Patent Application
20090058824
The present invention relates generally to portable communication devices, and more particularly, to a portable communication device having a near infrared in-cell touch input display.
In recent years, portable communication devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, mobile terminals, etc., continue to grow in popularity. As the popularity of portable communication devices continues to grow, the applications for and features of portable communication devices continue to expand. Portable communication devices are appealing to users because of their capability to serve as powerful communication, data service and entertainment tools.
The wireless industry is experiencing a rapid expansion of mobile data services and enhanced functionality. In addition, the features associated with certain types of portable communication devices have become increasingly diverse. To name a few examples, many portable communication devices have text messaging capability, Internet browsing functionality, electronic mail capability, video playback capability, audio playback capability, image display capability and hands-free headset interfaces.
In order to accommodate the information display requirements associated with today's mobile phones, most mobile phones include a liquid crystal display (LCD) on which information is displayed. In addition, many mobile phones now include touch input devices, such as touch screens or touch panels through which the user can provide user input. Many conventional touch screens are resistive or capacitive in nature, and include added components or layers, e.g., layers on top of the display, which may add cost and reduce optical performance of the display.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for a portable communication device having an improved touch screen.
The present invention provides a portable communication device having a touch input display. The touch input display is configured to include a source of non-visible light integrated within the display and a plurality of photodetectors integrated within the display and configured to detect non-visible light. The touch input device eliminates the need for top touch-sensitive layers, and is capable of providing touch input operation in dark environments with improved signal-to-noise ratio.
One aspect of the invention relates to a portable communication device that includes a housing and a touch input display disposed within the housing. The touch input display includes a top substrate disposed to receive touch by a user, a source of non-visible light integrated within the touch input display, and a plurality of photodetectors integrated within the touch input display, where the photodetectors are configured to detect non-visible light.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to emit light within a predetermined wavelength range, and the photodetectors are configured to detect non-visible light within the predetermined wavelength range.
According to another aspect, the predetermined wavelength range includes about 700 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to emit infrared or near-infrared light.
According to another aspect, the photodetectors are configured to detect infrared or near-infrared light.
According to another aspect, the touch input display is configured such that non-visible light emitted by the source of non-visible light passes through the touch input display to the top substrate of the touch input display.
According to another aspect, touch input display includes a plurality of material layers between the source of non-visible light and the top substrate, and wherein at least some of the material layers are configured to permit transmission of non-visible light from the source of non-visible light.
According to another aspect, the touch input display has a display area, and the source of non-visible light includes a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed adjacent edges of the display area to direct non-visible light toward the top substrate.
According to another aspect, the photodetectors are configured to detect non-visible light reflected by an object in contact with the top substrate.
According to another aspect, the portable communication device includes control circuitry configured to determine a position on the touch input display contacted by a user based on the reflected non-visible light detected by the photodetectors.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to modulate emission of the non-visible light at a predetermined frequency.
According to another aspect, the photodetectors are configured to detect non-visible light modulated at the predetermined frequency.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to pulse emission of non-visible light at a predetermined pulse rate, and the photodetectors are configured to detect non-visible light according to the predetermined pulse rate.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light includes one or more light emitting diodes.
According to another aspect, the photodetectors comprise photo-sensitive thin film transistors (TFTs) tuned to detect non-visible light having a wavelength that substantially matches the wavelength of the light emitting diodes.
According to another aspect, the touch input display is a liquid crystal display.
According to another aspect, the portable communication device is a mobile telephone.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a touch input display device that includes a top substrate disposed to receive touch by a user, a source of non-visible light integrated within the display device, and a photodetector integrated within the display device, the photodetector being configured to detect non-visible light.
According to another aspect, the touch input display is configured such that non-visible light emitted by the source of non-visible light passes through the touch input display to the top substrate of the touch input display.
According to another aspect, the photodetector is configured to detect non-visible light reflected by an object in contact with the top substrate.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to emit infrared or near-infrared light within a predetermined wavelength range, and wherein the photodetector is configured to detect infrared or near-infrared light within the predetermined wavelength range.
According to another aspect, the source of non-visible light is configured to modulate emission of the non-visible light at a predetermined frequency, and the photodetector is configured to detect non-visible light modulated at the predetermined frequency.
These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and attached drawings. In the description and drawings, particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed, but it is understood that the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope. Rather, the invention includes all changes, modifications and equivalents coming within the spirit and terms of the claims appended thereto.
Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.
It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Likewise, elements and features depicted in one drawing may be combined with elements and features depicted in additional drawings. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
In the detailed description that follows, like components have been given the same reference numerals regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present invention. To illustrate the present invention in a clear and concise manner, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.
Touch input displays have aesthetic and functional benefits. Some touch input displays include additional resistive or capacitive touch-sensitive layers on top of the display. These extra layers may reduce optical performance. A touch input displays may be configured to detect visible light that passes through the display, as well as shadows cast by objects in contact with the display. While improving on displays having additional touch-sensitive layers, the detection of visible light and associated shadows may provide less than optimal performance in dark environments and/or in connection with darker images on the display.
The present disclosure describes a portable communication device equipped with a touch input display that is configured to receive user input via user touch of the display surface, e.g., touch by finger or touch by stylus. The touch input display is configured to include a source of non-visible light and one or more photodetectors configured to detect non-visible light, e.g., infrared or near-infrared light. The source of non-visible light may be configured to pass the non-visible light through the display to a top substrate of the display. Non-visible light reflected by an object in contact with a portion of the display may be detected by the photodetectors to determine a position of the touch on the display. This configuration allows for touch input functionality without employing additional layers on top of the display, as well as operation in darker environments and improved signal-to-noise ratio.
As referred to herein, the term “portable communication device” includes portable radio communication equipment. The term “portable radio communication equipment”, which herein after is referred to as a mobile phone, a mobile device, a mobile radio terminal or a mobile terminal, includes all electronic equipment, including, but not limited to, mobile telephones, pagers, communicators, i.e., electronic organizers, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or the like. While the present invention is being discussed with respect to portable communication devices, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not intended to be limited to portable communication devices, and can be applied to any type of electronic equipment equipped with a touch input display.
Referring initially to
The mobile phone 10 includes a touch input display 14, an alphanumeric keypad 16, one or more functional keys 18, e.g., a joystick or rocker key, a speaker 20 and a microphone 22. The alphanumeric keypad 16 and the functional keys 18, facilitate controlling operation of the mobile phone 10 by allowing for entry of alphanumeric information, such as telephone numbers, phone lists, contact information, notes and the like. The functional keys 18 typically facilitate navigation through various user menus including initiating and conducting phone calls and other communications.
The touch input display 14 displays information to a user, such as recorded digital media, e.g., recorded photos and videos, operating state, time, phone numbers, contact information and various navigational menus, which enable the user to utilize the various features of the mobile phone 10. In addition, the touch input display 14 is configured to receive user input via detection of user touch of the display, e.g., a touch by finger or by stylus. As is discussed more fully below, the touch input display is configured to include an integrated source of non-visible light and photodetectors configured to detect non-visible light. Artisans will appreciate that the mobile phone 10 further includes suitable circuitry and software for performing various functionality. The circuitry and software of the mobile phone is coupled with input devices, such as the alphanumeric keypad 16, the functional keys 18 and the microphone 22, as well as to the input/output devices, including the touch input display 14 and the speaker 20. It will be appreciated that the touch input display may have any suitable size, shape and positioning without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the exemplary mobile phone 10 is described as having a keypad 16, functional keys and a touch input display 14, it will be appreciated that the mobile phone may include only the touch input display 14 as the primary means for receiving alphanumeric user input and/or navigation commands.
In the illustrated embodiment, memory 32 stores drivers 34 (e.g., I/O device drivers), application programs 36, and application program data 38. The I/O device drivers include software routines that are accessed through the controller 30 (or by an operating system (not shown) stored in memory 32) by the application programs 36 to communicate with devices such as the touch input display 14, the keypad 16 (e.g., a standard keypad, a QWERTY keypad or a touch screen keypad), as well as other input/output ports. As is described more fully below, the touch input display is operatively coupled to and controlled by a display controller 40 (e.g., a suitable microcontroller or microprocessor) and configured to facilitate touch input functionally (detection of user touch of the display and recognition of desired user input based on the touch of the display). As is described more fully below, the touch input display includes one or more sources of non-visible light 42 and one or more photodetectors 44 configured to detect non-visible light. The display controller 40 cooperates with the touch input display 14 to detect user touch or manipulation of the touch input display and to send “events” (e.g., a keypress event) to the controller based on detected user manipulation of the touch input display 14.
The application programs 36 comprise programs that implement various features of the portable communication device 10, such as voice calls, e-mail, Internet access, multimedia messaging, contact manager and the like.
With continued reference to
An antenna 52 is coupled to the transmitter/receiver 46 such that the transmitter/receiver 46 transmits and receives signals via antenna 52, as is conventional. The portable communication device includes an audio processor 48 for processing the audio signals transmitted by and received from the transmitter/receiver. Coupled to the audio processor 44 are a speaker 20 and microphone 22, which enable a user to listen and speak via the portable communication device. Audio data may be passed to the audio processor 48 for playback to the user. The audio data may include, for example, audio data from an audio file stored in the memory 32 and retrieved by the controller 30 or audio data associated with a generated or received media-enhanced text message. The audio processor 48 may include any appropriate buffers, decoders, amplifiers and the like.
The portable communication device also may include one or more local wireless interfaces (indicated generally as wireless interface 54), such as an infrared transceiver and/or an RF adapter, e.g., a Bluetooth adapter, WLAN adapter, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) adapter and the like, for establishing communication with an accessory, a hands free adapter, e.g., a headset that may audibly output sound corresponding to audio data transferred from the portable communication device 10 to the adapter, another mobile radio terminal, a computer, or any other electronic device. Also, wireless interface 54 may be representative of an interface suitable for communication within a cellular network or other wireless wide-area network (WWAN).
Referring now to
The touch input display is configured such that one or more sources of non-visible light 42 are integrated within the display. In one embodiment, the source of non-visible light includes one or more sources of infrared light or near-infrared light, e.g., light having a wavelength in the range of about 700 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers. In one embodiment, the source of non-visible light includes one or more light emitting diodes disposed within the touch input display such that non-visible light from the light emitting diodes passes through the display towards a top substrate, e.g., a top glass or plastic cover plate. As is described more fully below, the sources of non-visible light may be disposed in various locations within the touch input display, such as near or integrated with the backlight of the display.
As shown in
For example, the touch input display may be configured such that the display includes one photodetector for every four pixels (where one pixel may be made up of a number of pixel electrodes and color filters), one photodetector for every eight pixels, one photodetector for every sixteen pixels or the like. The number and configuration of the photo detectors tuned to detect the non-visible light may be adjusted based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the size and shape of the display, the overall resolution of the display, the sensitivity of the individual photodetectors and the like.
As will be discussed more fully below, the provision of a touch input display having sources of non-visible light and suitable corresponding photodetectors configured or otherwise tuned to detect non-visible light, may provide for a display having touch input functionality without the requirement of additional layers, e.g., resistive or capacitive layers, disposed over the top substrate of the display. Further, the use of non-visible light to detect a user touch of the display also allows for modulation of the light sources and corresponding tuning of the photo detectors without disrupting the user's viewing and/or use of the display. As is described more fully below, the non-visible light sources 42 and photodetectors 44 are configured such that non-visible light passes through the display toward the top substrate of the display, and non-visible light reflected from an object, e.g., a user's finger or stylus, in contact with top substrate is received by the photodetectors to determine a user's desired input provided via contact with the touch input display.
Turning now to
In the embodiment shown in
A plurality of pixel electrodes 66 is disposed within the display. In the illustrated embodiment, the pixel electrodes 66 are disposed over the respective color filters, however, it will be appreciated that the pixel electrodes may also be disposed in other locations, e.g., below the respective color filters, without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the color filters are separated by black matrix portions 68, which typically are employed to protect light-sensitive semiconductor components that may be disposed below the black matrix portions 68. Such components may include thin filmed transistors (TFT) that are configured to selectively energize or otherwise address the various pixel electrodes. In the embodiment illustrated in
The display further includes a layer of liquid crystal material 70, which typically is disposed between a pair of orientation films (not shown). Orientation films may include glass substrates or other material substrates having surfaces that are buffed to produce microscopic grooves to physically align the molecules of the liquid crystal material immediately adjacent the substrate walls. For example, in the case of a twisted nematic liquid crystal display, molecular forces may cause adjacent crystal molecules to attempt to align with neighbors having a result that the orientation of molecules in a given column of molecules spanning the liquid crystal cell gap twists over the length of the column. Typically, the liquid crystal display will include a pair of polarizers (not shown) that cooperate with the liquid display to selectively produce light areas and dark areas depending upon the configuration of the liquid crystal cell and the respective voltages applied to the pixel electrodes 66 and the top (typically continuous) electrode 72. The general workings of liquid crystal displays are well-understood by those skilled in the art, therefore a detailed discussion of the general operation of liquid crystal cell will not be provided. The touch input display 14 further includes a top substrate 74 that is exposed or otherwise configured to receive touch input from a user of the device in which the touch input display is disposed. Touch may include a touch by the user's finger and/or touch by the user using a stylus or other appropriate manipulation tool.
In the embodiment shown in
In this configuration, the display is capable of the position of contact by a user touching the touch input display (either with the user's finger or with a stylus). In a preferred embodiment, the display operates in a “reflective mode” in which light emitted by the sources of non-visible light 42 emit light that may generally pass through the top substrate except for when a user touches the display (using a finger or stylus), at which time the non-visible light is reflected off of the object touching the display for ultimate detection by the photodetectors 44. The photodetectors may cooperate with a suitable controller to determine the location on the screen at which point the user makes contact with the screen. It will be appreciated that the operation of the display may not be confined to “reflective mode” operation. For example, the display may also operate in a transmissive mode without departing from the scope of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, control circuitry cooperates with non-visible light sources 42 to modulate or otherwise controllably emit light form the non-visible light sources. For example, the non-visible light sources 42 may be configured to blink the non-visible light at a predetermined frequency, e.g., one kilohertz or the like. Alternatively, the non-visible light sources may be configured to provide a short pulse of non-visible light followed by a period of no emission of non-visible light, e.g., a one millisecond pulse of light followed by a twenty millisecond period of the light being off. Modulation and/or pulsing of the non-visible light sources may provide advantages, including, but not limited to saving power and a better signal-to-noise ratio in the detection of the infrared or near-infrared light by the photo detectors. For example, the photo detectors may be configured with appropriate lock-in amplifiers to lock into the modulated frequency of the non-visible light, thereby removing noise and improving signal-to-noise ratio. Of course, all of this modulation and/or pulsing of the non-visible light may be carried out without detection by the user because of the use of the non-visible light.
While
Turning now to
The embodiment shown in
Turning now to
Similar to that discussed above, in this embodiment, the display also may be operated in a reflective mode in which non-visible light reflects off of a user's finger or stylus making contact with a portion of the top substrate of the display, whereby the reflected light is detected by one or more of the photo detectors to determine the position of the user's touch relative to the display, and thereby determine the user's desired action. Alternatively, the display may be operated in a transmissive mode.
It should be appreciated that each of the embodiments described in
The provision of a touch input display configured with non-visible light sources and corresponding photo detectors configured to detect non-visible light may provide one or more advantages in the operation of the mobile phone (or other electronic equipment). For example, typically no extra touch panel (e.g., a resistive or capacitive touch panel or layer) would be required on top of the top substrate, which would improve optical performance, overall size and cost of the display. Further, it may be possible with the display described above to receive and process a double input, e.g., input where a user contacts two portions of the display at the same time. Also, the touch input display described above typically should not be affected by surrounding light conditions or the brightness of the user interface or image shown on the display. These benefits, in turn, may lead to better smart phones, more attractive displays and dual inputs for gaming and other applications in which dual inputs may be desirable.
The use of non-visible light also provides for improved performance when the mobile phone is in a dark environment (because there should be no need to rely on ambient light for touch detection). Also, the provision of modulating the non-visible light sources and tuning or otherwise locking the photodetectors to the modulated light will provide an increase in signal-to-noise ratio.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/969,324, filed Aug. 31, 2007, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60969324 | Aug 2007 | US |
