Flat panel display with integrated electromagnetic pen digitizer

• US 6,215,476 B1
• Filed: 10/10/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Depew, John M., Northway, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US08/948,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/176, 345/179, 345/182, 345/183, 345/102, 345/104, 345/156, 178/18.01, 178/18.06, 178/18.1, 178/19.01, 178/19.03
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display

Abstract

An electromagnetic pen digitizer is integrated into a flat panel display assembly using “bent TAB” active electronics. Integration is performed by placing a discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer further inside the flat panel display assembly itself behind the diffuser backlight component, but in front of the “bent TAB” active electronics. Interference from the active electronics is avoided because they are not in between the digitizer and the pen operating upon the flat panel display. The electromagnetic pen digitizer is integrated into the flat panel display assembly by inserting the digitizer into the flat panel display assembly behind the diffuser backlight during the routine manufacture of the flat panel display assembly. Alternatively, the discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer is bonded to the diffuser backlight earlier in the manufacturing process; the combined diffuser backlight/digitizer component is placed into the flat panel display assembly during the routine manufacture of the complete flat panel display assembly. By integrating such a digitizer into the routine manufacturing process of a flat panel display, a standard “off-the-shelf” flat panel display may be used. The digitizer may be directly coated onto the diffuser backlight through an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating on the backlight itself. Also, an electromagnetic digitizer may be fabricated onto the front of the diffuser backlight by using a thin-film etched flexible circuit technique or a silk screen printed thin-film technique. Integrating an electromagnetic pen digitizer in this fashion allows for greater use of “off-the-shelf” display panels with only slight modifications.

Claims

1. A flat panel display assembly that allows use of an electromagnetic pen for input of data to a computer system, said flat panel display assembly comprising:

a housing for containing said flat panel display assembly;

a mother unit located within said housing for displaying information from said computer system on said mother unit;

an electromagnetic pen digitizer located within said housing and behind said mother unit, said electromagnetic pen digitizer capable of receiving signals from said electromagnetic pen representing data for input to said computer system; and

active display electronics located within said housing and behind said electromagnetic pen digitizer such that said active display electronics do not interfere with said signals from said electromagnetic pen, said active display electronics being in electrical communication with said mother unit and used for controlling said information displayed on said mother unit, said active display electronics being located substantially behind said mother unit such that a viewable area of said flat panel display assembly is relatively large compared to a non-viewable area of said flat panel display assembly.

2. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said active display electronics include a flexible cable for attachment to said mother unit and are fabricated using bent tape-automated bonding (TAB) construction, said flexible cable having a sufficient length such that said active display electronics are folded in behind said electromagnetic pen digitizer.

3. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display assembly is a standard assembly and said electromagnetic pen digitizer is a discrete unit fabricated using flexible circuit technology and is relatively thin such that said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer is suitable for easy integration into said standard assembly.

4. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer has a thickness of about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm.

5. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said mother unit is a mother glass unit and said assembly further comprises:

a backlight unit located within said housing and behind said mother glass unit and used for providing light to said mother glass unit.

6. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said electromagnetic pen digitizer is fabricated directly onto said backlight unit using a thin film coating technique, whereby the thickness of said electromagnetic pen digitizer is reduced and is easily integrated into a standard flat panel display assembly.

7. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said thin film coating is an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating being substantially clear.

8. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic pen is a cordless pen, and wherein said electromagnetic pen digitizer being further capable of transmitting an energy pulse to said electromagnetic cordless pen to supply power.

9. A flat panel display assembly that allows use of an electromagnetic pen for input of data to a computer system, said flat panel display assembly comprising:

a standard housing for containing said flat panel display assembly;

a mother glass unit located within said housing for displaying information from said computer system on said mother glass unit;

a backlight unit located within said housing and behind said mother glass unit and used for providing light to said mother glass unit;

a discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer located within said housing and behind said mother glass unit, said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer being relatively thin permitting easy integration into said standard housing and capable of receiving signals from said electromagnetic pen representing data for input to said computer system; and

bent tape-automated bonding (TAB) electronics located within said housing and folded behind said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer such that said bent TAB electronics do not interfere with said signals from said electromagnetic pen, said bent TAB electronics electrically connected to said mother glass unit and used for controlling said information displayed on said mother glass unit, said bent TAB electronics being located substantially behind said mother glass unit such that a viewable area of said flat panel display assembly is relatively large compared to a non-viewable area of said flat panel display assembly.

10. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said bent TAB electronics include a flexible cable for attachment to said mother glass unit, said flexible cable having a sufficient length to permit said bent TAB electronics to be folded in behind said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer.

11. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display assembly is a standard assembly and said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer is fabricated using flexible circuit technology permitting easy integration into said standard assembly.

12. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer has a thickness of about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm.

13. A flat panel display assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said electromagnetic pen is a cordless pen, and wherein said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer being further capable of transmitting an energy pulse to said electromagnetic cordless pen to supply power.

14. A method of assembling a flat panel display assembly, said flat panel display assembly suitable for use with an electromagnetic pen for inputting data to a computer system, said method comprising:

providing a housing suitable for containing said flat panel display assembly;

inserting a mother unit within said housing, said mother unit including active display electronics electrically connected with said mother unit and with said computer system, said active display electronics used for controlling information displayed on said mother unit;

inserting an electromagnetic pen digitizer within said housing and behind said mother unit, said electromagnetic pen digitizer capable of receiving signals from said electromagnetic pen representing data for input to said computer system; and

placing said active display electronics of said mother unit within said housing and behind said electromagnetic pen digitizer such that said active display electronics do not interfere with said signals from said electromagnetic pen, said active display electronics being located substantially behind said mother unit such that a viewable area of said flat panel display assembly is relatively large compared to a non-viewable area of said flat panel display assembly.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said active display electronics include a flexible cable for attachment to said mother unit and are fabricated using bent tape-automated bonding (TAB) construction, wherein said step of placing said active display electronics includes the sub-step of:

folding said active display electronics behind said electromagnetic pen digitizer using said flexible cable, said flexible cable having a sufficient length such that said active display electronics may be folded.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said flat panel display assembly is a standard assembly and said electromagnetic pen digitizer is a discrete unit fabricated using flexible circuit technology and is relatively thin such that said step of inserting an electromagnetic pen digitizer permits easy integration of said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer into said standard assembly.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer has a thickness of about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm.

18. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of:

inserting a backlight unit within said housing and behind said mother unit, said backlight unit suitable for providing light to said mother unit.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said electromagnetic pen digitizer is fabricated directly onto said backlight unit using a thin film coating technique, and said steps of inserting a backlight unit and inserting an electromagnetic pen digitizer are performed as one, whereby the thickness of said electromagnetic pen digitizer is reduced and is easily integrated into a standard flat panel display assembly.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said thin film coating is an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating being substantially clear.

21. A method of assembling a flat panel display assembly, said flat panel display assembly suitable for use with an electromagnetic pen for inputting data to a computer system, said method comprising:

providing a standard housing suitable for containing said flat panel display assembly;

inserting a mother glass unit within said standard housing, said mother glass unit including bent tape-automated bonding (TAB) electronics electrically connected with said mother glass unit and with said computer system, said bent TAB electronics used for controlling information displayed on said mother glass unit;

inserting a backlight unit within said standard housing and behind said mother glass unit, said backlight unit suitable for providing light to said mother glass unit;

inserting a discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer within said standard housing and behind said mother glass unit, said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer being relatively thin permitting easy integration into said standard housing and capable of receiving signals from said electromagnetic pen representing data for input to said computer system; and

folding said bent TAB electronics of said mother glass unit behind said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer such that said bent TAB electronics do not interfere with said signals from said electromagnetic pen, said bent TAB electronics being located substantially behind said mother glass unit such that a viewable area of said flat panel display assembly is relatively large compared to a non-viewable area of said flat panel display assembly.

22. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein said bent TAB electronics include a flexible cable for attachment to said mother glass unit with a sufficient length to permit said bent TAB electronics to be folded behind said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer.

23. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein said flat panel display assembly is a standard assembly and said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer is fabricated using flexible circuit technology such that said step of inserting a discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer permits easy integration of said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer into said standard assembly.

24. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein said discrete electromagnetic pen digitizer has a thickness of about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm.