WO2025121916A1 - Electronic device comprising optical system - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise: a display panel having an image display surface facing a first direction; an optical system which is positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel, and which includes at least one optical element; a first polarization manipulation layer which is arranged on a surface facing the first direction of the optical system, and which performs one or more polarization manipulations; and a cured film layer which is arranged on the polarization manipulation layer, and which has a hardness of at least pencil hardness B. Other various embodiments are possible.

Description

Electronic device including optical system

One embodiment disclosed in this document relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device including an optical system.

With the recent advancement of technology, electronic devices are gradually changing from a uniform rectangular shape to a variety of shapes. For example, electronic devices are gradually evolving into wearable electronic devices that can be worn on parts of the body to increase the convenience of use for users.

An electronic device having the above-described features may include a head mounted display (HMD) device that can be worn on a user's face, such as glasses. In some examples, the electronic device may include a VST (video see-through) device that is an HMD device and uses a camera to capture a real environment and displays the captured image in a form that is superimposed on a virtual image. For example, the VST device may be worn on the user's face, and when worn, the display may be arranged to correspond to the position of the user's eyes. The VST device may include a first display corresponding to the user's left eye and a second display corresponding to the user's right eye.

The electronic device may include an optical system including a plurality of optical elements (e.g., lenses, prisms and/or reflectors) to expand and present an image of a display (e.g., the first display and the second display) to a wide field of view to a user's eyes.

The above information may be provided as related art for the purpose of assisting in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art in connection with the present disclosure.

In miniaturized electronic devices such as wearable electronic devices, the total length of the optical system (e.g., the total length in the direction of the optical axis) is limited, so the number of lenses included in the optical system and the focal length may be limited, resulting in limitations in image quality and field of view. To overcome this, by arranging the optical system to have at least one reflection path to form a folded optical system, it is possible to mount a high-quality and wide-field optical system on a miniaturized electronic device.

A curved optical system utilizing reflection and refraction may include a plurality of polarizing elements (e.g., a polarizer, a linear polarizer, a circular polarizer (e.g., a quarter-wave plate; QWP), an elliptical polarizer, and/or a reflective polarizer; RP) that perform polarization manipulation. At least some of the optical elements included in the optical system may be positioned between the plurality of polarizing elements. Depending on the simplification of the optical system, the polarizing elements may be exposed on a surface of the optical system facing a user. The polarizing elements have low hardness because they include a low-hardness polymer material and may be attached to the optical system by a soft adhesive such as OCA. Low-hardness and exposed polarizing elements may increase the risk of damage such as scratches during use.

According to the present disclosure, an electronic device including a curved optical system having a reduced overall length, improved image quality and field of view, and reduced risk of damage can be provided.

The technical tasks to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical tasks mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this document belongs from the description below.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a display panel having an image display surface facing a first direction, an optical system positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel and including at least one optical element, a first polarization manipulation layer disposed on a surface of the optical system facing the first direction and performing at least one polarization manipulation, and a cured film layer disposed on the polarization manipulation layer and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher.

In various embodiments, the cured film layer may include a polymer substrate layer and a hard coating layer disposed on a side of the polymer substrate layer facing the first direction.

In various embodiments, the hard coating layer may comprise an inorganic hard coating layer.

In various embodiments, the polymer substrate layer may comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In various embodiments, the thickness of the polymer substrate layer can be from 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a first optical element positioned in the first direction in the optical system, the first optical element having a first plane facing the first direction and having a flat surface, and the first polarization manipulation layer can be disposed on the first plane.

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer may include a first circular polarizer disposed on the first plane and a first reflective polarizer disposed on the first circular polarizer.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a second optical element positioned in a second direction opposite the first direction with respect to the first optical element, the second optical element having a second plane facing the first direction and having a flat surface, the electronic device can include a second polarization manipulation layer disposed on the second plane and a beam splitter positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer and the first polarization manipulation layer.

In various embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer may include a second linear polarizing plate and a second circular polarizing plate positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate.

In various embodiments, the first optical element may include a material such as heat-treated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), etc.

A display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is a display device configured to be wearable on a user's face, the display device including a display panel having an image display surface facing a first direction, an optical system positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel and including at least one optical element, a first polarization manipulation layer disposed on a surface of the optical system facing the first direction and performing at least one polarization manipulation, and a cured film layer disposed on the polarization manipulation layer and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher.

In various embodiments, the cured film layer may include a polymer substrate layer and a hard coating layer disposed on a side of the polymer substrate layer facing the first direction.

In various embodiments, the hard coating layer may comprise an inorganic hard coating layer.

In various embodiments, the polymer substrate layer may comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In various embodiments, the thickness of the polymer substrate layer can be from 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a first optical element positioned in the first direction in the optical system, the first optical element having a first plane facing the first direction and having a flat surface, and the first polarization manipulation layer can be disposed on the first plane.

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer may include a first circular polarizer disposed on the first plane and a first reflective polarizer disposed on the first circular polarizer.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a second optical element positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first optical element, the second optical element having a second plane facing the first direction and having a flat surface, the display device can include a second polarization manipulation layer disposed on the second plane and a beam splitter positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer and the first polarization manipulation layer.

In various embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer may include a second linear polarizing plate and a second circular polarizing plate positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate.

In various embodiments, the first optical element may comprise a heat-treated PMMA material.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device can be provided in which an exposed polarization manipulation layer is protected and damage such as scratches is prevented by disposing a cured film layer on a plane facing a user direction (e.g., a first direction) of an optical system.

The effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a drawing illustrating a front view of a display assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3b is a drawing illustrating a rear side of a display assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3c is a diagram illustrating an example of visually displaying content on an electronic device worn on a user's head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4c is an enlarged view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a path along which light output by a display panel is focused to a user's eyes in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a first polarization manipulation layer and a curing film layer of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with the electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of an electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a nonvolatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the display module (160), the sensor module (176), or the communication module (190)), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), deep Q-networks, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure.

The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or nonvolatile memory (134).

The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The audio output module (155) can output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as a part thereof.

The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) can include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) can include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) can include an eye tracking sensor for tracking a user's gaze direction.

The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can obtain sound through an input module (150), or output sound through an audio output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102)) (e.g., a speaker or a headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electric signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, an eye tracking sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an IMU (inertial measurement unit) sensor, or a touch sensor. For example, when the electronic device (101) detects a user movement through an IMU sensor or the like, the processor (120) of the electronic device (101) can correct the rendering data received from the external electronic device (102) based on the movement information and output it to the display module (160). Alternatively, the processor (120) can transmit the movement information to the external electronic device (102) and request rendering so that the screen data is updated accordingly.

The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that a user can perceive through a tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) can include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery (189) can power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) can include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module (190) may support establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102), the electronic device (104), or the server (108)), and performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., the application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module may communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196) to identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199).

The wireless communication module (192) can support a 5G network and next-generation communication technology after a 4G network, for example, NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), terminal power minimization and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) may support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) may support various requirements specified in an electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., a second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), can be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power can be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and the external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) can be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC positioned on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) positioned on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

At least some of the above components may be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

In one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a part of the function or service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result, as is or additionally processed, as at least a part of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an IoT (Internet of Things) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199). The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

According to one embodiment, each of the external electronic devices (102, 104) may be implemented as a device of the same or different type as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (102) may be implemented as a device of various types, such as a case device that can accommodate and charge the electronic device (101).

According to one embodiment, at least some of the operations executed by the electronic device (101) may be executed by one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or a device other than the electronic device (101), the electronic device (101) may request one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108) to perform at least a part of the function or the service. The one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108) that received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, and/or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit a result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as at least a part of a response to the request. For example, one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108) may render content data and then transmit it to the electronic device (101), and the electronic device (101) may output the content data to the display module (160). At this time, when a user movement is detected through an IMU (inertial measurement unit) sensor included in the electronic device (101), the electronic device (101) may correct the content data received from one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108) based on the movement information, and output the corrected content data to the display module (160). Alternatively, the electronic device (101) may transmit the movement information to one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108) and request the electronic device to render the content data based on the movement information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3a is a diagram illustrating a front view of a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating a rear view of a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3c is a diagram illustrating an example of visually displaying content on an electronic device worn on a user's head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a VST (video see-through) device corresponding to one of the head mounted display (HMD) devices, a glasses-type wearable device. The electronic device (101) may be worn on a user's head, and a display module (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1) may be arranged corresponding to the eye position of the user. For example, the display module (160) may include a first display (211) corresponding to a left eye and a second display (212) corresponding to a right eye. The electronic device (101) may display an image captured using a camera (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1) through the display module (160) (e.g., the first display (211), the second display (212)). The camera module (180) may be positioned to face substantially the same direction as the user's gaze direction. For example, when a user wears the electronic device (101), the user may check the actual surrounding environment not with his or her eyes, but based on an image displayed through the display module (160) (e.g., an image captured using the camera module (180). For example, a first camera (221) positioned corresponding to the user's left eye may capture a first image of the external environment, and a second camera (222) positioned corresponding to the user's right eye may capture a second image of the external environment. The electronic device (101) may display the first image through the first display (211) corresponding to the left eye, and may display the second image through the second display (212) corresponding to the right eye. According to one embodiment, the user may focus and check the external environment based on the first image and the second image.

In various embodiments, the first display (211) and the second display (212) may include one or more display panels displaying the first image and the second image, and an optical system (410) configured to focus the first image or the second image of the display panels toward the user's eye. The optical system (410) may include a refractive optical system and/or a reflective optical system.

In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include at least one of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a digital mirror device (DMD), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), a light emitting diode (LED) on silicon (LEDoS), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), an organic light emitting diode on silicon (OLEDoS), and/or a micro light emitting diode (micro LED). Although not shown, when the display module (160) is formed of one of a liquid crystal display, a digital mirror display, and/or a silicon liquid crystal display, the electronic device (101) may include a light source that irradiates light to a screen output area (e.g., a display area) of the display module (160).

In one embodiment, if the display module (160) can generate light on its own, for example, if it is made of one of an organic light-emitting diode and/or a micro LED, the electronic device can provide a user with a good quality virtual image even without including a separate light source. In one embodiment, if the display module (160) is implemented with an organic light-emitting diode and/or a micro LED, a separate light source (or backlight) is not necessary, so that the electronic device (101) can be lightweight. The electronic device (101) may have a first transparent member and/or a second transparent member attached to it corresponding to the display module (160) (e.g., the first display (211), the second display (212)). A user wearing the electronic device (101) on his/her head can check the first screen by passing through the first transparent member, and can check the second screen by passing through the second transparent member. The first transparent member and/or the second transparent member may be formed of at least one of a glass plate, a plastic plate, and/or a polymer, and may be manufactured to be transparent or translucent. For example, the first transparent member may be arranged to face the user's left eye, and the second transparent member may be arranged to face the user's right eye.

Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of cameras (e.g., a first camera (221), a second camera (222)) are illustrated as being arranged in response to the front direction (e.g., +y direction, a user's gaze direction) of the electronic device (101), but the number of cameras is not limited. The camera module (180) may include a left-eye camera (e.g., the first camera (221)) that photographs a substantially gazed direction based on the left eye and/or a right-eye camera (e.g., the second camera (222)) that photographs a substantially gazed direction based on the right eye. The camera module (180) may include at least two cameras. The camera module (180) may be arranged to face substantially the same direction as the user's gaze direction, and may photograph a surrounding environment with respect to the front direction of the electronic device (101).

The electronic device (101) may include an eye tracking camera (321, 322) for tracking movement of a user's pupil. For example, the pupil tracking camera (321, 322) may include a first pupil tracking camera (321) for tracking movement of a left pupil for a user's left eye and a second pupil tracking camera (322) for tracking movement of a right pupil for a user's right eye. The first pupil tracking camera (321) may track movement of a left eye when the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's head. The electronic device (101) may use the first pupil tracking camera (321) to identify an area where the left eye is gazing. The second pupil tracking camera (322) may track movement of a right eye when the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's head. The electronic device (101) can use the second pupil tracking camera (322) to identify an area gazed upon by the right eye. For example, the area gazed upon by the user may refer to an area (331, 332) (e.g., a display area) on which a screen is displayed through the display module (160). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can determine whether a first display area (331) gazed upon by the left eye and a second display area (332) gazed upon by the right eye are positioned on the same line (e.g., a reference horizontal line). For example, one of the lower boundary line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the lower boundary line (332-1) of the second display area (332) may be set as the reference horizontal line. The electronic device (101) can determine whether the lower boundary line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the lower boundary line (332-1) of the second display area (332) are aligned with a set reference horizontal line. The electronic device (101) can adjust at least one of the lower boundary line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the lower boundary line (332-1) of the second display area (332) based on the set reference horizontal line.

According to one embodiment, the first display (211) and the second display (212) included in the display module (160) can be individually designed based on each pupil position (e.g., left eye, right eye). In the process of arranging the display module (160), the electronic device (101) can independently arrange the first display (211) and the second display (212), and an arrangement error between the first display (211) and the second display (212) can occur. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can check arrangement error information (e.g., arrangement error value) for the first display (211) and the second display (212), and adjust at least one display area (e.g., first display area (331), second display area (332)) of the first display (211) and the second display (212) based on the checked arrangement error information. The electronic device (101) can adjust the position of a display area corresponding to at least one of the first display (211) and the second display (212) so that the first screen displayed through the first display (211) and the second screen displayed through the second display (212) are displayed on substantially the same line (e.g., a reference horizontal line).

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can adjust the position of the display area of at least one of the first display (211) and the second display (212) such that the first display area (331) of the first display (211) and the second display area (332) of the second display (212) are positioned on substantially the same line (e.g., a reference horizontal line). For example, the electronic device (101) can determine the first lower boundary line (331-1) of the first display area (331) as the reference horizontal line, and can adjust the display position of the second display area (332) such that the second lower boundary line (332-1) of the second display area (332) is aligned with the first lower boundary line (331-1), which is the reference horizontal line. For example, the electronic device (101) may adjust the display position of the second area (332) so that the second lower boundary line (332-1) is positioned on substantially the same line (e.g., a reference horizontal line) as the first lower boundary line (331-1). According to one embodiment, the reference horizontal line may be determined as one of the first lower boundary line (331-1) and the second lower boundary line (332-1), or may be arbitrarily determined by a user's setting.

According to one embodiment, when the first lower boundary line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the second lower boundary line (332-1) of the second display area (332) are positioned on the same line (e.g., a reference horizontal line), visual fatigue and visual discomfort of the user can be reduced. The user's immersion in the content displayed through the first display area (331) and the second display area (332) can be increased.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a video see-through (VST) device corresponding to one of a head mounted display (HMD) and a glasses-type wearable device. The electronic device (101) may be worn on a user's head, and a display assembly (301) may be arranged corresponding to an eye position of the user. The display assembly (301) is a part of a housing constituting the electronic device (101), and may include at least one of a display module (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1), a camera module (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1), and/or a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1).

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the display assembly (301) may have a plurality of cameras (e.g., a first camera (221) and a second camera (222)) arranged in response to a front direction (e.g., a +y direction, a user's gaze direction) of the electronic device (101). For example, the display assembly (301) may include a first camera (221) corresponding to a user's left eye and a second camera (222) corresponding to a user's right eye. The display assembly (301) may capture an external environment with respect to a front direction (e.g., a +y direction) of the electronic device (101) using the first camera (221) and the second camera (222). The display assembly (301) may include a first surface (311) (e.g., a front surface) that is exposed to the external environment and a second surface (312) (e.g., a back surface) that is not exposed to the external environment and is in close contact with the user's skin when worn. For example, when the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's head, the first surface (311) of the display assembly (301) may be exposed to an external environment, and the second surface (312) of the display assembly (301) may be at least partially in close contact with the user's face. The display assembly (301) may have at least one distance sensor (313, 314, 315, 316) disposed on the first surface (311). For example, the distance sensors (313, 314, 315, 316) may measure a distance to an object disposed in the vicinity, and may include at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and/or a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor. The distance sensors (313, 314, 315, 316) may be implemented based on at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and/or a LiDAR sensor. Referring to FIG. 3a, four distance sensors (313, 314, 315, 316) are depicted as being arranged on the first surface (311) of the display assembly (301), but are not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the display assembly (301) may have a plurality of displays (e.g., a first display (211), a second display (212)) arranged in response to a rearward direction (e.g., a -y direction, a direction opposite to a user's gaze direction) of the electronic device (101). For example, the display assembly (301) may have a first display (211) arranged in response to a user's left eye and a second display (212) arranged in response to the user's right eye on a second surface (312) (e.g., a rear surface). When the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's head, the first display (211) may be arranged in response to a position of the user's left eye, and the second display (212) may be arranged in response to a position of the user's right eye. The display assembly (301) may have a plurality of pupil tracking cameras (e.g., a first pupil tracking camera (321), a second pupil tracking camera (322)) disposed at least partially on the second surface (312). For example, the pupil tracking cameras (321, 322) may track movement of a user's pupil. The first pupil tracking camera (321) may track movement of a left eye, and the second pupil tracking camera (322) may track movement of a right eye. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may identify a direction in which the user is gazing based on the movement of the pupil. The display assembly (301) may have a plurality of face recognition cameras (e.g., a first face recognition camera (341), a second face recognition camera (342)) disposed at least partially on the second surface (312). For example, the facial recognition camera (341, 342) can recognize the user's face in a situation where the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's face. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can also use the facial recognition camera to determine whether the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's face.

Referring to FIG. 3c, when an electronic device (101) having a display assembly (301) coupled thereto is worn on a user's head, a situation is illustrated in which a screen is displayed through the first display (211) and the second display (212). For example, the first display (211) may be arranged to correspond to the user's left eye, and the second display (212) may be arranged to correspond to the user's right eye. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) (e.g., the first display (211), the second display (212)) may be divided into a first area (e.g., a display area) in which a screen is displayed and a second area (e.g., a non-display area) in which a screen is not displayed. For example, the display module (160) includes a display panel, and the display panel can be divided into a first area (e.g., a first display area (331), a second display area (332)) where a screen is visually output and a second area (e.g., a non-display area) where a screen is not output. At least a portion of the display panel can be set as the first area (e.g., a display area), and the remaining area other than the first area can be set as the second area (e.g., a dummy area). The second area can be set in a form that at least partially surrounds the first area.

Referring to FIG. 3c, the first display (211) can display a first screen based on the first display area (331), and the second display (212) can display a second screen based on the second display area (332). For example, the first screen can include an external image captured using the first camera (221), and the second screen can include an external image captured using the second camera (222). The user can check the first screen displayed on the first display area (331) through the left eye, and can check the second screen displayed on the second display area (332) through the right eye. According to one embodiment, in a process of arranging a first display (211) and a second display (212) in a display assembly (301), a first display area (331) of the first display (211) may be implemented based on a first line (331-1) (e.g., a border line), and a second display area (332) of the second display (212) may be implemented based on a second line (332-1) (e.g., a border line).

According to one embodiment, in a process in which the first display (211) and the second display (212) are individually placed on the display assembly (301), an alignment error (e.g., vertical misalignment, the first distance (350) of FIG. 3C) between the first display (211) and the second display (212) may occur. For example, a state in which an alignment error occurs may be a state in which the first line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the second line (332-1) of the second display area (332) are not substantially positioned on the same line.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can check the arrangement error information (e.g., the first distance (350) of FIG. 3c) between the first display (211) and the second display (212), and based on the checked arrangement error information (350), can adjust the display position of at least one of the first display area (331) and the second display area (332) so that the first line (331-1) of the first display area (331) and the second line (332-1) of the second display area (332) are located on substantially the same line (e.g., the reference horizontal line). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can adjust the display time of at least one of the first display (211) and the second display (212) so that the first display time at which a screen is displayed on the first display (211) and the second display time at which a screen is displayed on the second display (212) match each other. For example, when the first display time and the second display time coincide, the first screen through the first display area (331) and the second screen through the second display area (332) can be displayed on substantially the same line (e.g., reference horizontal line).

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can adjust a display position corresponding to at least one of the first display area (331) and the second display area (332) so that a placement error (e.g., a first distance (350)) does not occur for the first display (211) and the second display (212). For example, the horizontality of the first display area (331) and the second display area (332) can be adjusted to match. This can reduce visual fatigue and discomfort of the user, and can increase the user's immersion in the displayed content.

FIG. 4a is a diagram illustrating an electronic device (400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating an electronic device (400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4c is an enlarged view of an electronic device (400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 4c is a drawing showing an enlarged portion of part A of Figure 4a.

Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4C, an electronic device (400) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel (405), an optical system (410) (e.g., a plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415)), a first polarization manipulation layer (420), and a curing film layer (430).

The display panel (405) may be a display panel (405) that has an image display surface facing the direction of the user's eyes (1) (a first direction, for example, a -y direction in the drawing), and outputs light toward the user's eyes (1) so that various contents (for example, text, images, videos, icons, or symbols, etc.) provided as visual information to the user are displayed on the image display surface. In some embodiments, the electronic device (400) may include a pair of display panels (405) corresponding to both eyes of the user.

The display panel (405) may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an OLEDOS (OLED on silicon) display, a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display.

The optical system (410) may be a component that reflects and/or refracts light so that the light output from the display panel (405) is focused on the user's eye (1). The optical system (410) may include a plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414 and/or 415) so as to cope with optical aberrations. As illustrated in FIG. 4b, at least one (e.g., the third optical element (413)) of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) of the optical system (410) may be omitted. The plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) may include, for example, refractive optical elements (e.g., concave lenses, convex lenses, and/or combinations thereof) and/or reflective optical elements (e.g., concave reflectors, convex reflectors, and/or prisms). In various embodiments, each of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) may include a spherical surface. In various embodiments, the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) may include at least one aspherical surface (e.g., a paraboloid, a hyperboloid, an ellipsoid, and/or a higher-order polynomial surface of order 4 or higher). In various embodiments, at least some of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) are configured to be movable in the direction of the optical axis (OAX), thereby allowing the focal length of the optical system (410) to be adjusted, thereby focusing an image on the user's eye (1) in response to the user's eyesight.

The first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be a member for selectively transmitting or reflecting light along an optical path by performing polarization manipulation on a light signal transmitted from a display by being arranged in a first direction with respect to the optical system (410). In various embodiments, the optical system (410) includes a first optical element (411), and the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be arranged on a surface of the first optical element (411) facing the first direction. For example, the first optical element (411) may be configured to have a first plane (411a) that is a plane facing the first direction, and the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be arranged on the first plane (411a). In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first circular polarizer (421) and a first reflective polarizer (422). The detailed configuration of the first polarization manipulation layer (420) is described below.

The first polarization manipulation layer (420) can extend the length of the optical path by selectively transmitting or reflecting light. Accordingly, the size (e.g., the thickness in the first direction (-y direction)) of the optical system (410) required to provide a wide field of view and high image quality (e.g., an improved modulation transfer function (MTF) value and/or a contrast ratio (CR)) can be reduced, and the size of the electronic device (400) can be reduced. For example, light incident through the first optical element (411) is reflected on the first polarization manipulation layer (420), and the light reflected again by the beam splitter (450) described below can pass through the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and proceed toward the user's eye (1) (the first direction, -y direction). Therefore, since the optical path has a path in which it is reflected multiple times within the optical system (410), an extended optical path can be provided within a small-sized optical system (410).

The structure of the optical system (410) configured to have an extended optical path within a limited size by selectively transmitting or reflecting light by the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be referred to as a 'pancake structure'. The electronic device (400) may include the optical system (410) of the pancake structure (e.g., the optical system (410)) to extend the optical path length of the incident light relative to its external size, and/or increase the image resolution provided to the user. For example, the electronic device (400) may be an electronic device (400) (e.g., an AR/VR/VST device) that provides visual information to the user while being worn on the user's head or face by including a display panel (405) and the optical system (410). Since the electronic device (400) is limited in size or weight due to an actual usage environment (e.g., used while being worn), the resolution of the output virtual image may be limited, and it may be difficult to provide a good quality image to the user even through the optical system (410).

Referring to FIG. 4a, the curing film layer (430) may be a member positioned in a direction (first direction) toward the user's eye (1) with respect to the first polarization manipulation layer (420). The curing film layer (430) may be a member having a cured surface and protecting the first polarization manipulation layer (420) from damage such as external foreign substances and scratches. The detailed configuration of the curing film layer (430) will be described later.

Referring to FIG. 4b, in some embodiments, another optical element (e.g., a fifth optical element (415)) may be positioned in the first direction (-y direction) with respect to the cured film layer (430).

In various embodiments, the optical system (410) may include a second optical element (412) facing in an opposite direction (second direction, e.g., y direction in the drawing) of the user's eye direction with respect to the first optical element (411). The second optical element (412) may be one of a plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414, 415) that corrects aberrations and distortions of the optical system (410) and/or increases a field of view.

In various embodiments, a second polarization manipulation layer (440) may be disposed on a surface of the second optical element (412). For example, the second optical element (412) may include a second plane (412a) that is a plane facing in a direction toward the first optical element (411) (the first direction, e.g., the -y direction in the drawing), and the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may be disposed on the second plane (412a). The second polarization manipulation layer (440) may be a layer configured to perform polarization manipulation such that the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may selectively reflect and transmit light by polarization manipulation. The other surface of the second optical element (412) (e.g., in the opposite direction to the first optical element (411), e.g., the y direction in the drawing) may be a concave surface. The second optical element (412) may be a concave lens overall. The surface shape of the concave surface can be spherical or aspherical (e.g., paraboloid, hyperboloid, higher-order polynomial surface of degree 4 or higher, and/or combinations thereof).

In various embodiments, the electronic device (400) may include a beam splitter (450) positioned between the first optical element (411) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440). For example, the beam splitter (450) may be disposed on a surface of the first optical element (411) facing the second direction (y direction). The beam splitter (450) may be a member configured to reflect a predetermined percentage (e.g., 50%) of incident light and transmit some of it. The beam splitter (450) may include, for example, a half mirror or a pellicle mirror. The beam splitter (450) can transmit light incident on the first optical element (411) in the first direction, and additionally reflect light that is reflected from the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and transmitted through the first optical element (411) in the second direction so as to direct it in the first direction (-y direction).

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a path along which light output by a display panel (405) is focused onto a user's eye (1) in an electronic device (400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, light output from the display panel (405) may pass through one or more optical elements (e.g., the fourth optical element (414), the third optical element (413), and/or the second optical element (412)) and pass through the second polarization manipulation layer (440).

The second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include a second linear polarizing plate (441). The second linear polarizing plate (441) may be a member that polarizes light (R1) emitted from the display panel (405) in a state where the polarization direction is not aligned into linear polarization in a specific direction (e.g., vertical polarization (PV)).

The second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include a second circular polarizer (442). The second circular polarizer (442) may be a member that polarizes vertically polarized (PV) light passing through the second linear polarizer (441) into circular polarization (e.g., right circular polarization (PR)) in a specific direction. For example, the second linear polarizer (441) may include a quarter wave plate that delays the phase of polarization in a specific direction by one quarter of a wavelength compared to polarization in another direction perpendicular thereto. In various embodiments, the polarization axis of the second linear polarizer (441) and the fast axis of the second circular polarizer may form a 45 degree angle.

In various embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include an anti-reflection layer (443). The anti-reflection layer (443) may be a member configured to reduce light reflected from the beam splitter (450) described below from being reflected back in the first direction, thereby causing image quality degradation (e.g., ghosting, haze, and/or flare) in the optical system (410). For example, the anti-reflection layer (443) may include a multilayer coating in which a plurality of layers having different refractive indices and a predetermined thickness are laminated.

In various embodiments, the electronic device (400) may include a beam splitter (450). Light transmitted through the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may be incident on the beam splitter (450). The beam splitter (450) may be a member that divides the incident light at a predetermined ratio (e.g., 1:1) to transmit some of the light (R2) and reflect some of the light (R3).

The light (R3) reflected in the second direction from the beam splitter (450) may change the direction of circular polarization due to a phase change according to the reflection. For example, light (R1) incident on the beam splitter (450) as right circular polarization (PR) may be reflected from the beam splitter (450) as left circular polarization (PL). The light (R3) polarized as left circular polarization (PL) reflected from the beam splitter (450) may be linearly polarized (e.g., horizontal polarization (PH)) when passing through the second circular polarizing plate (442), and thus may be absorbed without passing through the second linear polarizing plate (441) whose polarization direction is perpendicular.

The light (R3) reflected from the beam splitter (450) is unintended stray light in the optical path design, and there is a risk of causing ghosts, haze, and/or flares, thereby reducing the contrast (CR, contrast ratio) of the image. However, this can be removed by polarization manipulation of the second polarization manipulation layer (440) through the above-described process. Accordingly, the contrast of the image formed by the optical system (410) can be improved.

Light (R2) transmitted through the beam splitter (450) in the first direction can be incident on the first polarization manipulation layer (420). The first polarization manipulation layer (420) can include a first circular polarizer (421). In various embodiments, the first circular polarizer (421) can have its polarization direction aligned substantially in the same direction as that of the second circular polarizer (442). For example, the first circular polarizer (421) can convert light (R2) polarized into right-handed polarization (PR) by the second circular polarizer (442) into linear polarization (e.g., vertical polarization (PV)).

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first reflective polarizer (422). The reflective polarizer may be a member configured to reflect polarized light in a certain direction (e.g., vertical polarization (PV)) and transmit polarized light in another direction.

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first linear polarizer (423). The first linear polarizer (423) may be, for example, a polarizer whose polarization direction is aligned orthogonal to the transmitting polarization direction of the first reflective polarizer (422). The first linear polarizer (423) may remove vertically polarized stray light that is not reflected by the first reflective polarizer (422) and is partially transmitted.

Light (R4) reflected from the first reflective polarizing plate (422) can be polarized into right-hand circular polarization (PR) by the first circular polarizing plate (421), refracted again by the first optical element (411), and then reflected by the beam splitter (450). Light (R5) reflected from the beam splitter (450) can be polarized into left-hand circular polarization (PL). Light (R5) polarized into left-hand circular polarization (PL) reflected from the beam splitter (450) can be polarized into horizontal polarization (PH) by the first circular polarizing plate (421) and pass through the first reflective polarizing plate (422). Finally, light passing through the first reflective polarizing plate (422) can pass through the curing film layer (430) and be incident on the user's eye (1).

In some embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include a third circular polarizer (444) positioned between the second linear polarizer (441) and the second optical element (412). Light (R6) transmitted through the beam splitter (450) in the second direction (y direction in the drawing) is polarized as right-hand circular polarization (PR), and thus may be polarized as vertical polarization (PV) when transmitted through the second circular polarizer (442), transmitted through the second linear polarizer (441), and transmitted through the third circular polarizer (444) to be polarized as right-hand circular polarization (PR) and may be incident on the display panel (405). The anti-reflection layer (443) may not affect the polarization of light (R6) when it passes through it. Accordingly, the light (R6) can be incident on the second circularly polarizing plate (442) while maintaining a right-handed polarization (PR) state even after passing through the anti-reflection layer (443) after passing through the beam splitter (450). The light (R7) reflected from the display panel (405) is polarized into left-handed circularly polarized (PL) due to phase conversion due to reflection, and this is polarized into linearly polarized (e.g., horizontally polarized) by the third circularly polarizing plate (444), which can be absorbed by the second linearly polarizing plate (441), so that the light (R7) reflected from the display can be removed.

Reflected light (R7) from the display panel (405) may cause ghosting, haze and/or flare, but the light reflected from the display can be removed by the third circular polarizing plate (444) through the process described above.

In various embodiments, at least some of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414) may include an anti-reflection coating. For example, an anti-reflection coating may be disposed on a surface of at least one of the second optical element (412), the third optical element (413), and the fourth optical element (414) facing the display panel (405) (the second direction, the y direction). The anti-reflection coating may additionally remove light (R7) reflected from the display. In some embodiments, the anti-reflection coating of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414) may be configured to absorb light in a peak wavelength band of the spectrum of reflected light of the display panel (405). For example, the anti-reflection coating may be configured with a material and thickness to effectively absorb light in a band (e.g., red, green, and blue) transmitted by a color filter of the display.

In various embodiments, at least some of the plurality of optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414) may include a heat-treated (e.g., annealed) transparent polymer material. The transparent polymer may include, for example, a material such as acrylic, polycarbonate, or poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA). The optical elements (411, 412, 413, 414) made of the transparent polymer material are lightweight and have a high refractive index, thereby reducing the weight of the electronic device (400) and improving wearability for the user. The PMMA material has good transparency and surface hardness, thereby improving the image quality of the optical elements using the PMMA material.

The transparent polymer may induce birefringence for the light passing through it depending on its internal crystal structure. When birefringence occurs, it may affect the polarization (e.g., circular polarization) and thus the light may not proceed along the designed optical path through the polarization manipulation (e.g., polarization manipulation by the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and/or the second polarization manipulation layer (440)). The transparent polymer material may be annealed to improve the optical isotropy and reduce the birefringence.

In various embodiments, the first optical element (411) is positioned between the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440) and may include a heat-treated (e.g., annealed) transparent polymer material. The bending (reflection) of the optical path due to the polarization manipulation of the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440) occurs between the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440), and therefore, the first optical element (411) may include the annealed transparent polymer material to reduce birefringence, thereby allowing light to proceed along the optical path designed by the polarization manipulation. Since the first optical element (411) is positioned between the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440), and other optical elements (e.g., the second optical element (412), the third optical element (413), and the fourth optical element (414)) are not positioned between the first polarization manipulation layer (420) and the second polarization manipulation layer (440), the need for annealing for the other optical elements can be reduced. Accordingly, by performing annealing only for the first optical element (411), the production time and production cost of the optical element can be reduced.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a first polarization manipulation layer (420) and a curing film layer (430) of an electronic device (400) according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 6, a first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be positioned on the first optical element (411). For example, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may be attached to a first plane (e.g., the first plane (411a) of FIG. 4a) of the first optical element (411) by an adhesive such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA).

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first circular polarizer (421) positioned on the first optical element (411), a first reflective polarizer (422) laminated on the first circular polarizer (421), and a first linear polarizer (423) laminated on the first reflective polarizer (422). In various embodiments, the first circular polarizer (421), the first reflective polarizer (422), and the first linear polarizer (423) may be mutually adhered by a transparent adhesive layer (424) (e.g., an OCA layer). The transparent adhesive layer (424) may fix the respective layers of the polarization manipulation layer to each other by adhering them, and may transmit light transmitted and/or reflected by the first polarization manipulation layer (420).

In various embodiments, the cured film layer (430) may be positioned on the first polarization manipulation layer (420). In various embodiments, the cured film layer (430) may be adhered to the first polarization manipulation layer (420) by a transparent adhesive layer (424). The cured film layer (430) may be a layer configured to have high hardness and rigidity compared to the polarization manipulation layer and to protect the first polarization manipulation layer (420) from external physical damage.

In various embodiments, the cured film layer (430) may include a base layer (431) and a hard coating layer (432). The base layer (431) may be a layer of polymer material that supports the hard coating layer (432). In various embodiments, the base layer (431) may include a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material. Since the PET material has high strength and rigidity (high elastic modulus), it may reduce the risk of indentation when damage is applied to the first polarization manipulation layer (420) from the outside. Since the first polarization manipulation layer (420) includes a plurality of layers mutually bonded by a transparent adhesive layer (424) (e.g., an OCA layer), it can be relatively easily marked by the viscoelastic behavior of the OCA due to pressing and scratching, so a cured film including a substrate layer (431) made of PET material having high strength and elastic modulus can effectively protect the first polarization manipulation layer (420).

The hard coating layer (432) may be a layer formed on a surface of the cured film facing the first direction (e.g., -y direction) and configured to have higher hardness than the base layer (431). In various embodiments, the hard coating layer may include an organic coating layer, an inorganic coating layer, and/or an organic-inorganic composite coating layer. The organic coating layer may include an organic coating solution including a polymer resin such as melamine, acrylic, and/or urethane, the inorganic coating layer may include an inorganic coating solution including a precursor such as colloidal silica, siloxane resin, and/or polysilazane, and the organic-inorganic composite coating may be formed by applying an organic-inorganic composite coating solution including an inorganic precursor and a polymer resin and applying heat, light, and/or a catalyst.

In various embodiments, the hard coating layer (432) may be configured such that the cured film layer (430) disposed on the first polarization manipulation layer (420) has a hardness of B or higher on a pencil hardness scale. The pencil hardness may be a value measured by pressing and transferring a pencil lead of a predetermined hardness on the hard coating layer (432) with a predetermined pressure, as defined in a standard such as JIS K5400-1990 and/or ASTM D3363, for example.

In various embodiments, the thickness of the substrate layer (431) may be from about 125 micrometers to about 250 micrometers. When the thickness of the substrate layer (431) exceeds 250 micrometers, the hardness of the cured film layer (430) may increase to 3H or more, but it was confirmed that the contrast of the image is reduced due to the haze phenomenon caused by the increase in the thickness of the substrate layer (431), and the MTF measurement value decreases to 30% or less. In addition, when the thickness of the substrate layer (431) is less than 125 micrometers, the image contrast may be improved (MTF 80% or more), but it was confirmed that the hardness of the cured film layer (430) decreases to less than pencil hardness B.

An electronic device (400) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a display panel (405) having an image display surface facing a first direction, an optical system (410) positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel (405) and including at least one optical element, a first polarization manipulation layer (420) disposed on a surface of the optical system (410) facing the first direction and performing at least one polarization manipulation, and a cured film layer (430) disposed on the polarization manipulation layer (420) and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher.

In various embodiments, the cured film layer (430) may include a polymer substrate layer (431) and a hard coating layer (432) disposed on a surface of the polymer substrate layer (431) facing the first direction.

In various embodiments, the hard coating layer (432) may include an inorganic hard coating layer (432).

In various embodiments, the polymer substrate layer (431) may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In various embodiments, the thickness of the polymer substrate layer (431) may be from 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a first optical element (411) positioned in the first direction in the optical system (410), the first optical element (411) having a first plane (411a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, and the first polarization manipulation layer (420) can be disposed on the first plane (411a).

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first circular polarizing plate (421) disposed on the first plane (411a) and a first reflective polarizing plate (422) disposed on the first circular polarizing plate (421).

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element includes a second optical element (412) positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first optical element (411), the second optical element (412) having a second plane (412a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, and the electronic device (400) may include a second polarization manipulation layer (440) disposed on the second plane (412a) and a beam splitter (450) positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer (440) and the first polarization manipulation layer (420).

In various embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include a second linear polarizing plate (441) and a second circular polarizing plate (442) positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate (441).

In various embodiments, the first optical element (411) may comprise a heat-treated PMMA material.

A display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is a display device configured to be wearable on a user's face,

It may include a display panel (405) having an image display surface facing a first direction, an optical system (410) positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel (405) and including at least one optical element, a first polarization manipulation layer (420) disposed on a surface of the optical system (410) facing the first direction and performing at least one polarization manipulation, and a cured film layer (430) disposed on the polarization manipulation layer (420) and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher.

In various embodiments, the cured film layer (430) may include a polymer substrate layer (431) and a hard coating layer (432) disposed on a surface of the polymer substrate layer (431) facing the first direction.

In various embodiments, the hard coating layer (432) may include an inorganic hard coating layer (432).

In various embodiments, the polymer substrate layer (431) may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In various embodiments, the thickness of the polymer substrate layer (431) may be from 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers.

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element comprises a first optical element (411) positioned in the first direction in the optical system (410), the first optical element (411) having a first plane (411a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, and the first polarization manipulation layer (420) can be disposed on the first plane (411a).

In various embodiments, the first polarization manipulation layer (420) may include a first circular polarizing plate (421) disposed on the first plane (411a) and a first reflective polarizing plate (422) disposed on the first circular polarizing plate (421).

In various embodiments, the at least one optical element includes a second optical element (412) positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first optical element (411), the second optical element (412) having a second plane (412a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, the display device may include a second polarization manipulation layer (440) disposed on the second plane (412a) and a beam splitter (450) positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer (440) and the first polarization manipulation layer (420).

In various embodiments, the second polarization manipulation layer (440) may include a second linear polarizing plate (441) and a second circular polarizing plate (442) positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate (441).

In various embodiments, the first optical element (411) may comprise a heat-treated PMMA material.

The electronic devices according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be devices of various forms. The electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliance devices. The electronic devices according to embodiments of this document are not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of the component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (#40)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (#36) or an external memory (#38)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (#01)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (#20)) of the machine (e.g., the electronic device (#01)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g. electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play StoreTM) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or an intermediary server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately arranged in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, the multiple components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component of the multiple components before the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by the module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

And the embodiments disclosed in this document disclosed in this specification and drawings are only specific examples presented to easily explain the technical contents according to the embodiments disclosed in this document and to help understand the embodiments disclosed in this document, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments disclosed in this document. Therefore, the scope of the various embodiments disclosed in this document should be interpreted as including all changes or modified forms derived based on the technical ideas of the various embodiments disclosed in this document in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (15)

A display panel (405) having an image display surface facing the first direction; An optical system (410) positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel (405) and including at least one optical element; A first polarization manipulation layer (420) arranged on a surface of the optical system (410) facing the first direction and performing one or more polarization manipulations; An electronic device including a cured film layer (430) disposed on the polarization manipulation layer (420) and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher. In paragraph 1, The above cured film layer (430) is a polymer substrate layer (431); and An electronic device comprising a hard coating layer (432) disposed on a surface of the polymer substrate layer (431) facing the first direction. In the second paragraph, The above hard coating layer (432) is an electronic device including an inorganic hard coating layer (432). In the second paragraph, The above polymer substrate layer (431) is an electronic device including PET (polyethylene terephthalate). In the second paragraph, An electronic device wherein the thickness of the polymer substrate layer (431) is 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers. In paragraph 1, The at least one optical element comprises a first optical element (411) positioned in the first direction in the optical system (410), The above first optical element (411) has a first plane (411a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, An electronic device in which the first polarization manipulation layer (420) is disposed on the first plane (411a). In paragraph 6, An electronic device in which the first polarization manipulation layer (420) includes a first circular polarizing plate (421) disposed on the first plane (411a) and a first reflective polarizing plate (422) disposed on the first circular polarizing plate (421). In paragraph 7, The at least one optical element comprises a second optical element (412) positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first optical element (411), The second optical element (412) has a second plane (412a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, A second polarization manipulation layer (440) arranged on the second plane (412a); and An electronic device including a beam splitter (450) positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer (440) and the first polarization manipulation layer (420). In Article 8, An electronic device in which the second polarization manipulation layer (440) includes a second linear polarizing plate (441) and a second circular polarizing plate (442) positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate (441). In Article 8, The above first optical element (411) is an electronic device including a heat-treated PMMA material. A display device configured to be worn on a user's face, A display panel (405) having an image display surface facing the first direction; An optical system (410) positioned in the first direction with respect to the display panel (405) and including at least one optical element; A first polarization manipulation layer (420) arranged on a surface of the optical system (410) facing the first direction and performing one or more polarization manipulations; A display device including a cured film layer (430) disposed on the polarization manipulation layer (420) and configured to have a hardness of pencil hardness B or higher. In Article 11, The above cured film layer (430) is a polymer substrate layer (431); and A display device including a hard coating layer (432) disposed on a surface of the polymer substrate layer (431) facing the first direction. In Article 12, A display device wherein the thickness of the polymer substrate layer (431) is 100 micrometers to 250 micrometers. In Article 11, The at least one optical element comprises a first optical element (411) positioned in the first direction in the optical system (410), The above first optical element (411) has a first plane (411a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, A display device in which the first polarization manipulation layer (420) is disposed on the first plane (411a). In Article 14, The first polarization manipulation layer (420) includes a first circular polarizing plate (421) arranged on the first plane (411a) and a first reflective polarizing plate (422) arranged on the first circular polarizing plate (421). The at least one optical element comprises a second optical element (412) positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first optical element (411), The second optical element (412) has a second plane (412a) facing the first direction and having a flat surface, A second polarization manipulation layer (440) arranged on the second plane (412a); and It includes a beam splitter (450) positioned between the second polarization manipulation layer (440) and the first polarization manipulation layer (420). A display device in which the second polarization manipulation layer (440) includes a second linear polarizing plate (441) and a second circular polarizing plate (442) positioned in the first direction with respect to the second linear polarizing plate (441).

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