Image display system and method

• US 20040027313A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William J., Howard, P. Guy, Pate, Michael A., Long, Michael Douglas, Koegler, John Matthew III
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/10 Dealing with defective pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/007 Use of pixel shift techniques, e.g. by mechanical shift of the physical pixels or by optical shift of the perceived pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2051 with use of a spatial dither pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

A method of displaying an image includes receiving image data for the image; buffering the image data for the image, including creating a frame of the image; defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image; and displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame, including synchronizing shifting a displayed image of the second sub-frame with displaying the second sub-frame.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:

receiving image data for the image;

buffering the image data for the image, including creating a frame of the image;

defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image; and

displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame, including synchronizing shifting a displayed image of the second sub-frame with displaying the second sub-frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame includes modulating light with a light modulator and producing a first displayed image portion with the first sub-frame and a second displayed image portion with the second sub-frame.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame further includes producing the light and directing the light to the light modulator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes moving the light modulator between a first position and a second position.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes positioning an optical element in an optical path after the light modulator and moving the optical element between a first position and at least a second position.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein moving the optical element includes rotating the optical element between the first position and the second position.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame further includes projecting the first displayed image portion and the second displayed image portion with projection optics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes positioning a reflective element in an optical path after the projection optics and moving the reflective element between a first position and at least a second position.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes positioning an optical element in an optical path at least one of before and after the projection optics and moving the optical element between a first position and at least a second position.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes positioning an optical element between a first projection element of the projection optics and a second projection element of the projection optics and moving the optical element between a first position and at least a second position.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame includes moving a projection element of the projection optics between a first position and at least a second position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sub-frame is spatially offset from the first sub-frame, and wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame includes displaying the first sub-frame in a first display position and shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame to a second display position spatially offset from the first display position.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame, and wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame includes displaying the first sub-frame in a display position and shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame to the display position.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the second sub-frame further includes defining a third sub-frame and a fourth sub-frame for the frame of the image, and

wherein displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame further includes displaying the third sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame, including synchronizing shifting a displayed image of the third sub-frame with displaying the third sub-frame and synchronizing shifting a displayed image of the fourth sub-frame with displaying the fourth sub-frame.

15. A system for displaying an image, the system comprising:

a buffer adapted to receive image data for the image and buffer the image data to create a frame of the image;

an image processing unit adapted to define a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image; and

a display device adapted to display the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame and shift a displayed image of the second sub-frame, wherein the shift of the displayed image of the second sub-frame is synchronized with display of the second sub-frame.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the display device includes an image shifter adapted to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the display device includes a light modulator adapted to modulate light and produce a first displayed image portion with the first sub-frame and a second displayed image portion with the second sub-frame.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the display device further includes a light source adapted to produce the light and illumination optics adapted to direct the light to the light modulator.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the image shifter is adapted to move the light modulator between a first position and at least a second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the image shifter includes an optical element positioned in an optical path after the light modulator, wherein the optical element is adapted to move between a first position and at least a second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the optical element is adapted to rotate between the first position and the second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the display device further includes projection optics adapted to project the first displayed image portion and the second displayed image portion.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the image shifter includes a reflective element positioned in an optical path after the projection optics, wherein the reflective element is adapted to move between a first position and at least a second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the image shifter includes an optical element positioned in an optical path at least one of before and after the projection optics, wherein the optical element is adapted to move between a first position and at least a second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the projection optics include a first projection element and a second projection element, wherein the image shifter includes an optical element positioned between the first projection element and the second projection element, and wherein the optical element is adapted to move between a first position and at least a second position to shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the image shifter includes a projection element of the projection optics.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the second sub-frame is spatially offset from the first sub-frame, and wherein the display device is adapted to display the first sub-frame in a first display position and shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame to a second display position spatially offset from the first display position.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein image data of the second sub-frame is offset from image data of the first sub-frame, and wherein the display device is adapted to display the first sub-frame in a display position and shift the displayed image of the second sub-frame to the display position.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to further define a third sub-frame and a fourth sub-frame for the frame of the image, and

wherein the display device is adapted to further display the third sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame and shift a displayed image of the third sub-frame and shift a displayed image of the fourth sub-frame, wherein the shift of the displayed image of the third sub-frame is synchronized with display of the third sub-frame and the shift of the displayed image of the fourth sub-frame is synchronized with display of the fourth sub-frame.

30. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a timing generator adapted to synchronize the shift of the displayed image of the second sub-frame with display of the second sub-frame.

31. A system for displaying an image, the system comprising:

means for receiving image data for the image and creating a frame of the image;

means for defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image; and

means for displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame, including means for synchronizing shifting a displayed image of the second sub-frame with displaying the second sub-frame.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein means for displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame includes means for modulating light and producing a first displayed image portion with the first sub-frame and producing a second displayed image portion with the second sub-frame.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for shifting the displayed image of the second sub-frame.

34. A method of displaying an image with a light modulator, the method comprising:

receiving image data for the image;

creating a frame of the image from the image data;

defining a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image;

displaying the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame with the light modulator; and

shifting the light modulator to shift display of the second sub-frame.

35. A system for displaying a frame of an image, the system comprising:

a light modulator adapted to display a first sub-frame and at least a second sub-frame for the frame of the image; and

an image shifter adapted to move the light modulator and shift display of the second sub-frame.