Image reading apparatus and image reading system equipped with the image reading apparatus

• US 20050213173A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ortus Technology Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kanbara, Minoru, Sasaki, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/514
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1329 Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger

Abstract

An image reading system comprising a display panel with an image display area formed by a plurality of display pixels which emits display light and displays an image in a viewing field side corresponding to a display signal from the image display area; a transparent substrate which has a read area provided in a viewing field side of the display panel; a plurality of photosensors formed in the read area above the transparent substrate; a driver circuit section formed in an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors; a transparent conductive film for electrostatic protection is provided in an upper part of a plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section; and comprises a photosensor panel which reads an image of a detectable object placed on the read area that penetrated at least some of the display light emitted from the image display area.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

a substrate which has a read area;

a plurality of photosensors formed in the read area above the substrate;

a driver circuit section formed in an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors above the substrate which drives the photosensors;

a transparent conductive film for electrostatic protection provided in an upper part of the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section above the substrate through a transparent insulating film.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver circuit section is provided adjacent to the read area above the substrate.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a substrate which has permeability.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an external connection terminal for the driver circuit section and an external connection terminal for the transparent conductive film are provided in an end part above the substrate;

a lead around wire which connects the driver circuit section and an external connection terminal for the driver circuit section is provided below the transparent insulating film; and

a lead around wire which connects the transparent conductive film and an external connection terminal for the transparent conductive film is provided above the transparent insulating film.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an electrostatic protection element is formed as one unit among the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section above the substrate.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photosensors constitute photoelectric conversion type thin film transistors comprising:

a source electrode and a drain electrode composed of an electrode material having permeability are formed across a channel region composed of a semiconductor layer above the substrate; and

a first gate electrode composed of an electrode material having permeability and a second gate electrode composed of an electrode material having impermeability are formed in an upper side and a lower side of the channel region through an insulating film.

7. An image reading system comprising:

an image display device comprising a display panel with an image display area formed by a plurality of display pixels which emits display light corresponding to a display signal from the image display area and displays an image in a viewing field side; and

a photosensor panel which reads an image of a detectable object placed on the read area that penetrated at least some of the display light emitted from the image display area and comprising;

a transparent substrate which has a read area and provided on the viewing field side of the image display device;

a plurality of photosensors formed in the read area above the transparent substrate; and

a driver circuit section formed in an outer side of the read area as one unit with the photosensors above the transparent substrate which drives the photosensors.

8. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the photosensor panel a transparent conductive film for electrostatic protection is provided in an upper part of the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section through a transparent insulating film.

9. The image reading system according to claim 8, wherein the photosensor panel an external connection terminal for the driver circuit section and an external connection terminal for the transparent conductive film are provided in an end part above the transparent substrate;

a lead around wire which connects the driver circuit section and an external connection terminal for the driver circuit section is provided below the transparent insulating film; and

a lead around wire which connects the transparent conductive film and an external connection terminal for the transparent conductive film is provided above the transparent insulating film.

10. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the photosensor panel the driver circuit section is provided adjacent to the read area above the transparent substrate.

11. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the photosensor panel the read area is an area corresponding to the display area of the display panel in the image display device having at least the equivalent surface area as the display area.

12. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the photosensor panel above the transparent substrate an electrostatic protection element is formed as one unit among the plurality of photosensors and the driver circuit section.

13. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the display panel further comprises a means for performing display which prompts or guides placement of the detectable object to the read area of the photosensor panel.

14. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the read area of the photosensor panel constitutes a partial region of an area corresponding to the display area of the display panel in the image display device;

and

the photosensor panel further contains a dummy read area which has transmissivity equivalent to the read area.

15. The image reading system according to claim 14, wherein the dummy area has a structure and size equivalent to the photosensors and the dummy photosensors which are not driven by the driver circuit section are arranged in a matrix form.

16. The image reading system according to claim 14, further comprises a means for performing display which prompts or guides placement of the detectable object to the read area of the photosensor panel in an area corresponding to the dummy area read area of the photosensor panel of the display panel.

17. The image reading system according to claim 14, wherein the photosensor panel outer shape size is equivalent to the display panel outer shape size.

18. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the photosensors, at least, a source electrode and a gate electrode composed of an electrode material having permeability are formed across a channel region composed of a semiconductor layer above the transparent substrate;

and

a first gate electrode composed of an electrode material having permeability and a second gate electrode composed of an electrode material having impermeability are formed in an upper side and a lower side of the channel region through an insulating film.

19. The image reading system according to claim 7, comprises:

a means for changing sequentially the display colors of the display panel to red, green and blue; and

a means for reading the detectable object image in the each display color, creating a composite of a read image in each display color and acquiring a color image with the photosensor panel.

20. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is a transmissive type color liquid crystal display panel constituted by having two opposing transparent substrates;

and

the color liquid crystal display panel further comprises a backlight in an opposite side of the viewing field side.

21. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel with a field sequential drive method constituted by having two opposing transparent substrates;

and

the display panel further comprises a backlight provided in an opposite side of the viewing field side and controlled to change luminous colors sequentially to red, green and blue.

22. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is constituted by having two opposing transparent substrates and one of the transparent substrates in the viewing field side of the display panel functions as the transparent substrate in the photosensor panel.

23. The image reading system according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is a self-luminescence type display panel having light emitting devices in the display pixels.

24. The image reading system according to claim 23, wherein the display panel is an organic electroluminescence display panel which has organic electroluminescence display devices as the light emitting devices.

25. The image reading system according to claim 24, wherein the organic electroluminescence display panel is a top emission structure type.

26. The image reading system according to claim 24, wherein the organic electroluminescence display panel and the transparent substrate in the photosensor display panel are bonded together with sealant.

27. A drive method in an image reading system comprises:

a means which has an image display area formed by a plurality of display pixels for emitting display light and displaying an image in a viewing field side corresponding to a display signal from the image display area;

a means which has a read area formed by a plurality of photosensors for reading an image of a detectable object placed on the read area that penetrated at least some of the display light emitted from the viewing field side of the image display area; and

includes;

at least some of the light of the display light penetrated by the detectable object placed on the read area which is irradiated by the photosensors and reflected light by the detectable object is received by the photosensors; and

the image of a detectable object is read as light and dark information based on the light intensity distribution received by the photosensors.

28. The drive method of the image reading system according to claim 27, wherein comprises a process for setting the brightness according to irradiation of the display light in the image display area as brightness suitable for reading of the image of a detectable object by the photosensors.

29. The drive method of the image reading system according to claim 27, wherein comprises a process for prompting or guiding placement of the detectable object to the detection surface in the image display area.

30. The drive method of the image reading system according to claim 27, wherein comprises a process for setting the each photosensor to a non-operating state, applying a signal voltage corresponding to a display signal in the each display pixel in the image display area and displaying an image through the read area.