Electronic device having a liquid crystal shutter
View Patent ↗An electronic device having a liquid crystal shutter is disclosed. A liquid crystal shutter is provided in an area formed by expanding a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal shutter includes a rear polarizer, a rear glass substrate, a segmented electrode, a liquid crystal, a counter electrode, a front glass substrate, a shutter aperture, and a front polarizer. A camera module is disposed behind the rear polarizer. A voltage applied to the segmented electrode can be controlled to visually expose or hide the lens of the camera module from a shutter aperture.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal panel within an active matrix drive system;
a liquid crystal shutter, capable of controlling a panel transmittance, is formed by expanding an area filled with liquid crystals of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said liquid crystal shutter includes a segmented electrode and an extended counter electrode of said liquid crystal panel;
a camera module disposed on one side of said liquid crystal shutter; and
a control unit for controlling a molecular arrangement of liquid crystals such that panel transmittance of said liquid crystal shutter is adjustable.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein said electrodes of said liquid crystal shutter include a part of a pixel matrix controlled in said active matrix drive system by using a drive circuit of said liquid crystal panel and said extended counter electrode of said liquid crystal panel.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal shutter is disposed in an area partially high in transmittance in an edge frame area disposed around a periphery of a display screen of said liquid crystal panel.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein said edge frame is formed in an ink pattern printed on a glass substrate.
5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein said glass substrate is part of said liquid crystal panel.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein said control unit controls said liquid crystal shutter in conjunction with a usage state of said camera module.
7. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal panel within an active matrix drive system, wherein said liquid crystal panel including an array substrate, a liquid crystal, and a color filter substrate;
an edge frame disposed around a display screen of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said edge frame has a partially high transmittance area;
a rear polarizer disposed on a rear surface of said liquid crystal panel;
a front polarizer disposed on a front surface of said liquid crystal panel;
a liquid crystal shutter, capable of controlling a panel transmittance, is formed by expanding an area filled with liquid crystals of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said liquid crystal shutter includes a segmented electrode and an extended counter electrode of said liquid crystal panel;
a camera module disposed on a rear side of said liquid crystal shutter; and
a control unit for controlling a molecular arrangement of said liquid crystal such that said panel transmittance of said liquid crystal shutter is one of a first panel transmittance and a second panel transmittance higher than said first panel transmittance.
8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein an operation mode of said liquid crystal shutter is a black mode.
9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein said color of said edge frame is black.
10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein an operation mode of said liquid crystal panel is a white mode, said liquid crystal of said liquid crystal shutter is injected into a section enclosed by a seal material that is the same as for said liquid crystal of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said liquid crystal shutter includes a first polarizer disposed so that a polarizing axis thereof is oriented in said same direction as said polarizing axis of said front polarizer or as said polarizing axis of said rear polarizer and a second polarizer disposed so that said polarizing axis thereof is in parallel to said first polarizer.
11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein said control unit controls said liquid crystal shutter in conjunction with an operation of said camera module.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein said control unit temporarily increases a luminance of a backlight to a level higher than a maximum luminance for displaying an image on said liquid crystal display when said control unit controls said liquid crystal shutter to have said second panel transmittance.
13. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal panel within an active matrix drive system;
an edge frame disposed around a border of a display screen of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said edge includes a partially high transmittance area;
a liquid crystal shutter, capable of controlling a panel transmittance, is formed by expanding an area filled with liquid crystals of said liquid crystal panel, wherein said liquid crystal shutter includes a segmented electrode and an extended counter electrode of said liquid crystal panel;
a state indicating device disposed on a rear side of said liquid crystal shutter; and
a control unit for controlling a molecular arrangement of liquid crystals such that said panel transmittance of said liquid crystal shutter is one of a first panel transmittance and a second panel transmittance higher than said first panel transmittance.
14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein an operation mode of said liquid crystal shutter is a white mode.
15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein said state indicating device includes an indicator for indicating an operating state of said electronic device.