Christopher James Brown

A Continuous-Grain Silicon-System LCD With Optical Input Function

In this paper, we describe a continuous-grain silicon-system LCD with integrated optical input function for application in next-generation mobile devices. The optical input function, which may be used for touch input or fingerprint-recognition applications, is achieved by integrating image-sensor elements within each display pixel. By using a one-transistor (IT) active pixel sensor, we have successfully integrated a 30 Hz, 300 dpi VGA image sensor within an LCD panel with an aperture ratio of 40%. Power consumption and circuit area in the panel are minimized through the use of a source driver circuit which combines the functions of both display and sensor.

A 2.6 inch VGA LCD with Optical Input Function using a 1-Transistor Active-Pixel Sensor

A 2.6 inch VGA active-matrix LCD has an integrated optical input function. The optical input function may be used for touch input or fingerprint recognition applications and is achieved by integrating image sensor elements within each display pixel. By using a 1-transistor active-pixel sensor, a 30Hz, 300dpi VGA image sensor is integrated within an LCD with an aperture ratio of 40%.

31.3: A System LCD with Integrated 3‐Dimensional Input Device

We present a System LCD with novel 3-dimensional input device for use in next generation mobile products. The 3D input function is formed by a directional image sensor integrated onto the display TFT substrate and is used to detect the location of multiple objects above or on the display surface. In order to prove the concept of this novel technology, a 2.6“VGA System LCD incorporating the 3D input function was fabricated and tested. Measurement results confirm operation of the system and accurate detection of objects up to 20mm from the display surface.

P-174L: Late-News Poster: The System-LCD with Monolithic Ambient-Light Sensor System

We describe a newly developed 352×RGB×440 System-LCD that incorporates an ambient light sensor system comprising a lateral photo diode and analog processing circuits integrated directly onto the display substrate in CG-Silicon. By intelligently controlling the LCD backlight level in response to ambient lighting conditions we achieve low power consumption with high reliability at low cost.

24.3L: Late-News Paper: In-Cell Capacitance Touch-Panel with Improved Sensitivity

We present a novel pixel circuit for an in-cell capacitive type force-sensitive touch panel. The TFT based capacitance sensor system comprises an active pixel sensor circuit with novel sensing capacitor structure and in-pixel amplification to achieve a high sensitivity. The observed 8.5x increase in sensitivity over standard methods provides a practical solution to obtain a robust, mechanically compact and low-cost force sensitive multi-touch panel.

The technologies of in-cell optical touch panel with novel input functions

— The technologies behind an in-cell optical touch-panel LCD with novel input functions will be described. By improving both the optical and electrical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a touch-panel operation robust to ambient conditions can be achieved with a low-power consumption suitable for integration into mobile products. The high SNR also enables a range of novel input functions making the in-cell optical touch panel a promising platform for the next-generation of user interface.

A Fully Monolithic Wireless Display System

The convergence of information technology, audio-visual technology and communication technology is driving mobile devices to offer ever increasing multi-media capabilities. At the heart of these devices, the high performance active matrix LCD (AMLCD) has become a window for communication and interactivity in the ubiquitous society. The advent of advanced low-temperature thin film transistor (TFT) processes, such as Sharp’s Continuous Grain (CG) Silicon technology, has made it possible to fabricate ‘System LCDs’, which feature data drivers, ambient sensors, touch sensors with scanning capability and other functional elements integrated directly onto the display substrate (1), (2), (3), (4). This paper addresses the latest developments in this field, namely the provision of monolithic wireless connectivity