Micromirror modulation method and digital apparatus with improved grayscale
First Claim
1. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
- directing light onto a micromirror array;
modulating micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using analog modulation in combination with digital modulation to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for increasing contrast in micromirror-based image display devices. As a result the displayed image is a more faithful reproduction of the original and is more pleasing to human perception than is possible with a low contrast display. The method and apparatus comprise a micromirror design and a modulation scheme for driving micromirrors with a combination of analog and digital techniques to achieve partial and full micromirror deflection. The analog techniques permit the mirrors to be deflected to positions intermediate between the resting position and the position of maximum deflection. These intermediate deflections appear as intermediate light levels in an image. Compared to digital modulation, the analog techniques provide an increase in the number of light levels that can be displayed by a system that is limited by its incoming data rate and maximum micromirror speed.
-
Citations
63 Claims
-
1. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
modulating micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using analog modulation in combination with digital modulation to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. An apparatus for displaying an image, comprising:
-
micromirrors in a micromirror array; and
an electronic controller which sends analog or digital control signals, depending on the light level desired, to the micromirrors in the micromirror array. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto an array of tilting micromirrors;
tilting micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using analog and digital techniques wherein the analog techniques include tilting the micromirrors to arbitrary angles between their minimum and maximum deflection angles, and the digital techniques include tilting the micromirrors to only their minimum or maximum deflection angles for varying time periods.
-
-
16. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto an array of tilting, flat-plate micromirrors;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to various tilt angles;
combining analog and digital techniques to control the tilt angles according to digitally encoded pixel intensity data. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
modulating micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using partial micromirror deflection in combination with full micromirror deflection to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
-
20. An apparatus for displaying an image, comprising:
-
micromirrors in a micromirror array; and
an electronic controller which sends control signals appropriate to partially deflect or fully deflect, depending on the light level desired, the micromirrors in the micromirror array. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
modulating micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using partial micromirror deflection to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
-
-
35. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using a plurality of deflection angles to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image.
-
-
36. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to any of a plurality of deflection angles; and
deflecting the micromirrors to the deflection angles for varying amounts of time. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
-
-
39. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using a plurality of deflection angles to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image wherein, the maximum deflection angle is used for varying amounts of time when medium or bright light levels in the displayed image are desired and intermediate deflection angles are used when dim light levels in the displayed image are desired. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
-
-
42. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to any one of a plurality of angles less than 12 degrees from their rest position when low light levels are desired in the image; and
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to a single maximum angle greater than 12 degrees from their rest position for variable amounts of time when brighter light levels are desired in the image.
-
-
43. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to any one of a plurality of angles less than x degrees from their rest position when low light levels are desired in the image; and
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to a single maximum angle greater than x degrees from their rest position for variable amounts of time when brighter light levels are desired in the image. - View Dependent Claims (44)
-
-
45. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to any one of a plurality of angles including a non-deflected position wherein, one of the angles corresponds to maximum brightness of the image, another angle corresponds to intermediate brightness of the image, and the third angle corresponds to minimum brightness of the image. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
-
-
48. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to a negative angle when low light levels are desired in the image;
allowing micromirrors to remain in their rest position when intermediate light levels are desired in the image; and
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to a positive angle when bright light levels are desired in the image. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using a plurality of deflection angles to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image wherein one or more angles of the possible deflection angles for each micromirror are defined by positions where the micromirror touches one or more mechanical stops. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
-
-
55. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
modulating micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
,using analog modulation in combination with digital modulation to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image, wherein analog modulation includes operation of a micromirror where the micromirror is deflected to an angle θ
1 less than its maximum possible deflection angle θ
max and remains deflected to angle θ
1 with approximately zero angular velocity for longer than an instantaneous time, i.e. the time for which the angular velocity is zero during a velocity reversal encountered at the extreme points in the motion of a vibrating micromirror in the absence of electrostatic driving forces. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
-
61. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to any one of a plurality of angles less than 12 degrees from their rest position when low light levels are desired in the image; and
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array to a single maximum angle greater than 12 degrees from their rest position under pulsewidth modulation when brighter light levels are desired in the image.
-
-
62. A method for displaying an image, comprising:
-
directing light onto a micromirror array;
deflecting micromirrors within the micromirror array; and
using a plurality of micromirror deflection angles to achieve grayscale levels in the displayed image wherein the brightness of one or more pixels in the image is controlled by analog modulation of a micromirror or micromirrors and the brightness of one or more other pixels in the image is controlled by digital pulsewidth modulation of a micromirror or micromirrors.
-
-
63. A spatial light modulator, comprising:
-
an array of micromirrors on a substrate; and
an electronic controller programmed with a lookup table, wherein the controller converts 8-bit video data into 10-bit or 12-bit micromirror control signals;
the micromirrors are partially deflected in response to control signals for low brightness pixels; and
,the micromirrors are fully deflected under pulsewidth modulation in response to control signals for high brightness pixels.
-
Specification