Display system and method of using same

• US 20040066380A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Eric T., Koll, Andrew, da Cunha, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,348,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0245 Clearing or presetting the whole screen independently of waveforms, e.g. on power-on G09G2310/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/02 by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen

Abstract

An optically addressable display includes a plurality of receptor and emitter pairs where each pair is for receiving optical display information and for generating light indicative of the display information. Each individual receptor and emitter pair is coupled electrically by an associated control circuit that facilitates driving the emitter so it generates either the received display information or annotation information generated by a light wand that is capable of being optically coupled to individual ones of the plurality of receptors. Each control circuit has a pulse density capture circuit that receives a pulse train signal indicative of a desired brightness or hue levels and drives an individual one of the emitters on and off at a determined duty cycle to produce the desired brightness or hue levels. In another embodiment sets of receptor and emitter pairs are grouped in cells, where each cell is capable of generating N of shades of different colors.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a display panel having a plurality of receptor and emitter pairs, each pair for receiving and transmitting light;

a plurality of control circuits, each individual one of the control circuits for coupling a receptor and emitter pair together for dynamic and static light generating purposes; and

a plurality of pulse density capture circuits, each individual one of the pulse density capture circuits for receiving a pulse train signal indicative of a desired brightness or hue and for responding to an individual associated one of the control circuits to facilitate driving an individual associated one of the emitters on and off at a determined duty cycle to produce said desired brightness or hue.

2. The display according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of receptor and emitter pairs are grouped in cells.

3. The display according to claim 2, wherein each cell includes at least one receptor and emitter pair for facilitating generating light in at least N shades of one primary color.

4. The display according to claim 2, wherein each cell includes at least three receptor and emitter pairs for facilitating generating light in at least N shades of three primary colors.

5. The display according to claim 2, wherein each cell facilitates generating light in the primary color shades of red, green and blue.

6. A display, comprising:

a plurality of light cell means, wherein each light cell means includes;

light-emitter means for generating light in response to a driver signal;

display sensor means for receiving display information;

pulse density capture means for generating said driver signal and for causing said driver signal to operate at a sufficient duty cycle to cause said light-emitter means to produce a plurality of shades of light.

7. The display according to claim 6, further comprising:

control means for causing said light-emitter means to assume either an off state or on state in response to received display information.

8. The display according to claim 7, wherein said display sensor means is responsive to annotation means for receiving overwriting annotation;

and

wherein received annotation information takes precedence over static display information.

9. A display driver circuit, comprising:

a pulse density capture circuit for temporarily capturing display information;

another pulse density capture circuit for temporarily capturing annotation information, wherein said captured annotation information takes precedence over said display information for display purposes;

a driver circuit coupled to said pulse density capture circuit and to said another pulse density capture circuit for driving a light emitting element to a desired light emitting state in accordance with said display information and said annotation information.

10. The display driver circuit according to claim 9, wherein said pulse density capture circuit is responsive to a user selected freeze signal for causing said driver circuit to drive said light emitting element to a steady state light emitting state or to a steady non-light emitting state;

and

said another pulse density capture circuit responsive to a user selected annotate signal for causing said driver circuit to drive said light emitting element to another steady light emitting state or to another non-light emitting state.

11. A method of operating a display, comprising:

temporarily capturing display information;

temporarily capturing annotation information;

enabling said captured annotation information to have precedence over said display information for display purposes; and

driving a light-emitting element to a desired light emitting state in accordance with said display information and said annotation information.

12. The method of operating a display according to claim 11, wherein said step of driving said light emitting element includes:

a steady state condition wherein said light emitting element is either on or off; and

a varied state condition wherein said light emitting element is driven on and off at a given rate to produce a desired brightness or hue.

13. A method of operating a display, comprising:

temporarily providing an optical input signal to generate display information;

temporarily providing an annotation input signal to generate annotation information; and

selecting one of a plurality of desired display modes including;

a freeze display information mode for generating steady state display information;

a freeze annotation mode for generating steady state annotation information;

a variable display information mode for generating desired shades of display information; and

a variable annotation mode for generating desired shades of annotation information;

wherein said step of selecting is user selected.

14. A display, comprising:

display panel means having a plurality of cell means for receiving and generating light;

control means responsive to at least one pulse train signal generated by said plurality of cells in response to optically received light indicative of a desired brightness or hue and for driving at least an individual one of said plurality of cell means on and off at a determined duty cycle rate to generate said desired brightness or hue.

15. The display of claim 14, wherein said control means further responds to a clear signal for driving said plurality of cell means to deactivate all emitters.

16. The display of claim 15, wherein said control means further responds to an annotate signal for driving user selected ones of said plurality of cell means on and off at a determined duty cycle to change the light level generated by the selected ones of said plurality of cell means to light of a user selected color.

17. The display of claim 16, wherein said control means further responds to a freeze signal for causing said cell means to disregard any other pulse train signals generated by said cell means and to repeatedly drive cell means on and off at said determined duty cycle to generate said desired brightness or hue.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein said control means is further responsive to an annotate signal indicative of another desired shade of light for causing said cell means to cease repeatedly driving said of cell means on and off at said determined duty cycle and to repeatedly drive said cell means on and off at another determined duty cycle to generate said another desired brightness or hue.

19. The display of claim 18, wherein said control means is further responsive to an erase signal for causing said cell means to cease repeatedly driving said cell means on and off at said another determined duty cycle and to repeatedly drive said cell means on and off at said determined duty cycle to again generate said desired brightness or hue.

20. An display system, comprising:

means for temporarily providing an optical input signal to generate display information;

means for temporarily providing an annotation input signal to generate annotation information; and

means for selecting one of a plurality of desired display modes including;

a freeze display information mode for generating steady state display information;

a freeze annotation mode for generating steady state annotation information;

wherein said means for selecting is user actuated selecting means.

21. The display system, according to claim 20, wherein said means for selecting further includes:

a display information mode for generating desired hues of display information; and

an annotation mode for generating desired hues of annotation information.