11 patents in this list

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Micro-LED displays represent a leap forward in visual technology, offering vibrant colors and unparalleled brightness. However, achieving color tunability in these tiny pixels is a complex task. Each pixel must emit precise hues without compromising brightness or efficiency, a challenge exacerbated by the intricate circuitry and material constraints inherent to micro-LEDs.

Engineers face the daunting task of balancing color accuracy with energy efficiency while maintaining uniform brightness across the display. Unwanted color shifts and brightness inconsistencies can arise from even minor variations in current or material properties. The interplay of these factors can significantly impact the overall viewing experience.

This page delves into various strategies for overcoming these challenges, such as simplified circuitry for multi-color displays and stacked sub-pixel structures. Techniques like independently driven subpixels and current balancing circuits ensure consistent brightness and color fidelity. These solutions not only enhance display performance but also streamline manufacturing processes, making high-quality, color-tunable micro-LED displays more accessible.

1. Micro LED Display with Stacked Sub-Pixel Structure and Integrated Reflective Top LEDs

Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd., 2023

Micro LED display with stacked sub-pixels to reduce interference and improve brightness. The display uses stacked sub-pixels, each containing multiple LEDs, instead of individual LEDs for sub-pixels. This allows higher pixel density with fewer LEDs per substrate. The stacked sub-pixels are arranged in a pixel with the bottom LED emitting through the top LEDs. The top LEDs reflect back emitted light from bottom LEDs to avoid color mixing. This eliminates the need for color filters. The stacked sub-pixels are electrically connected with vias. The stacked sub-pixel structure reduces interference compared to side-by-side LEDs.

2. Display Device with Subpixel LED Driving Current Pulse Amplitude and Width Control

Lextar Electronics Corporation, 2022

Display device with adjustable color performance by selectively controlling the driving current pulse amplitude and width for each subpixel's LED. This allows compensating for variation in LED peak wavelengths and improving color fidelity and reducing color deviation. The subpixels each have a LED and control circuit. The circuits provide different driving current pulse amplitudes to make the LEDs emit at the target wavelength. They also provide varying pulse widths to adjust LED brightness.

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3. Micro LED Display with Independently Driven Dual-Color Subpixels and Grayscale-Dependent Current Ratio Adjustment

PlayNitride Inc., 2022

Micro LED display with improved color accuracy at high brightness levels. The display has subpixels with two micro LEDs of different colors driven independently. The current ratio between the micro LEDs is adjusted based on grayscale level. This prevents color shift as driving current increases. At low grayscale, only the shorter wavelength micro LED is on. At high grayscale, only the longer wavelength micro LED is on. In between, the longer wavelength micro LED current increases relative to the shorter wavelength micro LED. This maintains consistent color appearance at all grayscales by matching dominant wavelengths.

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4. Micro LED Color Display Device with Independent Subpixel Optimization Structure

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co. Ltd, 2018

Micro LED color display device with improved color uniformity and stability. The display has blue, green, and red subpixels sandwiched between a driving substrate and a package substrate, with a support in between. This sandwich structure allows independent optimization of each color subpixel without affecting the others. This improves color uniformity by reducing deviations from LED binning and allows easier control of green color stability compared to traditional RGB displays.

5. Micro LED Display with Individually Controllable Subpixels for Independent Emission Time and Duty Cycle Adjustment

VueReal Inc., 2020

Micro LED display system and method for improving dynamic range, power consumption, and color accuracy. The display has individually controllable subpixels in each pixel. This allows independent adjustment of emission time and duty cycle for each subpixel. This enables optimizing power consumption and color accuracy without affecting gamma. By dynamically adjusting subpixel emission times, it tunes display color without affecting gamma.

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6. Active Display with Individually Controllable RGB LED Subpixels for Expanded Color Gamut

IMAX Theatres International Limited, 2020

Active display with increased color gamut using individually controllable RGB LED subpixels to overcome limitations of fixed color bins. The display has a pixel made of multiple RGB LED subpixels. Each subpixel has individually adjustable red, green, and blue LEDs. By varying the intensity of each LED, the pixel can output light in a wider color gamut than any individual subpixel LED could achieve on its own. This allows using more LEDs from a production batch to cover a desired display color space like DCI-P3 or Rec. 2020.

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7. Monolithic LED Display Panel with Common Multi-Quantum Well Structure and Adjustable Subpixel Emission

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2020

Monolithic full-color LED display panel with improved color gamut and simplified fabrication compared to prior art. The panel has pixels with red, green, and red subpixels, where each subpixel uses a common multi-quantum well structure. The subpixel compositions are adjusted at different current densities to emit primary colors. A conversion layer changes the third subpixel's color. This allows full-color without color conversion layers or complex assembly. The common structure simplifies fabrication versus individual RGB LEDs.

8. Display System with Sub-Pixels Incorporating Heterogeneous Light Emitters with Distinct Attributes

X-Celeprint Limited, 2017

Display system with pixels having sub-pixels with multiple heterogeneous light emitters to improve performance under varying viewing conditions. Each sub-pixel contains two different light emitters that have distinct attributes like color, brightness, efficiency, angular distribution, size, etc. By independently controlling the emitters, the display can optimize light output for different situations. For example, one emitter may have better contrast for dark scenes while the other provides better color saturation for bright scenes.

9. Multi-Group LED Emitter on Ceramic Substrate with Independently Adjustable Broad-Spectrum Phosphor-Coated and Narrow-Band LED Arrays

LedEngin, Inc., 2016

Color-tunable LED emitter with high color rendering index (CRI) across a wide range of color temperatures. The emitter uses multiple independently addressable LED groups on a ceramic substrate, allowing the color to be tuned by adjusting the current supplied to each group. Some of the LED groups have broad-spectrum phosphor coating to improve CRI and R9 (red rendering) compared to narrow-band LEDs. This provides high CRI and R9 over the entire color temperature range.

10. Light-Emitting Device with Integrated Neutral Color Emission Element for Full-Color Displays

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., 2015

A light-emitting device that improves color accuracy and reduces power consumption in full-color displays by using a specialized light-emitting element that generates a neutral color. The device has pixels containing red, green, and blue light-emitting elements, as well as a neutral light-emitting element. This allows the device to display full color images by combining the primary colors and neutral color instead of having separate red, green, and blue pixels. The neutral element reduces the burden on the primary color elements, improves color reproduction, and lowers power consumption compared to using only primary colors.

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11. Multi-Submodule LED Assembly with Phosphor Isolation and Intensity Control

PhotonStar LED Limited, 2015

Color tunable LED module with multiple submodules and control to eliminate manufacturer color temperature binning. The module has multiple submodules, each with a blue LED and a different phosphor for a specific color emission (red, yellow, orange). This allows mixing the submodule outputs to tune the overall white color without sorting and binning LEDs. A control system adjusts the submodule intensities to achieve desired color points. The submodules are mounted on a high thermal conductivity substrate and encapsulated to isolate the phosphors. This prevents phosphor bleed between submodules. The encapsulant also improves light extraction and thermal isolation for better efficiency.

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