DISPLAY INTEGRATED PHOTODIODE MATRIX

• US 20080297487A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Jeffrey Traer, Lynch, Brian, HOTELLING, Steve Porter
• Application Number:
  US12/172,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The use of one or more proximity sensors alone or in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation.

Claims

1. A proximity sensing panel, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters disposed throughout the proximity sensing panel and configured to emit radiation from a front surface of the proximity sensing panel; and

a plurality of receivers disposed throughout the proximity sensing panel, each receiver configured to receive radiation emitted by one or more of the plurality of transmitters.

2. The proximity sensing panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connections configured to connect the plurality of transmitters to control logic, the plurality of connections enabling the control logic to selectively activate a first group of transmitters from the plurality of transmitters while keeping inactive a second group of transmitters from the plurality of transmitters.

3. The proximity sensing panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of connections are further configured to allow the control logic to deactivate the first group of transmitters while activating the second group of IR transmitters.

4. The proximity sensing panel of claim 3, wherein the plurality of connections are further configured to allow the control logic to activate any transmitter from the plurality of transmitters while keeping inactive any other transmitter from the plurality of transmitters.

5. The proximity sensing panel of claim 1, wherein the transmitters are infrared radiation (IR) transmitters, the receivers are IR receivers and the radiation is IR radiation.

6. A proximity sensing display comprising a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer comprising:

a plurality of picture element (pixel) cells configured to emit or control visible light for displaying images at the display;

a plurality of transmitters configured to emit radiation for proximity sensing; and

a plurality of receivers configured to receive radiation emitted from the IR transmitters and reflected by an object in proximity to the proximity sensing display.

7. The proximity sensing display of claim 6, wherein the transmitters and receivers are infrared (IR) light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the radiation is IR radiation.

8. The proximity sensing display of claim 6, wherein:

the proximity sensing display is a liquid crystal display (LCD);

the semiconductor layer is a TFT layer of the LCD; and

the transmitters and receivers are IR LEDs.

9. The proximity sensing display of claim 6, wherein:

the proximity sensing display is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display; and

the plurality of transmitters and receivers are IR OLEDs.

10. The proximity sensing display of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of connections configured to connect the plurality of transmitters to control logic, the plurality of connections enabling the control logic to selectively activate a first group of transmitters from the plurality of transmitters while keeping inactive a second group of transmitters from the plurality of transmitters.

11. The proximity sensing display of claim 10, wherein the plurality of connections are further configured to allow the control logic to deactivate the first group of transmitters while activating the second group of transmitters.

12. The proximity sensing display of claim 11, wherein the plurality of connections are further configured to allow the control logic to activate any transmitter from the plurality of transmitters while keeping inactive any other transmitter from the plurality of infrared transmitters.

13. The proximity sensing display of claim 10, wherein at least one connector of the plurality of connectors is shared between an transmitter and a pixel cell.

14. The proximity sensing display of claim 13, wherein the display is configured to operate in two alternating modes comprising:

a first mode in which the pixel cell is active and the transmitter is inactive, the at least one shared connector being used by the pixel cell in the first mode;

a second mode in which the pixel cell is inactive and the transmitter is active, the at least one shared connector being used by the transmitter in the second mode.

15. A proximity sensing organic light emitting diode (OLED) display comprising a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer comprising:

a plurality of picture element (pixel) LEDs configured to emit or control visible light for displaying images at the display; and

a plurality of transmitter LEDs configured to emit radiation for proximity sensing;

wherein one or more of the plurality of pixel LEDs are further configured to receive IR radiation emitted from one or more of the plurality of transmitters and reflected by an object for proximity sensing.

16. The proximity sensing OLED display of claim 15, wherein the display is configured to operate in two alternating modes, the modes comprising:

a first mode in which the plurality of transmitters are inactive and the pixel LEDs are used to display images at the display; and

a second mode in which at least one or more of the plurality of transmitters are active and one or more of the pixel LEDs receives radiation emitted from one or more of the plurality of transmitters and reflected by an object.

17. The proximity sensing OLEd display of claim 15, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation and the transmitter LEDs are IR transmitters.

18. A proximity sensing liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising:

a backlight layer;

a thin film transistor (TFT) layer supported on the backlight layer;

a color filter layer supported on the TFT layer;

a cover layer supported on the color filter layer;

one or more visible pixel elements provided in the TFT layer, the visible pixel elements comprising electric circuits for magnetically affecting liquid crystals within the color filter layer; and

a plurality of radiation transmitters and receivers for proximity sensing.

19. The proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmitters and receivers are provided in the TFT layer.

20. The proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmitters and receivers are provided in the backlight layer.

21. The proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmitters and receivers are provided in a polarizer layer between the backlight and TFT layers.

22. The proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18, wherein:

the TFT layer includes a black mask; and

the plurality of IR transmitters and receivers are placed above respective portions of the black mask in one layer selected from the group containing the color filter layer, the cover layer, and a polarizer layer positioned between the color filter and cover layers.

23. The proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18, wherein the radiation transmitters and receivers are infrared (IR) transmitters and receivers.

24. A portable audio player comprising the proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18.

25. A mobile telephone comprising the proximity sensing LCD display of claim 18.

26. A portable audio player comprising a proximity sensing liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising:

a backlight layer;

a thin film transistor (TFT) layer supported on the backlight layer;

a color filter layer supported on the TFT layer;

a cover layer supported on the color filter layer;

one or more visible pixel elements provided in the TFT layer, the visible pixel elements comprising electric circuits for magnetically affecting liquid crystals within the color filter layer; and

a plurality of radiation transmitters and receivers for proximity sensing.

27. A mobile telephone comprising a proximity sensing liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising:

a backlight layer;

a thin film transistor (TFT) layer supported on the backlight layer;

a color filter layer supported on the TFT layer;

a cover layer supported on the color filter layer;

one or more visible pixel elements provided in the TFT layer, the visible pixel elements comprising electric circuits for magnetically affecting liquid crystals within the color filter layer; and

a plurality of radiation transmitters and receivers for proximity sensing.

28. A method for providing proximity sensing over a surface area, comprising:

emitting radiation at a first plurality of locations arranged throughout the surface area; and

receiving reflected radiation from the first plurality of locations at a second plurality of locations arranged throughout the surface area.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising emitting the radiation from within a liquid crystal display (LCD).

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving the reflected radiation from within a liquid crystal display (LCD).

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation.

32. A method for operating a proximity sensing panel, comprising

activating a first group of transmitters from a plurality of transmitters disposed throughout the proximity sensing panel while keeping one or more other transmitters of the plurality of transmitters inactive;

deactivating the first group of transmitters while activating a second group of transmitters, the second group being selected from transmitters that are not in the first group; and

detecting radiation transmitted from the first and second groups of transmitters.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation, the transmitters are IR transmitters and the receivers are IR receivers.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising activating and deactivating the first group of transmitters from within a liquid crystal display (LCD).

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising detecting the IR radiation from within a liquid crystal display (LCD).

36. A method for operating a proximity sensing display comprising, a plurality of picture elements (pixels), a plurality of transmitters, and a plurality of receivers, the method comprising:

operating one or more of the plurality of pixels to create a visible image;

operating two or more of the plurality of transmitters to emit radiation from the display;

operating one or more of the plurality of receivers to receive radiation emitted from the display and reflected by an object in proximity to the display; and

sending one or more results signals to a controller, the results signals being based on the received radiation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation, the transmitters are IR transmitters and the receivers are IR receivers.

38. The method of claim 36, further including processing the results signals at the controller to detect the object.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising selectively deactivating one or more of the plurality of transmitters to reduce power.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining a region of the display in which proximity sensing is not necessary; and

deactivating one or more transmitters in the region of the display in which proximity sensing is not necessary.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining a time or region of the display wherein a reduced granularity of proximity sensing is sufficient;

deactivating one or more IR transmitters during the determined time or in the determined region in order to reduce the granularity of proximity sensing and reduce power.

42. A method for manufacturing a proximity sensing display, comprising:

forming a first semiconductor processing layer; and

combining a plurality of picture element cells, transmitters and receivers in the first layer,

wherein the picture element cells are configured to emit or control visible light for displaying images at a display, the transmitters are configured to emit radiation, and the receivers are configured to receive radiation transmitted by the transmitters and reflected by an object in proximity to the proximity sensing display.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation, the transmitters are IR transmitters and the receivers are IR receivers.

44. A method for operating a proximity sensing display, comprising:

displaying images at the display using a plurality of picture elements by selectively controlling or emitting visible light by the picture elements;

transmitting radiation from a plurality of transmitters; and

receiving radiation reflected by an object in proximity to the sensing display at a plurality of receivers,

wherein the picture elements, the transmitters and the receivers are all semiconductor elements formed on a single semiconductor layer.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the radiation is infrared (IR) radiation, the transmitters are IR transmitters and the receivers are IR receivers.