced apart from the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first pixel zone and the first electrode disposed in the all of the sub-pixels in the second pixel zone is spaced apart from the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the second pixel zone; and a third electrode disposed on the second substrate in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones; wherein when the display device is operated in a narrow viewing angle mode, a potential difference between the second and the third electrodes disposed within all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is not equal to zero; and a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode disposed in the first and second pixel zones is not equal to zero when all of the sub-pixels are at a gray level of zero. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 1, wherein one of the first electrode and the second electrode in each the sub-pixels has a plurality of slits. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 1, wherein when the display device is operated in the narrow viewing angle mode, a potential of the first electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is greater than a potential of the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones when all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones are at the gray level of zero. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 3, wherein the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is about 0.04 V to about 1.04 V. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 3, wherein the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is about 0.18 V to about 1.9 V. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 1, wherein, when the display device is operated in the narrow viewing angle mode, a potential of the first electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is less than a potential of the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones when all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones are at the gray level of zero. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 6, wherein the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is about −0.04 V to about −1.18 V. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 6, wherein the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is about −0.18 V to about −2.34 V. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The adjustable viewing angle display device of claim 1, wherein the potential difference between the second electrode and the third electrode is about 2 V to about 10 V. ### Claim 10 A method for driving an adjustable viewing angle display device, comprising: providing a display device, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; a non-self-luminous display medium layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a display panel; a pixel array defined in the display panel, wherein the pixel array at least has one first pixel zone and one second pixel zone, and each of the first and the second pixel zones at least has one first sub-pixel and one second sub-pixel; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones; a second electrode disposed on the first substrate in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones, wherein the first electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first pixel zones is spaced apart from the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first pixel zones and the first electrode disposed in the all of the sub-pixels in the second pixel zone is spaced apart from the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the second pixel zone; and a third electrode disposed on the second substrate in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones; and respectively applying a first potential, a second potential, and a third potential to the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode in all of the sub-pixels in the first second pixel zones, wherein when the display device is operated in a narrow viewing angle mode, a potential difference between the second and the third electrodes disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is not equal to zero; and a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode disposed in the first and second pixel zones is not equal to zero when all of the sub-pixels are at a gray level of zero. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The driving method of claim 10, wherein one of the first electrode and the second electrode in each the sub-pixels has a plurality of slits. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The driving method of claim 10, wherein when the display device is operated in the narrow viewing angle mode, a potential of the first electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is greater than a potential of the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones when all the sub-pixels are in the first and second pixel zones at the gray level of zero. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The driving method of claim 12, wherein the potential difference to between the first electrode and the second electrode is about 0.04 V to about 1.04 V. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The driving method of claim 12, wherein the potential difference between the first potential and the second potential is about 0.18 V to about 1.9 V. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The driving method in claim 10, wherein when the display device is operated in the narrow viewing angle mode, a potential of the first electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones is less than a potential of the second electrode disposed in all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones when all of the sub-pixels in the first and second pixel zones are at the gray level of zero. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The driving method of claim 15, wherein the potential difference between the first potential and the second potential is about −0.04 V to about −1.18 V. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The driving method of claim 15, wherein the potential difference between the first potential and the second potential is about −0.18 V to about −2.34 V. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The driving method of claim 10, wherein the potential difference to between the second electrode and the third electrode is about 2 V to about 10 V.