Display apparatus

• US 9,086,761 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Il Ho, Jang, Hyeonyong, Hwang, Seongmo, Pyun, Jaejin, Kim, Yong-Hwi, Baek, Moonjung
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/225,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345175-176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display panel that displays an image using a first light, a light guide part positioned at a front side of the display panel, a backlight unit, an image information collecting part, and a processing part. The light guide part emits a second light different from the first light and guide the second light, and the backlight unit is positioned at a rear side of the display panel to provide the first light to the display panel. The image information collecting part photographs the light emitted from the light guide part to output image information. The processing part processes the image information to generate a coordinate value of a position at which an object provided on the light guide plate is positioned.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel that displays an image using a first light;

a light guide part positioned at a front side of the display panel to emit a second light different from the first light and guide the second light;

a backlight unit positioned at a rear side of the display panel to provide the first light to the display panel;

an image information collecting part that photographs the second light emitted from the light guide part to output an image information; and

a processing part that processes the image information to generate a coordinate value of a position at which an object provided on the light guide part is positioned, wherein the backlight unit comprises

a plurality of first light sources that emit the first light; and

a diffusion plate disposed between the display panel and the first light sources to diffuse the first light emitted from the first light sources, the diffusion plate being provided with a plurality of openings formed therethrough,

wherein the image information collecting part comprises;

a plurality of lenses that receive the second light emitted from the light guide plate, the lenses being provided directly on an upper surface of the diffusion plate to correspond to the openings in one-to-one correspondence;

a plurality of optical fiber groups that guide the second light provided through the lenses, ends of the optical fiber groups being accommodated in the openings, respectively; and

at least one camera disposed below the diffusion plate to photograph the second light guided by the optical fiber groups and output the image information, wherein the optical fiber groups are disposed between the lens and the camera,

wherein the plurality of optical fiber groups is configured to carry the second light from the plurality of lenses to the at least one camera while bypassing the diffusion plate,

wherein the diffusion plate comprises a first diffusion portion substantially parallel to the display panel and being provided with the openings and a second diffusion portion extended from the first diffusion portion to a direction vertical to the display panel, and a portion at which the first diffusion s ort on meets the second diffusion portion has a round shape, and

wherein the first light sources are divided into a first light source group positioned adjacent to the first diffusion portion and a second light source group positioned adjacent to the second diffusion portion.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the lenses is disposed on the diffusion plate and is a wide-angle lens having a convex shape with respect to an upper surface of the diffusion plate.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises:

a second light source that emits the second light; and

a light guide plate that receives the second light through a side surface thereof to totally reflect the second light.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second light source is an infrared light emitting diode that emits the second light having an infrared light wavelength.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first light sources comprises a light emitting diode, and the backlight unit further comprises a circuit substrate on which the first light sources are mounted.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the camera is provided in a plural number and the cameras correspond to the openings in one-to-one correspondence.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cameras are disposed between the first light sources and disposed between the diffusion plate and the circuit substrate.

8. The display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cameras are disposed below the circuit substrate and the circuit substrate is provided with a plurality of thru-holes respectively corresponding to the cameras.

9. The display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing part comprises:

an image processor that receives the image information from the cameras to convert the image information to an electrical signal; and

a coordinate value generator that generates the coordinate value of the position at which the object is positioned.

10. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the camera is disposed below the circuit substrate, the circuit substrate is provided with a plurality thru-holes respectively corresponding to the openings, and the optical fiber groups pass through the thru-holes, respectively.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the camera photographs the second light guided by the optical fiber groups to output image information photographed by the camera to the processing part, and the processing part comprises:

an image information synthesizer that synthesizes the image information photographed into an integrated image information;

an image processor that receives the integrated image information to convert the integrated image information to an electrical signal; and

a coordinate value generator that generates the coordinate value of the position at which the object is positioned based on the electrical signal.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first light source group and the second light source group comprises light emitting diodes as light sources thereof, and the backlight unit further comprises a first circuit substrate on which the first light source group is mounted and a second circuit substrate on which the second light source group is mounted.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the camera is provided in a plural number and the cameras are provided to correspond to the openings, respectively.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cameras are disposed between the first diffusion portion and the first circuit substrate.

15. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cameras are disposed below the first circuit substrate and the first circuit substrate is provided with a plurality of thru-holes respectively corresponding to the cameras.

16. The display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the camera is disposed below the first circuit substrate, the first circuit substrate is provided with a plurality thru-holes respectively corresponding to the openings, and the optical fiber groups pass through the thru-holes, respectively.

17. The display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the backlight unit further comprises a receiving space to accommodate the first light sources, the diffusion plate, the first circuit substrate, the second circuit substrate, and the camera therein.

18. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the backlight unit further comprises a transparent transmission plate disposed between the diffusion plate and the display panel and supporting the display panel on an upper surface thereof, and wherein the transparent transmission plate is configured to prevent bending of the display panel when a light guiding portion of the light guide part is touched.

19. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guide part includes an infrared light emitting device to emit the second light and a light guide plate to guide the second light emitted from the infrared light emitting device, and wherein the display apparatus further includes a cover which covers the infrared light emitting device and reflects the second light emitted from the infrared light emitting device toward the light guide plate and wherein the cover has an opening portion configured to allow the second light emitted from the infrared light emitting device to be provided to the light guide plate.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a spacer disposed between the cover and the transparent transmission plate to support the cover, and a supporter that supports the transparent transmission plate thereon and which spaces the transparent transmission plate from the diffusion plate by a predetermined distance.