Energy sensing light emitting diode display

• US 9,665,211 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Seligson, Daniel, Booth, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHLMAN, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/629,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• 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: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0673 for control of gamma adjustment, e.g. selecting another gamma curve
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

A display that includes energy sensors within the display itself is disclosed. An Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) can be made to operate both as a light emitter and as an energy detector. When forward biased with an appropriate driving signal, the OLED emits light via electroluminescence, which can be used to make a portion of an image on the display. In another mode, the OLED can detect energy by converting incoming photons or energy into an electrical signal by the photoelectric effect. By operating OLEDs in the display in both emissive and sensing modes, energy that shines on the display, such as from an outside source can be detected at the same time an image is shown. Additionally, a display including OLEDs can detect light energy generated by the display itself.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of a display, each LED configured to emit light when in an emit state and sense light when in a sense state;

a driving circuit coupled to each of the LEDs, the driving circuit configured to drive each LED to emit light when the LED is in the emit state; and

a sensing circuit coupled to each of the LEDs, the sensing circuit configured to sense a first amount of light energy for at least one LED that is in a shadow when the at least one LED is in the sense state, the sensing circuit further configured to sense a second amount of light energy for at least one LED that is not in the shadow when the at least one LED is in the sense state.

2. The display device of claim 1, the sensing circuit configured to sense a third amount of light energy for at least one LED that is partially in the shadow when the at least one LED is in the sense state.

3. The display device of claim 2, the driving circuit configured to individually control a brightness level of each LED in the emit state in response to whether the sensed amount of light energy corresponding to the LED is the first amount of light energy, the second amount of light energy, or the third amount of light energy.

4. The display device of claim 2, wherein:

the shadow covers a portion of the display;

a first number of the plurality of the LEDs are located completely in the shadow;

a second number of the plurality of the LEDs are located completely out of the shadow; and

a third number of the plurality of the LEDs are located partially in the shadow.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the driving circuit is configured to decrease current output to the LEDs that are completely or partially in the shadow based on the corresponding sensed amounts of light energy so that the display appears to have one constant brightness across the entire display.

6. The display device of claim 2, wherein the second amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy, and the third amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy and less than the second amount of light energy.

7. The display device of claim 1, comprising a touch screen.

8. The display device of claim 1, the display associated with at least one of a portable device, a laptop computer, a telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

9. The display device of claim 1, comprising a light energy feedback controller, the sensing circuit configured to send an information element comprising indications of sensed light information corresponding to each LED that is in the sense state to the light energy feedback controller.

10. The display device of claim 1, the driving circuit configured to individually control a brightness level of each LED in the emit state responsive to whether the sensed amount of light energy corresponding to said LED is the first amount of light energy or the second amount of light energy.

11. The display device of claim 10, the driving circuit configured to drive each LED in the emit state in response to an amount of light energy corresponding to the LED as sensed by the sensing circuit when the LED was in the sense state at an earlier point in time.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy.

13. A method of operating a display having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that each have an emit state and a sense state, the method comprising:

driving each LED, when the LED is in the emit state, to display a portion of an image on the display;

switching at least one LED from the emit state to the sense state;

sensing a first amount of light energy from the at least one LED if the at least one LED is in a shadow when in the sense state;

sensing a second amount of light energy from the at least one LED if the at least one LED is not in the shadow when in the sense state; and

switching the at least one LED from the sense state to the emit state.

14. The method of claim 13, the display associated with at least one of a portable device, a laptop computer, a telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the switching of the at least one LED from the emit state to the sense state, the sensing of the first or second amount of light energy from the at least one LED, and the switching of the at least one LED from the sense state to the emit state occurs while the image is being displayed on the display.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising sensing a third amount of light energy from each LED that is partially in the shadow when said LED is in the sense state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy, and the third amount of light energy is greater than the first amount of light energy and less than the second amount of light energy.

19. The method of claim 13, comprising

sending a light energy feedback controller sensed light information corresponding to each LED that is in the sense state.

20. The method of claim 13, comprising controlling a brightness level of the at least one LED when in the emit state responsive to whether the sensed amount of light energy corresponding to the at least one LED is the first amount of light energy or the second amount of light energy.