Light sensitive display

• US 20080129909A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Planar Systems Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, den Boer, Willem
• Application Number:
  US11/980,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129909A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1611 to support document holders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 : using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 : Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 : Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 : forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 : by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• 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 3/3648 : using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device 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; and

(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.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said light sensitive elements include a transistor.

3. The device of claim 2 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 device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said first transistor and said second transistor is a thin-film transistor.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said thin-film transistor is amorphous silicon.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein a terminal of said first transistor is connected to a terminal of said second transistor with a first conductor.

7. A liquid crystal device comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer comprising a plurality of pixel electrodes;

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

(d) a front polarizing element located toward the front of said liquid crystal device relative to said front electrode layer;

(e) a rear polarizing element located toward the rear of said liquid crystal device relative to said rear electrode layer;

(f) 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;

(g) a plurality of light sensitive elements located at least partially between said pixel electrodes, with respect to a perpendicular direction to the front of said device, and between said liquid crystal material and said rear polarizing element; and

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