Method and device for manipulating color in a display

• US 20060077124A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gally, Brian J., Cummings, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/32
• 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 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/06 Colour space transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A method and device for manipulating color in a display includes a display in which one or more of the pixels includes one or more display elements, such as interferometric modulators, configured to output colored light and one or more display elements configured to output white light. Other embodiments include methods of making such displays. In addition, embodiments include color displays configured to provide a greater proportion of the intensity of output light in green portions of the visible spectrum in order to increase perceived brightness of the display.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

at least one red subpixel comprising at least one interferometric modulator configured to output red light;

at least one green subpixel comprising at least one interferometric modulator configured to output green light;

at least one blue subpixel comprising at least one interferometric modulator configured to output blue light; and

at least one white subpixel comprising at least one interferometric modulator configured to output colored light.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein said display is configured to output white light having a standardized white point.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein said standardized white point is one of D55, D65, or D75.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output colored light comprises at least one interferometric modulator configured to output cyan light and at least one interferometric modulator configured to output yellow light, wherein said cyan light and said yellow light combine to produce said white light.

5. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one filter associated with said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output colored light, the at least one filter configured to selectively transmit visible wavelengths associated with magenta light and substantially filter other visible wavelengths when illuminated with white light; and

wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output colored light comprises at least one interferometric modulator configured to selectively reflect green light incident thereon.

6. The display of claim 5, wherein said filter comprises an absorption filter.

7. A display, comprising:

a plurality of interferometric modulators, said plurality of interferometric modulators comprising;

at least one interferometric modulator configured to output red light;

at least one interferometric modulator configured to output green light;

at least one interferometric modulator configured to output blue light; and

at least one interferometric modulator configured to output white light,

wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output white light outputs white light having a standardized white point.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output red light, said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output green light, said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output blue light are configured to output light that combines to produce white light having a second standardized white point.

9. The display of claim 7, wherein said standardized white point of said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output white light substantially matches said second standardized white point.

10. The display of claim 7, wherein said standardized white point is one of D55, D65, or D75.

11. The display of claim 7, further comprising a source of illumination for said plurality of interferometric modulators, said source of illumination having a different white point than said produced white light having said standardized white point.

12. The display of claim 7, wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output white light comprises at least one interferometric modulator configured to output cyan light and at least one interferometric modulator configured to output yellow light, wherein said cyan light and said yellow light combine to produce said white light.

13. The display of claim 7, wherein said at least one interferometric modulator configured to output white light comprises a broadband reflector.

14. A display, comprising:

a plurality of display elements, each comprising a reflective surface configured to be positioned at a distance from a partially reflective surface, said plurality of display elements comprising at least one of said plurality of display elements configured to output colored light and at least one of said plurality of display elements configured to interferometrically output white light.

15. The display of claim 14, wherein said white light is characterized by a standardized white point.

16. The display of claim 15, wherein said standardized white point is one of D55, D65, or D75.

17. The display of claim 14, further comprising a source of illumination for the plurality of display elements.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein the source of illumination has a different white point than said light reflected by said display.

19. The display of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of display elements comprises a filter configured to selectively transmit certain visible wavelengths and substantially filter other visible wavelengths.

20. The display of claim 14, wherein said plurality of display elements comprises at least one display element configured to output red light, at least one display element configured to output green light, and at least one display element configured to output blue light.

21. The display of claim 14, further comprising at least one filter associated with at least one of said plurality of display elements and said filter is configured to selectively transmit certain visible wavelengths and substantially filter other visible wavelengths when illuminated with white light.

22. The display of claim 14, wherein the at least one of said plurality of display elements configured to output white light comprises at least one interferometric modulator configured to output cyan light and at least one interferometric modulator configured to output yellow light.

23. The display of claim 14, wherein said plurality of display elements comprises a plurality of interferometric modulators.

24. The display of claim 14, further comprising:

a display;

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

a memory device in electrical communication with said processor.

25. The display of claim 24, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

26. The display of claim 25, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said display circuit.

27. The display of claim 24, further comprising:

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

28. The display of claim 27, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

29. The display of claim 24, further comprising:

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

30. A method of fabricating a display, comprising:

forming a plurality of display elements configured to output light, each of said plurality of display elements comprising a reflective surface configured to be positioned at distance from a partially reflective surface,

wherein each of said respective distances is selected so that at least one of the plurality of display elements is configured to output colored light and at least one other of said plurality of display elements is configured to interferometrically output white light.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said respective distances are selected so that said white light is characterized by a standardized white point.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein forming said at least one of said plurality of display elements configured to output colored light comprises forming at least one display element configured to output red light, at least one display element configured to output green light, and at least one display element configured to output blue light.

35. The display fabricated by said method of claim 30.

33. The method of claim 33, wherein said respective distances are selected so that light reflected by said display has a different white point than light illuminating said display.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said respective distances are selected so that said white point is one of D55, D65, or D75.

36. A display, comprising:

first means for outputting colored light; and

second means for interferometrically outputting white light, said first and second means comprising microelectromechanical systems.

37. The display of claim 36, wherein said first and second means for outputting light comprise a plurality of display elements, each of said display elements comprising a reflective surface configured to be positioned at a distance from a partially reflective surface.

38. The display of claim 36, further comprising means for selectively transmitting certain visible wavelengths and substantially filtering other visible wavelengths.

39. The display of claim 36, wherein said means for outputting white light comprises means for outputting white light having a standardized white point.

40. The display of claim 39, wherein said standardized white point is one of D55, D65, or D75.

41. The display of claim 36, further comprising means for illumination having a different white point than said white light produced by said first and second means for outputting light.

42. A display comprising:

a plurality of pixels each comprising red, green, and blue interferometric modulators that are configured to output red, green, and blue light, respectively,

wherein each of said pixels are configured to output a greater intensity of green light than red light and configured to output a greater intensity of green light than blue light when each of said interferometric modulators are set to output red, green, and blue light.

43. The display of claim 42, wherein each of said interferometric modulators of each of the plurality of pixels has a reflecting area and wherein said green interferometric modulators of each pixel has a total larger reflecting area than said red interferometric modulators of each pixel and than said blue interferometric modulators of each pixel.

44. The display of claim 42, wherein each of said plurality of pixels comprises more interferometric modulators configured to output green light than interferometric modulators configured to output blue light.

45. The display of claim 42, wherein each of said plurality of pixels comprises more interferometric modulators configured to output green light than interferometric modulators configured to output red light.

46. The display of claim 42, wherein said interferometric modulators configured to output red light are configured to output red light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

47. The display of claim 42, wherein said interferometric modulators configured to output red light are characterized by an optical path length and wherein said optical path length of said interferometric modulators configured to output red light is substantially equal to about one wavelength, λ

, associated with red light to produce a second order red reflection.

48. The display of claim 42, wherein said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light are configured to output blue light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

49. The display of claim 42, wherein said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light are characterized by an optical path length and wherein said optical path length of said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light is substantially equal to about one wavelength, λ

, associated with blue light to produce a second order blue reflection.

50. A method of fabricating a display, comprising:

forming a plurality of pixels, forming said plurality of pixels comprising;

forming interferometric modulators configured to output red light;

forming interferometric modulators configured to output green light;

forming interferometric modulators configured to output blue light,

wherein each of said pixels are configured to output a greater intensity of green light than red light and configured to output a greater intensity of green light than blue light when each of said interferometric modulators are set to output red, green, and blue light.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein each of said interferometric modulators of each of the plurality of pixels has a reflecting area and wherein said green interferometric modulators of each pixel has a total larger reflecting area than said red interferometric modulators of each pixel and than said blue interferometric modulators of each pixel.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein each of said plurality of pixels comprises more interferometric modulators configured to output green light than interferometric modulators configured to output blue light.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein each of said plurality of pixels comprises more interferometric modulators interferometric modulators configured to output green light than interferometric modulators configured to output red light.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein forming said interferometric modulators configured to output red light comprises forming said interferometric modulators to output red light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein forming said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light comprises forming said interferometric modulators to output blue light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

56. A display comprising:

a plurality of pixels each comprising red, green, and blue interferometric modulators that are configured to output red, green, and blue light, respectively,

wherein each of said pixels are configured to output a greater intensity of green light than red light and configured to output a greater intensity of green light than blue light and

wherein at least one of said interferometric modulators configured to output red light and said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light are configured to output light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

57. The display of claim 56, further comprising a circuit configured to drive each of said red, green, and blue interferometric modulators for respective periods of time and wherein said period of time associated with said green interferometric modulators is greater than said respective periods of time associated with said red and blue interferometric modulators.

58. The display of claim 56, wherein at least one of said interferometric modulators configured to output red light and said interferometric modulators configured to output blue light are configured to output light having a wavelength selected to compensate for said greater intensity of green light.

59. The display of claim 56, wherein said wavelength is selected to be substantially equal to about one wavelength, λ

, associated with red light to produce a second order red reflection.

60. The display of claim 56, wherein said wavelength is selected to be substantially equal to about one wavelength, λ

, associated with blue light to produce a second order blue reflection.