Liquid crystal display device

• US 6,888,524 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AEG Gesellschaft Fuer Moderne Informationssysteme Mbh
• Original Assignee: AEG Gesellschaft Fuer Moderne Informationssysteme Mbh
• Inventors: Bader, Otto, Bitter, Thomas, Bayrle, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K.
• Application Number:
  US09/790,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 345/88, 345/98, 345/32, 349/5.96, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device is provided. The liquid crystal display device has a display surface, a sensing device for sensing a light source around the display surface, a control circuit responsive to the sensed light source to adjust a voltage to a controller, which adjusts a transmissivity of the display surface in response to the adjusted voltage.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device responsive to a light source, comprising:

a display surface having an optically active surface and an inactive surface, the optically active surface including a plurality of pixels cooperable to provide an adjustable transmissivity, the inactive surface disposed proximate the plurality of pixels;

a sensing device for sensing a level of light emitted by the light source;

a control circuit in communication with the sensing device, the control circuit configured to regulate a voltage in response to the sensed level of light; and

a controller in communication with the control circuit and the display surface, the controller responsive to the regulated voltage to adjust the transmissivity of the display surface according to the sensed level of light;

wherein the plurality of pixels and the inactive surface define a fill coefficient expressed as the ratio;

$\mathrm{\eta <br><br>}=\frac{\mathrm{\Sigma <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>F_i}{F},$

wherein η

is the fill coefficient, F_i is a first area defined by the plurality of pixels and F is a second area defined by the display surface including the plurality of pixels and the inactive surface.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the inactive surface is configured to receive a wire, the wire configured to electrically connect at least the display surface and the controller.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein η

is between 40% and 90%.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein η

is between 50% and 87%.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein η

is between 60% and 85%.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the optically active surface has between two and thirty pixels per square centimeter.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the voltage is adjustable from between a maximum voltage to a minimum voltage.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, wherein the transmissivity of the display surface is correspondingly responsive to the maximum and minimum voltages.

9. A liquid crystal display device responsive to a received light, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a display panel having a plurality of picture elements (pixels);

a sensor on the display panel for sensing a level of the received light; and

a regulator in communication with the sensor, the regulator configured for adjusting a voltage in response to the level of sensed received light to thereby adjust a brightness level of the pixels in response to the adjusted voltage;

wherein the plurality of pixels and an inactive surface disposed proximate the pixels define a fill coefficient expressed as the ratio;

$\mathrm{\eta <br><br>}=\frac{\mathrm{\Sigma <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>F_i}{F},$

wherein η

is the fill coefficient, F_i is a first area defined by the plurality of pixels and F is a second area defined by the plurality of pixels and the inactive surface.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the received light is variable ambient light.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of pixels is disposed in grid-like formation on the display panel, the grid-like formation defining a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows.

12. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a display screen having at least two picture element (pixel) matrix elements disposed adjacent each other, each of the two pixel matrix elements having a plurality of pixels and an inactive surface disposed proximate the plurality of pixels;

means for adjusting a brightness of a pixel in at least one of the at least two pixel matrix elements;

a light sensor disposed proximate the display screen, the light sensor configured to sense a light level and communicate the sensed light level to the means for adjusting, the means for adjusting operating responsive to the light to adjust the brightness of the picture element;

wherein each of the respective plurality of pixels and inactive surfaces define a fill coefficient expressed as the ratio;

$\mathrm{\eta <br><br>}=\frac{\mathrm{\Sigma <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>F_i}{F},$

wherein η

is the fill coefficient, F_i is a first area defined by the plurality of pixels and F is a second area defined by the plurality of pixels and the inactive surface.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein the at least two pixel matrix elements are disposed adjacent each other according to an expression:

D≦

B+2d wherein,

D is a distance between the at least two pixel matrix elements, B is a breadth of a pixel in a column of pixels in the at least two pixel matrix elements, and d is a distance between the column of pixels and an adjacently disposed second column of pixels, the at least two pixel matrix elements configured to produce graphics.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein the means for adjusting has a multiplexing circuit disposed on an edge area of the display screen, the multiplexing circuit in communication with the pixel and responsive to a signal from the means for adjusting to adjust the pixel.

15. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein the at least two pixel matrix elements each define a first edge area and a second edge area, the first edge areas overlappingly disposed adjacent each other, the liquid crystal display device further including at least a third pixel matrix element abuttingly disposed adjacent at least one of the second edge areas of the at least two pixel matrix elements.

16. An LCD-pixel-matrix element having a display area including a plurality of optically active surfaces and a plurality of non-optically active surfaces, the non-optically active surfaces configured to establish an electrical communication between at least two of the optically active surfaces, the optically active surfaces being a plurality of pixels,

wherein the pixels and the non-optically active surfaces define a fill coefficient expressed as a ratio:

$\mathrm{\eta <br><br>}=\frac{\mathrm{\Sigma <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>F_i}{F},$

wherein η

is the fill coefficient, F_i is the pixels, and F is the pixels and the non-optically active surfaces, and

wherein the ratio is between about 40% to about 90% and F_i defines a pixel density of about 2 to 30 pixels/cm².

17. The LCD-pixel-matrix element as in claim 16, wherein the ratio is between about 50% to about 87%.

18. The LCD-pixel-matrix element as in claim 16, wherein the ratio is between about 60% and to about 85%.

19. The LCD-pixel-matrix element as in claim 16, further comprising:

a sensing device for sensing a level of light emitted by a light source;

a control circuit in communication with the sensing device, the control circuit configured to regulate a voltage in response to the sensed level of light; and

a controller in communication with the control circuit and the display area, the controller responsive to the regulated voltage to adjust the transmissivity of the display area according to the sensed level of light.

20. The LCD-pixel-matrix element as in claim 16, wherein the LCD-pixel-matrix element is at least two adjacent LCD-pixel-matrix elements forming adjacent pixel columns disposed apart from each other by a distance defined by the equation:

D≦

B+2d, wherein

D is the distance between the at least two LCD-pixel-matrix elements, B is a breadth of a pixel in one of the pixel columns, and d is a distance between the column of pixels and an adjacently disposed second column of pixels, the at least two adjacent LCD-pixel-matrix elements configured to produce graphics.

21. An LCD-display panel having a plurality of LCD-pixel-matrix elements configured for graphic exhibition, the LCD-pixel-matrix elements disposed adjacent each other, the LCD display panel comprising:

a connection element and a control circuit disposed in an upper edge area and a lower edge area of each of the LCD-pixel-matrix elements, wherein two adjacent LCD-pixel-matrix elements form adjacent pixel columns disposed apart from each other by a distance defined by the equation;

D≦

B+2d, wherein

D is the distance between the at least two LCD-pixel-matrix elements, B is a breadth of a pixel in one of the pixel columns, and d is a distance between the column of pixels and an adjacently disposed second column of pixels, the at least two pixel matrix elements configured to produce graphics in a display area defining a pixel density of about 2 to 30 pixel/cm².

22. The LCD-display panel as in claim 21, further comprising:

a sensing device for sensing a level of light emitted by a light source;

a control circuit in communication with the sensing device, the control circuit configured to regulate a voltage in response to the sensed level of light; and

a controller in communication with the control circuit and the display area, the controller responsive to the regulated voltage to adjust the transmissivity of the display area according to the sensed level of light.