Display apparatus having touch screen function

• US 8,508,488 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Woo, Seok-Gyun, Yang, Hak-Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): MANDEVILLE, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/330,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/177, 345 60- 72
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 11/12 with main electrodes provided on both sides of the discharge space

Abstract

A display device includes: a display panel including a first region having a plurality of display cells for displaying an image, and a second region at least partly surrounding the first region, the second region including a plurality of light generation cells for generating light, different from the image, to be detected for touch position sensing; and a pair of cameras located at or near a periphery of the display panel, aligned with respective crossing directions across the display panel, and oriented to detect the light generated by the light generation cells.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a plasma display panel comprising

a substrate comprising a first region, and a second region at least partly surrounding the first region, the first region being a display region and the second region being a non-display region; and

a plurality of barrier ribs located on the substrate, wherein

a plurality of display cells for displaying an image is defined by the barrier ribs on the first region of the substrate, and

a plurality of light generation cells for generating light, different from the image, to be detected for touch position sensing, is defined by the barrier ribs on the second region of the substrate; and

a pair of cameras located at or near a periphery of the plasma display panel, aligned with respective crossing directions across the plasma display panel, and oriented to detect the light generated by the light generation cells to determine a touch position of an object on the plasma display panel, wherein the light is infrared.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of cameras are located at respective corners of the display panel.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the display cells comprises a phosphor therein, and none of the light generation cells has a phosphor therein.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the cameras are oriented at a downward angle with respect to a display surface of the plasma display panel suitable for detecting the light generated by the light generation cells.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the cameras are oriented to focus in a direction parallel to a display surface of the plasma display panel.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the plasma display panel further comprises a plurality of dummy cells located along an outer periphery of the second region.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein each of the dummy cells comprises only one of a scan electrode or a common electrode.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the dummy cells do not include address electrodes.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the plasma display panel further comprises a plurality of dummy cells between the first region and the second region.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the dummy cells do not include address electrodes.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the light generation cells has a width that is wider than that of the display cells.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the plasma display panel further comprises a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of address electrodes crossing the common electrodes and the scan electrodes, the address electrodes extending along the plurality of discharge display cells and the plurality of light generation cells, an address electrode among the address electrodes corresponding to the at least one of the light generation cells having a width that is wider than that of the address electrodes corresponding to the display cells.

13. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising another camera located at or near the periphery of the plasma display panel, aligned with a crossing direction across the plasma display panel that is different from the crossing directions of the pair of cameras, and oriented to detect the light generated by the light generation cells.

14. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a second pair of cameras located at or near the periphery of the plasma display panel, aligned with different crossing directions across the plasma display panel from the crossing directions of the pair of cameras, and oriented to detect the light generated by the light generation cells.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the crossing directions are diagonal directions of the plasma display panel.

16. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one mirror for directing the light generated by the light generation cells toward the pair of cameras.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror comprises a transmissive/reflective mirror configured to reflect infrared light while passing through visible light.

18. The display device according to claim 17, wherein the at least one mirror comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxidized titanium, oxidized silicon, and combinations thereof.

19. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror comprises polished stainless steel.

20. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror is mounted on a base located at the periphery of the plasma display panel.

21. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror has a sloped face for directing the generated light toward the pair of cameras.

22. The display device according to claim 21, further comprising at least one convex prism, the convex prism adjacent to the sloped face, so as to converge the generated light to the cameras.

23. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror has a concave face for converging the generated light toward the cameras.

24. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mirror is located along the periphery of the plasma display panel.

25. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising an infrared light blocking filter on the first region.

26. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising an infrared transmission filter in front of at least one of the cameras.

27. A method of sensing a touch position of an object on a display device comprising a plasma display panel, a first camera and a second camera, the plasma display panel comprising a substrate comprising a first region, and a second region at least partly surrounding the first region, the first region being a display region and the second region being a non-display region, and a plurality of barrier ribs located on the substrate, wherein a plurality of display cells for displaying an image is defined by the barrier ribs on the first region of the substrate, and a plurality of light generation cells for generating light, different from the image, to be detected for touch position sensing, is defined by the barrier ribs on the second region of the substrate, wherein the light is infrared light and the method comprising:

detecting the generated light from the light generation cells defined by the barrier ribs on the substrate with the first camera aligned with a first direction across the plasma display panel;

detecting the generated light from the light generation cells defined by the barrier ribs on the substrate with the second camera aligned with a second direction across the plasma display panel, the second direction crossing the first direction; and

determining the touch position of the object by comparing detection signals of the first and second cameras.

28. A plasma display device comprising:

a display panel comprising;

a first substrate;

a second substrate spaced from and facing the first substrate; and

a plurality of barrier ribs between the first and second substrates, the barrier ribs defining a plurality of display cells on a display region of the display panel for displaying an image and further defining a plurality of light generation cells on a non-display region of the display panel for generating light that is different from the image, the non-display region at least partly surrounding the display region; and

a pair of cameras located at or near a periphery of the display panel, aligned with respective diagonal directions of the display panel, and oriented to detect the light generated by the light generation cells to determine a touch position of an object on the display panel, wherein the light is infrared light.

29. The plasma display device of claim 28, further comprising:

a front case and a rear case containing the display panel, wherein the front case has a portion covering the non-display region.

30. The display device according to claim 28, wherein the pair of cameras are located at respective corners of the display panel.

31. The display device according to claim 28, further comprising an infrared light blocking filter on the display region.

32. The display device according to claim 28, further comprising an infrared transmission filter located in front of at least one of the cameras.