DISPLAY WITH INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS

• US 20120194896A1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kothari, Manish, Khazeni, Kasra
• Application Number:
  US13/444,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13324 Circuits comprising solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A display with patterned photovoltaic (PV) material integrated on the front side and/or back side of the display is disclosed. Light may reach PV material situated behind a display through fully or partially transmissive features or gaps within the display. Display-generated light may also reach PV material behind a display. A patterned PV material situated in front of a display may collect both ambient light as well as display-generated light.

Claims

1. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array region having a front side and a back side, the array region including active pixel areas and inactive areas;

a photovoltaic cell including a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the array region, wherein the photovoltaic material is patterned to correspond to a pattern of at least some of the inactive areas, the pattern including isolated islands within the array region; and

a power supply, wherein the photovoltaic cell is configured to provide power to the power supply.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material includes a deposited thin film photovoltaic material.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material further serves as a black mask to reduce reflections in the inactive areas of the array region.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the photovoltaic material is configured to reflect or transmit less than 10% of visible light incident upon the photovoltaic material.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the photovoltaic material is capable of receiving light from both the front and back sides of the photovoltaic material.

6. The device of claim 5, further including a transparent conducting film in electrical contact with the photovoltaic material.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the transparent conducting film connects one isolated island of photovoltaic material to another isolated island of photovoltaic material.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the photovoltaic material is capable of receiving light incident upon the photovoltaic material through the transparent conducting film from the front and the back of the photovoltaic cell.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the display includes a backlight.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material is formed over the back side of the array region.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the display includes a reflective display technology.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the active pixels include liquid crystal display pixels.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the active pixels include emissive elements.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the emissive elements are selected from the group including light-emitting diodes, organic light-emitting diodes, field emission displays, and liquid crystal displays.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the active pixel areas include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the MEMS devices include interferometric modulators.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the inactive areas include transparent inactive structures capable of allowing ambient light to reach the photovoltaic material and wherein the photovoltaic material is patterned to correspond to a pattern of the inactive structures.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the transparent inactive structures include spaces between pixel areas.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material is formed over the front side of the array region.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the photovoltaic material is patterned to mask the inactive areas of the array region.

21. A method of manufacturing a display device, the display device configured to display an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the method comprising:

providing a display including an array region, the array region including active pixel areas and inactive areas;

disposing a photovoltaic material over one of the front side and the back side of the array region;

patterning the photovoltaic material to correspond to a pattern of at least some of the inactive areas, the pattern including isolated islands within the array region; and

providing a power supply, wherein the photovoltaic material is configured to provide power to the power supply.

22. The method of claim 21, further including aligning the patterned photovoltaic material with the pattern of the inactive areas.

23. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array region having a front side and a back side, the array region including active pixel areas and inactive areas;

means for converting light into electrical current, the light-converting means including a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the array region, wherein the photovoltaic material is patterned to correspond to a pattern of at least some of the inactive areas, the pattern including isolated islands within the array region; and

a power supply, wherein the means for converting light is configured to provide power to the power supply.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the means for converting light includes a photovoltaic cell.