LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE ACHIEVING IMAGING WITH HIGH S/N RATIO USING INVISIBLE LIGHT

• US 20070296688A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Central Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hiroki, Nakamura, Takashi, Hayashi, Hirotaka, Tada, Norio, Imai, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,701,448 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: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/11 involving infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

A liquid crystal panel brightness controller notifies a backlight controller that an illuminance of ambient light is equal to or less than a threshold value. Upon notification, the backlight controller causes invisible light emitted, for example. The invisible light passes through a liquid crystal panel and is reflected by an imaging target and is received by photosensors. Accordingly, the decrease in the amount of the visible light received by photosensors is compensated. As a result, an image with a high S/N ratio is obtained.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal layer;

photosensors disposed in the liquid crystal panel;

a backlight being disposed on a back side of the liquid crystal panel, and including a visible light source and a invisible light source;

an imaging means configured to obtain an image of an imaging target located on a front side of the liquid crystal panel based on amount of light that is emitted from the backlight and passes through the liquid crystal panel and is reflected by the imaging target and is received by the photosensors;

an illuminance measuring means configured to measure illuminance of ambient light;

a visible light source controller means configured to control the visible light source to decrease intensity of the visible light if the measured illuminance is equal to or less than a threshold value set in advance; and

an invisible light source controller means configured to control the invisible light source to cause the invisible light emitted or increases intensity of the invisible light if the measured illuminance is equal to or less than the threshold value.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a peak of wavelength of the invisible light is equal to or more than 760 nm, and equal to or less than 1000 nm.