Patent Publication Number: US-2009225502-A1

Title: Display Device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a display device having a signal receiver. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In recent years, display devices are widely used in consuming electronic products, such as liquid-crystal televisions, monitors or digital frames. Presently, display devices, such as TVs or digital frames, are usually equipped with signal receivers on the frame of display devices for receiving remote control signals. Usually, there is an aperture disposed on the frame of display device corresponding to the signal receiver. Additionally, there may be a transparent (or semi-transparent) material covered on the aperture. The purpose is that the signal receiver is exposed for receiving signals. However, the aperture on the frame of display device could destroy the integrity of the display device. 
     For example,  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  are exploded schematic view and side schematic view of display device  10  in the prior art respectively. There is an aperture  109  disposed on the frame of the display device  10  corresponding to the position of the signal receiver and the signal receiver is exposed. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the display device  10  comprises a housing  101 , a display module, a signal receiver and a circuit board  107 . As shown in  FIG. 1B , the display module  103  is disposed inside the housing  101  and the signal receiver  105  that electrically connects to the circuit board  107  is also disposed inside the housing  101 . Besides, there is an aperture  109  on the frame of the housing  101  and the aperture is disposed corresponding to the position of the signal receiver  105 . The signal receiver  105  is then capable of receiving outside signals, such as infrared remote control signals. However, if the display device is a digital frame, the aperture on the frame and the exposed signal receiver would destroy the integrity of the frame. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the invention is to provide a display device for receiving outside signals. 
     Another purpose of the invention is to provide complete integrity of the display device and there is no aperture corresponding to a signal receiver on the housing of the display device. 
     The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a display device comprising a housing, a display module and a signal receiver. The display and the signal receiver are disposed inside the housing. The signal receiver electrically connects to a circuit board and the signal receiver is disposed between the display module and the circuit board. A part of the display module is exposed to form a display region (i.e. a region for showing an image) through the front opening of the front surface of the housing. The rear plate of the display device has an opening and the position of the signal receiver on the circuit board is corresponding to the position of the opening of the rear plate. Thus, the signal receiver is capable of receiving outside signals through the front opening of the housing, the display region of the display module and the opening of the rear plate. 
     The signal receiver is preferably a directional signal receiver, such as an infrared signal receiver. The signal receiver is capable of receiving a directional signal within the effective receiving range. There is a particular relationship between the aperture of the opening of the rear plate and effective receiving angle so that the signal receiver can receive outside signals transmitted within the maximum effective receiving range through the opening of the rear plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is an exploded schematic diagram of a display device of the prior art. 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display device of the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic diagram of a display device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  is a part of cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display device; and 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to display devices for receiving outside signals. Referring to the preferred embodiment, the display devices of the invention comprise televisions, personal computers, lap-top computers or digital frames, etc, which are capable of receiving remote signals. According to the embodiment of the invention, the display devices are capable of receiving remote control signal from users to change the setting or display information of the display device. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic diagram of a display device. The display device  20  comprises a housing  201 , a display module  203  and a signal receiver  205 . The display module  203  and the signal receiver  205  are disposed inside the housing  201 . In detail, the housing  201  comprises a front surface  202  and a rear surface  204 . The front surface  202  includes a front opening  206 . The display module  203  is disposed between the front surface  202  and the rear surface  204 . A part of display module is exposed through the front opening  206 . The exposed part is defined as a display region that shows images. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the embodiment, the signal receiver  205  of the display device  20  is disposed between the display module  203  and rear surface  204  and the signal receiver  205  is positioned corresponding to the display region. In detail, the display device  20  of the embodiment further comprises a circuit board  207 . The signal receiver  205  electrically connects to the circuit board  207 . In general, the signal receiver  205  is connected to the circuit board by surface-mount technology. However, in another embodiment, the signal receiver  205  connects to the circuit board  207  by a connector. Furthermore, the position of the signal receiver  205  on the circuit board  207  is corresponding to the display region of the display module  203 . Therefore, the signal receiver is capable of receiving outside signals through the display region. 
       FIG. 3  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, including the exploded schematic diagram of the display module  203 . The display module  203  can be a liquid crystal display module. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the display module  203  of the embodiment comprises a display panel module  2031 , a rear plate  2033  and a frame  2035 . The display panel module  2031  is positioned between the rear plate  2033  and the frame  2035 . The display panel module  2031  faced to the frame comprises a display region. Note that the rear plate  2033  of the display module  203  has an opening  500 . The position of the opening  500  is corresponding to the area of the display region of the display panel module  2031 . The position of the signal receiver  205  on the circuit board  207  is corresponding to the opening  500  of the rear plate  2033 . In general, the rear plate  2033  of the display module  203  is made of metal such as iron for fixing display panel module  2031  inside the housing  201  of the display device  20 . The opening  500  prevents the signals outside the housing  201  from being blocked by the rear plate  2033 . Therefore, the signal receiver  205  is capable of receiving signals through display panel module  2031  and the opening  500 . 
       FIG. 4A  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, including the exploded schematic diagram of the display module  203 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , the display panel module  2031  of the display module  203  comprises a backlight module  70  and a display panel  80 . The backlight module  70  comprises a diffuser  701 , a prism sheet  703 , a light guide  705 , a light source module  707  and a reflector  709 . The diffuser  701  and the prism sheet  703  have the property of transparency. They improve light-emitting efficiency and adjust light-emitting distribution so as to uniform the light. Besides, in the embodiment, the light source module  707  is disposed on one side of the light guide  705  by which the light source module  707  distributes the light uniformly on the display panel  80 . The light source can be light-emitting diode (LED) or other light-emitting components, and this invention will not be limited by the kinds of the light sources. The reflector  709  reflects the light which is dissipated from the light source module  707  and light guide  705  back to light guide  705  to increase light-emitting efficiency. 
       FIG. 4B  is a further exploded schematic diagram of the display device, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 4B , the display panel  80 , in the embodiment, is a liquid crystal display panel. Specifically, in  FIG. 4B , the display panel  80  comprises a polarizer  801 , an upper substrate  803 , an optical film  805  and a lower substrate  807 . The upper substrate  803  is next to the polarizer  801 . The optical film  805  is disposed between the upper substrate  803  and lower substrate  807 . The lower substrate  807  has active array components, such as thin-film transistors array structure. The liquid crystal is filled between the optical film  805  and lower substrate  807 . The polarizer  801  ensures the direction of light-emitting. The upper substrate  803  and lower substrate  807  are made of transparent material, such as transparent glass. The optical film  805  is made of optical plastic material, such as light filters and protection films. In other examples, the display panel  80  can be other kinds of display panels, such as an organic light-emitting diode panel. 
     The signal receiver  205  of the display device  20  described in the previous embodiment of the invention is a directional signal receiver for receiving directional wireless signals, such as infrared signals. The directional signal receiver  205  is usually limited by an effective receiving range based on effective receiving angle 2θ when the directional signal receiver  205  receive signals. If the outside signals are transmitted within the effective receiving range, the signal receiver  205  can receive the outside signals. However, in other embodiments, the signal receiver is not limited to the directional signal receiver and it can be any kind of wireless remote control signal receivers, such as a radio frequency remote control receiver. 
       FIG. 5A  is a part of cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display device  20  illustrating the positions of the display module  203 , the signal receiver  205  and the circuit board  207 . As shown in  FIG. 5A , the size of the opening  500  on the rear plate  2033  of the display module  203  is preferably designed so that the effective receiving angle of signal receiver  205  is equal to or greater than 2θ. Thus, the directional signals are received by signal receiver  205  through the opening  500  instead of being blocked by the rear plate  2033 . Because the signal receiver  205  is disposed on the circuit board  207 , there is a distance d between the signal receiver  205  and the opening  500  of the rear plate  2033 . The size of the opening  500  is preferably designed to cover the effective receiving range of the signal receiver  205  by establishing a relationship among the aperture of the opening  500 , the distance d and the effective receiving angle 2θ. For example, the shape of the opening  500  is round in this embodiment, but in this invention the shape of the opening  500  is not limited. The aperture diameter R of the opening  500  is preferably larger than the product of tangent θ (θ is a half of effective receiving angle 2θ) and two times the distance d, i.e. R&gt;=2d×tan θ. Besides, as shown in  FIG. 5B , in this embodiment, a hypothetical cone may be formed by the range extending outward from the signal receiver  205  based on effective receiving angle 2θ. Thus, the size of the aperture of the opening  500  is preferably larger than the area in the rear plate  2033  with which the hypothetical cone intersects. In other embodiments, aforementioned relationship does not necessarily exist among the opening, the effective receiving angle and the distance. For example, the opening of the rear plate can be smaller than the opening described in the previous embodiment, but the signal receiver accordingly could not receive some of the signals which are transmitted within the effective receiving range. It depends on the requirements of the designer and the product specifications. 
     With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.