Method of assembling displays on substrates

• US 20060220989A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Hillis, W. Daniel, Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,662,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95136 involving guiding structures, e.g. shape matching, spacers or supporting members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95145 Electrostatic alignment, i.e. polarity alignment with Coulomb charges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/95 at chip-level, i.e. with connecting carried out on a plurality of singulated devices, i.e. on diced chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15157 Top view

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and systems for designing and constructing displays from multiple light-modulating elements are disclosed. Display elements having different light-modulating and self-assembling characteristics may be used during display assembly and operation.

Claims

1. A method of forming a display, comprising:

a) disposing a plurality of display elements, each comprising a light-modulating element and a carrier containing said light-modulating element, on a substrate;

b) inducing relative motion in said display elements and said substrate sufficient to cause at least a portion of said display elements to distribute to receptor locations on said substrate;

c) securing display elements distributed to receptor locations on said substrate in fixed relationship with respect to each other; and

d) establishing connections for providing control signals to secured display elements to drive modulation of light by said secured display elements.

8. The method of claim 1, including controlling an environmental condition to promote distribution of said display elements to receptor locations on said substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing a plurality of display elements on a substrate includes disposing a first subset of display elements and a second subset of display elements on said substrate, wherein each display element in said first subset includes a light-modulating element of a first type contained in a carrier having a first shape, size or surface characteristic and each display element in said second subset includes a light-modulating element of a second type contained in a carrier having a second shape, size or surface characteristic, and wherein said substrate includes a first subset of receptor locations having a first complementary shape, size or surface characteristic that facilitates distribution of display elements of said first subset to said first subset of receptor locations, and a second subset of receptor locations having a second complementary shape, size or surface characteristic that facilitates distribution of display elements of said second subset to said second subset of receptor locations.

16. The method of claim 1, including providing a control signal to each said secured display element to test the function of said secured display element.

60. The method of claim 1, wherein each said carrier includes at least one shape, size or surface characteristic including at least one of an electrostatic charge characteristic, a magnetostatic charge characteristic, a surface energy characteristic, an electric characteristic, a magnetic characteristic, or a binding affinity of at least one biomolecule, and wherein said relative motion is sufficient to cause each display element of said at least a portion of said display elements to distribute to a receptor location on said substrate having a complementary shape, size or surface characteristic.

61. The method of claim 1, including securing display elements distributed to receptor locations on said substrate in fixed relationship with respect to each other by at least one of securing said display elements distributed to receptor locations on said substrate with respect to said substrate and securing said display elements distributed to receptor locations on said substrate with respect to one or more other display elements.

62. The method of claim 1, including establishing connections for delivering control signals to drive modulating of light by said secured display elements by forming a wireless link between at least one said secured display element and a remote driver by at least one of sending an activation signal keyed to a unique identifier associated with a location of said at least one secured display element, or sending an activation signal keyed to a specific location for said at least one secured display element.

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17. A method of forming a display, comprising:

a) introducing a first set of display elements, each having a first shape, size or surface characteristic and including a light-modulating element of a first type, onto a substrate;

b) inducing relative motion in said display elements in said first set and said substrate sufficient to cause at least a portion of said display elements in said first set to distribute into a first plurality of receptacles on said substrate, said first plurality of receptacles having a first complementary shape, size or surface characteristic that is complementary to said first shape, size or surface characteristic;

c) removing display elements in said first set that have not distributed into receptacles in said first plurality of receptacles;

d) introducing a second set of display elements, having a second shape, size or surface characteristic and including a light-modulating element of a second type, onto said substrate;

e) inducing relative motion in said display elements in said second set and said substrate sufficient to cause at least a portion of said display elements in said second set to distribute into a second plurality of receptacles on said substrate, said second plurality of receptacles having a second complementary shape, size or surface characteristic that is complementary to said second shape, size or surface characteristic;

f) removing display elements in said second set that have not distributed into receptacles in said second plurality of receptacles; and

g) connecting display elements distributed into receptacles on said substrate to said substrate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein display elements in said first set are configured to have a probability of fitting into receptacles complementary to said second shape, size or surface characteristic that is lower than the probability of display elements in said second set fitting into receptacles complementary to said first shape, size or surface characteristic.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein display elements having said first shape, size or surface characteristic are of a different size but substantially the same shape as display elements having said second shape, size or surface characteristic.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein display elements having said first shape, size or surface characteristic are of a different shape but substantially the same size as display elements having said second shape, size or surface characteristic.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein display elements having said first shape, size or surface characteristic are larger than display elements having said second shape, size or surface characteristic.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein display elements having said first shape, size or surface characteristic have a different surface characteristic but are substantially the same shape and size as display elements having said second shape, size or surface characteristic.

35. The method of claim 17, including connecting display elements of said first set to said substrate prior to introducing said second set of display elements onto said substrate.

39. The method of claim 17, including assisting distribution of a display element of at least one of said first set and said second set into a complementary receptacle on said substrate by at least one of gravity, generation of a body force in the assembly of display elements, bulk acceleration of the display elements, attraction between a display element surface and the interior of a receptacle complementary to said display element, and repulsion of a display element surface from a substrate surface external to said receptacle.

42. The method of claim 17, including recovering display elements removed from said substrate for later use.

44. The method of claim 17, including connecting display elements to said substrate by making electrical, magnetic, acoustic or optical connections between said display elements and said substrate.

45. The method of claim 17, including connecting display elements to adjacent display elements.

46. The method of claim 45, including connecting display elements to adjacent display elements by forming electrical, magnetic, acoustic or optical connections between said display elements and said substrate.

63. The method of claim 17, including determining a unique identifier including address information for each said display element following connection of said display element to said substrate through at least one of using circuitry on said display element or using circuitry external to said display element subsequently storing said address information in said display element.

64. The method of claim 17, wherein introducing display elements in at least one of said first set and said second set includes at least one of spraying said display elements onto said substrate or disposing said display elements onto said substrate in a fluidized medium, a slurry, an emulsion, a suspension, a colloid or a gel.

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47. A display comprising:

a) a substrate comprising a first plurality of receptor locations of a first type and a second plurality of receptor locations of a second type arranged on said substrate in a repeating pattern according to type, each receptor location of said first type comprising a first surface characteristic and each receptor location of said second type comprising a second surface characteristic;

b) a plurality of display elements of a first type mounted on said substrate at said first plurality of receptor locations, each display element of said first type comprising a surface characteristic adapted to operate cooperatively with said first surface characteristic to facilitate self-assembly of said first display element type with said first receptor location type; and

c) a plurality of display elements of a second type mounted on said substrate at said second plurality of receptor locations, and each display element of said second type comprising a surface characteristic adapted to operate cooperatively with said second surface characteristic to facilitate self-assembly of said second display element type with said second receptor location type.

48. The display of claim 47, wherein display elements of said first type emit light that differs from light emitted by display elements of said second set by one or more parameters including wavelength band envelope, spectral width, power, intensity, brightness, irradiance, spatial or temporal emission pattern, polarization, response speed, pulse format, or linearity.

49. The display of claim 47, further comprising circuitry configured for conveying control signals to one or more selected receptor locations on said substrate to control display elements at said selected receptor locations.

57. The display of claim 47, wherein at least one display element of said first plurality and said second plurality includes a unique identifier.

65. The display of claim 47, wherein at least one of said first surface characteristic and said second surface characteristic comprises a shape characteristic, an electrostatic characteristic, a magnetostatic characteristic, a surface energy characteristic, an electromagnetic characteristic, or a coating of at least one biomolecule selected from at least one of an amino acid sequence, a nucleotide sequence, a saccharide sequence, a protein, and a glycoprotein.

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