Method for determining internal LCD temperature

• US 8,702,307 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Panel Corporation (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bartholmae, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US12/205,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 374/141, 374/183
• US Class Current: 374/183
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133382 Heating or cooling of liquid crystal cells other than for activation, e.g. circuits or arrangements for temperature control, stabilisation or uniform distribution over the cell

Abstract

Embodiments include a system and method for determining the temperature of the liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal display. Because LCD performance is dependant on the temperature of the liquid crystal layer, performing particularly poorly in colder temperatures many LCD'"'"'s are available with integral heaters. Determining the temperature of the liquid crystal layer of an LCD is imperative for appropriate thermal management, which in turn leads to more-optimal LCD lifetime. Exemplary embodiments relate to accurately determining the temperature of the liquid crystal layer of an LCD by employing the integrated heater layer as a temperature sensor. When the relationship between the temperature of the integral heater is known, and the integral heater is disposed very near the liquid crystal layer, then determining the resistance of the metal heater layer, allows for rapid, accurate determination of the average temperature of the liquid crystal layer, and correspondingly better thermal management.

Claims

1. A method for accurately determining and controlling the temperature of liquid crystals in an electronic display comprising:

providing an electronic display comprising a TFT array;

providing a metal heater layer integral to the TFT array of said electronic display;

determining the relationship between a resistance of the metal heater layer and a temperature of the metal heater layer;

initiating a temperature test interval;

turning on a heater layer voltage with a heater layer current;

measuring the heater layer voltage and heater layer current;

determining a heater layer resistance;

matching the heater layer resistance to a heater layer temperature via the relationship; and

comparing the heater layer temperature with a threshold temperature, if the heater layer temperature is above the threshold temperature, turning off the heater layer voltage and reinitiating the temperature test interval, and if the heater layer temperature is below the threshold temperature, reinitiating the temperature test interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power flow to the metal heater layer is kept on so long as the heater layer temperature is below a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the heater layer temperature is above the threshold value;

power flow to the metal heater layer is turned off for a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the heater layer temperature is below the threshold value;

power flow to the metal heater layer is increased in proportion to the difference between the heater layer temperature and the threshold temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal heater layer is patterned onto said TFT array layer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said metal heater layer is comprised of a grid of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines of a conductive material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the conductive material is ITO.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resistance of the metal heater layer is determined at the time of manufacture.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the resistance of the metal heater layer is correlated to the ambient temperature at the time of manufacture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the relationship between the resistance of the metal heater layer and the ambient temperature at the time of manufacture is stored in non-volatile memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the relationship between the resistance of the metal heater layer and the ambient temperature at the time of manufacture is used to calibrate the relationship between the resistance of the metal heater layer and the temperature of the metal heater layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the resistance value of the metal heater layer, determined at the time of manufacture, and the ambient temperature at the time of manufacture are correlated to establish an ordinal intersect for temperature determination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the value of the ordinal intersect is stored in non-volatile memory during assembly of the display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the resistance of the metal heater layer is determined after manufacture and, using the known relationship between the resistance and the temperature of the metal heater layer, determining the present temperature of the liquid crystal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the heater layer temperature is below the threshold value;

power flow to the metal heater layer is increased in proportion to the difference between the heater layer temperature and the threshold temperature.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the power flow to the metal heater layer is kept on so long as the heater layer temperature is below the threshold value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when the heater layer temperature is above the threshold value;

power flow to the metal heater layer is turned off for a predetermined amount of time.

18. A method for accurately determining and controlling the temperature of liquid crystals in an electronic display comprising:

providing an electronic display comprising a TFT array;

providing a metal heater layer integral to and contiguous with the TFT array of said electronic display;

determining the relationship between a resistance of the metal heater layer and a temperature of the metal heater layer;

measuring a resistance across the metal heater layer and using the known relationship between the temperature and the resistance of said metal heater layer to determine the temperature of the metal heater layer;

allowing power to the metal heater layer to remain on so long as the temperature of the metal heater layer is below a threshold value; and

turning off the power to the metal heater layer when the temperature of the metal heater layer rises above said threshold value.