Communication device with a dual-sided liquid crystal display

• US 6,574,487 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Steven W., Sawadski, Michael J., Emmert, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/510,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569, 455/566, 455/90, 455/550, 455/575, 345/864, 349/113, 349/11, 349/17, 349/67, 349/69
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A communication device (10) with a dual-sided liquid crystal display (12) located with a housing (14) having two viewports (18,22). The display (12) includes a liquid crystal panel (50) with an associated driver circuit (52). The panel (50) has a first side (60) for viewing a top portion (62) of the display (12) from the first viewport (18) and a second side (64) for viewing a bottom portion (66) of the display (12) from the second viewport (22). A top reflective layer (68) is disposed on the top portion (62) of the panel (50) on the second side (64) of the panel (50). A bottom reflective layer (70) is disposed on the bottom portion (66) of the panel (50) on the first side (60) of the panel (50). A processor (82) is coupled to the driver circuit (52), wherein the processor (82) directs the display (12) through the driver circuit (52) to provide user interface information for operating the communication device (10). The present invention provides a dual-sided display (12) on a single LCD panel (50) using one driving circuit (52).

Claims

1. A communication device with a dual-sided liquid crystal display, comprising:

a housing for holding the display, the housing having a first side with a first viewport and a second side with a second viewport;

a liquid crystal panel with an associated driver circuit, the panel having a first side for viewing a top portion of the display from the first viewport and a second side for viewing a bottom portion of the display from the second viewport;

a top reflective layer disposed on the top portion of the panel on the second side of the panel;

a bottom reflective layer disposed on the bottom portion of the panel on the first side of the panel; and

a processor coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the processor directs the display through the driver circuit to provide user interface information for operating the communication device, and wherein

the reflective layers are holographic elements optically coupled to the panel such that light traversing the top portion of the panel from the first side to the reflective layer on the second side is reflected back towards the first side and light traversing the bottom portion of the panel from the second side to the reflective layer on the first side is reflected back towards the second side.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the reflective layers are transflective, and further comprising a top light source coupled to the top reflective layer and a bottom light source coupled to the bottom reflective layer, wherein the reflective layers are sandwiched between the panel and their associated light sources, the light sources provide backlighting through their associated reflective layer and into the panel.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein light sources are electroluminescent panels, and wherein the reflective layers and electroluminescent panels provide top and bottom display regions sized to substantially fill their associated viewing ports.

4. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a light barrier disposed around the panel and between the panel and the housing to optically separate the top and bottom portions of the display.

5. The communication device of claim 4, wherein the light barrier serves to absorb stray light within the panel and between the top and bottom portions of the panel.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the viewports of the housing are covered with substantially transparent lenses.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a movable portion of the communication device wherein the second viewport is visible when the housing is closed against the communication device covering the first viewport.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor drives the bottom portion of the display to provide alphanumeric information including at least one of the group comprising a date, a time, and a caller ID telephone number through the second viewport of the housing.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the processor drives the bottom portion of the display to display the alphanumeric information in one of two orientations according to user preference.

10. A communication device with a dual-sided liquid crystal display, comprising:

a housing for holding the display, the housing having a first side with a first viewport and a second side with a second viewport;

a liquid crystal panel with an associated driver circuit, the panel having a first side for viewing a top portion of the display from the first viewport and a second side for viewing a bottom portion of the display from the second viewport;

a top transflective layer disposed on the top portion of the panel on the to second side of the panel;

a top electroluminescent panel coupled to the top transflective layer such that the top transflective layer is sandwiched between the panel and the top electroluminescent panel;

a bottom transflective layer disposed on the bottom portion of the panel on the first side of the panel;

a bottom electroluminescent panel coupled to the bottom transflective layer such that the bottom transflective layer is sandwiched between the panel and the bottom electroluminescent panel; and

a processor coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the processor directs the display through the driver circuit to provide user interface information for operating the communication device, and wherein

the top and bottom transflective layers are holographic elements optically coupled to the panel such that light traversing the top portion of the panel from the first side to the transflective layer on the second side is reflected back towards the first side and light traversing the bottom portion of the panel from the second side to the transflective layer on the first side is reflected back towards the second side.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the top and bottom transflective layers and the top and bottom electroluminescent panels provide top and bottom display regions sized to substantially fill their associated viewing ports, in their respective display regions the electroluminescent panels provide backlighting through the associated transflective layer and into the panel.

12. The communication device of claim 10, further comprising a light barrier disposed around the panel and between the panel and the housing to optically separate the top and bottom portions of the display, the light barrier serves to absorb stray light within the panel and between the top and bottom portions of the panel.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the viewports of the housing are covered with substantially transparent lenses.

14. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor drives the bottom portion of the display to provide at least one of the group comprising a date, a time, and a caller ID telephone number through the second viewport of the housing.

15. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a movable portion of the communication device wherein the second viewport is visible when the housing is closed against the communication device covering the first viewport.