Thin film panel, driving device, and liquid crystal display having the same

• US 20060202947A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ki-Chan
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3696 Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers

Abstract

A thin film panel, a driving device, and a liquid crystal display having the thin film panel and the driving device are provided. The thin film panel includes a first panel, a second panel, and an illumination sensor, wherein the illumination sensor includes a plurality of color filters formed on the first panel and a plurality of photo sensors formed on the second panel opposed to the plurality of color filters.

Claims

1. A thin film panel comprising a first panel, a second panel, and an illumination sensor,

wherein the illumination sensor includes:

a plurality of color filters formed on the first panel; and

a plurality of photo sensors formed on the second panel opposed, respectively, to the plurality of color filters.

2. The thin film panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of color filters include at least two of a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter, and a white filter.

3. The thin film panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of color filters include a red filter, a green filter, and a white filter.

4. The thin film panel of claim 3, wherein the photo sensors vary in resistance, depending upon light energy passing through the color filters.

5. The thin film panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of color filters include a red filter, a green filter, and a blue filter.

6. The thin film panel of claim 2, wherein the photo sensors vary in resistance, depending upon light energy passing through the color filters.

7. The thin film panel of claim 6, wherein each photo sensor includes:

a substrate;

a first insulating layer formed on the substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on the first insulating layer;

first and second electrodes formed on the semiconductor layer; and

a second insulating layer formed on the first and second electrodes.

8. The thin film panel of claim 7, wherein the second panel is a thin film transistor panel including a plurality of gate lines and data lines, the first and second electrodes of each photo sensor formed within a same layer of the second panel as the data lines.

9. The thin film panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second electrodes alternate with each other in a comb tooth shape.

10. The thin film panel of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor layer includes amorphous silicon.

11. The thin film panel of claim 10, wherein the illumination sensor is formed on an edge of the thin film panel.

12. The thin film panel of claim 1, wherein the first panel is a common electrode panel including a common electrode and the second panel is a thin film transistor panel including a plurality of thin film transistors and pixel electrodes.

13. The thin film panel of claim 1, wherein each photo sensor generates an output voltage proportional to energy of ambient light incident to the illumination sensor.

14. The thin film panel of claim 13, wherein the output voltage corresponds to intensity and type of ambient light.

15. A liquid crystal display comprising a thin film panel having first and second panels and an illumination sensor integrated on the thin film panel,

wherein the illumination sensor includes:

a plurality of color filters formed on the first panel; and

a plurality of photo sensors formed on the second panel and opposed to the plurality of color filters.

16. The liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the plurality of color filters include at least two of a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter, and a white filter.

17. The liquid crystal display of claim 16, wherein the plurality of color filters include a red filter, a green filter, and a white filter.

18. The liquid crystal display of claim 17, wherein the photo sensors vary in resistance depending upon light energy passing through the color filters.

19. The liquid crystal display of claim 16, wherein the photo sensors vary in resistance depending upon light energy passing through the color filters.

20. The liquid crystal display of claim 19, wherein each photo sensor includes:

a substrate;

a first insulating layer formed on the substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on the first insulating layer;

first and second electrodes formed on the semiconductor layer; and

a second insulating layer formed on the first and second electrodes.

21. The liquid crystal display of claim 20, wherein the second panel is a thin film transistor panel including a plurality of gate lines and data lines, the first and second electrodes of each photo sensor formed within a same layer of the second panel as the data lines.

22. The liquid crystal display of claim 20, wherein the first and second electrodes alternate with each other in a comb tooth shape.

23. The liquid crystal display of claim 22, wherein the illumination sensor is formed on an edge of the thin film panel.

24. The liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the illumination sensor outputs a plurality of sensing signals based on external light, and

wherein the liquid crystal display further comprises:

a determination unit comparing the sensing signals with each other and outputting a plurality of first control signals based on a result of comparing the sensing signals with each other; and

a signal controller outputting a plurality of second control signals based on the first control signals from the determination unit.

25. The liquid crystal display of claim 24, wherein the illumination sensor includes first and second resistors connected in series between an input voltage and a ground voltage.

26. The liquid crystal display of claim 25, wherein the first resistor is a variable resistor of which resistance varies depending upon the external light and the second resistor is a constant resistor with constant resistance.

27. The liquid crystal display of claim 26, further comprising an output terminal connected to a node between the variable resistor and the constant resistor, the output terminal outputting the sensing signals.

28. The liquid crystal display of claim 27, wherein the sensing signals are proportional to energy of the external light.

29. The liquid crystal display of claim 28, wherein the pixels include pixels of three colors, and

wherein the liquid crystal display further comprises:

a gray voltage generator generating a plurality of gray voltages in a unit of three colors; and

a backlight unit supplying internal light to the thin film panel.

30. The liquid crystal display of claim 29, wherein the second control signals include a third control signal supplied to the gray voltage generator and a fourth control signal supplied to the backlight unit.

31. The liquid crystal display of claim 30, wherein the third control signal is generated based on a type of a light source emitting the external light, and the fourth control signal is generated based on brightness of the external light.

32. The liquid crystal display of claim 31, wherein the determination unit includes a lookup table in which magnitudes of the sensing signals are classified based on the type of the light source emitting the external light.

33. The liquid crystal display of claim 31, wherein the illumination sensor outputs the sensing signals corresponding to energy of light passing through a color filter formed on the first panel.

34. The liquid crystal display of claim 33, wherein the color filter is any one of a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter, and a white filter.

35. The liquid crystal display of claim 34, wherein the illumination sensor includes first to third sensors, and

wherein the first to third sensors include the red filter, the green filter, and the white filter, respectively.

36. The liquid crystal display of claim 35, wherein the determination unit outputs the first control signal for controlling the backlight unit based on the sensing signal output from the second sensor.

37. The liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the liquid crystal display is any one of a transmissive type, a reflective type, and a transflective type.

38. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal panel assembly;

an illumination sensor disposed on the liquid crystal panel assembly and sensing external light;

a gray voltage generator generating a plurality of gray voltages; and

,

a signal controller outputting a signal to the gray voltage generator based on a type of light source emitting the external light, wherein the gray voltages are controlled based on the type of light source emitting the external light.