US-12628537-B2 - Display panel and display device with light-emitting elements and light-blocking patterns

US12628537B2US 12628537 B2US12628537 B2US 12628537B2US-12628537-B2

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel including first and second areas each including a plurality of element areas and a peripheral area, a first light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel and overlapping the second area, and a second light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel, overlapping the second area, and disposed farther away from the display panel than the first light blocking pattern. Each of first, second and third element areas of the second area includes a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light-emitting area disposed between the light emitting areas, the first light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the second element area, and the second light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the first element area and the non-light-emitting area of the third element area.

Inventors

Hyeonbum LEE
BEOHMROCK CHOI
Chiwook AN

Assignees

SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220728
Priority Date: 20211008

Claims (20)

1 . A display device comprising: a display panel comprising a first area and a second area, the first area comprising a first-first element area for emitting a first color light, a first-second element area for emitting a second color light, a first-third element area for emitting a third color light, and a first peripheral area, the second area comprising a second-first element area for emitting the first color light, a second-second element area for emitting the second color light, a second-third element area for emitting the third color light, and a second peripheral area, the second-second element area having a size smaller than a size of the second-first element area and a size of the second-third element area; a first light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel, the first light blocking pattern not overlapping the first area and overlapping the second-second element area of the second area; and a second light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel, the second light blocking pattern not overlapping the first area and overlapping the second-first element area and the second-third element area of the second area, wherein: each of the second-first element area, the second-second element area, and the second-third element area of the second area comprises a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light-emitting area disposed between the plurality of light emitting areas, the first light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the second-second element area of the second area, and the second light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the second-first element area of the second area and the non-light-emitting area of the second-third element area of the second area, and wherein the first light blocking pattern and the second light blocking pattern are disposed on different layers.
2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein: the second light blocking pattern is disposed farther away from the display panel than the first light blocking pattern.
3 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of light emitting areas in the second-third element area of the second area has a size smaller than a size of each of the plurality of light emitting areas in the second-first element area of the second area and greater than a size of each of the plurality of light emitting areas in the second-second element area of the second area.
4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light emitting areas respectively in the second-first element area, the second-second element area, and the second-third element area of the second area have a same size as each other.
5 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the light emitting areas in the second-second element area of the second area is smaller than a number of the light emitting areas in the second-first element area of the second area or a number of the light emitting areas in the second-third element area of the second area.
6 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-reflective layer disposed on the second light blocking pattern.
7 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a first additional light blocking pattern overlapping the second peripheral area adjacent to the second-second element area of the second area and provided integrally with the first light blocking pattern.
8 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a second additional light blocking pattern overlapping the second peripheral area disposed between the second-first element area and the second-third element area of the second area and provided integrally with the second light blocking pattern.
9 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising: an input sensor disposed on the display panel, the input sensor comprising sensing electrodes overlapping the first peripheral area or the second peripheral area and at least one sensing insulating layer; and a first cover layer disposed on an upper sensing insulating layer at an uppermost position of the at least one sensing insulating layer, wherein the second light blocking pattern is disposed on the first cover layer.
10 . The display device of claim 9 , wherein the first light blocking pattern is disposed on the upper sensing insulating layer and is covered by the first cover layer.
11 . The display device of claim 9 , further comprising an additional cover layer disposed between the upper sensing insulating layer and the first cover layer to cover the sensing electrodes, wherein the first light blocking pattern is in contact with the sensing electrodes and is covered by the additional cover layer.
12 . The display device of claim 9 , further comprising a second cover layer disposed on the first cover layer and covering the second light blocking pattern, wherein the first cover layer and the second cover layer comprise an organic material.
13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the first cover layer has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second cover layer.
14 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising an input sensor disposed on the display panel and comprising sensing electrodes overlapping the first peripheral area or the second peripheral area and at least one sensing insulating layer, wherein the first light blocking pattern is provided integrally with the sensing electrodes.
15 . The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first light blocking pattern has a first line width greater than a line width of the sensing electrodes.
16 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein the sensing electrodes overlap the non-light-emitting area of each of the second-first element area and the second-third element area of the second area.
17 . The display device of claim 16 , wherein the sensing electrodes overlapping the second light blocking pattern and the non-light-emitting area of each of the second-first element area and the second-third element area among the sensing electrodes have a second line width smaller than the first line width.
18 . The display device of claim 17 , wherein the sensing electrodes overlapping the first area among the sensing electrodes have a third line width smaller than the second line width.
19 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel further comprises: first light emitting elements disposed device of in each of the first-first element area of the first area and the second-first element area of the second area, second light emitting elements disposed in each of the first-second element area of the first area and the second-second element area of the second area, and third light emitting elements disposed in each of the first-third element area of the first area and the second-third element area of the second area, wherein the first light emitting elements, the second light emitting elements, and the third light emitting elements are for respectively providing lights having different colors, wherein each of the first light emitting elements, the second light emitting elements, and the third light emitting elements comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein the display panel further comprises a first pixel definition layer having openings defined therethrough to expose at least a portion of the first electrode of each of the first light emitting elements, the second light emitting elements, and the third light emitting elements.
20 . The display device of claim 19 , wherein: the display panel is to activate the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element in the first area and the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element in the second area in a first operation mode, and the display panel is to deactivate the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element in the first area and to activate the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element in the second area in a second operation mode.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0134304, filed on Oct. 8, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. BACKGROUND Field Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a display device and more specifically, to a display device having various operating modes. Discussion of the Background Electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, notebook computers, car navigation units, smart televisions, etc., have been developed. The electronic devices include a display device to provide information to users. The users have demanded the high quality of images that fits the usage situation of the display device. The users have demanded a brighter image at outdoors where natural light affects the quality of the images displayed by the display device. When personal information is displayed on the display device, the users have requested an image displayed with a narrow viewing angle. The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for understanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. SUMMARY Applicant discovered that when a display device is operated in a private mode (e.g., a narrow viewing mode), the image quality of the display device is degraded due to, e.g., a color shift phenomenon. Display devices constructed according to the principles of the invention are capable of preventing the image degradation when the display devices are operated in the narrow viewing mode by providing light blocking layers having specific patterns. Further, the display devices are capable of providing a display panel with a constant color purity at a specific viewing angle. According to the above, the light blocking layer adjacent to a relatively small element area is disposed closer to the display panel than the light blocking layer adjacent to a relatively larger element area. Thus, the display device including the private mode, in which the color shift phenomenon is reduced, is provided. Additional features of the inventive concepts will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts. According to an aspect of the invention, a display device includes a display panel including a first area and a second area, the first area including a first-first element area for emitting a first color light, a first-second element area for emitting a second color light, a first-third element area for emitting a third color light, and a first peripheral area, the second area including a second-first element area for emitting the first color light, a second-second element area for emitting the second color light, a second-third element area for emitting the third color light, and a second peripheral area, the second-second element area having a size smaller than a size of the second-first element area and a size of the second-third element area; a first light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel, the first light blocking pattern not overlapping the first area and overlapping the second-second element area of the second area; and a second light blocking pattern disposed on the display panel, the second light blocking pattern not overlapping the first area and overlapping the second-first element area and the second-third element area of the second area, wherein: each of the second-first element area, the second-second element area, and the second-third element area of the second area comprises a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light-emitting area disposed between the plurality of light emitting areas, the first light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the second-second element area of the second area, and the second light blocking pattern overlaps the non-light-emitting area of the second-first element area of the second area and the non-light-emitting area of the second-third element area of the second area, and wherein the first light blocking pattern and the second light blocking pattern are disposed on different layers. The second light blocking pattern may be disposed farther away from the display panel than the first light blocking pattern. The display device may further include an input sensor disposed on the display panel and including sensing electrodes overlapping the first peripheral area or the second peripheral area and at least one sensing insulating layer and a first cover layer disposed on an upper sensing insulating layer at an uppermost position of the at least one sensing insulating layer. The second light blocking pattern may be disposed on the first cover layer. The first light blocking pattern may be disposed on the upper sensing insulating layer and covered by the first cover layer. The display device may further inc