Light sensitive display with multiple data set object detection

• US 9,411,470 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abileah, Adiel, den Boer, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, KEITH L
• Application Number:
  US12/568,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 345/81, 345 98-100, 345/104, 345173-183, 345204-205, 345/207, 349/12, 349/68, 349/77, 349/83, 349/110, 349/116, 349/193
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 display device including a surface for viewing an image comprising a stack of layers configured to display the image and a first and second set of light sensitive elements included in the stack. The first set of light sensitive elements is configured to provide a first data set corresponding to an object on or near the surface based on a first sensitivity to light. The second set of light sensitive elements is configured to provide a second data set corresponding to the object on or near the surface based on a second sensitivity to light. One of the first and the second data sets is selected and a location of the object on or near the surface is determined based on the selected data set.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a stack of layers having a surface, the stack of layers being configured to display an image at the surface of the stack of layers;

a first set of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the first set of light sensitive elements having a first sensitivity to light and being configured to provide a first data set corresponding to an object on or near the surface; and

a second set of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the second set of light sensitive elements having a second sensitivity to light and being configured to provide a second data set corresponding to the object on or near the surface;

wherein the first sensitivity to light is different from the second sensitivity to light, one and not the other of the first and the second data sets is selected and a location of the object on or near the surface is determined based on the selected data set.

2. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensitivity to light of each set of the first set and the second set of light sensitive elements is configured for a particular lighting condition.

3. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first set of light sensitive elements is configured to sense light in a first lighting condition and the second set of light sensitive elements is configured to detect the object sense light in a second lighting condition, wherein the first lighting condition is different from the second lighting condition.

4. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and the second data sets are processed separately.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and the second data sets are processed prior to the selection of the one data set.

6. The display device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a color filter layer in the stack of layers between the surface and at least a portion of the first and the second sets of light sensitive elements.

7. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein each set of light sensitive elements is configured to sense light in response to one of an absence of light and an addition of light at the location of the object on or near the surface.

8. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first set of light sensitive elements and the second set of light sensitive elements have components and wherein each of the first set of light sensitive elements and the second set of light sensitive elements are configured by selecting the components based on a particular lighting condition.

9. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first set of light sensitive elements and the second set of light sensitive elements have components and wherein each of the first set of light sensitive elements and the second set of light sensitive elements are configured by selecting a dimension of the components based on a particular lighting condition.

10. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein the components are capacitive elements.

11. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein the components include phototransistors.

12. The display device as recited in claim 9 wherein the components include phototransistors.

13. The display device as recited in claim 12 wherein the dimension is selected based on photo-leakage current.

14. The display device as recited in claim 8 wherein the components include phototransistors and capacitive elements.

15. A method comprising:

processing, by a display device comprising a stack of layers having a surface and being configured to display an image at the surface of the stack of layers, a first data set from a first set of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the first set of light sensitive elements having a first sensitivity to light, the first data set corresponding to an object on or near the surface;

processing, by the display device, a second data set from a second set of light sensitive elements included in the stack of layers, the second set of light sensitive elements having a second sensitivity to light, the second data set corresponding to the object on or near the surface, the first sensitivity to light being different from the second sensitivity to light; and

selecting, by the display device, one and not the other of the first and the second data sets to determine a location of the object on or near the surface.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the display device processes the first and the second data sets separately.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the display device processes the first and the second data sets prior to the selection of the one data set.