DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20110109592A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TAMURA, Hikaru, IKEDA, Takayuki, YAMAZAKI, Shunpei, KUROKAWA, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,368,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1464 Back illuminated imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14678 Contact-type imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

The display device has a display panel where a photosensor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer are arranged. The display device detects a shadow of the object, which is projected on the display panel when the object approaches the display panel and blocks ambient light, with a photosensor, whereby a position or motion of the object is detected. Even when the object is not in contact with the display panel, the object can be detected.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel including pixels arranged in matrix; and

an image processing portion operationally connected to the display panel,

wherein each of the pixels includes a photosensor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the photosensor is configured to detect a shadow of an object projected on the display panel, and

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect a position of the object using data of the shadow of the object, which is obtained by the photosensor.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect motion of the object by comparing successive data of the position of the object.

3. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the pixels further includes a display element.

4. A display device comprising:

a display panel including pixels arranged in matrix; and

an image processing portion operationally connected to the display panel,

wherein each of the pixels includes a photosensor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the photosensor is configured to detect a shadow of an object projected on the display panel,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect a position of the object using data of the shadow of the object, which is obtained by the photosensor, and

wherein the image processing portion is configured to recognize a region including the largest number of pixels detecting the shadow among a plurality of regions obtained by dividing the display panel, as positional data of the object.

5. The display device according to claim 4,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect motion of the object by comparing successive positional data of the object.

6. The display device according to claim 4,

wherein each of the pixels further includes a display element.

7. A display device comprising:

a display panel including pixels arranged in matrix, the pixels including first pixels and second pixels; and

an image processing portion operationally connected to the display panel,

wherein each of the first pixels includes a first photosensor and a first transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein each of the second pixels includes a second photosensor and a second transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the first photosensor is configured to detect a shadow of an object projected on the display panel,

wherein the second photosensor is configured to detect a presence of the object which is in contact with the display panel, and

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect a position of the object using data of the shadow of the object, which is obtained by the first photosensor.

8. The display device according to claim 7,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect motion of the object by comparing successive data of the position of the object.

9. The display device according to claim 7,

wherein the number of the second photosensors is larger than that of the first photosensors.

10. The display device according to claim 7,

wherein the second pixels are provided on a periphery of each of the first pixels.

11. A display device comprising:

a display panel including pixels arranged in matrix, the pixels including first pixels and second pixels; and

an image processing portion operationally connected to the display panel,

wherein each of the first pixels includes a first photosensor and a first transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein each of the second pixels includes a second photosensor and a second transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the first photosensor is configured to detect a shadow of an object projected on the display panel,

wherein the second photosensor is configured to detect a presence of the object which is in contact with the display panel,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect a position of the object using data of the shadow of the object, which is obtained by the first photosensor, and

wherein the image processing portion is configured to recognize a region including the largest number of pixels detecting the shadow among a plurality of regions obtained by dividing the display panel, as positional data of the object.

12. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein the image processing portion is configured to detect motion of the object by comparing successive positional data of the object.

13. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein the number of the second photosensors is larger than that of the first photosensors.

14. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein the second pixels are provided on a periphery of each of the first pixels.

15. A display device comprising a display panel including pixels arranged in matrix, the pixels including first pixels and second pixels,

wherein each of the first pixels includes an infrared light sensor and a first transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein each of the second pixels includes a visible light sensor and a second transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the infrared light sensor is configured to detect light emitted from the display panel and reflected by an object when the object is not in contact with the display panel, and

wherein the visible light sensor is configured to detect light emitted from the display panel and reflected by the object when the object is in contact with the display panel.

16. The display device according to claim 15,

wherein the number of the second pixels are larger than that of the first pixels.

17. The display device according to claim 15,

wherein the second pixels are provided on a periphery of each of the first pixels.