DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100134457A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Katoh, Hiromi, Brown, Christopher, Maeda, Kazuhiro
• Application Number:
  US12/595,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134457A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/207
• 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: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0861 with additional control of the display period without amending the charge stored in a pixel memory, e.g. by means of additional select electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/148 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device with an image capture function including optical sensors in its pixels, in particular, a display device which allows a reduction in the size of a substrate and in power consumption by reducing the area of a peripheral region not contributory to displaying. The display device includes: an active matrix substrate (100) including a plurality of gate lines (7), a plurality of source lines (9), and display switching elements arranged in correspondence with respective points of intersection of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of source lines. The display device further includes: optical sensors (10) provided in a pixel region (1) of the active matrix substrate (100); and a plurality of sensor row lines (8) arranged in correspondence with the optical sensors (10). Supply of a voltage to the optical sensors (10) and reading of a luminance signal from the optical sensors are performed through the plurality of source lines (9) by a common column driver circuit that drives the display switching elements.

Claims

1. A display device comprising an active matrix substrate including a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, and display switching elements arranged in correspondence with respective points of intersection of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of source lines, the display device further comprising:

optical sensors provided in a pixel region of the active matrix substrate; and

a plurality of sensor row lines arranged in correspondence with the optical sensors,

wherein supply of a voltage to the optical sensors and reading of a luminance signal from the optical sensors are performed through the plurality of source lines by a common column driver circuit that drives the display switching elements.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the column driving circuit includes:

a column scanning circuit for outputting a column selection signal;

a sensor column reading circuit for supplying a voltage to the optical sensors and reading the luminance signal on the basis of the column selection signal; and

a display switching circuit for supplying an image display signal to the display switching elements on the basis of the column selection signal.

3. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the sensor column reading circuit reads the luminance signal from the optical sensors during a blanking period, and the sensor column reading circuit outputs the luminance signal during an image display period.

4. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the active matrix substrate includes a connector for establishing connection with an external circuit, and

the column driving circuit is formed on a side of a peripheral region where the FPC connector is formed.

5. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the column driving circuit has a function of amplifying the luminance signal from the optical sensors.

6. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the optical sensors include one sensor switching element.

7. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the optical sensors include two sensor switching elements.

8. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the optical sensors include three sensor switching elements.

9. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein in correspondence with the display switching elements being driven by multiphase driving, the luminance signals from the optical sensors are read by multiphase driving.

10. The display device according to claim 9,

wherein the number of phases used in the multiphase driving of the display switching elements and the number of phases used in the reading of the luminance signals from the optical sensors are equal.

11. The display device according to claim 9,

wherein the number of phases used in the multiphase driving of the display switching elements is twice as large as that used in the reading of the luminance signals from the optical sensors.

12. The display device according to claim 9,

wherein the display switching elements are driven by eight-phase driving and the luminance signal from the optical sensors is read by four-phase driving.

13. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a counter substrate facing the active matrix substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate.