LIQUID-CRYSTAL DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20090135318A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takama, Daisuke, Harada, Tsutomu, Yamaguchi, Kazunori, Tateuchi, Mitsuru, Tsuzaki, Ryoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,519,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• 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 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133613 characterized by the sequence of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence
• 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: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid-crystal display apparatus is provided. The liquid-crystal display apparatus including: a light source for generating visible-domain light and invisible-domain light; a plurality of liquid-crystal devices laid out in a display face region of the liquid-crystal display apparatus for modulating visible-domain light and transmitting invisible domain light generated by the light source; a plurality of light receiving devices laid out in the display face region as devices each used for receiving invisible-domain light; a display driving section configured to drive the liquid-crystal devices so as to radiate visible-domain light from the display face as display light; a light-reception driving section configured to drive the light receiving devices to detect invisible-domain light radiated from the display face and reflected by a detection-subject object as detected light; and a detection section configured to detect the detection-subject object on the basis of a received-light signal obtained from the light receiving devices.

Claims

1. A liquid-crystal display apparatus comprising:

a light source for generating visible-domain light and invisible-domain light;

a plurality of liquid-crystal devices laid out in a display face region of said liquid-crystal display apparatus for modulating visible-domain light generated by said light source on the basis of image data and transmitting invisible domain light generated by said light source;

a plurality of light receiving devices laid out in said display face region as devices each used for receiving invisible-domain light;

display driving means for driving said liquid-crystal devices on the basis of said image data so as to radiate visible-domain light from said display face as display light;

light-reception driving means for driving said light receiving devices to detect invisible-domain light radiated from said display face and reflected by a detection-subject object reflecting said invisible-domain light generated by said light source and radiated from said display face, as detected light; and

detection means for detecting said detection-subject object on the basis of a received-light signal obtained from said light receiving devices.

2. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the position and size of said detection-subject object is detected on the basis of said detected light.

3. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of detection-subject bodies are detected on the basis of said detected light.

4. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said liquid-crystal devices and said light receiving devices are laid out on said display face to form a matrix;

said display driving means drives said liquid-crystal devices to emit light in line-sequential display operations; and

said light-reception driving means drives said light receiving devices to receive light in line-sequential light receiving operations.

5. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said light-reception driving means drives said light receiving devices to receive light in said line-sequential light receiving operations each synchronized with one of said line-sequential display operations.

6. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

each of said light receiving devices is also capable of receiving visible-domain light; and

said light-reception driving means drives said light receiving devices to detect visible-domain light radiated from said display face and reflected by said detection-subject object reflecting said visible-domain light generated by said light source and radiated from said display face, as said detected light.

7. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 6 wherein:

each of said light receiving devices comprises a first light receiving sub-device for receiving visible-domain light and a second light receiving sub-device for receiving invisible-domain light; and

said light-reception driving means drives said first light receiving sub-devices and said second light receiving sub-devices so that said first light receiving sub-devices detect visible-domain light reflected by said detection-subject object, whereas said second light receiving sub-devices detect invisible-domain light, reflected by said detection-subject object.

8. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said light-reception driving means drives said first light receiving sub-devices and said second light receiving sub-devices by switching said light receiving devices from said first light receiving sub-devices to said second light receiving sub-devices and vice versa.

9. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a first light sub-source for generating visible-domain light and a second light sub-source for generating invisible-domain light.

10. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

each of said liquid-crystal devices comprises a pair of transparent substrates facing each other and a liquid-crystal layer sandwiched between said transparent substrates;

said display driving means includes a switching device for driving each of said liquid-crystal devices; and

said light receiving devices and said switching devices are provided on the same transparent substrate.

11. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 10 wherein each of said liquid-crystal devices includes a color filter provided on at least one of said transparent substrates forming said pair.

12. The liquid-crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said light receiving devices is made of single-crystal silicon, poly-crystal silicon, or amorphous silicon.