Light sensitive display

1 . A liquid crystal device comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer;

(c) a liquid crystal material located between said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer;

(d) changing an electrical potential between said rear electrode layer and said front electrode layer to selectively modify portions of said liquid crystal material to change the polarization of the light incident thereon;

(e) said rear electrode layer comprising a plurality of select electrodes and a plurality of data electrodes such that one of said select electrodes in combination with a plurality of said data electrodes selectively change said electrical potential for a plurality of different portions of said liquid crystal material;

(f) a light sensitive element comprising:

(i) a first terminal;

(ii) a second terminal;

(g) a first transistor comprising:

(i) a first terminal;

(ii) a second terminal;

(iii) a third terminal;

(h) said first terminal of said light sensitive element electrically interconnected to a conductive electrode;

(i) said second terminal of said light sensitive element electrically interconnected to said first terminal of said first transistor;

(j) said second terminal of said first transistor electrically connected to one of said select electrodes;

(k) said second terminal of said first transistor is a gate of said first transistor;

(l) said third terminal of said first transistor is electrically interconnected to a readout system;

(m) said first transistor substantially inhibited from receiving ambient light thereon relative said light sensitive element receiving ambient light thereon; and

(n) said readout system determining when light sensed by said light sensitive element is less than said ambient light.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein said light sensitive element and said first transistor being together with said rear electrode layer.

3 . The device of claim 2 wherein said first transistor is a thin-film transistor.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein the semiconductor material of said first transistor is amorphous silicon.

5 . The device of claim 4 wherein said second terminal of said light sensitive element is capacitively coupled to said conductive electrode.

6 . The device of claim 5 wherein said conductive electrode has a voltage potential less than said third terminal of said first transistor.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein said first transistor provides an output in response to a decrease in the amount of ambient light reaching said light sensitive element.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein said conductive electrode is said one of said select electrodes.

9 - 14 . (canceled)