DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20130027354A1
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yabuta, Kohji, Noma, Mikihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,297 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 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device (1) that is provided with a function of identifying the position of a subject to be detected (finger) in an image display region (12b) of a liquid crystal panel (10) by emitting light to the image display region (12b) and by detecting light reflected by the subject to be detected (finger). The liquid crystal display device is provided with a backlight (30) and a front light-emitting unit (40), which radiate light to the image display region (12b). The backlight (30) is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal panel (10) opposite to the image display surface (10a), and emits light to the image display region (12b) from the rear side of the liquid crystal panel (10). The front light-emitting unit (40) is disposed outside of the image display region (12b), and emits light to the image display region (12b) without having the liquid crystal panel (10) therebetween. With such a configuration, even when the subject to be detected and the display panel are apart from each other, the position of the subject to be detected can be accurately identified.

Claims

1. A display device having a function of identifying a position of a subject to be detected in an image display region of a display panel by radiating light to the image display region and by detecting light reflected by the subject to be detected, the display device comprising:

a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit that radiate light to the image display region,

wherein the first light-emitting unit is disposed on a side opposite to an image display surface of the display panel, and radiates light to the image display region from a rear surface side of the display panel, and

wherein the second light-emitting unit is disposed outside of the image display region, and radiates light to the image display region without having the display panel therebetween.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting unit comprises a light source for image display and a first light source that emits light to the image display region for identifying a position of a subject to be detected.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second light-emitting unit comprises at least one second light source that emits light to the image display region for identifying a position of a subject to be detected.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the second light-emitting unit comprises a plurality of said second light sources, and

wherein said second light sources are respectively disposed at respective corners in a periphery of the image display region.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the respective second light sources are disposed such that light emitted from said second light sources travels across the image display region.

6. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the second light-emitting unit further comprises a light guide member outside of the image display region,

wherein the second light source emits light to the light guide member, and

wherein the light guide member emits light that was emitted from the second light source to the image display region through an emitting surface of said light guide member.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the light guide member is disposed along each side of the image display region so as to enclose the image display region.

8. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the first light source is an infrared light source that radiates infrared light.

9. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the second light source is an infrared light source that radiates infrared light.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel displays a stereoscopic image.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel switches a display mode between a first display mode in which a planar image is displayed and a second display mode in which a stereoscopic image is displayed.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a position of the subject to be detected that is present at a position remote from the display panel in the image display region is identified by detecting light that was emitted from the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit and that was reflected by the subject to be detected.