An new i-PR structure for a patterned retardertype 3D display

To ameliorate the polarized glasses-type 3D display with a patterned retarder, we strongly recommend the i-PR (in cell black stripe Patterned Retarder) structure. In 3D mode, this particular structure can improve vertical viewing angle. When 2D switching mode is expressed, luminance and visibility will ameliorate at the same time. 1. Introduction
These days, 3D movie is a rising star; with Hollywood as the center, numerous movies and major CATV enterprises are producing 3D contents including education, sports etc. End user’s requirements of 3D display have been increasing rapidly. [1]Especially, the patterned retarder type product has been demanded by producer of 3D contents as a professional use because it can able to express less than 1% of 3D crosstalk. When watching sports games in public (restaurants, pub, etc), polarized glasses has numerous merits. First of all, it is not an electronic device. It is easy to manage. Second of all, it is inexpensive compare to shutter glasses. Based on B2B market system, their requirements are slowly expanding.
In this paper, we propose an ameliorated new i-PR (in cell black stripe Patterned Retarder) structure for a patterned retardertype 3D display.
2. Concept
2.1.Patterned Retarder type 3D LCD
From the patterned retarder panel, left images’ data input odd line and right’s input even line. Odd and even line’s match to right and left handed circularly polarization status respectively as shown in Fig. 1. By using spatial sequential, the image will go to your left and right eye.
Figure 2 shows the changes of its polarization status when we are watching the 3D images. Output of TFT LCD has linearly polarization status in the whole active area. Optically Patterned Retarder is expressed as a quarter wave plate. Its optical axis has alternatively +/- 45 degree line by line. It can change from linearly to circularly polarization status by interleaved format. Thus it can divide into 2 types of polarization status. However human eye cannot distinguish polarization status. If we wear polarized glasses consisted of quarter wave plate and polarizer, each eye can see select only one of them.
2.3. i-PR configuration
Under the condition of same thickness of color filter substrate, we have an unique solution. In order to improve 2D & 3D characteristics including (luminance and moiré and 3D vertical viewing angle) we wish to introduce the i-PR (in cell black stripe Patterned Retarder).
The special features of i-PR (in cell black stripe Patterned Retarder) is, where they do not use the black stripe on patterned retarder & applying i-PR pixel structure in the TFT LCD. By adapting this technology, we could overcome the obstacles as we mentioned it before. Figure 11 shows different from the conventional pixel; i-PR pixel consists of 2 sub pixel (top & bottom). On 2D mode, 2 sub pixels will input the same data; its luminance can be maximized. It can remove moiré because there is no BS (Black Stripe) in patterned retarder. In 3D mode, 3D data can input in top pixel, and black data will input in bottom pixel. By doing so, we can improve 3D vertical viewing angle.
3. Results and Discussion
We have developed 24” WUXGA 3D LCD by adopting i-PR (in cell black stripe Patterned Retarder) structure. Compare with the conventional patterned retarder with black stripe after we have placed the black stripe on TFT LCD, we could not find moiré on the latter one. Also, we could increase luminance up to 22%. By reducing the thickness of color filter substrate and inputting black data on bottom pixel, we could obtain 3D vertical viewing angle up to 32degree.
3D LCD is produced with i-PR structure; hence we could get rid off the black stripe on its patterned retarder. Thus, patterned retarder’s productivity could be increased because; the process (the alignment of black stripe & patterned retarder) has been eliminated. In overall, 3D LCD’s productivity has rapidly improved because of i-PR structure.

Jiachang Wang
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
2013