Display apparatus having photo sensor

• US 20050082968A1
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Joon-Hoo, Joo, In-Su, Chung, Kyu-Ha
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/58 Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/148 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14692 Thin film technologies, e.g. amorphous, poly, micro- or nanocrystalline silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1055 the devices comprising amorphous materials of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 39/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic radiation-sensitive element covered by group H10K30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/13 comprising photosensors that control luminance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8792 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers

Abstract

An electronic display apparatus includes a substrate, pixels and light sensing parts. The substrate includes a display region and a peripheral region adjacent the display region, and the substrate includes a plurality of gate lines extended in a first direction and a plurality of data lines extended in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The pixels defined by each of the data and gate lines are formed in the display region to display an image. The light sensing part is formed in the peripheral region, and the light sensing part senses an intensity of an ambient light. The light sensing part that senses an intensity of an ambient light is formed on the array substrate, so that a luminance of the display apparatus may be adjusted in accordance with the intensity of the ambient light.

Claims

1. An electronic display apparatus comprising:

a substrate including a display region and a peripheral region that is adjacent the display region, the substrate including a plurality of gate lines extended in a first direction and a plurality of data lines extended in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;

a plurality pixels formed in the display region to display an image, the pixels being defined by each of the data lines and each of the gate lines; and

at least one light sensing part that is formed in the peripheral region and senses an intensity of an ambient light.

2. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the light sensing parts is arranged in one-dimensional array.

3. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the light sensing parts is arranged in two-dimensional array.

4. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a readout line that is formed in the peripheral region and is electronically connected to the light sensing parts.

5. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a driving circuit part formed in the peripheral region, the driving circuit part being electronically connected to the gate and data lines to drive the pixels; and

a readout circuit part formed in the peripheral region, the readout circuit part reading out the intensity of an ambient light that is sensed by the light sensing parts.

6. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the pixels includes an amorphous silicon thin film transistor as a switching device, and the light sensing part includes at least one of amorphous silicon thin film transistors.

7. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sensing part comprises:

a first thin film transistor that generates a photocurrent of which magnitude is determined in accordance with the intensity of the ambient light;

a storage capacitor that stores electronic charges by the photoelectronic current generated from the first thin film transistor; and

a second thin film transistor that outputs the electronic charges stored in the storage capacitor.

8. The electronic display apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a light locking layer that prevents the ambient light from reaching the second thin film transistor.

9. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film transistor and a storage capacitor.

10. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film transistor.

11. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film diode.

12. The electronic display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sensing part includes a PIN diode having a p-type semiconducting layer, an intrinsic semiconducting layer and an n-type semiconducting layer.

13. An organic electroluminescent display apparatus comprising:

a substrate including a display region and a peripheral region that is adjacent the display region;

a plurality of pixels that includes a gate line extended in a first direction, a data line extended in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a switching device that is electronically connected to the gate and data lines, a first electrode that is electronically connected to the switching device, an electroluminescent layer disposed over the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the electroluminescent layer; and

at least one light sensing part that is formed in the peripheral region and senses an intensity of an ambient light.

14. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein a plurality of the light sensing parts is arranged in one-dimensional array.

15. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the light sensing part includes an inverted staggered type amorphous silicon thin film transistor.

16. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the light sensing parts comprises:

a light sensing thin film transistor that outputs electronic signal when the light sensing thin film transistor is exposed to the ambient light;

a power supply line that is electronically connected to a drain electrode of the light sensing thin film transistor; and

a readout line that is electronically connected to a source electrode of the light sensing thin film transistor and transfers the electronic signal outputted from the light sensing thin film transistor to a readout circuit part.

17. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 16, wherein the gate and source electrodes of the light sensing thin film transistor are electronically connected to each other.

18. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a driving circuit part formed in the display region, the driving circuit that is electronically connected to the gate line and data line to drive the pixel; and

a readout part formed in the display region, the readout part reading out intensity of the ambient light sensed by the light sensing part.

19. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the pixels further includes at least one driving device and at least one capacitor.

20. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the switching device and driving device include an inverted staggered type amorphous silicon thin film transistor.

21. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first electrode is opaque and the second electrode is transparent.

22. The organic electroluminescent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first electrode is transparent and the second electrode is opaque.

23. A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising:

(i) a display assembly including;

a substrate including a display region and a peripheral region that is adjacent the display region;

a plurality of pixels that includes a gate line extended in a first direction, a data line extended in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a switching device that is electronically connected to the gate and data lines, a transparent electrode that is electronically connected to the switching device; and

at least one of light sensing parts that is formed in the peripheral region and senses an intensity of an ambient light; and

(ii) a backlight assembly that provides the display assembly with a light, an intensity of the light provided from the backlight assembly being adjusted according to the intensity of the ambient light sensed by the light sensing part.

24. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a reflective electrode that is electronically connected to the switching device.

25. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, the light sensing parts are arranged in one-dimensional array.

26. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the light sensing parts are arranged in two-dimensional array.

27. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a readout line that is formed in the peripheral region and is electronically connected to the light sensing part.

28. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 27, wherein the light sensing part is formed at a crossing point of the readout line and the gate line.

29. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a readout circuit part that is formed in the peripheral region and reads out an intensity of the ambient light sensed by the light sensing part.

30. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the switching device corresponds to an amorphous silicon thin film transistor.

31. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the light sensing part includes at least one of amorphous silicon thin film transistors.

32. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 31, wherein the light sensing part comprises:

a first thin film transistor that generates a photocurrent of which magnitude is determined in accordance with the intensity of the ambient light;

a storage capacitor that stores electronic charges by the photoelectronic current generated from the first thin film transistor; and

a second thin film transistor that outputs the electronic charges stored in the storage capacitor.

33. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a light blocking layer that prevents the ambient light from reaching the second thin film transistor.

34. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 31, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film transistor and a storage capacitor.

35. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 31, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film transistor.

36. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the light sensing part includes a thin film diode.

37. The liquid crystal display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the light sensing part includes a PIN diode having a p-type semiconducting layer, an intrinsic semiconducting layer and an n-type semiconducting layer.