Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus

• US 8,077,136 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Display West Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/705,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20070216637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18.01, 178/18.09, 178/18.11, 178/19.01, 178/19.05, 345156-158, 345/173, 345/175, 345/176, 345179-183, 345/204, 345/207, 345/697, 345/102
• US Class Current: 345/102
• 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 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

An electro-optical device includes a display unit having a plurality of pixels, and the display unit is divided into a plurality of areas. The electro-optical device also includes a plurality of optical sensors that are provided for the plurality of areas, each of the optical sensors being configured to detect a light intensity, and a controller that selectively performs recognition of an operation position on the display unit or measurement of an ambient light intensity on the basis of the light intensities detected by the plurality of optical sensors.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device comprising:

a display unit having a plurality of pixels, the display unit being divided into a plurality of areas;

a plurality of optical sensors that are provided for the plurality of areas, each of the optical sensors being configured to detect a light intensity; and

a controller that alternately performs

recognition of an operation position on the display unit during a first time interval, and

measurement of an ambient light intensity during a second time interval on the basis of the light intensities detected by the plurality of optical sensors, wherein a calculation of the ambient light intensity excludes voltage signals from any optical sensors having voltage levels that are outside of a predetermined voltage range.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein each pixel includes an optical sensor.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source that supplies light to the display unit; and

a light source controller that controls an intensity of light of the light source according to the ambient light intensity measured by the controller.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the controller recognizes on operation position on the display unit according to a light intensity that is detected by an optical sensor located in a predetermined area among the plurality of optical sensors, and measures an ambient light intensity according to a light intensity detected by an optical sensor that is located in an area other than the predetermined area among the plurality of optical sensors.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1.