Light sensitive display

• US 7,830,461 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, Green, Pat, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek; James A
• Application Number:
  US11/407,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 349/116
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims

1. A display device including a surface for viewing an image comprising:

a stack of layers configured to display an image; and

a plurality of light sensitive elements included in the stack at periodic intervals that are more than one pixel apart within a layer of the stack,

wherein the stack of layers includes sub-pixel electrodes and wherein the periodic intervals include the plurality of light sensitive elements being associated with sub-pixel electrodes corresponding to a particular color to a greater extent than sub-pixel electrodes associated with colors other than the particular color.

2. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an active matrix layer and wherein the periodic intervals are included in the active matrix layer.

3. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes and array of pixels and the periodic intervals are configured to conform to a pixel electrode pattern of the display.

4. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sensitive elements includes readout lines having a pattern corresponding to the periodic intervals and the readout lines are included over a majority of the display device within the stack of layers.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels having rows and columns, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and the periodic intervals include a readout line at each 30^th column of the array.

6. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 3^rd pixel.

7. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 4^th pixel.

8. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 6^th pixel.

9. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and wherein the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 8^th pixel.

10. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 9^th pixel.

11. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers includes an array of pixels, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines, and wherein the periodic intervals include a readout line at every 12^th pixel.

12. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein, the plurality of light sensitive elements include readout lines and the periodic intervals correspond to spacing readout lines within the stack such that a majority of sub-pixel electrodes are essentially the same size.

13. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sensitive elements are located at least partially between the sub-pixel electrodes.

14. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the sub-pixel electrodes corresponding to a particular color comprise blue sub-pixel electrodes.

15. The display device as recited in claim 11 further comprising non-operational conductive portions free from interconnection that are included within the stack to compensate for a non-uniform grey scale characteristic of the display device by adjusting brightness of the displayed image.

16. The display device as recited in claim 15 wherein the non-operational conductive portions are free from interconnection to the plurality of light sensitive elements.

17. The display device as recited in claim 15 wherein the non-operational conductive portions are free from interconnection to readout electronics.