Patent ID: 12192613

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following description in combination with the Figures is provided to assist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The following discussion will focus on specific implementations and embodiments of the teachings. This focus is provided to assist in describing the teachings, and should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly be used in this application. The teachings can also be used in other applications, and with several different types of architectures, such as distributed computing architectures, client/server architectures, or middleware server architectures and associated resources.

FIG.1illustrates a display100and a cut-away view A-A of the display, as may be known in the prior art. Display100represents a device for projecting visual information, and may include a computer monitor, an outdoor display, a laptop or tablet display screen, a cellular phone device display screen, or other display, as needed or desired. Note that, as illustrated, display100is represented as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display device, but this is not necessarily so. In particular, display100may also represent a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display such as an Organic LED (OLED) display, a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) display, a Quantum Dot LED (QLED) display, or the like.

Display100includes a display panel110, a panel subframe120, a backlight assembly130, a backlight frame140, a display frame150, and a camera/video device160. Display panel110represents a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device and typically includes a top polarizer film, a display panel device, and a bottom polarizer film. The top polarizer film typically includes a printed portion on a bottom surface of the top polarizer film, that is, on a surface adjacent to the display panel device. The printed portion is a darkened portion of the top polarizer film that provides a distinct edge for display panel110. Display panel110may be provided by a display manufacturer as an assembled unit, or the display panel and polarizer films may be provided separately, and assembled into the display panel assembly by a manufacturer of display100, as needed or desired. The details of display panel assembly, both in terms of its manufacture and use in projecting visual information are known in the art, and will not be further described herein, except as needed to illustrate the current embodiments.

Display panel110is affixed to panel subframe120by a strip of double-sided tape around the perimeter of the display panel, and that adheres the bottom edge of the display panel to the panel subframe. Backlight assembly130provides the light source for display panel110, and is affixed to backlight frame140, and may further provide a mounting assembly for affixing panel subframe120to the backlight frame. Display frame150provides a rigid mounting structure for the assemblage of display panel110, panel subframe120, backlight assembly130, and backlight frame140. Camera/video device160represents a device that is configured to gather visual information from a field of view in front of display100. As illustrated, camera/video device160is housed in a portion of display100that extends above a top limit of display panel110. In a particular embodiment, display frame150extends around camera/ video device160to provide a housing for the camera/video device. Display100may include a protective cover, as needed or desired.

Display100is characterized as having a particular bezel width, that is, an area at the edge of the display that is not usable for the projection of visual information. The bezel width is the width between the outer edge of display frame150and the inner edge of the printed portion on the top polarizer film. Design trends for displays such as display100are focused on minimizing the bezel width in order to be able to mount multiple displays together and provide a seamless visual display across the multiple displays. In this regard, a monitor or other type of display similar to display100is not amenable to the stacking of multiple monitors or display type devices into a larger image projecting system, because, to the extent that camera/video device160protrudes above the extent of the display panel, the effective width of the bezel of display100is increased on the top side of the display. As such, any horizontal gaps between stacked monitors or display type devices is increased, leading to an undesirable visual artifact in the image projected by the larger image projecting system.

In other embodiments, a display may include a camera/video device that “pops-up” from the display frame when needed, and that recedes back into the display frame when not is use. While such a display resolves the issue of the wider bezel of display100, the use of a pop-up camera/video device results in a thicker display which may not be suitable for compact use cases such as laptop computers, tablet devices, smart phone devices, and the like. Moreover, a pop-up camera/video device is more mechanically complex, and hence more costly to produce, and introduces an unnecessary point of failure in the pop-up mechanism.

FIG.2illustrates a display200and cut-away portions A-A and B-B of the display, according to an embodiment of the current disclosure. Display200is similar to display100, representing a device for projecting visual information, and may include a computer monitor, an outdoor display, a laptop or tablet display screen, a cellular phone device display screen, or other display, as needed or desired. Display200may represent a LCE display, a LED display, a PDP display, a QLED display, or the like, and the teachings of the present disclosure will be understood by the skilled artisan to be broadly adaptable to various display technologies, as needed or desired.

Display200includes a display panel210, a backlight assembly230, a backlight frame240, a display frame250, and a camera/video device260. Unless otherwise noted the elements of display200are similar to the associated elements of display100(i.e., display panel210is similar to display panel110, etc.). In cut-away portions A-A and B-B, display200is revealed to have the narrow bezel associated with displays with no camera/video device. Hence display200may be understood to be amendable to stacking of multiple similar displays to form a larger image projecting system, without suffering from the enlarged horizontal gap as may result from the stacking of displays like display100. This may be understood in the illustration of cut-away portion A-A, where camera/video device260is shown as being located behind display panel210, and wholly within the confines of display frame150. It will be understood that camera/video device160may be affixed within display100by attachment to sub-frame220, to backlight frame240, to display frame150, or to a combination thereof, as needed or desired.

To accommodate the placement of camera260behind display panel210, the display panel is fabricated with a camera passthrough section212, as depicted in cut-away portion A-A.FIG.3illustrates an exemplary stack-up of section212, including a back polarizer film310, a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer320, an Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) layer330, a color electronic ink reservoir340, a liquid crystal layer350, a color filter layer360including a partial black matrix layer362, and a front polarizer film370. In areas of display panel210that are not proximate to camera/video device260, the layers of the display panel operate in accordance with their typical function, and the functions, the details of which are known in the art, and will not be further described herein, except as needed to illustrate the current embodiments. Moreover, the type of display panel utilized in conjunction with the teachings of the current disclosure are not limited to the illustrated LCD-type display panel, but the teachings herein may be utilized in conjunction with any other type of display panel, as needed or desired. As such, the layers of camera passthrough section212provide their typical functions and features as may be associated with a typical LCD-type display panel, except as where clarified or elaborated upon in the current embodiments.

Camera passthrough section212is illustrated with camera lens262at the bottom, and with parallel lines radiating upward from the edges of the camera lens to illustrate the features of the layers of the camera passthrough section within an aperture that provides a field of view of the camera lens. Back polarizer film310is illustrated as extending into camera passthrough section212, but as not extending into the aperture of camera lens262, so as to not affect the light image within the field of view. As such, back polarizer film310can be fabricated with a hole in the film at a width of at least the width of camera lens262. TFT layer320and ITO layer330are typically transparent layers and so are not illustrated as including cut outs. Moreover, as will be described below, TFT layer320needs to remain at least partially intact in order to activate color electronic ink reservoir340. Liquid crystal layer350includes a void that is wider than the aperture of camera lens262, and, color electronic ink reservoir340is fabricated into the void in the liquid crystal layer. Color filter layer360remains intact except that black matrix layer362is fabricated with a hole in the film at a width of at least the width of camera lens262. Color e-ink layer340will be described further below. Front polarizer film370is illustrated as extending into camera passthrough section212, but as not extending into the aperture of camera lens262, so as to not affect the light image within the field of view. As such, front polarizer film370can be fabricated with a hole in the film at a width of at least the width of camera lens262.

FIG.4illustrates the operation of display200as related to camera/video device260in operating modes including an “on” state and an “off” state. Color electronic ink reservoir340is a transparent sealed capsule that is filled with electronic ink particles400. In the illustrated embodiment, electronic ink particles400represent particles that have one half of their surfaces coated with a first color and that have the other half of their surfaces coated with a second color. The first half of the particles is charged with and retains a positive charge and the second half of the particles is charged with and retains a negative charge. Thus, when the portions of TFT layer320that underlay color electronic ink reservoir340are positively charged, the first half of the particles is repelled from the TFT layer, and the first color becomes visible from the front of display200. Conversely, when the portions of TFT layer320that underlay color electronic ink reservoir340are negatively charged, the second half of the particles is repelled from the TFT layer, and the second color becomes visible from the front of display200. In a particular embodiment, the first color may be green, and the second color may be red.

Display200includes control circuitry and logic to turn camera/video device260on or off. When camera/video device260is turned on, the portions of TFT layer320that underlay color electronic ink reservoir340are controlled to exhibit a positive charge, and the green surface of electronic ink particles400are revealed, providing a green indication of the “on” state of the camera/video device. Conversely, when camera/video device260is turned off the portions of TFT layer320that underlay color electronic ink reservoir340are controlled to exhibit a negative charge, and the red surface of electronic ink particles400are revealed, providing a red indication of the “off” state of the camera/video device.

In another embodiment, electronic ink particles400represent multiple capsules, each filled with different colored and charged particles. For example, electronic ink particles400may include green positively charged particles and red negatively charged particles. When subjected to various charge states of TFT layer320, the particles within the capsule will migrate in opposite directions to provide the indication functions as described above. In another embodiment, rather than filling color electronic ink reservoir340with separate capsules with the different colored and charged particles, the entirety of the color electronic ink reservoir may be filled, substantially half with the first type of particles and substantially half with the second type of particles.

Note that, as described herein, an electronic ink reservoir is shown as being proximate to, and closely associated with an aperture of a camera/video device, but this is not necessarily so.FIG.5illustrates the operation of a display similar to display200as related to camera/video device260in operating modes including an “on” state and an “off” state. Color electronic ink reservoir340is a transparent sealed capsule that is filled with electronic ink particles400. Here, color electronic ink capsule340is displaced from around the aperture of camera/video device260, such that the color electronic ink reservoir creates an indication of the “on” or “off” state of the camera/video device that is separated from the aperture. In all other aspects, the operation of the display ofFIG.5is similar to the operation of display200as described above.

FIG.6illustrates a generalized embodiment of an information handling system500. For purpose of this disclosure an information handling system can include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, information handling system500can be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet device or other consumer electronic device, a network server, a network storage device, a switch router or other network communication device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. Further, information handling system500can include processing resources for executing machine-executable code, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a programmable logic array (PLA), an embedded device such as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC), or other control logic hardware. Information handling system500can also include one or more computer-readable medium for storing machine-executable code, such as software or data. Additional components of information handling system500can include one or more storage devices that can store machine-executable code, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices, and various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. Information handling system500can also include one or more buses operable to transmit information between the various hardware components.

Information handling system500can include devices or modules that embody one or more of the devices or modules described below, and operates to perform one or more of the methods described below. Information handling system500includes a processors502and504, an input/output (I/O) interface510, memories520and525, a graphics interface530, a basic input and output system/universal extensible firmware interface (BIOS/UEFI) module540, a disk controller550, a hard disk drive (HDD)554, an optical disk drive (ODD)556, a disk emulator560connected to an external solid state drive (SSD)562, an I/O bridge570, one or more add-on resources574, a trusted platform module (TPM)576, a network interface580, a management device590, and a power supply595. Processors502and504, I/O interface510, memory520, graphics interface530, BIOS/UEFI module540, disk controller550, HDD554, ODD556, disk emulator560, SSD562, I/O bridge570, add-on resources574, TPM576, and network interface580operate together to provide a host environment of information handling system500that operates to provide the data processing functionality of the information handling system. The host environment operates to execute machine-executable code, including platform BIOS/UEFI code, device firmware, operating system code, applications, programs, and the like, to perform the data processing tasks associated with information handling system500.

In the host environment, processor502is connected to I/O interface510via processor interface506, and processor504is connected to the I/O interface via processor interface508. Memory520is connected to processor502via a memory interface522. Memory525is connected to processor504via a memory interface527. Graphics interface530is connected to I/O interface510via a graphics interface532, and provides a video display output536to a video display534. In a particular embodiment, information handling system500includes separate memories that are dedicated to each of processors502and504via separate memory interfaces. An example of memories520and530include random access memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), non-volatile RAM (NV-RAM), or the like, read only memory (ROM), another type of memory, or a combination thereof.

BIOS/UEFI module540, disk controller550, and I/O bridge570are connected to I/O interface510via an I/O channel512. An example of I/O channel512includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, a PCI-Extended (PCI-X) interface, a high-speed PCI-Express (PCIe) interface, another industry standard or proprietary communication interface, or a combination thereof. I/O interface510can also include one or more other I/O interfaces, including an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) interface, a Small Computer Serial Interface (SCSI) interface, an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) interface, a System Packet Interface (SPI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB), another interface, or a combination thereof. BIOS/UEFI module540includes BIOS/UEFI code operable to detect resources within information handling system500, to provide drivers for the resources, initialize the resources, and access the resources. BIOS/UEFI module540includes code that operates to detect resources within information handling system500, to provide drivers for the resources, to initialize the resources, and to access the resources.

Disk controller550includes a disk interface552that connects the disk controller to HDD554, to ODD556, and to disk emulator560. An example of disk interface552includes an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface, an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) such as a parallel ATA (PATA) interface or a serial ATA (SATA) interface, a SCSI interface, a USB interface, a proprietary interface, or a combination thereof. Disk emulator560permits SSD564to be connected to information handling system500via an external interface562. An example of external interface562includes a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) interface, a proprietary interface, or a combination thereof Alternatively, solid-state drive564can be disposed within information handling system500.

I/O bridge570includes a peripheral interface572that connects the I/O bridge to add-on resource574, to TPM576, and to network interface580. Peripheral interface572can be the same type of interface as I/O channel512, or can be a different type of interface. As such, I/O bridge570extends the capacity of I/O channel512when peripheral interface572and the I/O channel are of the same type, and the I/O bridge translates information from a format suitable to the I/O channel to a format suitable to the peripheral channel572when they are of a different type. Add-on resource574can include a data storage system, an additional graphics interface, a network interface card (NIC), a sound/video processing card, another add-on resource, or a combination thereof. Add-on resource574can be on a main circuit board, on separate circuit board or add-in card disposed within information handling system500, a device that is external to the information handling system, or a combination thereof.

Network interface580represents a NIC disposed within information handling system500, on a main circuit board of the information handling system, integrated onto another component such as I/O interface510, in another suitable location, or a combination thereof. Network interface device580includes network channels582and584that provide interfaces to devices that are external to information handling system500. In a particular embodiment, network channels582and584are of a different type than peripheral channel572and network interface580translates information from a format suitable to the peripheral channel to a format suitable to external devices. An example of network channels582and584includes InfiniBand channels, Fibre Channel channels, Gigabit Ethernet channels, proprietary channel architectures, or a combination thereof. Network channels582and584can be connected to external network resources (not illustrated). The network resource can include another information handling system, a data storage system, another network, a grid management system, another suitable resource, or a combination thereof.

Management device590represents one or more processing devices, such as a dedicated baseboard management controller (BMC) System-on-a-Chip (SoC) device, one or more associated memory devices, one or more network interface devices, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and the like, that operate together to provide the management environment for information handling system500. In particular, management device590is connected to various components of the host environment via various internal communication interfaces, such as a Low Pin Count (LPC) interface, an Inter-Integrated-Circuit (I2C) interface, a PCIe interface, or the like, to provide an out-of-band (OOB) mechanism to retrieve information related to the operation of the host environment, to provide BIOS/UEFI or system firmware updates, to manage non-processing components of information handling system500, such as system cooling fans and power supplies. Management device590can include a network connection to an external management system, and the management device can communicate with the management system to report status information for information handling system500, to receive BIOS/UEFI or system firmware updates, or to perform other task for managing and controlling the operation of information handling system500. Management device590can operate off of a separate power plane from the components of the host environment so that the management device receives power to manage information handling system500when the information handling system is otherwise shut down. An example of management device590include a commercially available BMC product or other device that operates in accordance with an Intelligent Platform Management Initiative (IPMI) specification, a Web Services Management (WSMan) interface, a Redfish Application Programming Interface (API), another Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), or other management standard, and can include an Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC), an Embedded Controller (EC), or the like. Management device590may further include associated memory devices, logic devices, security devices, or the like, as needed or desired.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any and all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.