Electronic device, display and touch-sensitive user interface

• US 8,154,523 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Miller, Michael E., Muszak, Jerald J., Telek, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US11/955,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 345/55, 345/173, 178/18.01, 455/575.1, 381/361, 379/433.06, 705/14.37, 705/14.4, 715/706, 715/708
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13332 Front frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/503 Arrangements improving the resistance to shock
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/58 Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0814 used for selection purposes, e.g. logical AND for partial update
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/142 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix

Abstract

Display devices and methods for operating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the display device has an electronic display having an active area for presenting visual content; a housing holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing a person to view a first portion of the active area; and a bezel about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed. A sensor system senses when a person is close to touching the bezel or when a person is in touch with the bezel and generates a sensor signal; and a controller is operable to adjust the appearance of the active area in the part of the second portion when the controller determines that a person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

an electronic display having an active area for presenting visual content to a person;

a housing defining an area for holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing the person to view a first portion of the active area;

a bezel about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed;

a sensor system having a sensor that is adapted to sense conditions from which it can be determined when the person is close to touching the bezel or to sense when the person is in touch with the bezel and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the sensed conditions;

a controller operable to receive the sensor signal and to adjust the appearance of the active area of the display in the part of the second portion that can be viewed through the window when the controller determines that the sensor signal indicates when the person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel, wherein the controller is adapted to automatically deactivate the active area of the display in the viewable part of the second portion at a predetermined time interval after the controller determines the person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel and one or more pixels in the active area of the display in the part of the second portion that can be viewed through the window change appearance by transitioning from a state that does not radiate light that is readily apparent to a state that does radiate light that is readily apparent when the active area of the display in the second portion is deactivated and the controller receives a signal from the sensor indicating that the person is in touch with the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor that is adapted to generate a signal when the person is proximate to the display device but is not yet touching the bezel or close to touching the bezel, and wherein the signal received from the proximity sensor initiates an interaction routine when the person is positioned proximate to the display.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the bezel is formed from a first material, which is semi-transparent and a second material, which is not present within the window.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparency of the window within the bezel is adjustable in response to signals from the controller and is controlled to allow the window to match reflectance characteristics of the remainder of the bezel or to be semi-transparent in response to the sensor signal.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned over the window and is sufficiently transparent to allow a portion of the active area of the display in the second portion to be viewed through the sensor.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a touch sensitive surface and wherein the display device further comprises processing circuitry configured to:

designate at least one area of the touch sensitive surface for at least one control;

to control a portion of the second portion of the active area to present a virtual control;

to obtain touch data from the at least one area of the touch sensitive surface; and

to determine if the obtained touch data invokes the virtual control.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises a touch-sensitive surface on at least two portions of the bezel around the perimeter of the opening.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display has electronic connections that extend beyond the active area on at least one side of the display but not a second side of the display and wherein the sensor system comprises a touch-sensitive surface that is located on the bezel adjacent to the second side of the display.

9. The display device of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor operatively connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine an orientation of the display device from orientation signals provided by the orientation sensor and to use the determined orientation to render the virtual controls.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes a touch sensitive surface and wherein the controller is configured to:

designate at least one of the areas of the touch sensitive surface for at least one control;

to adjust the appearance of a part of the second portion of the active area to present a virtual control associated with each area; and

to control a part of the second portion to minimize the transmission of luminance through these areas of the bezel when the second portion is not used to present a virtual control.

11. The display device of claim 1, further comprising an electronic display for use in an electronic device, wherein a first portion of an active area of the display is viewable through an aperture in a bezel and a second portion of the active area of the display viewable through a window in the bezel;

and

wherein processing circuitry controls the first and second portions of the display separately, such that the processing circuitry compensates for the absorption of light by the bezel to make the second portion of the display readily apparent when in use.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the display comprises an array of light-emitting elements having of a first set of color filter elements and wherein a second portion of the display comprising light-emitting elements which have a second set of color filter elements which are lower in saturation than the first set of color filter elements.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the display comprises an array of light-emitting elements having a first set of color filter elements and wherein a second portion of the display comprises light-emitting elements without color filter elements.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the display comprises an array of light-emitting elements which have a first density and a second portion of the display comprises of an array of light-emitting elements having a second density, wherein the first density is higher than the second density.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the display comprises an array of light-emitting elements which output light having a first peak luminance and a second portion of the display which comprises an array of light-emitting elements which output light having a second peak luminance, the second peak luminance being higher than the first.

16. The display device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is adapted to sense a change in luminance and processing circuitry which is adapted to interpret the sensed change in luminance to infer a touch location, wherein these one or more sensors are located only in the portion of the display to be viewed through a window in a bezel.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the person has stopped interacting with display device, and can modify light emission through window so that such light emission is made in a form that actively camouflages the appearance of window or that is otherwise light emissive but less distinguishable or undistinguishable from the appearance of the other portions of bezel.

18. A method for operating a display device having a display with a first portion that is not covered by a bezel and a second portion that is partially covered by a bezel that is at least partially light transmissive, the method comprising:

detecting when a person approaches the display but has not yet touched and is not vet close to touching the bezel, and adjusting the appearance of the second portion of the display in a manner that suggests that control functions can be executed by touching the bezel;

presenting visual content on the first portion of the display in response to said detecting;

sensing when the person is touching the bezel or is close to touching the bezel;

executing a control function when it is sensed that the person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel, wherein the control function includes at least causing the second portion of the display to present light in a manner that causes the appearance of the bezel covering the second portion to change; and

readjusting the appearance of the second portion of the display so as to suspend the suggestion that control functions can be executed by touching the bezel when it is not sensed that the person is touching the bezel or is close to touching the bezel within a predetermined time period after detecting the person.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining which of a plurality of different portions of the bezel is touched or is close to being touched and selecting from among a plurality of control functions based upon the determination.

20. A display device comprising:

an electronic display means having an active area for presenting visual content to a person;

a housing means defining an area for holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing the person to view a first portion of the active area;

a bezel means about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed;

a sensor system having a sensor that is adapted to sense conditions from which it can be determined when the person is close to touching the bezel or to sense when the person is in touch with the bezel and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the sensed conditions;

a control means for receiving the sensor signal and to adjust the appearance of the active area of the display in the part of the second portion that can be viewed through the window when the controller determines that the sensor signal indicates when the person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel, wherein the control means is adapted to automatically deactivate the active area of the display in the viewable part of the second portion at a predetermined time interval after the control means determines the person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel and one or more pixels in the active area of the display in the part of the second portion that can be viewed through the window change appearance by transitioning from a state that does not radiate light that is readily apparent to a state that does radiate light that is readily apparent when the active area of the display in the second portion is deactivated and the control means receives a signal from the sensor indicating that the person is in touch with the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.