1. A thin-film semiconductor device comprising:
a temperature sensor formed of a thin-film semiconductor and sensing a temperature as current; and
a current-voltage converter formed of a thin-film semiconductor and having temperature dependence in which its current-voltage characteristic is different from that of said temperature sensor;
wherein a temperature sensed by said temperature sensor is converted to a voltage by said current-voltage converter.
2. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said current-voltage converter comprises a thin-film transistor comprising a thin-film semiconductor layer, a gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer.
3. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein at the current-voltage conversion of said thin-film transistor, said gate voltage is equal to or larger than three times the threshold voltage of said thin-film transistor.
4. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein at the current-voltage conversion of said thin-film transistor, said gate voltage is a voltage giving a drain current saturation region of said thin-film transistor.
5. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising a controller controlling said gate voltage to a predetermined value when converting an electric current sensed by said temperature sensor to a voltage.
6. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor comprises a thin-film semiconductor layer, a gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer, wherein said drain electrode or said source electrode is electrically short-circuited with said gate electrode.
7. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the drain electrode or the source electrode of the thin-film transistor of said current-voltage converter is connected to the drain electrode or the source electrode of said temperature sensor.
8. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said temperature sensor comprises a thin-film transistor comprising a thin-film semiconductor layer, a gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer.
9. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the gate voltage of said temperature sensor and the gate voltage of said current-voltage converter have different values.
10. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor is a pn junction diode formed of a thin-film semiconductor.
11. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising a first voltage source applying a first gate voltage to said temperature sensor within a first voltage range wherein a drain current of said temperature sensor has relatively high temperature dependence, and a second voltage source applying a second gate voltage to said current-voltage converter within a second voltage range wherein a drain current of said current-voltage converter has relatively low temperature dependence.
12. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising a first voltage source applying a first gate voltage to said temperature sensor within a first voltage range wherein a drain current of said temperature sensor has relatively high temperature dependence, and a second voltage source applying a second gate voltage to said current-voltage converter within a second voltage range wherein a drain current of said current-voltage converter has opposite temperature dependence to that of said temperature sensor.
13. A method of driving a thin-film semiconductor device comprising a temperature sensor formed of a thin-film semiconductor and sensing a temperature as current, and a current-voltage converter comprising a thin-film transistor having a thin-film semiconductor layer, a gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer and having temperature dependence in which its current-voltage characteristic is different from that of said temperature sensor, comprising:
applying a predetermined gate voltage to said gate electrode to convert an electric current changed by a temperature sensed by said temperature sensor to a voltage by said current-voltage converter.
14. A method of driving a thin-film semiconductor device comprising a temperature sensor comprising a thin-film transistor comprising a thin-film semiconductor layer, a first gate electrode applying a gate voltage for driving the temperature sensor to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer and sensing a temperature as current, and a current-voltage converter comprising a thin-film transistor comprising a thin-film semiconductor layer, a second gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer and having temperature dependence of the current-voltage characteristic is different from that of said temperature sensor, comprising
applying a voltage smaller than three times the threshold value and larger than the threshold value to said first gate electrode;
applying a voltage three or more times the threshold value to said second gate electrode; and
converting an electric current changed by a temperature sensed by said temperature sensor to a voltage by said current-voltage converter.
15. The method of driving a thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein said gate voltage of said current-voltage converter is applied intermittently.
16. A display which incorporates the thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1, comprising:
an image display area;
signal voltage driving circuitry driving said display part;
reference voltage circuitry receiving an output voltage of said current-voltage converter and determining a reference voltage given to said signal voltage driving circuitry;
scanning electrode driving circuitry scanning the screen of said display image part; and
control circuitry controlling said signal voltage driving circuitry and said scanning electrode driving circuitry.
17. The display according to claim 16, wherein said image display area is a liquid crystal panel.
18. The display according to claim 17, further comprising electric circuitry applying an electric field larger than an ordinary video signal electric field to said liquid crystal, wherein said electric circuitry is controlled by an output voltage of said thin-film semiconductor device.
19. The display according to claim 16, further comprising a controller changing a reference voltage outputted from said reference voltage circuitry by an output voltage of said current-voltage converter.
20. A method of driving the display according to claim 16, comprising:
changing a reference voltage outputted from said reference voltage circuitry by an output voltage of said current-voltage converter.
21. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier amplifying said voltage converted by said current-voltage converter.
22. An RF-ID device which performs identification using a radio frequency, the RF-ID device incorporating the thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1.
23. A biochip or a DNA chip which incorporates the thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1.
24. A thin-film semiconductor device comprising:
means for sensing a temperature as current; and
means for converting current to a voltage;
wherein both means for sensing a temperature as current and means for converting current to a voltage are formed of a thin-film semiconductor, and differ from each other in current-voltage characteristic depending on temperature.
25. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein said means for converting current to a voltage comprises a thin-film transistor comprising a thin-film semiconductor layer, a gate electrode applying a gate voltage to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode conducting an electric current to said thin-film semiconductor layer, and wherein a drain current of said means for sensing a temperature has relatively high temperature dependence, and said thin-film semiconductor device further comprises a voltage source applying a gate voltage to said means for converting current to a voltage within a predetermined voltage range.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vehicle entertainment system, comprising:
a video system mounted within an automobile headrest, the headrest including a headrest body in which the video system is mounted;
the video system including a housing in which a video monitor housing is pivotally mounted, the video monitor housing supporting a video monitor and a video source, the video monitor housing including a top, bottom, first and second sides, front surface and rear surface and wherein the video source is a DVD player mounted along the rear surface of the video monitor housing for access from behind the video monitor housing.
2. The entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the video system includes a cable extending therefrom and the cable passes through a first extension arm of the headrest.
3. The entertainment system according to claim 2, wherein the cable includes a power source wire.
4. The entertainment system according to claim 3, further including a power adaptor for connecting the cable and video system to a power source.
5. The entertainment system according to claim 4, wherein the power adaptor is shaped and dimensioned for coupling with an automobile power adaptor outlet.
6. The entertainment system according to claim 4, wherein the power adaptor is shaped and dimensioned for direct connection to the automobile power source.
7. A headrest incorporating a vehicle entertainment system, comprising:
a headrest body with a video system mounted therein;
the video system including a housing in which a video monitor housing is pivotally mounted, the video monitor housing supporting a video monitor and a video source, the video monitor housing including a top, bottom, first and second sides, front surface and rear surface and wherein the video source is a DVD player mounted along the rear surface of the video monitor housing for access from behind the video monitor housing.
8. The headrest according to claim 7, wherein the video system includes a cable extending therefrom and the cable passes through a first extension arm of the headrest.
9. The headrest according to claim 8, wherein the cable includes a power source wire.
10. The headrest according to claim 9, further including a power adaptor for connecting the cable and video system to a power source.
11. The headrest according to claim 10, wherein the power adaptor is shaped and dimensioned for coupling with an automobile power adaptor outlet.
12. The headrest according to claim 10, wherein the power adaptor is shaped and dimensioned for direct connection to the automobile power source.
13. The headrest according to claim 7, wherein the housing includes:
a support frame including a rectangular shell in which the video monitor is pivotally mounted, the support frame includes a top wall and a bottom wall connected by a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
the first sidewall and second sidewall are respectively provided with bearing slots shaped and dimensioned for receiving lateral posts extending from sides of the video monitor in a manner permitting controlled pivoting of the video monitor within the support frame; and
means for controlling movement of the video monitor within the support frame.