Display with integrated photovoltaic device

• US 8,130,440 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kothari, Manish, Khazeni, Kasra
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, William
• Application Number:
  US12/254,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 359/247, 359/290, 359/291, 359/294, 359/318, 349/116, 136/246
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13324 Circuits comprising solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A display with a photovoltaic (PV) cells integrated as the front side and/or back side of the display is disclosed. Ambient light may reach a PV cell situated behind a display through fully or partially transmissive features within the display. Display-generated light may also reach a PV cell behind a display. A transmissive PV material situated in front of a display may collect both ambient light as well as display-generated light.

Claims

1. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array of reflective active pixels comprising reflective microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices in an image region; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the reflective active pixels in the image region, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving light.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material is a blanket layer.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the photovoltaic material is formed over the front side of the display in the image region.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the photovoltaic cell is capable of receiving and converting to electricity both ambient light as well as light generated by the display.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the photovoltaic material has a transmittance of greater than 65% of visible light incident on the photovoltaic material.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the active pixels comprise interferometric modulators each comprising an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector.

7. The device of claim 3, the display further comprising a light source, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving and converting to electricity light from the light source.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the photovoltaic material is formed over the back side of the display in the image region.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the display comprises gaps between the active pixels capable of allowing ambient light to reach the photovoltaic material.

10. The device of claim 8, the display further comprising inactive structures within the array region, wherein the inactive structures are at least partially transparent and capable of allowing ambient light to reach the photovoltaic material.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the active pixels are configured to be partially transmissive, wherein the partially transmissive active pixels are capable of allowing ambient light to pass through and reach the photovoltaic material.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the active pixels are partially transmissive due to holes formed in the active pixels.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the active pixels comprise interferometric modulators, each interferometric modulator comprising an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector.

14. The device of claim 8, the display further comprising a light source, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving and converting to electricity light from the light source.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving ambient light.

16. The device of claim 1, the display further comprising a light source, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving light emitted by the light source.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a deposited thin film photovoltaic material.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a single crystal photovoltaic material.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with the display, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with the processor.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display.

21. The device of claim 19, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

22. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array of active pixels in an image region; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the display in the image region, wherein the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving light, the photovoltaic cell comprising;

a front photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over the front side of the display in the image region; and

a back photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over the back side of the display in the image region.

23. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array of active pixels in an image region; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the display in the image region, wherein;

the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving light,

the photovoltaic material is a blanket layer,

the photovoltaic material is formed over the back side of the display in the image region,

the active pixels are configured to be partially transmissive, wherein the partially transmissive active pixels are capable of allowing ambient light to pass through and reach the photovoltaic material,

the active pixels comprise microlectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices,

the active pixels comprise interferometric modulators, each interferometric modulator comprising an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector, and

the reflector is configured to allow up to about 50% of visible light incident upon the reflector to reach the photovoltaic material.

24. A display device displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a display comprising an array of active pixels in an image region; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over one of the front side and the back side of the display in the image region, wherein;

the photovoltaic cell is oriented to be capable of receiving light,

the photovoltaic material is a blanket layer,

the photovoltaic material is formed over the back side of the display in the image region,

the active pixels are configured to be partially transmissive, wherein the partially transmissive active pixels are capable of allowing ambient light to pass through and reach the photovoltaic material,

the active pixels comprise microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices,

the active pixels comprise interferometric modulators, each interferometric modulator comprising an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector, and

the reflector is a metal layer with a thickness of less than 225 Å

.

25. A method of manufacturing a display device, the display device configured to display an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the method comprising:

providing a display comprising an array of reflective active pixels in an image region, the active pixels comprising reflective microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices; and

disposing a photovoltaic material over one of a front and a back side of the reflective active pixels in the image region.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming a transparent conducting film in electrical contact with the photovoltaic material on the back side of the photovoltaic material.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein disposing the photovoltaic material comprises laminating the photovoltaic material over a front or back side of the array region.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a thin film photovoltaic material onto an optically suitable substrate and laminating the substrate over a front or back side of the array region.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein disposing the photovoltaic material comprises depositing a blanket layer photovoltaic material.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein depositing the photovoltaic material comprises depositing the blanket layer photovoltaic material over a back side of the reflective active pixels.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the active pixels are configured to be partially transmissive, wherein the partially transmissive active pixels are capable of allowing ambient light to pass through and reach the photovoltaic material.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the active pixels comprise interferometric modulators, each interferometric modulator comprising an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the reflector is configured to allow up to about 50% of visible light incident upon the reflector to reach the photovoltaic material.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the reflector is a metal layer with a thickness of less than 225 Å

.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the active pixels are partially transmissive due to holes formed in the reflector.