Proximity Screen Display and User Interface

Abstract

A communication device is disclosed that includes a proximity screen display that includes one or more imaging elements that are configured and arranged around a periphery of a display area of the proximity screen display and/or integrated within the display area. The one or more integrated imaging elements are configured and arranged to sense light in their field of view. The one or more integrated imaging elements provide one or more various sensing signals whose magnitudes depend upon an amount of light sensed in their field of view. The communication device can adjust various parameters of video data and/or image data that is being displayed by the display area in response to the various sensing signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A proximity screen display system for a communications device, comprising:
 a proximity display having a plurality of pixel elements and a plurality of imaging elements, the plurality of pixel elements and the plurality of imaging elements respectively having a first structure and a second structure, the first structure and the second structure having at least one common portion; and   a controller configured to manage sharing of the at least one common portion to permit operation of both the plurality of pixel elements and the plurality of imaging elements.   
     
     
         2 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixel elements are configured and arranged as a plurality of rows and columns to form a matrix, a first electrode of each of plurality of pixel elements in each row in the matrix being coupled to each other and a second electrode of each of plurality of pixel elements in each column in the matrix being coupled to each other, and
 wherein the controller is further configured to provide currents or voltages to the plurality of rows and columns of the matrix to configure the plurality of rows and columns to display the image.   
     
     
         3 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine inactive pixel elements from among the plurality of pixel elements that are inactive when the image is displayed by the proximity screen display and to cause integrated imaging elements from among the plurality of integrated imaging elements that correspond to the inactive pixel elements to sense the light. 
     
     
         4 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to duty cycle the plurality of pixel elements and the plurality of integrated imaging elements to switch between their inactive or active configurations such that when an integrated imaging element from among the plurality of integrated imaging elements senses the light, its respective pixel element from among the plurality of pixel elements does not illuminate its respective color pixel. 
     
     
         5 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust an image parameter of a portion of the image in response to the plurality of sensing signals. 
     
     
         6 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 5 , wherein the portion of the image is an integrated virtual keyboard. 
     
     
         7 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the proximity screen display to zoom into an alphanumeric key of an integrated virtual keyboard that coincides with a location of the object in response to the plurality of sensing signals. 
     
     
         8 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to interpolate an image of an environment surrounding the proximity screen display in response to the plurality of sensing signals to detect a location of an object. 
     
     
         9 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the pixel elements that coincide with the object from among the plurality of pixel elements to adjust their illumination in response to the plurality of sensing signals. 
     
     
         10 . The proximity screen display system of  claim 1 , wherein magnitudes of the plurality of sensing signals depend upon an amount of the light sensed by the plurality of integrated imaging elements. 
     
     
         11 . A proximity screen display for a communications device, comprising:
 a plurality of pixel elements configured and arranged as a plurality of first rows; and   a plurality of imaging elements configured and arranged as a plurality of second rows,   wherein the plurality of plurality of first rows is interdigitated with the plurality of second rows.   
     
     
         12 . The proximity screen display of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of plurality of first rows is interdigitated with the plurality of second rows to form a checkerboard like configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The proximity screen display of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of pixel elements comprises at least one of:
 a plurality of pixel elements of a flexible organic light-emitting diode screen display;   a plurality of pixel elements of an electronic paper, e-paper, or electronic ink proximity screen display; or   a plurality of pixel elements of a liquid crystal proximity screen display.   
     
     
         14 . The proximity screen display of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of imaging elements comprises:
 a photovoltaic device.   
     
     
         15 . The proximity screen display of  claim 14 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises:
 a transparent conducting cathode layer configured to attract negatively charged electrons from a donor-acceptor layer when photons of sufficient energy strike the photovoltaic device;   a transparent conducting anode layer configured to attract positively charged electron holes from the donor-acceptor layer when the photons of sufficient energy strike the photovoltaic device.   
     
     
         16 . The proximity screen display of  claim 15 , wherein the donor-acceptor layer configured to provide the negatively charged electrons to the transparent conducting cathode layer or the positively charged electron holes to the transparent conducting anode layer when the photons of sufficient energy strike the photovoltaic device causing a current to flow between the transparent conducting cathode layer and the transparent conducting anode layer. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a proximity screen display, comprising:
 displaying, by a plurality of pixel elements, an image on a display area of a proximity screen display;   capturing, by a plurality of imaging elements within the proximity screen display, a sequence of images containing user input elements at least some of which are non-contact but in proximity to the proximity screen display,   analyzing at least one image from among the sequence of images; and   adjusting a visual interface element to conform to the user input elements.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the visual interface element is a keyboard, and wherein the adjusting comprises:
 adjusting parameters to enlarge or to zoom into coincidental portions of the keyboard that coincide with the user input elements.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the capturing comprises:
 capturing the sequence of images containing at least one of:
 touch typing having full user contact with the proximity screen display; 
 touch typing having user hover with keystroking contact with the proximity screen display, or 
 touch typing having hover without contact with the proximity screen display but with keystroke-like user motions. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the adjusting comprises:
 causing a bordered circle to appear on the proximity screen display at a corresponding x-y location in response to the analyzing.