Display system

• US 7,804,493 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheng; Tom V
• Application Number:
  US11/354,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/176, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178/18.09
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A display for providing information relating to an object relative to the display is disclosed. The display includes a plurality of pixels, and a plurality of light sensors. An individual light sensor of the plurality of light sensors is provided near an individual pixel of the plurality of pixels. An individual light sensor of the plurality of light sensors is configured to detect light. The information relating to the object relative to the display may be provided by correlating the amount of detected light from the plurality of light sensors to the information relating to the object.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels for generating a display image;

a plurality of light sensors, wherein each light sensor is positioned near at least one pixel, and wherein each light sensor is configured to sense light; and

a processor coupled to the light sensors configured to determine information associated with an object near the display device based on the light sensed by the light sensors, wherein the processor determines information associated with the light sensed by the light sensors by compensating for the effect of light emitted by the plurality of pixels, wherein the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels is a lower light level being detected in a portion of the plurality of light sensors as compared with others of the plurality of light sensors;

wherein the compensation is determined by subtracting the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels; and

wherein the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels is a lower light level being detected in a portion of the plurality of light sensors as compared with others of the plurality of light sensors.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a computing device coupled to the display device.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the processor compensates for the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels by subtracting the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels from the light sensed by the light sensors.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the display device further comprises a graphics controller, and the processor receives the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels from the graphics controller.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the object is at least one of a location of the object, a motion of the object, and a direction of motion of the object.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light sensors detect an amount of light.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the amount of light is an amount of reflected light.

9. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels for generating a display image;

a plurality of light sensors, each light sensor being positioned next to at least one pixel, each light sensor being configured to detect light; and

a graphics controller coupled to a processor;

wherein the processor receives the effect of the plurality of pixels generating the display image from the graphics controller; and

wherein the processor determines information associated with an object near the display device based on subtracting the effect of light emitted by the plurality of pixels from the light levels sensed by the plurality of light sensors, wherein the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels is a lower light level being detected in a portion of the plurality of light sensors as compared with the remainder of the plurality of light sensors.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the object is at least one of a location, a motion, a direction of motion, and a speed of motion.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of light sensors detect at least one of an amount of light, an amount of reflected light, and an amount of visible light.

12. The display device of claim 9, further comprising a computing device coupled to the display device.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.

14. A method for determining information associated with an object near a display, comprising:

providing a plurality of light sensors for sensing light, each light sensor being positioned near at least one of a plurality of pixels;

determining the effect of light emitted from at least a portion of the plurality of pixels;

sensing a change in light via at least one of the plurality of light sensors due to an object being near the display; and

determining the information associated with the object near the display based on compensating for the effect of the light emitted from the plurality of pixels via the at least one light sensor, wherein the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels is a lower light level being detected in a portion of the plurality of light sensors as compared with others of the plurality of light sensors ;

wherein the compensation is determined by subtracting the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels; and

wherein the effect of the light emitted by the plurality of pixels is a lower light level being detected in a portion of the plurality of light sensors as compared with others of the plurality of light sensors.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

tuning the plurality of light sensors to sense light having a wavelength within a particular range that includes visible light.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information associated with the object is at least one of a location, a motion, a direction of motion, and a speed of motion.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of light sensors and the plurality of pixels are provided on a computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein compensating for the effect of the light emitted from the plurality of pixels includes subtracting the effect of the light emitted from the plurality of pixels from the change in light sensed via at least one of the plurality of light sensors due to an object being near the display.