LIGHT SENSITIVE DISPLAY WITH SWITCHABLE DETECTION MODES

• US 20100020044A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Den Boer, Willem, Abileah, Adiel
• Application Number:
  US12/568,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 display device including a surface for viewing an image comprising a stack of layers configured to display the image. A processor is configured to include switchable detection modes. Each mode is preconfigured to detect an object on or near the surface based on a given sensitivity to light, and has a different sensitivity than other of the modes.

Claims

1. A display device including a surface for viewing an image comprising a stack of layers configured to display the image wherein a processor is configured to include switchable detection modes, each mode preconfigured to detect an object on or near the surface based on a given sensitivity to light, wherein the each mode has a different sensitivity than other of the modes.

2. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the display device comprises a plurality of light sensitive elements included in the stack configured to detect the object on or near the viewing surface responsive to both an absence of light and an addition of light at the location of the object on or near the surface.

3. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the display device comprises a first set of light sensitive elements configured to detect the object on or near the viewing surface in response to an inhibition of light at the location of the object on or near the surface and a second set of light sensitive elements configured to detect the object on or near the viewing surface in response to an addition of light at the location of the object on or near the surface.

4. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the each mode has an associated set of the light sensitive elements configured for a particular lighting condition.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1 comprising a first set of light sensitive elements included in the stack and configured to detect the object in a first lighting condition and a second set of light sensitive elements included in the stack and configured to detect the object in a second lighting condition different than the first lighting condition.

6. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the each mode is selected based on a current lighting condition.

7. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the each mode is selected automatically.

8. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein a switch on the display device is configured to select the each mode.

9. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein an optical pointing device is configured to communicate with the display device to automatically select the each mode.

10. The display device as recited in claim 2 wherein the each mode is selected based on a current lighting condition sensed by light sensors distinct from the plurality of light sensitive elements.

11. The display device as recited in claim 3 wherein the each mode is selected based on a current lighting condition sensed by light sensitive elements distinct from the first and the second sets of light sensitive elements.

12. The display device as recited in claim 5 wherein the each mode is selected based on a current lighting condition sensed by light sensitive elements distinct from the first and the second sets of light sensitive elements.

13. The display device as recited in claim 3 further comprising a color filter layer in the stack of layers between the surface and at least a portion of the first and the second sets of light sensitive elements.

14. The display device as recited in claim 5 further comprising a color filter layer in the stack of layers between the surface and at least a portion of the first and the second sets of light sensitive elements.

15. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed, cause a display device with a viewing surface and a stack of layers configured to display an image to:

switch between detection modes, each mode preconfigured to detect an object on or near the surface based on a given sensitivity to light, wherein the each mode has a different sensitivity than other of the modes; and

detect the location of the object on or near the surface based on the given sensitivity of the preconfigured mode.

16. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the display device to switch between the detection modes automatically.

17. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the display device to switch between the detection modes in response to a state of a switch on the display device.

18. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the display device to automatically switch between the detection modes in response to an optical pointing device communicating with the display device.

19. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the display device to switch between the detection modes based on a current lighting condition sensed by light sensitive elements.