A display device is provided that comprises a liquid crystal display panel for displaying an image by spatial light modulation, and circuitry for switching liquid crystal in the panel between having a first configuration in a first mode to cause an image displayed using the panel to be discernible from a wide range of viewing angles, and having a second configuration in a second mode to cause an image displayed using the panel to be discernible substantially only from within a narrow range of viewing angles. Several types of display panel to achieve such in-panel switching between public and private viewing modes are disclosed.

Claims

48 · 1 independent · depth 5

48 granted claims

›1.independentA display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel for displaying an image by spatial light modulation, wherein an image is represented by a p…+47

›2.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in another mode of operation of the display device, the data values are maintained so that the origin…d2

›3.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second data value-to-luminance response is a substantially different function from the first data …d2+3

›7.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the original image is substantially hidden in the image perceived in the second scenario.d2

›8.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the data values are modified in dependence upon a masking image.d2+5

›14.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the data values are modified in dependence upon a masking parameter.d2+1

›16.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data values are modified such that localized groups of displayed image elements are perceived in t…d2

›17.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if any modification is to be performed for a localized group of displayed image elements, the data va…d2+14

›18.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least some of the data values are modified in dependence upon a masking image, and wherein the deg…d3

›19.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the amount of increase data value of at least one image element in the group is substantially the sam…d3

›20.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the amount of increase of the data value of at least one image element in the group relative to the a…d3

›21.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the image elements designated for increase and decrease are swapped in different time frames.d3

›22.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least some of the data values are modified in dependence upon a masking image, and wherein the deg…d3+3

›26.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein each group comprises two image elements.d3

›27.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the data values of at least some of the image elements are averaged in a group.d3

›28.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the data values of at least some of the masking image elements are averaged in a group.d3

›29.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein image elements having corresponding modifications performed on them are arranged in lines of the imag…d3

›30.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein image elements having corresponding modifications performed on them are arranged in columns of the im…d3

›31.↳ 17A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein image elements having corresponding modifications performed on them are arranged in a chequerboard pa…d3

›32.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is ensured that a modified data value does not fall outside the normal range of data values allowed…d2+4

›37.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the data values are modified in dependence upon a masking image, and wherein the degr…d2

›38.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein only the data values of the image elements in a sub-portion of the image are so modified.d2

›39.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each image element relates to a plurality of color components corresponding to a pixel of the display …d2

›40.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each image element relates to a single color component corresponding to a sub-pixel of the display dev…d2+1

›42.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewer is at least a predetermined distance away from the display device.d2

›43.↳ 1A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for modifying the respective data values of at least some of the image elements comprises an…d2+4

›48.↳ 1A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing an operating program which, when loaded into an apparatus, causes the apparatus to become th…d2

Classifications

4 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G09G3/36
G09G5/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

345/87345/582

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Pendency

0.9 y

320 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

1 RCE

Examiner

Srilakshmi K Kumar

art unit 2629 · TC 2600

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1 priority documents

›Priority documents — 1

Type	Document	Date
related publication	US 20120147026 A1	14 Jun 2012

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