JP2005073132A - Electronic apparatus and display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus which has improved light receiving sensitivity for an optical signal from a remote controller while keeping designability of appearance. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic apparatus that is operated on the basis of a received optical signal, includes a transparent panel that constitutes a part of an exterior member of an electronic apparatus main body as a translucent member having translucency, a light receiving part 10 that is covered with the exterior member, receives the optical signal and converts the optical signal into an electric signal, and a reflection plane 5f for guiding the optical signal incident on the transparent panel 5 to the light receiving part 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a television receiver, which is operated based on an optical signal.

For example, in electronic devices such as a television receiver and a camera-integrated video tape recorder, a so-called wireless remote control function (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) for enabling the electronic devices to be operated from a remote location. ) Is known. In an electronic device using a remote controller, it is necessary to provide a light receiving window for receiving an optical signal such as infrared light. Since the light receiving window is arranged in a place that is visible to the user, the design of the appearance of the electronic device is affected. For this reason, from the viewpoint of not impairing the appearance design of the electronic device, the light receiving window is made inconspicuous by reducing the light receiving window or coloring the light receiving window in the same color as other parts. Yes.
On the other hand, the arrangement of the light receiving elements that receive the optical signal incident from the light receiving window is limited by the position and size of the light receiving window. For example, Patent Literature 1, Patent Literature 2 and the like disclose techniques for increasing the degree of freedom of arrangement of the light receiving elements.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-199179 JP-A-8-191493

  By the way, if the above-described light receiving window is colored in the same color as other portions, the light receiving element becomes difficult to receive an optical signal, and the light receiving sensitivity of the optical signal may be lowered. If the light receiving window is enlarged in order to improve the light receiving sensitivity, the design may be impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device in which the light receiving sensitivity of an optical signal from a remote controller is improved while maintaining the appearance design.

  An electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device that is operated based on a received optical signal, and constitutes a part of an exterior member of the main body of the electronic device and has a light transmitting property, and the optical signal. And a light guide means for guiding an optical signal incident on the light transmissive member to the light receiving section.

  A display device according to the present invention is a display device in which an exterior member provided around a display unit is configured by a translucent member and a non-translucent member, and is operated based on a received optical signal. And a light receiving portion that is covered by the non-light transmissive member and receives the optical signal and converts it into an electrical signal, and a light guide means for guiding the optical signal incident on the light transmissive member to the light receiving portion.

  In this invention, the translucent member which comprises an exterior member is used as an intake port which takes in an optical signal. The exterior member is, for example, a member that is provided around the display unit of the display device and is visually recognized from the outside by a user such as a member, and is a portion on which design is performed. An optical signal incident on the translucent member by the light guiding means provided on the translucent member used for the exterior member is guided to the light receiving unit covered with the exterior member.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electronic device and display apparatus which can maintain the design property of an external appearance, and improved the light reception sensitivity of the optical signal from a remote control are obtained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a liquid crystal display device as an embodiment of an electronic device and a display device of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2, a frame body 3, a transparent panel 5, and a light receiving unit 10.
The liquid crystal panel 2 is a display unit of the present invention, the frame 3 is a non-translucent member of the present invention, the transparent panel 5 is a translucent member of the present invention, and the light receiving unit 10 is a light receiving unit of the present invention. It is an aspect. Moreover, the frame 3 and the transparent panel 5 constitute the exterior member of the present invention.

  The frame 3 surrounds the outer periphery of the rectangular liquid crystal panel 2 and holds the liquid crystal panel 2. The frame 3 is formed of a member that does not transmit light, such as colored plastic. The frame 3 includes an opening 3 h on the lower side of the liquid crystal panel 2. The opening 3 h is provided for designing the appearance of the liquid crystal display device 1.

The transparent panel 5 is disposed so as to cover the opening 3 h when viewed from the front of the liquid crystal display device 1. The transparent panel 5 is fixed to the frame 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the transparent panel 5 is composed of a flat member. The transparent panel 5 is formed of a translucent material that transmits light such as plastic. Since the transparent panel 5 has translucency, it can be seen through the transparent panel 5 to the back of the liquid crystal display device 1.
The front surface 5a of the transparent panel 5 is a flat surface. An optical signal of a wireless remote controller, which will be described later, enters from the front surface 5a. On the back surface 5b of the transparent panel 5, a reflective surface 5f made of an inclined surface is formed along the longitudinal direction. The reflecting surface 5f is provided to reflect the optical signal and guide it to the light receiving unit 10. For example, a metal film such as aluminum is deposited on the reflecting surface 5f.
The optical signal reflected by the reflecting surface 5 f is emitted from the upper end surface 5 c of the transparent panel 5.
Since a metal film is formed on the reflective surface 5f of the transparent panel 5, as shown in FIG. The reflective surface 5f is formed over the entire length of the transparent panel 5 from the viewpoint of design.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the light receiving unit 10 is disposed above the upper end surface 5 c of the transparent panel 5. The light receiving unit 10 includes a substrate and a light receiving element.
The light receiving unit 10 is covered with the frame 3 and arranged so as not to be seen from the outside of the liquid crystal display device 1.
When the light receiving unit 10 receives the optical signal 100s, it changes it into an electrical signal. The liquid crystal display device 1 is operated based on this signal.
In FIG. 3, a wireless remote controller 100 (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller 100) outputs an optical signal 100s such as an infrared signal for remotely operating the liquid crystal display device 1 in accordance with a user operation.

When the optical signal 100s of the remote controller 100 enters the transparent panel 5 from the front side of the liquid crystal display device 1, the optical signal 100s transmitted through the transparent panel 5 is reflected by the reflecting surface 5f, emitted through the upper end surface 5c, and the light receiving unit. It is transmitted to 10.
In the present embodiment, the total length of the reflecting surface 5f is sufficiently longer than that of the light receiving unit 10, and therefore the range in which the optical signal 100s can be incident is very wide. For this reason, compared with the case where a light-receiving window is provided, the light-receiving sensitivity is improved.
In the present embodiment, a transparent panel 5 having translucency is used as a part of an exterior member for disposing the appearance of the liquid crystal display device 1, and this transparent panel 5 is used in place of a light receiving window, whereby an optical signal 100s. Can be expanded. Moreover, since the transparent panel 5 is basically used for the design of the appearance, the design of the appearance can be maintained.

  In the embodiment described above, the reflecting surface 5f formed on the transparent panel 5 is linear, but from the viewpoint of design, for example, the reflecting surface 5f may be curved as shown in FIG. That is, since only a part of the reflection surface 5f is used for light reception, the shape and arrangement of other parts can be arbitrarily determined.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of the transparent panel.
In the transparent panel 5A shown in FIG. 5, condenser lenses 5L1 and 5L2 are integrally formed on a front surface 5a and an upper end surface 5c.
By providing the condensing lenses 5L1 and 5L2 and condensing, the amount of light received by the optical signal 100s incident from the remote controller 100 can be increased. As a result, the light receiving sensitivity can be increased.
Note that only one of the condensing lenses 5L1 and 5L2 may be formed, and the shape of the lens is not limited to the convex lens and can be changed as appropriate.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing still another example of the transparent panel.
The transparent panel 5B shown in FIG. 6 includes extended light guide portions 5Be1 and 5Be2 and a plurality of reflecting surfaces 5Bf1 to 5Bf4.
As described above, by appropriately changing the structure of the transparent panel, the arrangement of the light receiving units 10 can be arbitrarily changed.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
For example, when a loss due to light leakage during transmission of an optical signal from the remote controller 100 is large, a light leakage prevention film may be used on the front surface 5 a of the transparent panel 5.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the metal film is formed on the reflection surface 5f has been described. However, the reflection surface 5f can be formed as a reflection surface only by processing it smoothly.
In addition, if the reflective film 5f of the transparent panel 5 is made of a color characteristic such as metal, design differentiation is possible.
If an object whose color is changed by the light from the remote controller 100 is used as the reflective film 5f, the design can be improved, the optical signal from the remote controller 100 can be visualized, and the like.
Further, if particles whose color is changed by the light from the remote control are mixed in the transparent panel 5, further changes can be expected during light reception.
Further, a reflection surface may be formed on the front surface 5 a of the transparent panel 5 so that an optical signal is guided to the light receiving unit 10 without passing through the transparent panel 5.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal display device has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to other display devices such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) and a plasma display device. In addition to the display device, the present invention can be applied to other electronic devices including home appliances such as audio products. In other words, any material that uses a translucent member as an exterior member for disguising the appearance of the device can be applied.

It is a front view of the liquid crystal display device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a top view which shows an example of the structure of a transparent panel, (b) is sectional drawing which shows an example of the structure of a transparent panel. It is sectional drawing of the AA line direction of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of a reflective surface. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of a transparent panel. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of a transparent panel.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid crystal display device, 2 ... Liquid crystal panel, 3 ... Frame, 5 ... Transparent panel, 10 ... Light-receiving part.

Claims (6)

An electronic device operated based on a received optical signal,
A part of the exterior member of the electronic device main body constitutes a translucent member having translucency,
A light receiving portion that is covered by the exterior member and receives the optical signal and converts it into an electrical signal;
An electronic device comprising: a light guiding unit that guides an optical signal incident on the light transmissive member to the light receiving unit. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide unit is provided on the light transmissive member. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide unit includes a reflective surface formed on the light transmissive member. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the reflection surface is configured by a metal film partially formed on a surface of the translucent member. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the light guiding unit includes a condensing lens unit integrally formed on at least one of an incident side and an emission side of an optical signal of the translucent member. An exterior member provided around the display unit is composed of a translucent member and a non-translucent member, and is a display device operated based on a received optical signal,
A light receiving portion that is covered by the non-translucent member and receives the optical signal and converts it into an electrical signal;
And a light guide means for guiding an optical signal incident on the translucent member to the light receiving section.

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