Colour display device with backlighting unit using organic light-emitting diodes and method of implementation

1. Colour display device comprising, from rear to front towards an observer, a multicolour backlighting unit using organic light-emitting diodes and an electro-optical array for the switching of the backlighting by pixels, the backlighting unit being a surface comprising a periodic pattern of a group of at least three adjacent illuminating lines of different base colours that are parallel to each other,

wherein the pixels of the switching array and the illuminating lines of the backlighting unit are substantially aligned in order that any given pixel allows the forward transmission of only the base colour of the illuminating line aligned with this pixel,

wherein a cylindrical lens is disposed along each illuminating line on the backlighting unit in order to form a light beam with substantially parallel edges directed towards the front and through the switching array for the corresponding base colour, the lens having a length substantially equal to the length of the illuminating line

wherein the organic light-emitting diodes of each illuminating line comprise, towards the front, a transparent or semi-transparent electrode of a first kind through which the light produced passes and, towards the rear, an electrode of a second kind, the kinds of electrodes corresponding to anode and cathode,

wherein the electrodes of one of the kinds of the illuminating lines of the same base colour, called line electrodes, are connected together and to at least one pair of colour control connections for the corresponding base colour, the electrodes of the other kind for all of the illuminating lines being connected together, forming a common electrode, and to at least one common control connection, and

wherein the first colour control connection of the at least one pair for each base colour is towards a first end of the line electrodes of this base colour and the second connection of the at least one pair is towards a second end of the same line electrodes of this base colour, the second end being opposite to the first end along the illuminating lines, the line electrodes of the same base colour being connected together at each of the two ends of the illuminating lines.

2. Colour display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the electro-optical switching array comprises, towards the front and the observer, a substantially plane diffuser element,

and wherein the diffuser element and the surface containing the lines of the backlighting unit, which is substantially plane, are optically conjugated through the said lenses.

3. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical switching array is an active matrix.

4. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are laterally separated from each other along their length by optical separators in order that the illumination from one illuminating line cannot interfere with the pixels of other lines.

5. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are mounted directly onto the optical switching array.

6. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are separated by an air space from the optical switching array.

7. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent or semi-transparent electrode comprises a layer of indium-tin oxide.

8. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the transparent or semi-transparent electrode comprises a chrome layer.

9. Method for the driving of a colour display device comprising, from rear to front towards an observer, a multicolour backlighting unit using organic light-emitting diodes and an electro-optical array for switching of the backlighting by pixels, the backlighting unit being a surface comprising a periodic pattern of a group of at least three adjacent illuminating lines of different base colours that are parallel to each other,

wherein the pixels of the switching array and the illuminating lines of the backlighting unit are substantially aligned in order that a given pixel allows the forward transmission of only the base colour of the illuminating lines aligned with this pixel

wherein all the illuminating lines are simultaneously turned on at the same time, the display colour for the observer being controlled by the electro-optical switching array,

wherein the organic light-emitting diodes comprise, towards the front, a transparent or semi-transparent electrode of a first kind through which the light produced passes and, towards the rear, an electrode of a second kind, the kinds of electrodes corresponding to anode and cathode,

wherein, the electrodes of one of the kinds of the illuminating lines of the same base colour, called line electrodes, are connected together and to at least one pair of colour control connections for the corresponding base colour, the electrodes of the other kind for all of the illuminating lines being connected together, forming a common electrode, and to at least one common control connection,

wherein the first colour control connection of the at least one pair for each base colour is towards a first end of the line electrodes of this base colour and the second connection of the at least one pair is towards a second end of the same line electrodes of this base colour, the second end being opposite to the first end along the illuminating lines, the line electrodes of the same base colour being connected together at each of the two ends of the illuminating lines,

wherein the three illuminating lines of the group of at least one backlighting unit allow a white colour to be produced for an observer by optical combination, and wherein the white balance is adjusted by controlling the respective luminous intensities of the different base colours simultaneously produced by the illuminating lines of this group.