A total internal reflection display includes a sub-pixel, a reflecting layer, at least one first stereoscopic electrode and a display medium layer. The sub-pixel is defined by a color filter and a black matrix disposed adjacently to the color filter. The reflecting layer is located beneath the sub-pixel. The first stereoscopic electrode is located beneath the black matrix. The width of the first stereoscopic electrode is less than the width of the black matrix. The display medium layer is located between the sub-pixel and the reflecting layer. The height of the first stereoscopic electrode is greater than half of the thickness of the display medium layer.

A total internal reflection-based display may be driven by an apparatus and method to move electrophoretically mobile particles into and out of an evanescent wave region to create static and video images. The apparatus may comprise one or more of a host microprocessor/controller, display controller, TIR display panel, frame buffer memory 1, frame buffer memory 2, host interface, temperature/environmental sensor, timing controller, look up table, power management integrated circuit or display panel interface.

Optical states in TIR-based image displays may be modulated by movement of electrophoretically mobile particles into and out of the evanescent wave region at the interface of a high refractive index convex protrusions and a low refractive index medium. The movement of particles into the evanescent wave region may frustrate TIR and form dark states at pixels. Movement of particles out of the evanescent wave region may allow for TIR of incident light to form bright states at pixels. The movement of the particles may be controlled by employing the drive methods of pulse width modulation, voltage modulation or a combination thereof.

Color may be achieved in TIR-based image displays by addition of a sub-pixel color filter array (CFA). Color may be enhanced by tuning the size, shape, arrangement and colors of the sub-pixel color filters in the CFA. CFAs comprising of pixels further comprising one to four or more different repeating sub-pixel color filters may be capable of creating a wide gamut of displayable colors. The sub-pixels may be arranged in repeat cells wherein the sub-pixels within the repeat cell may be mapped to one or more pixels. Sub-pixel rendering may be used during driving of a TIR-based display. Sub-pixel rendering uses logical dynamic pixels where a single sub-pixel may be used in one or more pixels depending on the image displayed.

A total internal reflection display includes a sub-pixel, a reflecting layer, at least one first stereoscopic electrode and a display medium layer. The sub-pixel is defined by a color filter and a black matrix disposed adjacently to the color filter. The reflecting layer is located beneath the sub-pixel. The first stereoscopic electrode is located beneath the black matrix. The width of the first stereoscopic electrode is less than the width of the black matrix. The display medium layer is located between the sub-pixel and the reflecting layer. The height of the first stereoscopic electrode is greater than half of the thickness of the display medium layer.

Optical states in TIR-based image displays may be modulated by movement of electrophoretically mobile particles into and out of the evanescent wave region at the interface of a high refractive index convex protrusions and a low refractive index medium. The movement of particles into the evanescent wave region may frustrate TIR and form dark states at pixels. Movement of particles out of the evanescent wave region may allow for TIR of incident light to form bright states at pixels. The movement of the particles may be controlled by employing the drive methods of pulse width modulation, voltage modulation or a combination thereof.

The disclosure generally relates to image displays. Specifically, the application relates to an overlay that, among others, enhances the brightness in image displays with color filters. Much of the incoming light to a reflective image display having a color filter layer is absorbed by the color filter layer and is therefore lost. An overlay embodiment is disclosed herein that disperses and concentrates portions of the incoming light onto specific portions of the display. The amount of light absorbed by the color filter layer may be drastically reduced and instead transmitted through the color filter where the light may be reflected or absorbed by a light modulating layer. The disclosed embodiments increase the efficiency and reflectance of the display.

The brightness of a TIR-based display is enhanced with a registered reflective element by recycling and reflecting light that passes through the dark pupil region of each hemi-spherical protrusion in the hemi-spherical surface back to the viewer. A method to fabricate a brightness enhanced TIR display comprising an apertured membrane with a thin conductive reflective metal layer facing and registered with the pupils of the hemi-spherical surface.

Color derived from metallic nanostructures are often more efficient, more robust to environmental changes, and near impossible to damage or bleach due to overexposure. The embodiments combine these advantages with the millisecond re-configurability of liquid crystals to actively control a reflective color of a metallic nanostructure. Of the current technologies that boast active color tunability, many are pigmentation based (e-ink in e-readers) and/or need seconds to change color (photonic ink, electrochromic materials). Speed is an advantage of the embodiments and is comparable to current liquid crystal displays (˜120 Hz). Traditional LC displays use static polymer films (color filters) and white back light to generate color. Being able to actively tune the color from a single metallic nanostructure allows for smaller pixel size, increased resolution, and decreased fabrication cost compared to a conventional RGB color pixel without needing external white light source for extremely low power operations.

The present disclosure relates to a display panel. The display panel includes: a light guide member, a light extraction member and a modulation member sequentially arranged along a first direction; and wherein the light extraction member is configured to extract light propagating within the light guide member in a collimated manner to one side of the light extraction member away from the light guide member, and the modulation member is configured to modulate a reflectance and transmittance of the light extracted in a collimated manner by the light extraction member within the modulation member.