LCD contrast adjustment system

Claim 1

In a portable computer having an interior part and including a liquid crystal display of the type having a liquid crystal medium enclosed in first and second plates, with the first plate forming the outside of the computer and separating the liquid crystal medium from the exterior environment and being of sufficient thickness to isolate the liquid crystal medium from the exterior temperature and the second plate separating the liquid crystal medium from the interior of the computer and being thinner than the first plate so that the temperature of the liquid crystal medium is determined by the temperature of the interior of the computer, with the second plate characterized by a predetermined thermal length, a system for maintaining the contrast of the liquid medium at a constant level over a large range of operating temperatures, said system comprising: a sensor coupled to the second plate for generating an indication of the magnitude of the temperature sensed by said sensor; insulating means, having a thermal length substantially equal to the predetermined thermal length of said second plate, separating said sensor from the interior of the computer so that temperature of the interior of the computer is coupled to the sensor through said predetermined thermal length to approximate the temperature of said liquid crystal medium; means, responsive to said indication, for generating a contrast correction signal having a magnitude dependent on the indicated magnitude of the temperature sensed by the sensor; and means, coupled to receive said contrast correction signal, for adjusting the contrast of the liquid crystal display according to the magnitude of the contrast correction signal.