DISPLAY DEVICE WITH CAPTURE CAPABILITIES

• US 20090102763A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Border, John N., Schilling-Benz, Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13476 in which at least one liquid crystal cell or layer assumes a scattering state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact

Abstract

An image capture and display device is described. The device includes a liquid crystal display panel, which can switch between two states, a display state and the capture state. Wherein at least a portion of the display and a switchable diffuser become transparent in the capture state. One or more image capture devices are located behind the display. Holes or windows are provided in the backlight for the image capture devices to capture images of the scene in front of the device when in the capture state.

Claims

1. An image capture and display device, comprising:

a. a display panel having a front display side and a back side, said display panel being capable of being alternately placed in a first state for display of an image and a second state wherein at least a portion of said display panel is substantially transparent;

b. a backlight device disposed behind said display panel for providing a substantially uniform light to the back side of said display panel, said backlight device comprising a uniform light panel having a front surface facing the back side of said display panel, a back surface, a reflective layer is provided at the back surface, and a light source for providing light to said uniform light panel, said reflective layer causing light from said light source to be directed toward said display panel;

c. a diffusing element placed between said display panel and said backlight device, said diffusing element having at least a portion thereof capable of being alternately placed in a first state wherein said portion is substantially transparent and a second state wherein said diffusing element diffuses the light from said uniform light panel being transmitted to said display panel; and

d. an image capture device positioned behind said diffusing element for capturing an image of a scene positioned in front of said display panel, said image capture device being positioned substantially adjacent to or integrally with said uniform light panel.

2. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein

said image capture device is positioned such that it is aligned with said portion of the diffusing element and said portion of the display panel.

3. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said display panel comprises a LCD display panel.

4. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device comprises any one or more of the following:

CCD, CMOS, image modules, digital still camera, digital video camera.

5. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein a light shield is positioned around the image capture device such that impinging light from the uniform light panel is blocked from entering the lens of the image capture device.

6. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device comprises multiple digital cameras with one or more different image capture characteristics such as:

still capture, video capture, burst capture, lens field of view, lens focal length, sensor resolution, spectral response, lens f number, light sensitivity, or color filter array patterns.

7. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device is positioned in the central region of the display.

8. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device comprises multiple digital cameras positioned across the display area to provide different fields of view of the scene in front of the display.

9. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device is positioned in an opening in the uniform light panel to reduce the thickness of the image capture and display device

10. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein said image capture device is positioned in the uniform light panel such that the lens is positioned at the front surface of the uniform light panel.

11. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 wherein the image capture device is integral with said uniform light panel.

12. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 herein said image capture device has thickness no greater than about 5 mm.

13. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 herein said uniform light panel comprises a light guide panel.

14. An image capture and display device according to claim 1 herein said uniform light panel comprises a distributed illumination panel.

15. A method for capturing and displaying an image using an image capture and display device having a display panel having a front display side and a back side, said display panel being capable of being alternately placed in a first state wherein at least a portion of said display panel is substantially transparent and a second state wherein an image can be displayed on said display panel, a uniform light panel disposed behind said display panel for providing a substantially uniform light to the back side of said display panel, a diffusing element placed between said display panel and said uniform light panel, portions of said diffusing element being capable of being alternately placed in a first state wherein said diffusing element is substantially transparent and a second state wherein said diffusing element diffuses the light from said uniform light panel being transmitted to said display panel;

and an image capture device positioned behind said diffusing element, for capturing an image of a scene positioned on the other side of said display panel, comprising the steps of;

a. alternating a portion of said diffusing element between said first and second states at a rate that is not noticeable by an observer of said device;

b. alternating said display panel between said first and second states at a rate that is not noticeable by an observer of said device

c. providing an image on said display panel when said display panel is in said second state and when said diffusing element is in said second state; and

d. capturing an image of a scene by said image capture device when said diffusing element is in said first state and said display panel is in said first state.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said rate is equal to or greater than 24 Hz.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein said image capture device is positioned substantially adjacent to or integrally with said uniform light panel.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein said portion of said diffusing element be substantially the same size as said image capture device and is positioned in alignment with said image capture device.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the device is used to unobtrusively capture image information of viewers and the environment surrounding the image capture and display device.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the image information is transmitted to a remote site for storage or analysis.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the image information is used to tailor, modify or select the image presented to the viewer.

22. The method according to claim 15 wherein said image and capture display device includes communication capabilities further comprising the step of two of said image and capture display devices are used for video communication over communication network.

23. An image capture and display device, comprising:

a. a display panel having a front display side and a back side, said display panel being capable of being alternately placed in a first state for display of an image and a second state wherein at least a portion of said display panel is substantially transparent;

b. a diffusing element placed behind said display panel, said diffusing element having at least a portion thereof capable of being alternately placed in a first state wherein said portion is substantially transparent and a second state wherein said diffusing element diffuses the light from said uniform light panel being transmitted to said display panel; and

c. an image capture device positioned integrally or adjacent to said diffusing element for capturing an image of a scene positioned on the other side of said display panel.

24. An image capture and display device according to claim 23 wherein said display panel comprise an OLED, electroluminescent or LED display panel.