Reflective display pixels arranged in non-rectangular arrays

• US 20060066599A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display driving waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A display is formed with a plurality of reflective display pixels arranged in a curvilinear configuration, and a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is electrically coupled to two or more reflective display pixels. In some embodiments, the array is at least partially curvilinear. The reflective display pixels include interferometric modulators.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a display, wherein the display comprises:

a plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration; and

a plurality of electrodes, wherein each electrode is electrically coupled to two or more interferometric modulators.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interferometric modulators are arranged along arc segments generally parallel to one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the arc segments are concentric circular segments.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of interferometric modulators are further arranged along straight lines generally perpendicular to the arc segments.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the straight lines are generally non-parallel to one another.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has a generally rectangular shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a viewing surface of the display comprises a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region larger than the designated area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the designated area is between about 0.01 mm² and about 1 mm².

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a viewing surface of the display comprises a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of a first region larger than a designated surface area is different than the ratio of a second region larger than the designated area.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor that is in electrical communication with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device in electrical communication with said processor.

14. The display system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a first controller configured to send at least one signal to said display; and

a second controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said first controller.

15. The display system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

16. The display system as recited in claim 15, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

17. The display system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

18. A display comprising:

a plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration;

a first electrode electrically coupled to a first group of interferometric modulators; and

a second electrode electrically coupled to a second group of interferometric modulators, and wherein each of the first group and the second group of interferometric modulators contains at least one interferometric modulator in common, and contains at least one interferometric modulator not in common.

19. The display of claim 18, wherein at least some of the plurality of interferometric modulators are arranged along straight lines.

20. The display of claim 18, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

21. The display of claim 18, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

22. The display of claim 18, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.

23. The display of claim 18, wherein a viewing surface of the display comprises a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region larger than the designated area.

24. A display comprising:

a plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration; and

a viewing surface comprising a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region of the display larger than the designated area.

25. The display of claim 24, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

26. The display of claim 24, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

27. The display of claim 24, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.

28. A display having an at least partially curvilinear edge, the display comprising a plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration of pixels, the pixels forming a boundary, wherein the boundary corresponds to the edge.

29. The display of claim 28, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

30. The display of claim 28, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

31. The display of claim 28, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.

32. The display of claim 28, wherein a viewing surface of the display comprises a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region larger than the designated area.

33. A display device formed by a process, the process comprising:

forming a plurality of interferometric modulators on the substrate, the interferometric modulators being arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration; and

forming a plurality of electrodes on the substrate, wherein each electrode is electrically coupled to two or more interferometric modulators.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the process further comprises forming each interferometric modulator having substantially the same area.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the process further comprises forming a viewing surface of the display comprising a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region larger than the designated area.

36. A method of forming a display on a substrate comprising:

forming a plurality of interferometric modulators on the substrate, the interferometric modulators being arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration; and

forming a plurality of electrodes on the substrate, wherein each electrode is electrically coupled to two or more interferometric modulators.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising forming at least one interferometric modulator having one or more substantially straight edges.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising forming each interferometric modulator having substantially the same shape.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising forming a viewing surface of the display comprising a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the ratio of any first region larger than a designated surface area is substantially the same as the ratio of any second region larger than the designated area.