Microelectrical mechanical structure (MEMS) optical modulator and optical display system
First Claim
1. A microelectrical mechanical optical display system, comprising:
- an illumination source that provides illumination light;
a collimating lens that receives the illumination light and forms from it collimated illumination light;
a converging microlens array having an array of plural lenslets that converge the collimated illumination light;
a microelectrical mechanical optical modulator including a planar substrate through which plural pixel apertures extend and plural microelectrical mechanical out-of-plane thermal buckle-beam actuators that support and selectively position plural microelectrical mechanical shutters over the apertures, the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator being positioned such that the pixel apertures receive the illumination light from the converging microlens array, the illumination light passing the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator selectively according to the selective positioning of the shutters; and
a display screen that receives the illumination light passing the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A MEMS optical display system includes an illumination source for providing illumination light, a collimating lens for receiving the illumination light and forming from it collimated illumination light, and a converging microlens array having an array of lenslets that converge the collimated illumination light. The converging microlens array directs the illumination light to a microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) optical modulator. The MEMS optical modulator includes, for example, a planar substrate through which multiple pixel apertures extend and multiple MEMS actuators that support and selectively position MEMS shutters over the apertures. A MEMS actuator and MEMS shutter, together with a corresponding aperture, correspond to pixel. The light from the converging microlens array is focused through the apertures and is selectively modulated according to the positioning of the MEMS shutters by the MEMS actuators, thereby to impart image information on the illumination light. The light is then passed to a diffused transmissive display screen by a projection microlens array.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A microelectrical mechanical optical display system, comprising:
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an illumination source that provides illumination light;
a collimating lens that receives the illumination light and forms from it collimated illumination light;
a converging microlens array having an array of plural lenslets that converge the collimated illumination light;
a microelectrical mechanical optical modulator including a planar substrate through which plural pixel apertures extend and plural microelectrical mechanical out-of-plane thermal buckle-beam actuators that support and selectively position plural microelectrical mechanical shutters over the apertures, the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator being positioned such that the pixel apertures receive the illumination light from the converging microlens array, the illumination light passing the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator selectively according to the selective positioning of the shutters; and
a display screen that receives the illumination light passing the microelectrical mechanical optical modulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11-45. -45. (Canceled)
- 46. A microelectrical mechanical out-of-plane thermal buckle-beam actuator capable of providing transverse-plane movement of shutters, comprising a pair of structural anchors secured to a substrate and at least one thermal buckle beam secured at respective base ends to said anchors, said buckle beam extending substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from the substrate and releasable from the substrate other than at said anchors.
Specification