OLED display and touch screen

• US 7,230,608 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US10/830,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/76, 345/77, 345/78, 345/79, 345/80, 345/82, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• 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 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

An OLED display and touch screen system, including: a) a substrate; b) an OLED display area including an array of individually addressable OLEDs formed on the substrate; and c) a touch screen including at least one OLED light emitter formed on the substrate and a plurality of light sensors formed on the substrate across the display area from the light emitter, each of the light sensors having an elongated surface area with a first relatively short dimension and a second relatively long dimension and being positioned adjacent to an edge of the display area, with the relatively long dimension positioned substantially perpendicular to the adjacent edge of the display area, and optics located around the display area above the light emitter and the light sensors for directing light emitted from the light emitter across the display area to the surface area of the light sensors. The system is advantageous in that it enables a thin, light, easily manufacturable display having an integrated optical touch screen having reduced weight, size, and cost, a greater reliability and improved sensitivity and resolution.

Claims

1. An OLED display and touch screen system, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) an OLED display area including an array of individually addressable OLEDs formed on the substrate; and

c) a touch screen including at least one OLED light emitter formed on the substrate and a plurality of light sensors formed on the substrate across the display area from the light emitter, each of the light sensors having an elongated surface area with a first relatively short dimension and a second relatively long dimension and being positioned adjacent to an edge of the display area, with the relatively long dimension positioned substantially perpendicular to the adjacent edge of the display area, and optics located around the display area above the light emitter and the light sensors for directing light emitted from the light emitter across the display area to the surface area of the light sensors.

2. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, comprising a linear array of individually addressable OLED light emitters positioned adjacent an edge of the display area, and wherein the light sensors comprise a linear array of light sensors positioned adjacent an edge of the display area.

3. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 2, wherein the OLEDs of the OLED light emitters and the light sensors are interspersed in a plurality of linear arrays.

4. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 2, wherein each OLED light emitter has a surface area with two short sides and two long sides formed on the substrate with one short side adjacent to the display area.

5. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 4, wherein the OLED light emitters are formed with a short side of less than or equal to 500 microns and a long side of more than 500 microns.

6. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the OLED light emitter is a linear OLED positioned adjacent an edge of the display area and the light sensors comprise a linear array of light detecting elements positioned adjacent an edge of the display area.

7. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sensors are formed with more than or equal to 100 sensors per inch along the adjacent edge of the display area.

8. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sensors comprise rectangular elements having two short sides and two long sides formed on the substrate with one short side adjacent to the display area.

9. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 8, wherein the light sensors are formed with a short side of less than or equal to 500 microns and a long side of more than 500 microns.

10. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more photo-sensors for detecting ambient light located on the substrate next to one or more corners of the display area.

11. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein each light sensor is made up of a plurality of individual light sensitive elements connected in parallel with a common control.

12. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein each OLED light emitter is made up of a plurality of diodes connected in parallel with a common control.

13. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sensors are thin-film sensors.

14. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sensors comprise silicon photo-sensors.

15. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the OLED display is a bottom emitting display.

16. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the OLED display is a top emitting display.

17. The OLED display and touch screen claimed in claim 1, wherein the OLED light emitter emits infrared light.