JP2010060907A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device having a photoelectric conversion function capable of sufficiently maintaining the image quality of a display image displayed on a display panel and capable of performing photoelectric conversion in a wider area.
A display panel having a front substrate and a rear substrate and displaying an image in an image display region having a plurality of picture elements and a black matrix region formed between the plurality of picture elements. And the photoelectric conversion layer 1 laminated on the front substrate 21 of the display panel 2, and the plurality of picture elements formed in the image display area of the display panel 2 do not contribute to image display. A dummy picture element 26 </ b> W is included, and the photoelectric conversion layer 1 has photoelectric conversion elements 11, 12 at positions overlapping the dummy picture element 26 </ b> W or the black matrix region 25 of the display panel 2. A transmission region 13 that transmits a display image on the display panel 2 is provided at a position overlapping with the picture elements other than the picture element 26W.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device in which a photoelectric conversion layer that performs photoelectric conversion is stacked on a front substrate of a display element, and in particular, a photoelectric device that can generate a large amount of power without degrading the image quality of a display image on a display panel. The present invention relates to a display device including a conversion layer.

  In recent years, mobile devices such as notebook computers, electronic notebooks, mobile phones and digital cameras, and portable televisions and DVD players have been spreading. As a display terminal for such a mobile device, a liquid crystal display device is frequently used because of its thin and lightweight characteristics. In particular, a switching element such as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) is connected to a pixel electrode corresponding to each picture element formed in an image display area for displaying an image, and a voltage applied to each pixel electrode is controlled. A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal panel including an active matrix substrate that can be used as a back substrate can display a clear image with excellent resolution, and thus plays a central role as a display terminal for portable devices.

  For display terminals of portable devices, reduction of power consumption is strongly demanded in order to cope with battery drive of portable devices. In view of this, a liquid crystal display device having a photoelectric conversion function that takes in external light and generates electric power has been proposed as a measure for reducing the power consumption of the display terminal of such a portable device. However, in such a liquid crystal display device, since a photoelectric conversion element such as a solar cell is usually not transparent, it is not possible to form a solar cell in a portion of the liquid crystal panel where image display is performed, and power generation with sufficient electromotive force is possible. There was a problem that could not be done.

On the other hand, as a liquid crystal display device with a solar cell provided with a reflective liquid crystal panel that uses external light for image display, a selective reflective layer that reflects only a specific color is provided between the liquid crystal layer and the solar cell layer. A technique has been proposed in which the formation area of the solar cell is increased by forming the solar cell so that the solar cell can be overlapped with the pixel electrode inside the liquid crystal panel (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-295725

  The conventional liquid crystal display device with a solar cell described above includes a selective reflection layer that reflects only a specific color, so that the solar cell can be formed at a position overlapping the pixel electrode in the image display region. The mounting area can be increased. However, since the selective reflection layer is provided, the amount of light reflected in the liquid crystal panel is reduced, and the brightness of the display image on the reflective liquid crystal panel is reduced. In addition, a device such as a red-brown amorphous silicon as a photoelectric conversion layer is disclosed for a solar cell formed in a red picture element region, but red, blue, and green displayed on a liquid crystal panel are also disclosed. It is difficult to obtain a solar cell having a color corresponding to all the colors and sufficiently matching the transmission wavelength of the formed color filter. For this reason, in the said conventional liquid crystal display device with a solar cell, it cannot be denied that the quality of a display image falls in terms of the color purity of a display image.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention has a photoelectric conversion function that can sufficiently maintain the image quality of a display image displayed on a display panel and can perform photoelectric conversion in a wider area. An object is to obtain a display device.

  In order to solve the above problems, a display device of the present invention includes a front substrate and a rear substrate, and includes an image display including a plurality of picture elements and a black matrix region formed between the plurality of picture elements. A display panel that displays an image in a region, and a photoelectric conversion layer stacked on the front substrate of the display panel, and the plurality of picture elements formed in the image display region of the display panel include an image A dummy picture element that does not contribute to display is included, and the photoelectric conversion layer includes a photoelectric conversion element at a position overlapping the dummy picture element or the black matrix region of the display panel, and other than the dummy picture element. A transmissive region that transmits a display image on the display panel is provided at a position overlapping with the picture element.

  According to the display device of the present invention, by providing dummy picture elements, it is possible to increase the area for photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion layer and generate more electric power. By transmitting the display image as it is, it is possible to display an image with high image quality.

  A liquid crystal display element according to the present invention includes a front substrate and a rear substrate, and displays an image in an image display region having a plurality of picture elements and a black matrix region formed between the plurality of picture elements. A dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display, and includes a panel and a photoelectric conversion layer stacked on the front substrate of the display panel, the plurality of picture elements formed in the image display area of the display panel. The photoelectric conversion layer has a photoelectric conversion element at a position overlapping with the dummy picture element or the black matrix region of the display panel, and a position overlapping with the picture elements other than the dummy picture element. In addition, the display panel has a transmission region for transmitting the display image.

  According to the above configuration, in the photoelectric conversion layer at a position overlapping with the image display area of the display panel, in addition to the part overlapping with the black matrix area, photoelectric conversion is also performed on the part overlapping with the dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display. By performing the above, it is possible to increase the area for photoelectric conversion and generate more electric power. Further, since the display image on the display panel can be transmitted through the part overlapping with the picture elements other than the dummy picture elements, the image display on the display panel can be performed without degrading the image quality.

  In the display device having the above configuration, in the image display area, a set of picture elements in which red picture elements, green picture elements, blue picture elements, and dummy picture elements are arranged in two rows and two columns is formed. Or in the image display area, a red picture element, a green picture element, a blue picture element, and the dummy picture element form a set of picture elements arranged in two rows and three columns, In the set of picture elements, the blue picture element and the dummy picture element are arranged in the center column, and the red picture element and the green picture element are arranged in the upper and lower positions in the left and right columns. The arrangement is preferably reversed. By doing so, the effect that the dummy picture elements are formed may cause undesirable luminance unevenness in the display image, and the image quality may be deteriorated due to a feeling of roughness of the image or a decrease in resolution. Can be prevented.

  Further, it is preferable that a non-display signal is always applied to the dummy picture element. In this way, a dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display can be realized without particularly changing the configuration of the dummy picture element in the display panel.

  In addition, a light-shielding layer that blocks light emitted from the display panel is formed at a position overlapping the dummy picture element of the front substrate, and further on a surface of the front substrate facing the rear substrate. Preferably it is. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the possibility of light leakage from the dummy picture element portion, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the image quality of the display image due to the leakage light.

  In this case, the back substrate of the display panel is an active matrix substrate that performs image display using a switching element, and an electronic device element is formed at a position overlapping the dummy picture element of the active matrix substrate. It is preferable that By doing so, it is possible to effectively use the area on the active matrix substrate corresponding to the dummy picture elements that do not contribute to image display, and to form semiconductor memory elements and various sensors. As a result, high functionality of the display panel can be achieved.

  Furthermore, a liquid crystal display device having a photoelectric conversion function can be obtained by providing a liquid crystal panel as the display panel, and an organic EL having a photoelectric conversion function by providing an organic EL panel as the display panel. A display device can be obtained, and further, by providing a plasma display panel as the display panel, a PDP display device having a photoelectric conversion function can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the following description of embodiments of the present invention, a configuration example in the case where a transmissive color liquid crystal panel including an active matrix substrate is used as a display panel as a display device according to the present invention is shown. However, the display device according to the present invention is not limited to a transmissive liquid crystal panel even when it is a liquid crystal display device using a liquid crystal panel as a display panel. A liquid crystal display device using a reflective or transflective liquid crystal panel used for image display can be obtained. Further, the driving method of the liquid crystal panel is not limited to the active matrix method using an active matrix substrate, and other driving methods such as a so-called simple matrix method can be used. Various methods such as an alignment method and an IPS method using a lateral electric field can be used.

  In addition, each figure referred below demonstrates the simplified main component required in order to demonstrate this invention among the structural members of embodiment of this invention for convenience of explanation. Therefore, the display apparatus according to the present invention can include arbitrary constituent members that are not shown in each of the referenced drawings. Moreover, the dimension of the member in each figure does not necessarily faithfully represent the dimension of the actual component member, the dimension ratio of each member, and the like.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal display device including a photoelectric conversion layer as an embodiment of the display device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel 2 as a display panel and a front substrate 21 of the liquid crystal panel 2, that is, the outer side of the front substrate 21 on the side for observing a display image. And a photoelectric conversion layer 1 laminated on the surface.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 sandwiches a liquid crystal layer 23 between a front substrate 21 and a back substrate 22 and applies a predetermined electric field to the liquid crystal layer 23 to control the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules to perform image display.

  An inner surface of the front substrate 21 which is an insulating substrate such as glass, that is, a surface opposite to the rear substrate 22 which is also an insulating substrate such as glass is used for image display formed on the rear substrate 22. Corresponding to the formation position of the pixel electrode 28, a blue filter 26B, a red filter 26R, and a green filter 26G for color display are formed. In addition to these three color filters 26B, 26R, and 26G, a white layer 26W in which a colored filter layer is not formed is provided.

  A black matrix layer 25 formed of a black resin or the like is formed in the region between the three color filters 26B, 26R, and 26G and the white layer 26W, and in the periphery of the region where these color filters are formed. Is formed.

  On each color filter 26B, 26R, 26G, the white layer 26W, and the black matrix layer 25 between them, a counter electrode 27 made of a transparent conductive member such as ITO is formed. Further, an alignment film that regulates the alignment method of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 23 is formed on the counter electrode 27, but the illustration in FIG. 1 is omitted.

  An image is displayed on the inner surface of the rear substrate 22 facing the front substrate 21 via the liquid crystal layer 23, that is, on the surface facing the front substrate 21, via a base coat, a metal wiring layer, an insulating layer, etc. (not shown). A pixel electrode 28 for this purpose is formed. In the liquid crystal panel 2 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of pixel electrodes 28 are arranged in a matrix in a row in the row direction and the column direction. A plurality of gate wirings (not shown) are formed in the portions between the rows where the pixel electrodes 28 are formed, and a plurality of source wirings 30 are formed in the portions between the columns where the pixel electrodes 28 are formed. A TFT 29 as a switching element connected to the gate wiring and the source wiring 30 is formed in the vicinity of each intersection portion of the gate wiring and the source wiring 30 that intersects each other vertically. The TFT 29 corresponds to each corresponding pixel. It is connected to the electrode 28.

  A planarizing film 31 made of an insulating transparent resin material is formed on the pixel electrode 28, the TFT 29, and the source wiring 30. The flattening film 31 has a function for leveling the unevenness of the surface of the pixel electrode 28 and the source wiring 30 to make the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 23 uniform, and is not formed on the flattening film 31. It functions as a passivation film that prevents the electronic circuit elements such as the TFT 29 from being damaged during the rubbing operation of the alignment film on the back substrate 22 side.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment is an active matrix type liquid crystal panel that displays an image using a TFT 29 that is a switching element connected to the pixel electrode 28. Specifically, a gate drive circuit (not shown) sequentially selects and scans the gate lines arranged between the columns formed by the pixel electrodes 28, and turns on the TFTs 29 connected to the selected gate lines. At this time, a predetermined voltage required for image display is applied from the source driving circuit (not shown) to each pixel electrode 28 connected to the selected gate wiring via the source wiring 30. The potential difference between the voltage applied to each pixel electrode 28 and the counter electrode 27 formed on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 is applied to the liquid crystal layer 23 in the portion sandwiched between the two electrodes, whereby the liquid crystal layer in that portion. The liquid crystal molecules in 23 are rotated by a predetermined amount, and the polarization direction of the transmitted light transmitted through the liquid crystal panel 2 is controlled. A pair of polarizing plates 24 is provided on both outer surfaces of the front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22 of the liquid crystal panel 2 in a state where the polarization direction is rotated by a predetermined angle such as 90 °, for example. The brightness of the transmitted light that passes through the liquid crystal panel 2 is controlled by the polarization action of the polarizing plate 24 and the polarization action in the liquid crystal layer described above, whereby an image can be displayed.

  In the liquid crystal panel 2 according to the present embodiment, the area where the white layer 26W is formed corresponds to a dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display. For this reason, the pixel electrodes 28 corresponding to the white layer 26W are always applied with a signal voltage that does not display the dummy picture element, that is, the display gradation is zero.

  As described above, since a predetermined voltage is applied to the pixel electrode 28 of the back substrate 22 to perform image display, the region where the pixel electrode 28 is formed on the back substrate 22 that is an active matrix substrate is the liquid crystal panel 2. This corresponds to the image display area. In addition, each pixel electrode 28 forms a picture element which is a minimum unit of image display. Accordingly, in the case of the liquid crystal panel shown in FIG. 1, the portion where the blue filter 26B is formed is a blue pixel, the portion where the red filter 26R is formed is the red pixel, and the portion where the green filter 26G is formed. Becomes a green picture element, and as described above, a portion where the white layer 26W is formed becomes a dummy picture element. In addition, a region where the black matrix layer 25 is formed becomes a black matrix region. The arrangement of the picture elements in the image display area will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The solar cells 11 and 12 that are photoelectric conversion elements and the display image of the liquid crystal panel 2 are transmitted through the outer surface of the front substrate 21 of the liquid crystal panel 2, that is, the surface on the side of observing the image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 2. A photoelectric conversion layer 1 having a transmissive region 13 is formed.

  In the photoelectric conversion layer 1, a solar cell 11 as a photoelectric conversion element that generates electric power from light incident from the outside by a photovoltaic effect is formed in a portion overlapping the black matrix region of the liquid crystal panel 2. In addition, solar cells 12 are similarly formed in portions overlapping the dummy picture elements of the liquid crystal panel 2.

  The solar cells 11 and 12 can be formed using, for example, a silicon film such as polycrystalline silicon, single crystal silicon, microcrystalline silicon, or amorphous silicon. Specifically, in the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present embodiment, a lower electrode is formed on the front substrate 21 of the liquid crystal panel 2 with a transparent conductive thin film such as ITO or a metal thin film, and n is formed thereon. An n-type layer made of a type amorphous silicon thin film is formed with a film thickness of, for example, 5 to 20 nm. An i-type layer made of an i-type amorphous silicon thin film is formed to a thickness of, for example, 200 to 500 nm by being stacked on the n-type layer. Further, a p-type layer made of a p-type amorphous silicon thin film is formed on the i-type layer to form, for example, 10 to 30 nm, and an upper electrode is formed thereon using a black metal thin film or the like. Note that these layers are not shown.

  Each layer which comprises the above-mentioned solar cells 11 and 12 can be formed only in the predetermined range using the photolithographic method. For this reason, by accurately aligning a predetermined exposure mask, a portion of the front substrate 21 of the liquid crystal panel 2 that overlaps with the black matrix layer 25 that is a black matrix region in the image display region and a white that is a dummy pixel. Solar cells 11 and 12 can be formed in portions overlapping with layer 26W. In FIG. 1, the solar cell 11 formed in a portion overlapping with the black matrix layer 25 and the solar cell 12 formed in a portion overlapping with the white layer 26W are illustrated separately for convenience. There is no problem even if the battery 11 and the solar battery 12 are continuously formed.

  The photoelectric conversion layer 1 in the region overlapping the region where the blue filter 26B, which is the blue picture element of the liquid crystal panel 2, the red filter 26R which is the red picture element, and the green filter 26G which is the green picture element, is formed on the liquid crystal panel 2. A transmissive region 13 is provided that transmits image display light of each color picture element. As described above, the transmissive region 13 is a region where the layers for forming the solar cells 11 and 12 are not formed, and is an air layer. Moreover, when avoiding the unevenness | corrugation of the photoelectric converting layer 1, a transparent resin layer with high transparency can be formed in the area | region in which the solar cells 11 and 12 are not formed, and it can also be set as the permeation | transmission area | region 13.

  In this way, photoelectric conversion is performed at a position overlapping with the black matrix area and the dummy picture element among positions overlapping with the image display area of the liquid crystal panel 2, and at the position overlapping with the picture elements other than the dummy picture element, the liquid crystal panel is displayed. The photoelectric conversion layer 1 that transmits the display image at 2 is formed.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present embodiment, the photoelectric conversion layer 1 is formed using the front substrate 21 of the liquid crystal panel 2 as a formation substrate, and the photovoltaic cells 11 and 12 and the transmission region 13 that are the photoelectric conversion layer 1 are formed. The front polarizing plate 24 is laminated. However, the polarizing plate 24 can be directly laminated on the front substrate 21, and the photoelectric conversion layer 1 formed on the glass substrate or the like can be laminated on the polarizing plate 24.

  Moreover, although the thin film silicon type solar cell of the pin junction structure was illustrated as a solar cell as a photoelectric conversion element in the above, the solar cell used for the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment is not restricted to this. Even in the case of a thin film silicon type solar cell, a pn junction type can be used, and not only the thin film type but also other silicon film solar cells such as a hybrid type and a spherical silicon type can be used. Furthermore, other organic solar cells such as compound solar cells such as GaAs solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells can also be used. Further, the photoelectric conversion element is not limited to a solar cell, and the photoelectric conversion layer 1 performs photoelectric conversion at a predetermined portion in relation to each color picture element or black matrix region in the image display region of the display panel. Other elements such as a photosensor that can transmit a display image can also be used in this part.

  On the back surface of the liquid crystal panel 2, that is, outside the back substrate 22, a backlight (not shown) that is a planar light source that emits irradiation light 32 that transmits the liquid crystal layer 23 of the liquid crystal panel 2 and performs image display is disposed. Has been. The backlight used in the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present embodiment is a side light type or edge light type, which is a flat light guide and a light source such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube or a light emitting diode provided on the side surface. It is configured. In this sidelight-type backlight, the irradiation light from the light source incident from the side surface of the light guide is diffused and propagated repeatedly reflecting inside the light guide, and the main light guide on the side facing the liquid crystal panel 2 is diffused. Irradiated as uniform irradiation light 32 from the surface. Note that the backlight of the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described sidelight type, and the liquid crystal panel 2 side is irradiated with light on the back surface of the liquid crystal panel 2, which is called a direct type. A type in which the light source is arranged in a plane and the liquid crystal panel is irradiated with light emitted from the light source via an optical sheet such as a light collecting sheet or a diffusion sheet may be used. Further, the light source is not limited to the cold cathode fluorescent tube and the light emitting diode, and various types such as a hot cathode fluorescent tube and an EL light emitter can be used.

  Next, the arrangement of each color picture element for displaying an image in the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view showing the arrangement of each color filter formed on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 in the image display area of the liquid crystal panel 2. As described above, the arrangement of the color filter layers is the arrangement of picture elements in the image display area as it is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, in the row direction in the image display region, a red filter 26R that is a red picture element, a green filter 26G that is a green picture element, and a green filter 26B that is a blue picture element. The white layers 26W, which are dummy picture elements, are arranged in order from the left side. Note that the liquid crystal panel of the present embodiment employs a picture element arrangement method called a pen tile matrix arrangement known as an RGBW four-color picture element arrangement pattern. In this pen tile matrix arrangement, RGBW four-color filters are arranged as a set of two rows and two columns as one picture element, and this is the same in the column direction using three RGB color elements. This is different from a normal picture element arrangement in which color picture elements are arranged. For this reason, in the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, in the second row from the top shown in FIG. 2, the arrangement order of the red filter 26R, the green filter 26G, the blue filter 26B, and the white layer 26W is the same as that of the first row. However, the formation position of each color filter 26 is shifted by two, the blue filter 26B is formed below the red filter 26R, and the white layer 26W is formed below the green filter 26G. .

  In the four-color pen tile matrix arrangement, the brightness of the display image is improved by adding a white picture element to the RGB three-color picture element. The arrangement of each color picture element including the white picture element is arranged in the vertical direction. By not arranging the pixels in one row, it is possible to prevent the white picture elements from being conspicuous as line-like bright lines on the display screen. In the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, as described above, the white layer 26W is a dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display, and the solar cell 12 is formed in a portion overlapping with the dummy picture element. As described above, when a total of four picture elements of the dummy picture element and the RGB three-color picture elements are arranged in the pen tile matrix arrangement, it is a dark part on the screen that no image is displayed on the dummy picture element part. Recognition as image noise can be prevented.

  Further, by arranging the color filters as described above, in the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, the red picture element, the green picture element, the blue picture element, and the dummy picture element are arranged in two rows and two columns. As a set of picture elements, a first picture element set 33a in which red and green picture elements are arranged in the first line corresponding to the upper line, and a blue picture element and dummy picture elements are arranged in the first line. The second picture element pairs 33b are alternately formed side by side. Further, in the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, instead of normal image display in which an image display signal is input with a set of four color picture elements (sub-pixels) as one pixel (pixel), a picture of each color is virtually displayed. A sub-pixel rendering technique can be applied in which each pixel (sub-pixel) is regarded as one pixel and an image display signal is input. By applying this sub-pixel rendering technology, it is possible to realize high-speed and detailed image display despite the fact that the picture elements forming the image display area include dummy picture elements that do not contribute to image display. Can do. In addition, by using the effect that the size of each color picture element can be increased, which is the effect of using the pen tile matrix arrangement, the area of the solar cell 12 formed to overlap the dummy picture element is expanded. The power output in the photoelectric conversion layer 1 can be improved.

  Note that the arrangement of each color picture element shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Various arrangements other than the pen tile matrix arrangement can be used as the arrangement of picture elements in the display device of the present invention. Specifically, one pixel can be formed by a red picture element, a green picture element, a blue picture element, and a dummy picture element.

  Further, even in the case of the four-color pen tile matrix arrangement as in FIG. 2, the arrangement order of the four picture elements including the dummy picture elements is not limited to that shown in FIG. For example, in the first picture element set 33a shown in FIG. 2, the positions of the red picture element and the green picture element, which are the picture elements arranged in the first line, are switched, and the picture elements are arranged in the second line. The positions of the blue picture element and the dummy picture element can be switched.

  Furthermore, as another arrangement pattern as a pen tile matrix arrangement in the arrangement of the four-color picture elements of the red picture element, the green picture element, the blue picture element, and the dummy picture element, as shown in FIG. An example in which a set is composed of 6 picture elements in 2 rows and 3 columns can be considered.

  FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view showing the arrangement of the color filters formed on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 in the image display area of the liquid crystal panel 2, as in FIG. 2. The arrangement of the color filters is the image display area as it is. This is an array of picture elements.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, as an array of four-color picture elements of a red picture element, a green picture element, a blue picture element, and a dummy picture element, two red picture elements and two green picture elements are provided. One element is used to form one picture element set 33a, 33b in two rows and three columns with six picture elements. In each picture element set 33a and 33b, a blue picture element and a dummy picture element are arranged in the middle of the three lines, and a red picture element and a right picture element are arranged in the left and right columns. Green picture elements are arranged. In the left column and the right column, the vertical positions of the red and green pixels are inverted. In the example of FIG. 3, the red pixel is arranged on the upper side and the green pixel is arranged on the lower side in the left column. In the right column, the green picture elements are arranged on the upper side and the red picture elements are arranged on the lower side. In the first picture element set 33a and the second picture element set 33b, the arrangement of the blue picture elements and the dummy picture elements arranged in the center column is reversed, In the picture element set 33a, the blue picture element is arranged on the upper side and the dummy picture element is arranged on the lower side, and in the second picture element set 33b, the dummy picture element is arranged on the upper side and the blue picture element is arranged on the lower side.

  By adopting such another form of the pen tile matrix arrangement, the image noise is not displayed on the dummy picture element portion as in the example shown in FIG. Can be prevented from being recognized as. In the example of FIG. 3 as well, the sub-pixel rendering technique can be applied, and although the picture elements forming the image display area include dummy picture elements that do not contribute to image display, high-speed correspondence is possible. In addition, detailed image display can be realized. The arrangement of the picture elements in FIG. 3 is merely an example of the arrangement of the picture elements of the liquid crystal panel 2 according to the present embodiment, and for example, the arrangement of the red picture elements and the green picture elements can be switched.

  Next, another configuration example of the liquid crystal display panel 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of another configuration example of the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged plan view showing the arrangement of the color picture elements formed on the inner surface of the front substrate 21 in the image display area. In another configuration example of the liquid crystal panel 2 of the present embodiment, only the configuration of the dummy picture element in the image display area is different, and the other parts are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In another configuration example of the present embodiment, each color filter on the inner surface of the front substrate 21, that is, the surface facing the rear substrate 22, is equivalent to a dummy picture element that does not contribute to image display. The point that the region is the light shielding layer 26M is different from that of the above-described embodiment that is the white layer 26W in which the colored filter layer is not formed.

  In this way, the light shielding layer 26M can physically prevent the irradiation light 32 from a backlight (not shown) from being transmitted through the liquid crystal panel 2 and emitted from the image display surface. For this reason, even if the solar cell 12 has a film structure with a property of transmitting light, which is formed in a portion overlapping the light shielding layer 26M which is a dummy picture element, light leakage from the solar cell 12 formation portion is ensured. It is possible to prevent the display image from degrading. In order to exert such an effect, the light shielding film 26M is preferably formed in close contact with the inner surface of the front substrate 21 as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5 showing the planar configuration of the image display area, a picture element represented by “M” is a portion where the light shielding layer 26M is formed. As a material of the light shielding layer 26M, a metal film such as chromium or a black resin is used. A membrane can be utilized.

  In this way, the dummy picture element portion that does not contribute to image display is the light shielding layer 26M that blocks the transmitted light from the liquid crystal panel, so that the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 23 corresponding to the dummy picture element. There is no need to control. Therefore, in the dummy picture element portion, the pixel electrode 28 necessary for the other RGB three-color picture element portions becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the pixel electrode 28 can be replaced with another semiconductor device.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a further application form of such another configuration example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the liquid crystal panel 2 in which the light shielding layer 26M is formed in the portion corresponding to the dummy picture element in the region where each color filter is formed, for example, an SRAM 34 which is a semiconductor device is formed in the portion where the pixel electrode 28 is formed. Can be formed. Thus, by providing a semiconductor device such as SRAM 34 using a pixel electrode formation portion that is unnecessary because it is a portion corresponding to a dummy pixel that does not contribute to image display, a memory function is provided in the panel. A more multifunctional liquid crystal panel 2 can be obtained.

  As the semiconductor device, a logic circuit, various amplifiers, capacitors, and the like can be formed in addition to the above-described memory elements such as SRAM, DRAM, and nonvolatile memory. By providing such a semiconductor device in the liquid crystal panel 2, it is possible to save power of the liquid crystal panel 2 and to back up a display image when a momentary power failure or a battery runs out in a used device. it can. In addition, a sensing function can be added by arranging a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like.

  The semiconductor device formed in place of the pixel electrode 28 can be formed simultaneously with other semiconductor devices necessary for image display, such as the TFT 29 formed on the surface of the back substrate 22, and thus the replaced semiconductor device. It is not necessary to add a special manufacturing process just to form the film.

  As mentioned above, although the example using the liquid crystal panel 2 was demonstrated as a display panel which displays an image in the display apparatus concerning this invention, the display apparatus of this invention is not restricted to this. In addition to the liquid crystal panel, various image display panels such as an organic or inorganic EL panel, a cold cathode display panel such as a field emission type, and a plasma display panel (PDP) can be used. When a self-luminous panel such as an EL panel or a plasma display panel is used as the display panel, the power for not displaying an image with a dummy picture element is used for the image display of another picture element that performs image display. Can turn around. For this reason, it is more power efficient than using a liquid crystal panel as a display panel that cannot distribute backlight light that is not required for dummy picture elements that do not perform image display to other picture elements that perform image display. There is a possibility that a display device can be obtained.

  As described above, the display device of the present invention can increase the area of the photoelectric conversion portion in the photoelectric conversion layer without reducing the quality of the display image, and thus can generate more power. . For this reason, the feasibility of a display monitor that can cover its own power consumption and that does not place a power burden on the mobile device can be further enhanced.

  The present invention is industrially applicable as an image display device having a photoelectric conversion function.

It is a section lineblock diagram showing a schematic structure of a liquid crystal display concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the structure of the pixel in an image display area | region of the liquid crystal panel concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the other structure of the pixel in the image display area of the liquid crystal panel concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a cross-sectional block diagram which shows the outline of the other structural example of the liquid crystal display device concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the structure of the pixel of the image display surface in the other structural example of the liquid crystal panel concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a cross-sectional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the further application example concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Photoelectric conversion layer 2 Liquid crystal panel (display panel)
11 Solar cell (photoelectric conversion element)
12 Solar cell (photoelectric conversion element)
13 Transmission region 21 Front substrate 22 Back substrate 23 Liquid crystal layer 24 Polarizing plate 25 Black matrix layer (black matrix region)
26R red filter (red picture element)
26G green filter (green picture element)
26B Blue filter (blue picture element)
26W white layer (dummy picture element)
26M Shading layer (dummy picture element)
27 Counter electrode 28 Pixel electrode 29 TFT
30 Source wiring 31 Flat film 32 Irradiation light 33 Pixel group 34 SRAM (semiconductor device)
100 Liquid crystal display device (display device)

Claims (10)

A display panel having a front substrate and a rear substrate, displaying a plurality of picture elements, and an image display area having a black matrix area formed between the plurality of picture elements;
A photoelectric conversion layer laminated on the front substrate of the display panel,
The plurality of picture elements formed in the image display area of the display panel include dummy picture elements that do not contribute to image display,
The photoelectric conversion layer has a photoelectric conversion element at a position overlapping with the dummy picture element or the black matrix region of the display panel, and at the position overlapping with the picture element other than the dummy picture element, A display device having a transmissive region for transmitting a display image.   The red image element, the green picture element, the blue picture element, and the dummy picture element form a set of picture elements arranged in two rows and two columns in the image display area. Display device.   In the image display area, a red picture element, a green picture element, a blue picture element, and the dummy picture element form a set of picture elements arranged in two rows and three columns, and in the set of picture elements, The blue picture element and the dummy picture element are arranged in the center column, and the red picture element and the green picture element are arranged in the left and right columns with their vertical positions inverted. The display device according to claim 1.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein a non-display signal is always applied to the dummy picture element.   4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a light shielding layer that blocks light emitted from the display panel is formed at a position overlapping the dummy picture element of the front substrate. 5.   The display device according to claim 5, wherein the light shielding layer is formed on a surface of the front substrate facing the rear substrate.   6. The back substrate of the display panel is an active matrix substrate that performs image display using a switching element, and a semiconductor device element is formed at a position overlapping the dummy picture element of the active matrix substrate. Or the display apparatus of 6.   The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal panel as the display panel.   The display device according to claim 1, comprising an organic EL panel as the display panel.   The display device according to claim 1, comprising a plasma display panel as the display panel.

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