Light sensitive display

• US 7,880,733 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, Green, Pat, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Application Number:
  US11/977,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 345/104, 345/156, 345173-183, 345/207, 178/18.01, 178/18.09, 178/18.11, 178/19.05
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 system comprising:

a display comprising

a stack of layers configured to display an image, and

multiple elements included in the stack of layers, wherein each of the multiple elements is configured to sense light; and

an optical pointing device configured to emit light pulses,

wherein the system is configured to modify a timing of the light pulses based on a timing associated with a pixel electrode toward which the optical pointing device is directed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the display is configured to provide the timing associated with the pixel electrode as feedback to the optical pointing device, and

the optical pointing device is configured to modify the timing of the light pulses based on the feedback.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing associated with the pixel electrode comprises timing during which frame data is applied to the pixel electrode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing associated with the pixel electrode comprises a timing of a gate pulse for the pixel electrode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing of the light pulses and the timing associated with the pixel electrode are synchronized to each other relative to a frame time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to pulse the light pulses emitted by the optical pointing device during different frames associated with the display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to pulse the light pulses emitted by the optical pointing device during different fields associated with the display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to pulse the light pulses emitted by the optical pointing device at a rate synchronized with display line scanning of the display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the rate associated with the light pulses is one-half of the rate associated with the display line scanning.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the rate associated with the light pulses is one-third of the rate associated with the display line scanning.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the rate associated with the light pulses is one-sixth of the rate associated with the display line scanning.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a driver common to the display and the optical pointing device drives the light pulses emitted by the optical pointing device and display line scanning of the display.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to determine a location of an object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity above a threshold level of sensed light intensity within a single frame time.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to determine a location of an object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity above a threshold level of sensed light intensity over multiple frame times.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the multiple frame times are sequential.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the multiple frame times comprise two frame times.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the multiple frame times are non-sequential.

18. An optical pointing device comprising:

a light source configured to emit light pulses; and

circuitry configured to modify a timing of the light pulses based on a timing associated with a pixel electrode toward which the optical pointing device is directed.

19. The optical pointing device of claim 18, wherein the optical pointing device is configured to modify the timing of the light pulses based on feedback from the display.

20. The optical pointing device of claim 18, wherein the optical pointing device is configured to pulse the light pulses emitted by the light source at a rate synchronized with display line scanning of the display.