Touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device

• US 8,358,288 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Takashi, Kume, Yasuhiro, Okamoto, Takaaki, Nango, Tomoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trandai, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/866,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 345104-105, 345173-178, 345/183, 455/566, 178/18.09
• 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 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133602 Direct backlight
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device (10), the touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device (10) including a liquid crystal display panel (20) which includes a plurality of photo sensors (40) for detecting a touched position, and a backlight unit (90) provided on a backside of the liquid crystal display panel (20). The backlight unit (90) emits light at least part of which serves as light (L10) dedicated to sensing which is used for position detection by the plurality of photo sensors (40), and the light (L10) dedicated to sensing travels in a direction (D2) which is different from a direction (D1) toward a main viewer (V) of the liquid crystal display panel (20).

Claims

1. A touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of photo sensors for detecting a touched position; and

a backlight unit provided on a backside of the liquid crystal display panel,

the backlight unit emitting light at least part of which serves as light dedicated to sensing which is used for the detection of the touched position by the plurality of photo sensors, and

the light dedicated to sensing traveling out from the liquid crystal display panel in a direction different from a direction toward a main viewer of the liquid crystal display panel.

2. The touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate which face each other, the first substrate and the second substrate being provided with respective light-shielding layers for controlling a direction in which the light dedicated to sensing travels; and

the light dedicated to sensing which is originally emitted from the backlight unit is not shielded by the light-shielding layers, and subsequently passes through the liquid crystal display panel so as to travel out from the liquid crystal display panel in the direction different from the direction toward the main viewer of the liquid crystal display panel.

3. The touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the light-shielding layers, which are provided in the first substrate and the second substrate, respectively have slits which are openings provided in the light-shielding layers, the slits not overlapping each other as seen from a normal direction with respect to the liquid crystal display panel; and

the light dedicated to sensing which is originally emitted by the backlight unit passes through the slits provided in the light-shielding layers, and subsequently passes through the liquid crystal display panel so as to travel out from the liquid crystal display panel in the direction different from the direction toward the main viewer of the liquid crystal display panel.

4. The touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the liquid crystal display panel includes (i) a first substrate which is provided on a display surface side of the liquid crystal display panel and (ii) a second substrate which is provided on a side of the liquid crystal display panel on which side the backlight unit is provided, the first substrate and the second substrate being provided so as to face each other, and at least the first substrate being provided with a parallax barrier which has a striped shape and controls light emitted from the liquid crystal display panel to travel in two or more arbitrary directions; and

the light dedicated to sensing is at least one of light beams traveling in the two or more arbitrary directions.

5. The touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

the liquid crystal display panel is a dual view liquid crystal display panel.

6. The touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the light dedicated to sensing is being emitted while the liquid crystal display panel is displaying an image.