Image reading apparatus and image reading system equipped with the image reading apparatus

• US 7,321,672 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ortus Technology Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Sasaki, Kazuhiro, Kanbara, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Livedalen; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/090,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 382124-126, 250/556, 356/71, 361/179
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1329 Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger

Abstract

An image reading system comprising a display panel with an image display area formed by a plurality of display pixels which emits display light and displays an image in a viewing field side corresponding to a display signal from the image display area; a transparent substrate which has a read area provided in a viewing field side of the display panel; a plurality of photosensors formed in the read area above the transparent substrate; a driver circuit section formed in an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors; a transparent conductive film for electrostatic protection is provided in an upper part of a plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section; and comprises a photosensor panel which reads an image of a detectable object placed on the read area that penetrated at least some of the display light emitted from the image display area.

Claims

1. An image reading system comprising:

an image display device which comprises a display panel with an image display area that is formed by a plurality of display pixels, and which emits display light corresponding to a display signal from the image display area from a viewing field side of the image display device so as to display an image; and

a photosensor panel which reads an image of a detectable object placed on a read area that receives at least a portion of the display light emitted from the image display area;

wherein the photosensor panel comprises;

a transparent substrate which has the read area and which is provided on the viewing field side of the image display device;

a plurality of photosensors which are formed in the read area above the transparent substrate;

a driver circuit section, which drives the photosensors, and which is formed above the transparent substrate at an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors above the transparent substrate;

a transparent insulating film provided over the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section;

a transparent conductive film for electrostatic protection, which is provided above the transparent insulating film;

a plurality of external connection terminals for the driver circuit section which are provided at an end part of the transparent substrate;

a plurality of external connection terminals for the transparent conductive film which are provided at the end part of the transparent substrate;

a first lead around wire which is provided under the transparent insulating film, and which connects the driver circuit section and the plurality of external connection terminals for the driver circuit section; and

a second lead around wire which is provided on the transparent insulating film, and which connects the transparent conductive film and the plurality of external connection terminals for the transparent conductive film.

2. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the driver circuit section is provided adjacent to the read area above the transparent substrate.

3. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the read area is an area corresponding to the image display area of the display panel in the image display device and the read area has a surface area that is at least as large as a surface area of the image display area.

4. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the photosensor panel further comprises an electrostatic protection element which is formed as one unit among the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section.

5. The image reading system according to claim 1, further comprising means for performing a display which prompts or guides placement of the detectable object to the read area of the photosensor panel.

6. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the read area of the photosensor panel corresponds only to a portion of the image display area of the display panel in the image display device;

and

wherein the photosensor panel includes a dummy read area which has a transmissivity equivalent to a transmissivity of the read area.

7. The image reading system according to claim 6, wherein dummy photosensors, which are not driven by the driver circuit section, and which have an equivalent size and structure to the photosensors, are arranged in a matrix form in the dummy read area.

8. The image reading system according to claim 6, further comprising means for performing a display, in an area of the image display area corresponding to the dummy read area, which prompts or guides placement of the detectable object to the read area.

9. The image reading system according to claim 6, wherein an outer size of the photosensor panel is equivalent to an outer size of the display panel.

10. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein each of the photosensors comprises:

a source electrode and a gate electrode, which are composed of an electrode material having permeability, and which are formed across a channel region that is composed of a semiconductor layer provided above the transparent substrate; and

a first gate electrode composed of an electrode material having permeability and a second gate electrode composed of an electrode material having impermeability, which are formed at an upper side and a lower side, respectively, of the channel region via respective insulating films.

11. The image reading system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for sequentially changing display colors of the display panel between red, green and blue; and

means for reading, with the photosensor panel, images of the detectable object under illumination by each of the display colors, and for creating a composite from the images read under the respective display colors and acquiring a color image.

12. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is a transmissive type color liquid crystal display panel comprising two opposing transparent substrates;

and

wherein the color liquid crystal display panel further comprises a backlight on a side thereof opposite to the viewing field side.

13. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises a liquid crystal display panel which is operable by a field sequential drive method and which comprises two opposing transparent substrates;

and

wherein the display panel further comprises a backlight provided on a side thereof opposite to the viewing field side, and the backlight is controlled to change colors emitted therefrom between red, green and blue, sequentially.

14. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises two opposing transparent substrates, and one of the transparent substrates which is provided at the viewing field side of the display panel serves as the transparent substrate in the photosensor panel.

15. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is a self-luminescence type display panel comprising light emitting devices as display pixels.

16. The image reading system according to claim 15, wherein the display panel is an organic electroluminescence display panel which comprises organic electroluminescence display devices as the light emitting devices.

17. The image reading system according to claim 16, wherein the organic electroluminescence display panel has a top emission structure type.

18. The image reading system according to claim 16, wherein the organic electroluminescence display panel and the transparent substrate in the photosensor panel are bonded together with sealant.

19. An image reading system comprising:

an image display device which comprises a display panel with an image display area which is formed by a plurality of display pixels, and which emits display light corresponding to a display signal from the image display area from a viewing field side of the image display device so as to display an image; and

a photosensor panel which reads an image of a detectable object placed on a read area that receives at least a portion of the display light emitted from the image display area;

wherein the photosensor panel comprises;

a transparent substrate which has the read area and which is provided on the viewing field side of the image display device;

a plurality of photosensors which are formed in the read area above the transparent substrate; and

a driver circuit section, which drives the photosensors, and which is formed above the transparent substrate at an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors above the transparent substrate;

wherein the read area of the photosensor panel corresponds to a portion of the image display area of the display panel in the image display device; and

wherein the photosensor panel includes a dummy read area which has a transmissivity equivalent to a transmissivity of the read area; and

wherein the image reading system further comprises means for performing a display, in an area of the image display area corresponding to the dummy read area, which prompts or guides placement of the detectable object to the read area of the photosensor panel.