Light sensitive display

• US 20080084374A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Planar Systems Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, den Boer, Willem
• Application Number:
  US11/977,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer;

(c) a liquid crystal material located between said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer;

(d) changing an electrical potential between said rear electrode layer and said front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of said liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon;

(e) a plurality of light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer;

(f) said plurality of light sensitive elements having a first density over a first region including majority of said display and a second density over a second region of said display;

(g) a processor that determines at least one of said plurality of light sensitive elements that experiences a change in the light level to a level less than the ambient light level;

(h) wherein said display includes a front transparent layer with an upper surface having an index of refraction of greater than 1.55.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein said display is an active matrix liquid crystal device.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein each of said light sensitive elements includes a first transistor that senses ambient light, and a second transistor that is inhibited from sensing ambient light with respect to said first transistor.

4. The display of claim 1 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines at least one of regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements and regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.

5. The display of claim 1 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements.

6. The display of claim 1 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein said front transparent layer is glass.

8. The display of claim 7 wherein said glass has an index of refraction of greater than 1.55.

9. A liquid crystal display comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer;

(c) a liquid crystal material located between said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer;

(d) changing an electrical potential between said rear electrode layer and said front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of said liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon;

(e) a plurality of light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer;

(f) a processor that determines at least one of said plurality of light sensitive elements that experiences a change in the light level to a level less than the ambient light level;

(g) said processor determining said change in light level over a plurality of frames;

(h) said processor determining a pattern of said change in light level over said plurality of frames and providing a sensed image of said changes.

10. The display of claim 9 wherein said determine said change in light level of said plurality of frames is for a minor region of said display.

11. The display of claim 9 wherein said determine said change in light level of said plurality of frames is for a majority of said display.

12. The display of claim 9 wherein said determine said change in light level of said plurality of frames is for all of said display.

13. The display of claim 9 wherein each of said light sensitive elements includes a first transistor that senses ambient light, and a second transistor that is inhibited from sensing ambient light with respect to said first transistor.

14. The display of claim 9 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines at least one of regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements and regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.

15. The display of claim 9 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements.

16. The display of claim 9 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.

17. A liquid crystal display comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer;

(c) a liquid crystal material located between said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer, where said a front polarizer is supported by the front of said liquid crystal material and a rear polarizer is supported by the rear of said liquid crystal material;

(d) changing an electrical potential between said rear electrode layer and said front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of said liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon;

(e) a plurality of light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer;

(f) a light guide provided on the front of said liquid crystal material having a rear polarizer that substantially matches the orientation of said front polarizer;

(g) a processor that determines at least one of said plurality of light sensitive elements that experiences a change in the light level to a level less than the ambient light level.

18. The display of claim 17 wherein said display is an active matrix liquid crystal device.

19. The display of claim 17 wherein each of said light sensitive elements includes a first transistor that senses ambient light, and a second transistor that is inhibited from sensing ambient light with respect to said first transistor.

20. The display of claim 17 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines at least one of regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements and regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.

21. The display of claim 17 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where ambient light is inhibited from reaching said light sensitive elements.

22. The display of claim 17 further comprising a processor that receives information from said light sensitive elements and determines regions of said display where light in excess of said ambient light reaches said light sensitive elements.