Camera-integrated display

Abstract

To provide a camera built-in type display.SOLUTION: The present application relates to a device and a vehicle having such a device. The device includes a display device (1) and a camera (3). The display device (1) includes a cover glass (7), an LCD panel (2) and a backlight unit. The LCD panel (2) is arranged behind the cover glass (7), the backlight unit is arranged behind the LCD panel (2), and the camera (3) is arranged behind the backlight unit with its field of view facing the backlight unit. The field of view of the camera (3) defines an active area (9) of the camera (3). The backlight unit includes an edge light source (8) and a light guide (5). The light guide (5) is a light guide (5) having a microstructure (12). The camera (3) operates in an infrared wavelength spectrum. The light guide (5) includes a camera window (11) that defines an area of the active area (9) of the camera (3) where the microstructure (12) is removed from the light guide (5).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera-integrated display and a vehicle equipped with such an integrated display.

Background Art

[0002] Considering the current trend in display technology, more and more OEMs (OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer) in various sectors are trying to integrate a camera behind the display in their products. This type of approach can be seen in consumer products such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, and currently, there is also increasing interest in automotive parts.

[0003] In addition to this, driver monitoring systems are being made mandatory in order to meet new safety standards, and thus, camera systems are beginning to be integrated into various devices located throughout vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, and buses.

[0004] To address this problem, various methods have been used by OEMs and manufacturers in various industries trying to achieve seamless integration of cameras in their devices.

[0005] The technology used to integrate a camera behind the display is mainly influenced by display type technologies such as LCD (LCD: Liquid Cristal Display) displays and LED (LED: Light-Emitting Diode) displays.

[0006] Smartphone manufacturers are addressing this problem by first creating a notch within the display and placing the camera behind the display's cover glass within the cutout. However, such cameras placed in a notch cannot be considered as seamlessly integrated or as cameras located behind the display.

[0007] Several options have been found to achieve seamless camera integration behind the display. For example, (Patent Document 1) and (Patent Document 2) describe using lower pixel density and / or smaller pixels in the camera's active area. Thus, such a technique proposes lower pixel density and / or smaller pixels to create sufficient space for light to enter the area where the camera captures the image. Different pixel arrangements are also possible with such a technique, as this aspect can also affect image quality. However, such solutions that use lower pixel density and / or smaller pixels in the camera's active area result in each platform or application requiring an LCD panel specifically designed to meet product requirements, further leading to increased design complexity and higher costs in such solutions.

[0008] Patent Document 3 describes a camera installed in a through-hole behind an LCD display. The LCD display comprises a cover glass, an optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer, a first polarizer, a first glass substrate, a color film (CF) layer, a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer, a second glass substrate, a second polarizer, and a backlight module. The through-hole is provided through the first polarizer, the CF layer, the TFT layer, the second polarizer, and the backlight module. The through-hole forms an optical path in the LCD for ambient light to enter from outside the electronic device, pass through the cover glass and the optical path, and enter the camera. The camera is positioned entirely or partially within the through-hole. The first and second glass substrates are not cut out in the region corresponding to the optical path. However, this method requires considerable effort to align such through-holes in almost all components of the LCD. Furthermore, drilling such through-holes in almost all components of the LCD can damage each individual component. Therefore, components must be controlled in terms of damage and precise alignment with the through-holes. All of the above ultimately leads to increased costs.

[0009] (Patent Document 4) describes a camera device located beneath a display screen. The display comprises a display screen and a camera. The display screen comprises a cover at the top and a display module beneath the cover. The display module comprises ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) glass, a liquid crystal layer, and a backlight layer. A blind hole area is provided in the display screen, which is formed on the liquid crystal layer above an opening that penetrates the entire backlight layer. The camera is positioned directly below the blind hole, and the camera lens extends into the hole in the backlight layer up to the blind hole area, forming a field of view that passes through the blind hole. The display screen further comprises an electric field circuit, which is provided on the outermost ITO glass layer of the liquid crystal layer, and the electric field circuit drives the polarization of the liquid crystal in the blind hole area of ​​the display screen to achieve camera focusing by changing the optical path of light passing through the blind hole area by changing the electric field. Such a method is complex to implement and means increased cost. Furthermore, a complete hole that penetrates the entire backlight layer affects the light guide in that light scattering is disrupted in the area of ​​the hole, resulting in problems with image acquisition.

[0010] Furthermore, the opacity of LCD panels and polarizers makes the development of seamless camera-integrated devices difficult. An LCD panel consists of a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two electrodes, along with a polarizer, which is an optical filter that transmits light of a specific polarization. Typically, a common LCD panel has two polarizers, one on each side. As light passes through the LCD panel and polarizers, it is partially absorbed and scattered, reducing the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor behind the display. This can lead to a decrease in image quality and camera performance, requiring increased hardware compensation.

[0011] Patent Document 5 describes an electronic device comprising a front camera positioned behind a front display. Such a device described in Patent Document 5 comprises a display having a front and a back, the display comprising a plurality of pixel areas that emit light from the front of the display to display a display image, and a plurality of apertures that transmit light from the front to the back. A camera is positioned on the back side of the display. The camera is configured to capture an image. The device further comprises a restoration optical system positioned between the display and the camera, the restoration optical system being configured to reduce image distortion caused by the display. It is further described that the restoration optical system may comprise optical filters (e.g., phase-shift masks), band-pass filters, lenses including variable focus lenses, and / or different and / or additional components. It is further described that various items of the restoration optical system can be included in the camera and thus eliminated from the restoration optical system. Furthermore, a processor is coupled to the display and the camera, the processor being configured to apply a digital filter to at least a portion of the captured image in order to further reduce image distortion caused by the display. Thus, image distortion caused by the display is reduced physically by the restoration optical system and digitally by the processor. Therefore, (Patent Document 5) describes a complex setup that requires reducing image distortion caused by the display both physically and digitally. However, such methods also involve considerable effort and consequently high costs.

[0012] Patent Document 6 describes an image acquisition device operating in the visible spectrum, which is positioned behind a switchable diffuser and behind a light guide, or in a hole or opening within the light guide behind the display. The switchable diffuser is positioned in front of the light guide. Patent Document 6 further describes that the light guide typically has scattering elements, also called scattering dots, on the back of the light guide plate to scatter light conducted from the backlight bulb into the light guide plate toward the front of the LCD display assembly. Such scattering elements are also known from the art as dot structures, microdots, or microlenses, and are located on the surface of the light guide, typically on the back of the light guide, and are used to guide light toward the display panel as described in Patent Document 6. The amount of light obtained as a result is determined by the density of the collection of dot structures, microdots, or microlenses. The higher the density, the more light exits the light guide in the desired area. However, since a single microdot or microlens does not produce a uniform light output, lower densities are limited. While dot structures are known as small printed white dots on the back of a light guide, microdots or microlenses are hemispherical imprinted or injection-molded microdots with a spherical crown, located on the back or front surface of a light guide plate. The diameter of the spherical crown, or more precisely, the microdot or microlens, is several tens of micrometers.

[0013] (Patent Document 6) further explains the importance of using a switchable diffuser so that the image acquisition device can acquire sufficient light, improve the uniformity of the light passing through the LCD panel, and make scattering elements less visible from the front of the LCD.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to acquire clear images, the switchable diffuser, LCD, and image acquisition device must be precisely controlled so that the camera can capture images. Therefore, (Patent Document 6) proposes control logic for the LCD panel, camera, and diffuser so that sufficient light is captured by the camera. Consequently, the solution known from (Patent Document 6) requires an increased amount of logic and hardware to perform all the steps necessary to capture an image. Moreover, considering the control logic required to switch between the diffuser and the LCD screen, it can be difficult to incorporate this type of solution into a product that ultimately results in a low cost. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 4102810A1 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 11145233 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0117034 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2021 / 258921 brochure [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0179452 [Patent Document 6] International Publication No. 2009 / 051673 Pamphlet [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0016] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved display having a seamlessly integrated camera behind the display. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The above objectives are achieved, according to the independent claim, by a camera-integrated display and a vehicle equipped with such an integrated display. Dependent claims include further advantageous developments and improvements of the present principle, as described below.

[0018] According to the first embodiment, the apparatus comprises a display device and a camera. The display device comprises a cover glass, an LCD panel, and a backlight unit. The LCD panel is positioned behind the cover glass, the backlight unit is positioned behind the LCD panel, and the camera is positioned behind the backlight unit with its field of view directed toward the backlight unit, more precisely toward the light guide of the backlight unit, which will be detailed later. The cover glass is the display component closest to the user viewing the display. For example, behind the cover glass means that each component behind the cover glass, in this case the LCD panel, is positioned on the side of the display glass opposite to the side of the display glass that the user is looking at when viewing the display. The camera's field of view defines the camera's active area. It should be understood that the camera's field of view, and therefore active area, is larger, for example, when a wide-angle lens is used and / or when the camera is positioned further away from the backlight unit. Conversely, it should also be understood that the camera's field of view, and therefore active area, is smaller, for example, when a telephoto lens is used and / or when the camera is moved closer to the backlight unit.

[0019] The backlight unit comprises an edge light source and a light guide. The camera operates in the infrared wavelength spectrum. The advantage of using a camera that operates in the IR wavelength spectrum is that the infrared light transmittance is not affected, or only slightly affected, by the LCD panel and its polarizer. The term "operates in the infrared wavelength spectrum" means that the camera, more precisely, the image acquisition element of the camera, is sensitive to at least the infrared spectrum and acquires images in at least the IR spectrum (IR: infrared). It should be understood that the camera may be capable of operating only in the IR spectrum, i.e., it may be configured as an IR camera, or it may operate in the visible wavelength spectrum in addition to operating in the IR spectrum.

[0020] The light guide is a light guide with a microstructure that provides a camera window in the active area of ​​the camera. The camera window defines an area from which the microstructure has been removed from the light guide. Such a camera window without microstructure has been found to have little to no effect on infrared light compared to a light guide with microstructure. Therefore, a light guide with a camera window without microstructure is suitable for use in cameras operating in the IR wavelength spectrum. Generally, microstructures are provided on the surface of the light guide, or on the back or front side of the light guide. However, if the microstructure is provided on the back surface, it becomes difficult to see. It will be understood that in order to provide such a camera window, the microstructure is removed from the corresponding side of the light guide. Furthermore, it will be understood that in order to provide a camera window, all or part of the microstructure may be removed, for example, a specific part may be removed from each microstructure (the microstructure may be partially removed), or one in three microstructures may be completely removed (the density of microstructure may be lower compared to the area outside the camera window). The term "microstructure" refers to a structure, such as a spherical crown on the surface of a light guide, having a size of 10 μm to 100 μm in terms of its diameter, or more precisely, its maximum extent in one dimension. The form, size, and density of the elements, i.e., density per given area, can be individually selected according to the technical requirements of the light guide and the entire device (e.g., a display) used. For example, the form of such a microstructure may be a pyramidal, conical, and / or cylindrical shape, rather than a hemispherical shape. In a form with a portion removed to provide a camera window, the shape of such a microstructure may be a frustum of such form, e.g., a frustum of a cone and / or a frustum of a pyramidal shape.

[0021] The present invention proposes a simple solution for seamlessly integrating a camera (e.g., a driver monitoring module) into a display without affecting the display content. For example, assuming that the camera can capture an image only when the diffuser is set to the "clear" state and the LCD panel is set to the "transparent" state, this solution eliminates the need for a switchable diffuser and the increased logic for controlling it. This solution further eliminates the need to drive the liquid crystal alignment in the dead pixel area of the display screen and change the optical path of the light passing through the dead pixel area to achieve camera focusing by the need for through holes through the components of the LCD panel and the backlight unit as a whole, and / or the change in the applied electric field. Furthermore, in this solution, it is not necessary to physically reduce the image distortion caused by the display, for example, by using a corrective optical system.

[0022] Furthermore, considering the fact that the proposed solution can use any commercially available LCD screen without additional processing, the camera can be accommodated at any location on the LCD panel. The proposed seamless integration of the camera behind the display improves the user experience while adding functionality to the device.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present application, the cover glass is optically adhered to the LCD panel. It should be understood that the optical adhesion is clear, the cover glass and the optical adhesive material are transparent, and they do not affect the behavior of the captured image. By optically adhering the cover glass to the LCD panel, the gap between the cover glass and the LCD panel is eliminated, thereby improving, for example, display performance, visibility, touch accuracy, and impact resistance.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of this application, the backlight unit further comprises a light-enhancing layer. The light-enhancing layer includes a cut-out window in the active area of ​​the camera. It should be understood that the light-enhancing layer (4) is positioned such that a light guide is located behind the light-enhancing layer. The light-enhancing layer may include one or more foils. Furthermore, it should be understood that the cut-out window is preferably the same size as the active area. However, the cut-out window may be smaller than the active area. This has the advantage that the cut-out window has less of a distracting visible effect on the user (e.g., driver) looking at the display. Alternatively, the cut-out window may be larger than the active area. This has the advantage that the adverse effects of the light-enhancing layer do not appear in the camera image. The term “cut-out window” in the light-enhancing layer means that there is an area of ​​the light-enhancing layer defined by the active area of ​​the camera, in which the light-enhancing layer is modified, for example, there is a hole in part of the light-enhancing layer, and the camera can see through the modified area without obstruction.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the light-enhancing layer is formed by a laminated foil comprising a louver foil and / or a reflective polarizing foil and / or a diffuser foil, wherein at least one of the louver foil and / or the reflective polarizing foil and / or the diffuser foil includes a cutout window. It should be understood that, depending on the properties of each foil, it may be sufficient for only one foil of the laminated foil to have a cutout window. For example, some of the foils in such a laminated foil may have no effect on IR light, or only a slight effect. Using a laminated foil with foils having different properties has the advantage that, depending on the technical requirements of the device (e.g., a display), the optical performance of such a device can be improved.

[0026] According to another embodiment of this application, the apparatus comprises a processor configured to apply a post-processing algorithm, preferably a deconvolution algorithm, to an image captured by a camera. The post-processing algorithm enhances the quality of the captured image with respect to the influence of the LCD panel on the captured image. It should be understood that the post-processing algorithm is preferably a deconvolution algorithm. However, there are further post-capture image processing methods that enhance the image quality of the captured image, which can also be advantageously used as such post-processing algorithms.

[0027] According to another embodiment of this application, the size of the cutout window is smaller than the active area. The camera detects image information from a first area within the cutout window and a second area outside the cutout window. The detected image information from both areas is provided to a post-processing algorithm. Such embodiments advantageously provide information for calibrating the post-processing algorithm.

[0028] According to another embodiment of this application, the LCD panel comprises two polarizers, wherein at least one of the two polarizers does not affect, or only slightly affects, the IR light passing through the corresponding polarizer. Such embodiments improve the photoacquisition of the IR spectrum by a camera behind the display. It should be understood that such embodiments may have a special physical arrangement of at least one polarizer that allows at least a portion of the IR light to pass through at least one polarizer. Preferably, a portion of or all of at least one polarizer in the line of sight of the camera contains or is composed of a material that allows at least a portion of the IR light to pass through at least one polarizer.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present application, the LCD panel (2) comprises two polarizers, both of which have little to no effect on the IR light passing through them. Such embodiments further improve the photoacquisition of the IR spectrum by a camera behind the display. It should be understood that such embodiments may have a special physical arrangement of both polarizers that allows at least a portion of the IR light to pass through both polarizers. Preferably, a portion of each of both polarizers or all of both polarizers in the line of sight of the camera contains or is composed of a material that allows at least a portion of the IR light to pass through both polarizers.

[0030] Preferably, the liquid crystal material of the LCD panel does not affect, or only slightly affects, the IR light passing through the LCD panel. Such embodiments further improve the photoacquisition of the IR spectrum by a camera behind the display, as described above with respect to polarizers.

[0031] According to another embodiment of this application, the microstructure may be hemispherical in shape with a spherical crown, and / or conical in shape with a conical crown, and / or pyramidal in shape with a pyramidal crown, and / or polygonal in shape with a corresponding polygonal crown, and / or cylindrical in shape with a cylindrical crown. The form may be individually selected depending on the technical requirements of the light guide and the entire device (e.g., display) used.

[0032] According to another preferred embodiment of this application, the microstructure in the camera window is removed from the light guide in such a way that a portion of the spherical crown and / or conical crown and / or pyramidal crown and / or polygonal crown and / or cylindrical crown is removed from the light guide. The term "in part" means that it is not necessary to remove the entire structure of, for example, a hemispherical shape with a spherical crown and / or a conical shape with a conical crown and / or a pyramidal shape with a pyramidal crown and / or a polygonal shape with a corresponding polygonal crown and / or a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical crown. It has been found that it may be sufficient to remove only a portion of the structure to provide a camera window suitable for use with a camera operating in the IR wavelength spectrum that does not affect or only slightly affect the IR light passing through the camera window. The shape of such a microstructure in a form from which a portion has been removed to provide a camera window may be a frustum of such form, for example, a frustum of a cone and / or a frustum of a pyramid. Removing only a portion of the camera window's microstructure has the added advantage that the structure still retains some effect in guiding light from the edge light source to the LCD panel. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structural forms described above, and that many further forms may be used for these structures.

[0033] According to preferred embodiments of this application, the microstructure in the camera window is removed from the light guide in such a way that the entirety of the spherical crown and / or conical crown and / or pyramidal crown and / or polygonal crown and / or cylindrical crown is removed from the light guide. The term "whole" means that the microstructure is completely removed from the area defined by the camera window of the light guide. Such embodiments completely eliminate the influence of the microstructure on IR light. Therefore, complete removal is more preferable to embodiments where no further processing is required. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms of structures described above and that there are many further forms that can be used for those structures.

[0034] According to a second embodiment, the vehicle is equipped with a device according to at least one of the embodiments described above.

[0035] We have discussed the use of such displays that have a seamlessly integrated camera behind the display. Furthermore, such a seamlessly integrated camera behind the display can be introduced into products that track the user, and especially for entertainment activities, it can provide an interactive experience that takes into account the user's eye direction. For example, a camera can be introduced behind a smart TV display, and through certain compatible content, the user can experience various games or participate in sports classes in real time using their digital twin. A further example is a device that has a seamlessly integrated camera behind the display and additionally includes a motion sensor input device that enables functions such as skeleton tracking, hand interaction, and voice recognition. Such a motion sensor can track the movement of a person in front of the device and form a link between that movement and the "digital twin" displayed on the display. To this end, such a motion sensor input device includes an RGB camera capable of real-time gesture recognition, as well as an infrared projector and detector. By placing the camera solution according to the present invention behind the display of a monitor or TV, an integrated and seamless solution can be provided without requiring a second device, resulting in a better user experience.

[0036] Further features of the present invention should become apparent from the following description and the attached claims, in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A schematic perspective view of the apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the light guide along with an enlarged view of the light guide. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] To better understand the principles of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent elements and are not necessarily repeated in each drawing. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated, and that the features described may be combined or modified without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus comprises a display device 1 and a camera 3 operating in the infrared wavelength spectrum. The display device 1 comprises a cover glass 7, an LCD panel 2, and a backlight unit. The cover glass 7 is optically bonded to the LCD panel 2, and the LCD panel 2 is positioned behind the cover glass 7. The backlight unit comprises a light source 8 positioned at the edge of the display device 1 and a light guide 5. The backlight unit, in particular the light guide 5, is positioned behind the LCD panel 2. The light source 8 is positioned at the edge of the light guide 5. Light emitted by the light source 8 is coupled to the light guide at the edge of the light guide 5. The camera 3 is positioned behind the backlight unit with its field of view directed towards the backlight unit, more precisely the light guide 5. The field of view of the camera 3 defines the active area 9 of the camera 3. The field of view of the camera is indicated by a dotted line starting from the camera 3. As shown in the figure, the active area 9 expands as the distance to the camera 3 increases. The light guide 5 comprises a hemispherical microstructure 12 (not shown here) having a spherical crown with a diameter of approximately 10 μm to 100 μm. The light guide 5 further comprises a camera window 11 in the active area 9 of the camera 3, and the camera window 11 defines the area from which the microstructure 12 has been removed from the light guide 5. Here, the spherical crown is completely removed from the area defined by the camera window. However, it should be understood that there may be embodiments in which only a portion of the microstructure in the camera window is removed from the light guide. Furthermore, the LCD panel 2 comprises two polarizers (not shown here), and both polarizers have little to no effect on the infrared light passing through them. In addition, the liquid crystal material of the LCD panel 2 has little to no effect on the infrared light passing through the LCD panel 2.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus shown in Figure 2 differs from that shown in Figure 1 in that the backlight unit of the display 1' further comprises a light-enhancing layer 4 positioned in front of the light guide 5. Here, the light-enhancing layer 4, which is formed of only one foil, has a cutout window 6 in the active area 9 of the camera 3.

[0041] Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of an apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, this apparatus comprises a display device 1'' and a camera 3 operating in the infrared wavelength spectrum. For simplicity, the cover glass 7 is omitted in this figure.

[0042] The difference between the embodiment shown in Figure 2 and the embodiment shown in Figure 3 is that the light-enhancing layer in Figure 3 is formed as a laminated foil 4'. In Figure 3, only half of the light guide 5 and camera window 11 are shown to highlight the cutout window 6 in the light-enhancing layer, in this case the laminated foil 4'. Only the first foil 40, positioned closest to the light guide 5, provides the cutout window 6 to the active area of ​​the camera 3. However, it should be understood that there may be embodiments in which the cutout window is positioned in one or more further foils of the laminated foil, or throughout the entire laminated foil 4'. Additionally, the LCD panel 2' includes two polarizers (not shown here), one of which does not affect, or only weakly affects, the infrared light passing through the corresponding polarizer. Furthermore, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the device includes a processor (not shown here), which is installed to apply a deconvolution algorithm to the captured image taken by the camera. This improves the image quality of the captured image affected by the LCD panel, for example, by taking into account pixel alignment. This processor may be implemented as a separate device, integrated into a processor that also performs other tasks, implemented as other hardware, or implemented as an algorithm executed by a computing unit.

[0043] The light guide 5, which has a microstructure 12 and a camera window 11 from which the microstructure 12 has been removed, can be seen in more detail in an exemplary symbolic form in the enlarged view of the active area 9 of the camera 3 shown in Figure 4.

[0044] In Figure 3, user 10 (in this case, the vehicle driver) is looking at display device 1'' and is being monitored by camera 3, which is seamlessly positioned behind display device 1'' and is invisible to the user when they are looking at display device 1''. In this way, camera 3 is hidden from the user 10's view. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1 Display device 2 LCD panels 3 cameras 4. Light-enhancing layer 4' Laminated foil 5. Light guide 6 Cutout windows 7 Cover glass 8 Edge light source 9. Active Area 11 Camera window 12 Microstructure

Claims

1. Display device (1), Camera (3) and A device that includes, The display device (1) Cover glass (7) and LCD panel (2) and Backlight unit and Equipped with, The LCD panel (2) is positioned behind the cover glass (7), the backlight unit is positioned behind the LCD panel (2), the camera (3) is positioned behind the backlight unit with its field of view directed toward the backlight unit, and the field of view of the camera (3) defines the active area (9) of the camera (3). The backlight unit comprises an edge light source (8) and a light guide (5), The light guide (5) is a light guide (5) having a microstructure (12) having a size of 10 μm to 100 μm. In the apparatus, The camera (3) operates in the infrared wavelength spectrum, The light guide (5) comprises a camera window (11) in the active area (9) of the camera (3), wherein the camera window (11) defines an area from which the microstructure (12) has been removed from the light guide (5), The backlight unit further comprises a light-enhancing layer (4), and the light-enhancing layer (4) has a cutout window (6) in the active area (9) of the camera (3). The device comprises a processor, the processor being provided for applying a post-processing algorithm to an image captured by the camera (3), The size of the cutout window (6) is smaller than the active area (9), the camera (3) detects image information of a first area within the cutout window (6) and a second area outside the cutout window (6), and the detected image information from both areas is provided to the post-processing algorithm. An apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover glass (7) is optically bonded to the LCD panel (2).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-enhancing layer (4) is formed by a laminated foil (10) including a louver foil and / or a reflective polarizing foil and / or a diffuser foil, wherein at least one of the louver foil and / or the reflective polarizing foil and / or the diffuser foil is provided with the cutout window (6).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the LCD panel (2) comprises two polarizers, wherein at least one of the two polarizers does not affect, or only weakly affects, the infrared light passing through the corresponding polarizer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the LCD panel (2) comprises two polarizers, both of which do not affect, or only weakly affect, the infrared light passing through them.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal material of the LCD panel (2) does not affect, or only weakly affects, the infrared light passing through the LCD panel (2).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the microstructure (12) is hemispherical in shape having a spherical crown, and / or conical in shape having a conical crown, and / or pyramidal in shape having a pyramidal crown, and / or polygonal prism in shape having a corresponding polygonal crown, and / or cylindrical in shape having a cylindrical crown.

8. A vehicle equipped with the device described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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