Display device comprising a touch sensor formed along a perimeter of a transparent region that extends through a display layer and exposes a light sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042184-B2
Application number	US-201715820954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2017
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Certain aspects of the technology disclosed herein integrate a camera with an electronic display. An electronic display includes several layers, such as a cover layer, a color filter layer, a display layer including light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes, a thin film transistor layer, etc. In one embodiment, the layers include a substantially transparent region disposed above the camera. The substantially transparent region allows light from outside to reach the camera, enabling the camera to record an image. In another embodiment, the color filter layer does not include a substantially transparent region, and the camera records the light from the outside colored by the color filter layer. According to another embodiment, while none of the layers include a substantially transparent region, the layers are all substantially transparent, and the camera disposed beneath the layers records light reaching the camera from outside.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a substantially transparent cover layer defining an outside surface associated with a display showing an image;
a display layer disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer, the display layer comprising a display substrate and a plurality of display elements disposed on the display substrate, the plurality of display elements configured to transmit light;
a light sensor disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer and proximate to the display layer;
wherein a substantially transparent region extends through the display layer, and faces and exposes the light sensor, the substantially transparent region interrupting the image shown on the display; and
a touch sensor formed along a perimeter of the substantially transparent region and defining a second substantially transparent region associated with a touch sensor layer, wherein the second substantially transparent region has a smaller area than an area of the substantially transparent region, and wherein the touch sensor activates the light sensor when the touch sensor is activated.

2. The system of claim 1 , the substantially transparent region having a rectangular shape with at least two rounded corners and disposed along an edge of the display.

3. The system of claim 1 , the substantially transparent region having a U-shape and disposed along an edge of the display.

4. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second substantially transparent region is smaller than the substantially transparent region, and wherein the touch sensor activates the light sensor when the touch sensor is activated.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising the second substantially transparent region concentric with the substantially transparent region, and wherein an area comprising a difference between the substantially transparent region and the second substantially transparent region comprises the touch sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a color filter (CF) layer disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer, the CF layer comprising a CF substrate and a plurality of color regions disposed on the CF substrate, the CF layer to provide color to the display, wherein the substantially transparent region extends through the CF layer.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising an activating layer disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer, the activating layer to cause a display element in the plurality of display elements to transmit light, wherein the substantially transparent region extends through the activating layer.

8. The system of claim 7 , the activating layer comprising a thin film transistor (TFT) including a TFT substrate and a plurality of TFTs disposed on the TFT substrate.

9. The display of claim 1 , the display layer comprising an organic light emitting diode (OLED) layer disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer, the OLED layer comprising an OLED substrate and a plurality of OLEDs disposed on the OLED substrate.

10. The display of claim 1 , the display layer comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer including an LCD substrate and a plurality of liquid crystals disposed on the LCD substrate.

11. The display of claim 1 , the light sensor comprising at least one of a camera or an infrared (IR) sensor.

12. The display of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lenses including at least one of:
a cover layer lens disposed on the substantially transparent cover layer; or
a display layer lens disposed on the display substrate.

13. The display of claim 1 , wherein the light sensor represents a light sensor icon associated with the display.

14. The display of claim 1 , wherein the substantially transparent region is a hole.

15. A method comprising:
configuring a substantially transparent cover layer to define an outside surface associated with a display showing an image;
configuring a display layer disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer, the display layer comprising a display substrate and a plurality of display elements disposed on the display substrate, the plurality of display elements configured to transmit light;
configuring a light sensor disposed beneath the substantially transparent cover layer and proximate to the display layer;
extending a substantially transparent region through the display layer, and faces and exposes the light sensor, the substantially transparent region interrupting the image shown on the display; and
forming a touch sensor along a perimeter of the substantially transparent region and defining a second substantially transparent region associated with a touch sensor layer, wherein the second substantially transparent region has a smaller area than an area of the substantially transparent region, and wherein the touch sensor activates the light sensor when the touch sensor is activated.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
shaping the substantially transparent region into a rectangular shape with at least two rounded corners; and
disposing the substantially transparent region along an edge of the display.

17. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
shaping the substantially transparent region into a U-shape; and
disposing the substantially transparent region along an edge of the display.

18. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
defining the second substantially transparent region smaller than the substantially transparent region, wherein the touch sensor activates the light sensor when the touch sensor is activated.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
defining the second substantially transparent region concentric with the substantially transparent region, wherein an area comprising a difference between the substantially transparent region and the second substantially transparent region comprises the touch sensor.

Assignees

• Essential Products Inc

Inventors

• Evans V David John
• Jiang Xinrui
• Rubin Andrew E
• Hershenson Matthew
• Miao Xiaoyu
• Tate Joseph Anthony
• Gagne-Keats Jason Sean

Classifications

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G06F1/1643 Primary

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• H04N25/131

  including elements passing infrared wavelengths · CPC title

• H10F39/182

  Colour image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/184

  Infrared image sensors · CPC title