Flat panel display having integral metal heater optically hidden behind an EMI shield

• US 7,750,994 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Panel Corporation (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dunn, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, WEN YING PATTY
• Application Number:
  US11/849,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 349/72
• US Class Current: 349/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133334 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133382 Heating or cooling of liquid crystal cells other than for activation, e.g. circuits or arrangements for temperature control, stabilisation or uniform distribution over the cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/50 Protective arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/22 Antistatic materials or arrangements

Abstract

A flat panel display having a black mask EMI layer isolated from Vcom and tied to zero potential. The flat panel display has an integral metal heater layer and thermal sensor that are in close proximity to the liquid crystals to provide efficient heating and temperature sensing.

Claims

1. A flat panel display comprising:

a front glass plate;

a rear glass plate;

a layer of liquid crystal interposed between the front and rear glass plates;

a TFT array interposed between said front and rear glass plates;

at least one thermal sensor, wherein said at least one thermal sensor provides a 2.5 volt to 5.0 volt change in bias potential as the liquid crystal temperature changes from −

60 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius, and

an EMI layer interposed between said front and rear glass plates, wherein said EMI layer is adapted to electronically shield said thermal sensor.

2. The flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal sensor is intimate contact with said liquid crystal.

3. The flat panel display according to claim 1 wherein the at least one thermal sensor is a diode array.

4. The flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal sensor is built into the TFT array.

5. The flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the layer adapted to shield EMI is an ITO layer.