Active display system and method with optical addressing

• US 20060262034A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John D.A. Cunha, William Allen
• Original Assignee: John D.A. Cunha, William Allen
• Inventors: Allen, William, Cunha, John Da
• Granted Patent: US 7,808,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2014 by modulation of the duration of a single pulse during which the logic level remains constant
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix

Abstract

A display system, including an optical transmitter configured to optically transmit digital image information associated with an image to be displayed. The system also includes an active display including a decoder electrically coupled with a plurality of display elements that are configured to produce visible light in response to electrical stimulation. The decoder is configured to receive the digital image information and in response produce a control signal for each of the display elements, the control signals being usable to individually control visible light produced by the display elements so as to cause display of the image.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising:

an optical transmitter configured to optically project digital image information associated with an image to be displayed; and

an active display including a decoder coupled with a plurality of display elements that are configured to produce visible light, where the decoder is configured to receive the projected digital image information and in response produce a control signal for each of the display elements, the control signals being usable to individually control visible light produced by the elements so as to cause display of the image.

2. The display system of claim 1, where the optical transmitter is configured to transmit the digital image information via infrared light as a serial bitstream.

3. The display system of claim 2, where the decoder is configured to generate the control signals based on the serial bitstream and apply such control signals in parallel to the plurality of display elements.

4. The display system of claim 1, where the decoder includes a storage configured to store the digital image information or control signals prior to application of the control signals to the display elements.

5. The display system of claim 1, where the decoder is configured to be responsive to a synchronization signal to synchronize application of the control signals to the display elements.

6. The display system of claim 1, where the image information includes intensity information for each of the display elements, and where the decoder is configured to use such intensity information to duty-cycle modulate a pulse train for each display element, the pulse train being operable to intermittently activate the respective display element.

7. The display system of claim 1, where some of the display elements are configured to produce red light, some of the display elements are configured to produce green light, and some of the display elements are configured to produce blue light.

8. The display system of claim 7, where groupings of the display elements define pixels, with each pixel containing red, green and blue sub-pixels.

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19. A display system, including:

transmission means for optically projecting image information associated with an image to be displayed; and

an active display including a plurality of sub-arrays, each having;

visible light-producing means for producing visible light in response to electrical stimulation; and

decoder means for optically receiving a portion of the projected image information and generating a plurality of control signals based on such portion of the image information, the decoder means being coupled with the visible light-producing means and configured to apply the control signals to the visible-light producing means so as to cause display of a portion of the image.

20. The display system of claim 19, where the transmission means includes an optical projector configured to project the image information with infrared light via one or more serial bitstreams.

21. A method of actively displaying an image, comprising:

optically projecting digital image information associated with an image to be displayed;

optically receiving the projected digital image information at an active display device;

processing the digital image information to generate a plurality of electrical control signals that each correspond to one of a plurality of individual emissive display elements provided on the active display device; and

applying the electrical control signals to the emissive display elements to control visible light produced by the emissive display elements and thereby display the image.

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