Patent ID: 8139055

Claim:
A combined image sensor and display device comprising a plurality of device elements arranged as an array of rows and columns, each of a first set of the device elements comprising a display pixel having a data input, the data inputs of each column being connected to a respective column data line, each of a second set of the device elements comprising an image sensor element comprising a photodetecting element, a semiconductor amplifying element, and an integrating capacitor having a first electrode, which is connected to a control electrode of the amplifying element and a first electrode of the photodetecting element, and a second electrode connected to a control input, which is arranged to receive, during a sensing phase, a first voltage for disabling the amplifying element and for permitting integration by the capacitor of a photocurrent from the photodetecting element and to receive, during a reading phase, a second voltage for enabling the amplifying element, each of the amplifying elements having a main conduction path connected to at least one of the column data lines, each of the amplifying elements having a control electrode threshold absolute voltage below which the amplifying element is disabled and the photocurrent being such that the absolute value of the voltage at the control electrode remains below the threshold absolute voltage during the sensing phase.