IP Library Patent Application 11980104
Patent Application
App. No. 11/980,104

Light sensitive display

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/980,104
Abstract

A light sensitive display.

Claims (21)

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) a plurality of light sensitive elements located together with said rear electrode layer; and

(f) a processor that determines at least one of said plurality of light sensitive elements that experiences a change in the light level to a level less than the ambient light level.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein each of said light sensitive elements include a transistor.

3 . The device of claim 2 wherein each of said light sensitive elements includes a first transistor that senses ambient light, and a second transistor that is inhibited from sensing ambient light with respect to said first transistor.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said first transistor and said second transistor is a thin-film transistor.

5 . The device of claim 4 wherein said thin-film transistor is amorphous silicon.

6 . The device of claim 3 wherein a terminal of said first transistor is connected to a terminal of said second transistor with a first conductor.

7 . A liquid crystal device comprising:

(a) a front electrode layer;

(b) a rear electrode layer comprising a plurality of pixel electrodes;

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

(d) a front polarizing element located toward the front of said liquid crystal device relative to said front electrode layer;

(e) a rear polarizing element located toward the rear of said liquid crystal device relative to said rear electrode layer;

(f) 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;

(g) a plurality of light sensitive elements located at least partially between said pixel electrodes, with respect to a perpendicular direction to the front of said device, and between said liquid crystal material and said rear polarizing element; and

(h) a processor that determines at least one of said plurality of light sensitive elements that experiences a change in the light level less than the ambient light level.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2013
From: PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 031391/0420 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2007
From: BOER, WILLEM DEN; ABILEAH, ADIEL
To: PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020109/0430 →