Liquid crystal display device and electronic device

• US 8,330,909 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Keisuke, Maeda, Kazuhiro, Yayotani, Ryohji, Nakajima, Mutsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Huyen
• Application Number:
  US12/601,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 349/106, 349110-114, 349/116
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/40 Arrangements for improving the aperture ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/58 Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device (1) includes (i) an opening (22a) which is provided on a color filter (22) in a transmissive region and (ii) a light sensor (14) which is provided in the transmissive region for detecting an intensity of light which enters the liquid crystal display device (1), the light directly entering the light sensor (14) through the opening (22a). This makes it possible to provide (1) a liquid crystal display device in which each dot region includes a light detection element and which prevents a decrease in aperture ratio of a transmissive region and (ii) an electronic device.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device including:

a plurality of dot regions in each of which a color filter layer is provided; and

a transmissive region included in each of the dot regions, for causing information to be displayed by causing light emitted from a light source to be transmitted through the transmissive region,

a reflective region defined by a reflective electrode and included in each of the dot regions, for causing information to be displayed by causing light to be reflected in the reflective region, so that each of the plurality of dot regions includes a transmissive region and a reflective region;

wherein the color filter layer has a first region in the transmissive region, the first region being a region whose transmittance is higher than a transmittance of a color layer; and

a light detection element provided in part of the transmissive region, for detecting an intensity of light which enters the light detection element,

the light directly entering the light detection element through the first region.

2. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer in such a manner that the first substrate and the second substrate face each other via the liquid crystal layer,

the light detection element being provided on the first substrate,

the color filter layer being provided on the second substrate,

the first region being provided on the color filter layer so as to face a light receiving section of the light detection element.

3. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

a plurality of the color filter layers through which light of different wavelengths is transmitted are arranged in respective dot regions;

each of the plurality of the color filter layers has the first region; and

the light detection element is provided on the first substrate so as to face each first region of the plurality of the color filter layers, respectively.

4. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

a plurality of the color filter layers through which light of different wavelengths is transmitted are arranged in each of the dot regions;

the first region is provided in one of the plurality of the color filter layers in each dot region; and

the light detection element is provided on the first substrate so as to face the first region.

5. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

the plurality of the color filter layers through which light of different wavelengths is transmitted are;

(i) a red color filter through which red light is transmitted, (ii) a green color filter through which green light is transmitted, and (iii) a blue color filter through which blue light is transmitted; and

the first region is provided in the blue color filter.

6. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer in such a manner that the first substrate and the second substrate face each other via the liquid crystal layer,

the light detection element and the color filter layer, each being provided on the first substrate,

the color filter layer being provided above the light detection element,

the first region being provided on the color filter layer so as to be right above a light receiving section of the light detection element.

7. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of circuit elements arranged in the light detection element,

the plurality of circuit elements having respective gaps therebetween.

8. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a light blocking layer for blocking light emitted from the light source from reaching the light detecting element, the light blocking layer being provided so as to face the first region via the light detection element.

9. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the color filter layer has a second region in the reflective region, the second region being another region whose transmittance is higher than the transmittance of the color layer.

10. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a display region in which the dot regions are provided in a matrix pattern.

11. An electronic device comprising a liquid crystal display device recited in claim 1.