Flat panel display having integral heater, EMI shield, and thermal sensors

• US 7,292,291 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Panel Corporation (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dunn, William R., Kwon, Keuk-Sang, Kang, In-Byeong, Park, Hyoung-Yol
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek; James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/769,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 349 19- 21, 349 41- 43, 349/72
• US Class Current: 349/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133334 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133382 Heating or cooling of liquid crystal cells other than for activation, e.g. circuits or arrangements for temperature control, stabilisation or uniform distribution over the cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136204 Arrangements to prevent high voltage or static electricity failures
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/50 Protective arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/22 Antistatic materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/60 Temperature independent

Abstract

A flat panel display having a black mask EMI layer isolated from Vcom and tied to zero potential. The flat panel display has an integral metal heater layer and thermal sensor that are in close proximity to the liquid crystals to provide efficient heating and temperature sensing.

Claims

1. A flat panel display comprising:

a front plate;

a rear plate;

a layer of liquid crystals and a TFT array layer, both interposed between said front and rear plates; and

at least one thermal sensor integral to the TFT array and hidden by an EMI layer to provide temperature sensing of said layer of liquid crystals.

2. A flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal sensor is comprised of an array of diodes.

3. A flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal sensor is applied onto the TFT array layer.

4. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal sensor provides a nominal 2.5 volt to 5.0 volt change in bias potential as the liquid crystal temperature changes from −

60 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius.

5. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein each at least one thermal sensor lies under the EMI layer.

6. The flat panel display claim 1, wherein the EMI layer is a black mask EMI layer.