TFTLCD for recycling electrical power

• US 6,490,020 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Inventors: Kung, Jerry Ji-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/804,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 349/141, 349/61, 349/24, 349/116, 349/195, 349/199
• US Class Current: 349/117
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13324 Circuits comprising solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

The present invention provides a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFTLCD) including a liquid crystal layer having a first region and a second region therein, a liquid crystal controlling device for controlling an anti-dazzling effect produced by the first region, and a photoelectric converting device having a conductive layout constituted on the second region for converting a portion of light energy passing through the liquid crystal layer into electric power to recycle the electric power.

Claims

1. A thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFTLCD) comprising:

a liquid crystal layer having a first region and a second region therein;

a liquid crystal controlling device for controlling an anti-dazzling effect by said first region of said liquid crystal layer; and

a photoelectric converting device disposed on said second region of said liquid crystal layer for converting a portion of light energy passing through said liquid crystal layer into electrical power thereby recycling said light energy, wherein said photoelectric converting device is for a photovoltaic battery usage, comprising;

a first electrode;

a photovoltaic unit disposed on said first electrode;

a doped semiconductor structure formed on said photovoltaic unit; and

a second electrode formed on said doped semiconductor structure, wherein said first electrode and said second electrode having a layout in a shape corresponding to a combination region of said comb-shaped pixel electrode and said comb-shaped common electrode.

2. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules to be filled with said crystal layer between a first insulation substrate and a second insulation substrate.

3. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said first region is a controllable region for an electrical field to control said anti-dazzling effect.

4. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said second region is an uncontrollable region for setting said photoelectric converting device thereon.

5. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal controlling device comprises:

a pixel electrode electrically connected to a transistor for providing an electric field to control said anti-dazzling effect;

a thin film transistor (TFT) being said transistor to be electrically connected with said pixel electrode for selectively being turned on and off; and

a common electrode electrically connected with an end of said TFT.

6. The thin transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein said TFT further has a gate end electrically connected with a scanning-line electrode to form said electric field.

7. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according claim 6, wherein said scanning-electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode for further electrically connecting with said pixel electrode to form said electric field.

8. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein each of said pixel electrode and said common electrode is formed of a comb-shaped pixel electrode and a comb-shaped common electrode, and each of said pixel electrode and said common electrode have respective teeth set by extending into the space formed between said pixel electrode and said common electrode.

9. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein said pixel electrode has a layout in a shape corresponding to said common electrode.

10. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein said pixel electrode and said common electrode are transparent electrodes.

11. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 10, wherein said transparency electrodes are made of a material selected from one of indium tin oxide (ITO) and lead tin oxide.

12. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein said liquid crystal controlling device further comprises a signal electrode and a scanning-line electrode to be respectively connected to a drain end and a gate end of said TFT.

13. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said photovoltaic unit is made of an ultrathin transparent film selected from one of polysilicon and amorphous polysilicon material.

14. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said doped semiconductor structure is made of a highly-doped material selected from one of a group consisting of polysilicon, P type amorphous polysilicon and N type amorphous polysilicon material.

15. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode and said second electrode are transparent electrodes.

16. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 15, wherein said transparency electrodes are formed of a same material as that of a pixel electrode and a common electrode of said liquid crystal control device, said same material selected from one of indium tin oxide (ITO) and lead tin oxide.

17. An in-plane switch (IPS) thin film transistor liquid crystal display (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) comprising:

a first insulation substrate;

a second insulation substrate;

a liquid crystal layer filled between said first insulation substrate and said second insulation substrate therein;

a plurality of scanning-line electrodes and a plurality of signal-line electrodes formed on a surface bounded between said first insulation substrate and said liquid crystal layer;

a plurality of liquid crystal controlling devices respectively formed in the common border of said scanning-line electrodes and said signal-line electrodes for controlling an anti-dazzling effect of said liquid crystal layer, each of said liquid crystal controlling units comprising;

a thin film transistor (TFT) electrically connected with said scanning-line electrodes and said signal-line electrodes;

a comb-shaped pixel electrode and a corresponding comb-shaped common electrode having a respective teeth extending into the intervals formed between said comb-shaped pixel electrode and said corresponding comb-shaped common electrode; and

a photoelectric converting device disposed between said first insulation substrate and said second insulation substrate and having a layout in a shape corresponding to a combination region of said comb-shaped pixel electrode and said comb-shaped common electrode.

18. The in-plane thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 17, wherein said first insulation substrate and said second insulation substrate are respectively made of a transparency glass substrate.

19. The in-plane thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 17, wherein each of said pixel electrode and said common electrode is formed of a transparent electrode.

20. The in-plane thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 17, wherein said TFT has a gate end electrically connected to an end of a corresponding one of said scanning-line electrodes and a drain end electrically connected to an end of a corresponding one of said signal electrodes.

21. The in-plane thin film transistor liquid crystal display according to claim 17, wherein said comb-shaped pixel electrode and said comb-shaped common electrode are respectively electrical-connected to a source end of said TFT and a former scanning-line electrode neighboring-disposed to said scanning-line electrode.