Seamless tiled displays

Abstract

A tile and a tiled display system having at least two adjacent tiles each having a display screen with display pixels which are picture elements, where for coloured displays each pixel includes a plurality light emitting or light modulating elements. Each of the tiles has at least one first substrate of a first material and at least one first layer of a second material fixed to the first substrate where the thickness of the at least one first layer is less than the thickness of the first substrate; the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer and the distance between the at least two tiles is less than the size of a pixel on the display screen. The first substrates of adjacent tiles can be brought in mechanical contact.

1 - 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A tiled display arrangement having tiles associated with a display screen and pixel locations comprising:
 at least two adjacent tiles, each of the two adjacent tiles having at least one first substrate of a first material and at least one first layer of a second material fixed to the first substrate characterized in that the thickness of the at least one first layer is less than the thickness of the first substrate; the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer and the distance between the at least two tiles is less than the size of a pixel location on the display screen, wherein the at least one first substrate is fixed to a support frame, the at least one substrate having chamfers on lateral sides thereof forming first sloping glue surfaces, and the support having second sloping glue surfaces matching the first sloping glue surfaces and the first and second sloping glue surfaces are fixed together wherein the first layer of second material has a light guiding and image magnification function.   
     
     
         64 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 63 , wherein the light guiding and image magnification function is a Fresnel lens and the Fresnel lens is selected from:
 the Fresnel lens being formed by engraving in the first layer of the second material, and   the Fresnel lens being molded in the first layer of second material, and   the Fresnel lens being fixed to the first substrate, and   the Fresnel lens being glued or laminated on the first substrate.   
     
     
         65 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 63 , wherein a slope angle of the first sloping surfaces makes as acute angle to an optical axis of the tile. 
     
     
         66 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 65 , wherein the slope angle of sloping surfaces of opposing lateral sides slope at different angles such that there is no sheer plane between the support and the at least one substrate that is parallel to the optical axis or orthogonal thereto. 
     
     
         67 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 63 , wherein the first substrates of adjacent tiles are brought in mechanical contact with each other. 
     
     
         68 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 63 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate of the at least two tiles is lower or equal to 9.5 10 −6  1/° K. between 273° K. and 373° K. 
     
     
         69 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 64 , wherein the first substrate supporting the Fresnel lens is associated with a second substrate supporting another functional layer. 
     
     
         70 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 69 , further comprising a second layer selected from:
 being fixed to the second substrate, and   being made of a fourth material different from the first or third material, and   being fixed on the second substrate or deposited on the second substrate before being cured, and   being glued or laminated on the second substrate.   
     
     
         71 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 68 , wherein the second substrate is made of a third material which is the same material as the first substrate. 
     
     
         72 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 68  wherein the first and second substrates of each tile are fixed together, or the first and second substrates of each tile are fixed together with a bounded temperature activated adhesive such as a temperature activated adhesive tape or are glued together with glue dispensed on a thin carrier foil. 
     
     
         73 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 68 , wherein at least one of the first and second substrate is fixed to a support frame. 
     
     
         74 . The tiled display arrangement according to  claim 63 , wherein the first substrate supports a liquid crystal image forming device. 
     
     
         75 . A method of making a tiled display arrangement having at least two adjacent tiles, each tile being associated with a display screen with pixel locations, each of the two adjacent tiles having at least one first substrate of a first material, the method comprising:
 fixing at least one first layer of a second material to the first substrate characterized in that the thickness of the at least one first layer is less than the thickness of the first substrate;   the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer and the distance between the at least two tiles is less than the size of a pixel location on the display screen, fixing the at least one first substrate to a support frame, the at least one substrate having chamfers on lateral sides thereof forming first sloping glue surfaces, and the support having second sloping glue surfaces matching the first sloping glue surfaces and the first and second sloping glue surfaces are fixed together further comprising providing a light guiding and image magnification function on the first layer of second material.   
     
     
         76 . The method according to  claim 75 , wherein providing the light guiding and image magnification function comprises forming a Fresnel lens, the step of forming the Fresnel lens being selected from:
 the first layer of the second material being modified by engraving to form the Fresnel lens, and   the first layer of second material being molded into a Fresnel lens, and   the Fresnel lens being fixed to the first substrate, and   the Fresnel lens being glued or laminated on the first substrate, and   the first layer of second material being deposited as a resin on the first substrate before being molded into the Fresnel lens and being cured on the first substrate, and   the Fresnel lens being directly engraved in the first substrate, and   the Fresnel lens being molded after the second layer has been fixed to a second substrate.   
     
     
         77 . The method according to  claim 76 , wherein a slope angle of the first sloping surfaces makes as acute angle to an optical axis of the tile. 
     
     
         78 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the slope angle of sloping surfaces of opposing lateral sides slope at different angles such that there is no sheer plane between the support and the at least one substrate that is parallel to the optical axis or orthogonal thereto. 
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 75 , further comprising bringing the first substrates of adjacent tiles into mechanical contact with each other. 
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 75 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate of the at least two tiles is lower or equal to 9.5 10 −6  1/° K. between 273° K. and 373° K. 
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 76 , wherein the first substrate supporting the Fresnel lens is associated with the second substrate supporting another functional layer. 
     
     
         82 . The method according to  claim 81 , wherein each display tile has the second substrate, further comprising fixing a second layer to the second substrate. 
     
     
         83 . The method according to  claim 81 , wherein the second substrate is made of a third material which is the same material as the first substrate. 
     
     
         84 . The method according to  claim 82 , wherein the second layer is selected from being made of a fourth material different from the first or third material, and
 being deposited on the second substrate and then cured, and being glued or laminated on the second substrate.   
     
     
         85 . The method according to  claim 75 , wherein the first and second substrates of each tile are fixed together or the first and second substrates of each tile are fixed together with bounded temperature activated adhesive such as a temperature activated adhesive tape or are glued together with glue dispensed on a thin carrier foil. 
     
     
         86 . The method according to  claim 75 , wherein at least one of the first and second substrates is fixed to a support frame. 
     
     
         87 . The method according to  claim 75 , further comprising the first substrate supporting a liquid crystal image forming device. 
     
     
         88 . A tile for a tiled display arrangement, the tile being associated with a display screen with pixel locations, the tile being adapted so that the distance between two adjacent such tiles is less than the size of a pixel location on the display screen, comprising:
 at least one first substrate of a first material and at least one first layer of a second material fixed to the first substrate characterized in that the thickness of the at least one first layer is less than the thickness of the first substrate;   the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer,   wherein the at least one first substrate is fixed to a support frame, the at least one substrate having chamfers on lateral sides thereof forming first sloping glue surfaces, and the support having second sloping glue surfaces matching the first sloping glue surfaces and the first and second sloping glue surfaces are fixed together wherein the first layer of second material has a has a light guiding and image magnification function.   
     
     
         89 . The tile according to  claim 88 , wherein the light guiding and magnification function is provided by a Fresnel lens and the Fresnel lens is selected from:
 the Fresnel lens being formed by engraving in the first layer of the second material, and   the Fresnel lens being molded in the first layer of second material, and   the Fresnel lens being fixed to the first substrate,   the Fresnel lens being glued or laminated on the first substrate.