Image display apparatus with image entry function

• US 20080198140A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kageyama, Hiroshi, Kinoshita, Masayoshi
• Application Number:
  US12/000,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

An image display apparatus with image entry function of high accuracy enabling high-speed direct screen input without decreasing a pixel aperture ratio. Data lines of thin-film transistors which do not receive light and storage lines are connected to respective selector switches. The selector switches are turned on and off by a switching signal supplied through a switching line from a control circuit. The conveyance of a drive signal and a video signal supplied from a gate line driving circuit and a data line driving circuit and the conveyance of a light signal to an X address detection circuit and a Y address detection circuit are switched by turning on and off the selector switches.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus with image entry function in which information is inputted by a touch on a pixel area of a screen formed over an insulating substrate, the image display apparatus with image entry function comprising:

each pixel in the pixel area composed of a plurality of pixels constituting the screen, including a first thin-film transistor for use as a pixel switch which is shaded from irradiation of light incident through the screen, a second thin-film transistor for use as a light sensor which receives the light, a storage capacitor, and a pixel electrode, on a principal surface of the insulating substrate;

a drain electrode or a source electrode of the first thin-film transistor being connected to a source electrode or a drain electrode of the second thin-film transistor;

the drain electrode or the source electrode of the second thin-film transistor being connected to one electrode of the storage capacitor and the pixel electrode;

a gate line for pixel selection connected to a gate electrode of the first thin-film transistor;

a sensor control line connected to a gate electrode of the second thin-film transistor;

a data line connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the first thin-film transistor; and

a storage line connected to the other electrode of the storage capacitor,

wherein the data line and the storage line convey a display signal to be applied to the pixel electrode and a sense signal of the second thin-film transistor.

2. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 1, further comprising a selector switch, connected to respective one ends of the data line and the storage line, for switching conveyance of the display signal and the sense signal.

3. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 1, further comprising:

an X address detection circuit which receives sense signals of second thin-film transistors arranged in a vertical direction in the pixel area through the data line; and

a Y address detection circuit which receives sense signals of second thin-film transistors arranged in a horizontal direction in the pixel area through the storage line.

4. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit which determines presence or absence of a touch and extracts a position address thereof, based on an output of the X address detection circuit and an output of the Y address detection circuit.

5. An image display apparatus with image entry function in which information is inputted by a touch on a pixel area of a screen formed over an insulating substrate, the image display apparatus with image entry function comprising:

each pixel in the pixel area composed of a plurality of pixels constituting the screen, including a thin-film transistor for use as a pixel switch which is shaded from irradiation of light incident through the screen, a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a horizontal direction in which a source electrode or a drain electrode of the thin-film transistor is connected to one electrode of a storage capacitor and a pixel electrode, an X address sensor circuit which is disposed at one location to the plurality of sub-pixels adjacent in a vertical direction and receives the light, and a Y address sensor circuit which is disposed at another location and receives the light, on a principal surface of the insulating substrate;

a gate line for pixel selection connected to a gate electrode of the thin-film transistor for use as the pixel switch;

a data line connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the thin-film transistor for use as the pixel switch;

a storage line connected to the other electrode of the storage capacitor;

the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit being each composed of a thin-film transistor, and a drain electrode or a source electrode of each thin-film transistor being connected to the storage line;

an X address output line connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the thin-film transistor of the X address sensor circuit;

a Y address output line connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the thin-film transistor of the Y address sensor circuit;

an X address detection circuit connected to one end of the X address output line; and

a Y address detection circuit connected to one end of the Y address output line.

6. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein the number of sub-pixels arranged in the horizontal direction is three, and the three sub-pixels correspond to red, green, and blue constituting full-color display, respectively.

7. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 6, wherein the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit are disposed adjacent to a blue sub-pixel adjacent in the vertical direction.

8. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein the number of sub-pixels arranged in the horizontal direction is four, and the four sub-pixels respectively correspond to red, green, and blue constituting full-color display, and white.

9. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 8, wherein the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit are disposed adjacent to a white sub-pixel adjacent in the vertical direction.

10. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein a switch is disposed between the X address sensor circuit and the X address output line and between the Y address sensor circuit and the Y address output line.

11. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 10, wherein the switch is a thin-film transistor whose gate electrode is connected to the gate line, and an output of the X address sensor circuit and an output of the Y address sensor circuit are outputted to the X address output line and the Y address output line at timing selected through the gate line.

12. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 6, wherein the red, green, and blue corresponding to the sub-pixels are formed in a stripe arrangement.

13. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 6, wherein the red, green, and blue corresponding to the sub-pixels are formed in a mosaic arrangement.

14. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit are disposed adjacent to a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel adjacent in the vertical direction and disposed outside respective color filters which cover the sub-pixels.

15. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein each of the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit is composed of a PIN diode and has a drain terminal and a source terminal.

16. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein each of the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit is composed of a thin-film transistor and has a drain terminal, a gate terminal, and a source terminal.

17. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 16, wherein the gate and source terminals of the thin-film transistor are short-circuited.

18. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 16, wherein a capacitor is connected in parallel between the drain and source terminals of the thin-film transistor.

19. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 15, wherein a capacitor is connected in parallel between the drain and source terminals of the PIN diode.

20. The image display apparatus with image entry function according to claim 5, wherein each of the X address sensor circuit and the Y address sensor circuit is composed of a thin-film transistor and has a drain terminal, a gate terminal, and a source terminal, and the gate line for pixel selection is connected to the gate terminal.