US Patent 7304696 Image display

The present invention is an image display apparatus having pixels PXLs arranged in a matrix form, and comprises a display panel displaying images by reflecting external light from the front side or by having illumination light from the back side transmit therethrough, and a flat-type back light arranged at the back of the display panel and radiating the illumination light. Each pixel PXL is divided on a flat surface into a reflection area R for reflecting the external light incident from the front side of the display panel to display an image and a transmission area T for transmitting the illumination light incident from the back side of the display panel to display an image. The back light is a flat type, with layers consisting of electrodes (204), (202) and a luminescent layer (203) sandwiched inbetween being formed on a substrate (201), and radiates the illumination light generated from the luminescent layer (203) toward the transmission area T of each pixel PXL when voltage is applied between the electrodes (204), (202).