Display that implements image displaying and light reception concurrently or alternately

• US 8,300,005 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display West Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tateuchi, Mitsuru, Yamaguchi, Kazunori, Harada, Tsutomu, Tamayama, Takeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US11/610,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-104, 345173-175
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The present invention is to reduce power consumption in a display that concurrently (or alternately) implements light emission and light reception in parallel. A display is provided with a display panel configuration including a plurality of display elements arranged in a matrix and a plurality of light-receiving elements that are disposed adjacent to the plurality of display elements and receive light incident on a display plane. In addition, the display includes a position detector that determines the position of contact or proximity to the display plane based on a light reception signal arising from light reception by the light-receiving elements. Furthermore, the display includes a controller that shifts the displaying state or the position detection state from the low power consumption mode to the normal operation mode if the position detector has determined the presence of contact or proximity in a predetermined state.

Claims

1. A display device that implements image displaying and light reception alternately, the display device comprising:

a plurality of display elements arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of light-receiving elements disposed adjacent to the plurality of display elements, the display elements and the light-receiving elements are offered by a common element that implements displaying and light reception alternately;

a position detector;

a processor;

a backlight disposed on a backside of a surface on which the display elements are arranged; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the plurality of display elements, the plurality of light-receiving elements, the position detector, and the backlight to;

(a) determine a position of contact or proximity to a display plane based on a light reception signal arising from light reception;

(b) in a predetermined state, determine whether a presence of contact or proximity occurs;

(c) in response to the presence of contact or proximity, shift a displaying state and a position detection state from a low power consumption mode to a normal operation mode;

(d) in the normal operation mode;

implement displaying of images according to a first cycle,

implement detection of contact or proximity based on a light reception signal arising from light reception by all of the plurality of light-receiving elements according to the first cycle, and

continuously cycle the backlight between an on-state and an off-state,

wherein detection of contact or proximity in the normal operation mode occurs by detecting the difference between the data of light reception when the backlight is in the on-state and when the backlight is in the off-state; and

(e) in the low power consumption mode;

stop displaying of images,

implement detection of contact or proximity based on a light reception signal arising from light reception by the plurality of light-receiving elements with a second cycle longer than the first cycle of detection of contact or proximity in the normal operation mode, and only based on a light reception signal arising from light reception by the light-receiving element in a specific area on the display plane smaller than that of the normal operation mode, and

maintain the backlight at the off-state,

wherein detection of contact or proximity in the low power consumption mode occurs by detecting only changes of the input state of external light with the backlight at the off-state.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the first cycle includes a first number of frames; and

(b) the second cycle includes a second number of frames which is longer than said first number of frames.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the specific area on the display plane is a single corner of the display plane.