Light sensitive display

• US 9,134,851 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, KEITH L
• Application Number:
  US11/901,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates
• 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 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1611 to support document holders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 : using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 : Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 : Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 : forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 : by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 : for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 : the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 : using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a surface on which an image is displayed for viewing;

a stack of layers configured to display the image on the surface; and

a plurality of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the plurality of light sensitive elements capable of detecting an object on or near the surface, the plurality of light sensitive elements having multiple nonzero densities across the surface.

2. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein a position of the object on or near the surface is determined based on a substantially unchanged state of one or more of the light sensitive elements adjacent to the position.

3. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stack of layers comprises a plurality of pixels each having sub-pixels and wherein a portion of the plurality of pixels has a light sensitive element associated with each sub-pixel within the portion.

4. The display device as recited in claim 3 wherein the sub-pixels comprise a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein a first portion of the plurality of light sensitive elements has a first density corresponding to a majority of the surface and a second portion of the plurality of light sensitive elements has a second density corresponding to a minority of the surface.

6. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein a portion of the plurality of light sensitive elements has a density that is configured for sensing a particular type of object.

7. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein a portion of the plurality of light sensitive elements has a density that is configured for sensing at least one of a fingerprint and a barcode.

8. A display device comprising:

a surface on which an image is displayed for viewing, the surface having two or more regions;

a stack of layers configured to display the image on the surface; and

a plurality of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the plurality of light sensitive elements capable of detecting an object on or near the surface, the plurality of light sensitive elements having two or more nonzero densities across the surface,

wherein each of the two or more densities is associated with a single one of the two or more regions.

9. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein one of the two or more densities is associated with one of the two or more regions and wherein the one density is higher than other densities of the light sensitive elements associated with other regions of the two or more regions.

10. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein the stack of layers comprises a plurality of pixels each having sub-pixels and wherein at least one light sensitive element is associated with each sub-pixel within at least one of the two or more regions.

11. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein one of the two or more densities is associated with one of the two or more regions and wherein the one density is higher than other densities of the light sensitive elements associated with other regions of the two or more regions and wherein a lens structure overlays at least a portion of the one region.

12. The display device as recited in claim 11 wherein the lens structure comprises a small focus lens.

13. The display device as recited in claim 11 wherein the lens structure comprises variable index of refraction fiber optics.

14. The display device as recited in claim 11 further comprising a light guide overlaying at least a portion of the lens structure.

15. The display device as recited in claim 14 further comprising a light source for providing light to the light guide.

16. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein one of the two or more regions is configured for sensing a particular type of object.

17. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein one of the two or more regions is configured for sensing at least one of a fingerprint and a barcode.