Display and solar cell device

Abstract

Liquid crystal displays ( 10 ) and touch sensitive displays ( 41 ) are stacked with one or more solar cells ( 15 ) such that light passing through the displays will illuminate the light receiving active surface of the solar cells ( 15 ). No reflector or polarizer need be used when the liquid crystal display ( 10 ) uses cholesteric or polymer dispersed liquid crystals. When using supertwist nematic or twisted nematic liquid crystals, a reflector ( 21 ) can be used that comprises a selective color reflector. The resultant display/solar cell can be utilized in combination with a device such as a wireless communications device ( 62 ) with the solar cell ( 15 ) providing electricity to the display ( 61 ), the wireless communications device ( 62 ), or both. A mask ( 71 ) can be used to occlude surface features on the solar cell ( 15 ) as appropriate to provide a substantially uniformly colored appearance.

1 . A device comprising: 
 a display comprising: 
 a reflective liquid crystal display having a backside and a front side and having one of supertwist nematic and twisted nematic liquid crystal; and  
 a selective color reflector disposed substantially parallel to the backside of the reflective liquid crystal display;  
   a solar cell having a substantially uniform dark-colored light-receiving active surface disposed proximal to a backside of the selective color reflector such that at least some light passing from the front side and through the backside of the selective color reflector will illuminate the light-receiving active surface.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the display further comprises a polarizing layer disposed proximal to the front side of the reflective liquid crystal display.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the selective color reflector comprises a single color reflector.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  and further comprising a wireless communications device having a user interface operably coupled to the reflective liquid crystal display.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the wireless communications device further includes a battery charger that operably couples to the solar cell.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 4  wherein an electricity output of the solar cell is operably coupled to at least one of the reflective liquid crystal display and the wireless communications device.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  and further comprising a plurality of the solar cells.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 a touch sensitive display having a substantially transparent backside;    
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the light-receiving active surface is substantially black-colored.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 8  wherein an electricity output of the solar cell is operably coupled to at least one of the touch sensitive display and a wireless communications device.