Light sensitive display

• US 8,044,930 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, Green, Pat, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US11/977,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345/173, 345/176, 345/178
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a stack of layers configured to display an image;

multiple elements included in the stack of layers, wherein each of the multiple elements is configured to sense light; and

a pixel electrode matrix comprising a first set of pixel electrodes and a second set of pixel electrodes, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a different size than the pixel electrodes in the second set,

wherein the pixel electrode matrix and the multiple elements are arranged on a single layer in the stack, and the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set to accommodate readout lines associated with the multiple elements in the single layer,

wherein the readout lines are arranged in a periodic manner more than one pixel apart in the single layer, and

wherein the display is configured to modify frame data to be applied to the pixel electrode matrix to compensate for the difference in size between the pixel electrodes in the first set and the pixel electrodes in the second set.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to modify the frame data by modifying an intensity level of the frame data associated with individual pixel electrodes in the pixel electrode matrix.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein the intensity level includes a gray level of the individual pixel electrodes in the pixel electrode matrix.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the display is configured to modify the frame data by increasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the first set.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the display is configured to modify the frame data by decreasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the second set.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the display is configured to modify the frame data by increasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the first set and decreasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the second set.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to determine the location of an object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity below a threshold level of sensed light intensity.

8. The display of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to determine the location of the object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity above a threshold level of sensed light intensity.

9. A system comprising:

a display comprising

a stack of layers configured to display an image,

multiple elements included in the stack of layers, wherein each of the multiple elements is configured to sense light, and

a pixel electrode matrix comprising a first set of pixel electrodes and a second set of pixel electrodes, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a different size than the pixel electrodes in the second set,

wherein the pixel electrode matrix and the multiple elements are arranged on a single layer in the stack, and the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set to accommodate readout lines associated with the multiple elements in the single layer, and

wherein the readout lines are arranged in a periodic manner more than one pixel apart in the single layer; and

a processor configured to modify frame data to be applied to the pixel electrode matrix to compensate for the difference in size between the pixel electrodes in the first set and the pixel electrodes in the second set.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to modify the frame data by modifying an intensity level of the frame data associated with individual pixel electrodes in the pixel electrode matrix.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the intensity level includes a gray level of the individual pixel electrodes in the pixel electrode matrix.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the processor is configured to modify the frame data by increasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the first set.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the processor is configured to modify the frame data by decreasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the second set.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the pixel electrodes in the first set have a smaller size than the pixel electrodes in the second set, and the processor is configured to modify the frame data by increasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the first set and decreasing an intensity level of the frame data associated with the pixel electrodes in the second set.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured to determine the location of an object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity below a threshold level of sensed light intensity.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured to determine the location of the object based on output from the multiple elements indicating a region of sensed light intensity above a threshold level of sensed light intensity.