Light sensitive display with selected interval of light sensitive elements

• US 7,408,598 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Planar Systems Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDE, TIMOTHY L
• Application Number:
  US10/217,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 349/41, 349/42, 349/48, 349/96, 349/114, 349/12, 349/24, 345/87, 345/92, 345/102
• US Class Current: 349/53
• 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 liquid crystal device comprises a front electrode layer, a rear electrode layer, and a liquid crystal material located between the front electrode layer and the rear electrode layer. The electrical potential is changed between the rear electrode layer and the front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of the liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon. A plurality of light sensitive elements located together with the rear electrode layer and a processor that determines at least one of the plurality of light sensitive elements that has been inhibited from sensing ambient light.

Claims

1. A light sensitive display comprising:

(a) said display selectively causing pixels to provide light, wherein said display include a front electrode layer, a rear electrode layer, a liquid crystal material located between said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer, changing an electrical potential between said rear electrode layer and said front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of said liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon, a plurality of light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer;

(b) a backlight within said display;

(c) at least one light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer within said display within the boundaries of the display matrix suitable to determine a change in the light level to a level less than the ambient light level;

(d) modifying the intensity of said backlight based upon said sensing of said ambient light by said at least one light sensitive elements;

(e) wherein said light sensitive elements are located at selected intervals within said display matrix in a manner such that selected pixels do not have an associated said light sensitive element.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said interval of said light sensitive elements is every 12^th pixel of said display matrix.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said interval of said light sensitive elements is every 9^th pixel of said display matrix.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said interval of said light sensitive elements is every 6^th pixel of said display matrix.