Bit Serial Control of Light Modulating Elements

• US 20060274001A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syndiant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kagutech Ltd.
• Inventors: Guttag, Karl M., Guttag, Alvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,035,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0221 with use of split matrices G09G3/3644 and G09G3/3666 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0275 Details of drivers for data electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays, not related to handling digital grey scale data or to communication of data to the pixels by means of a current
• 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 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

The present invention provides a various methods, systems and devices for controlling light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators. In some embodiments of the present invention, a recursive feedback method is used to control light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators.

Claims

1-47. -47. (canceled)

48. A device comprising:

an array of light modulating elements; and

control means for controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein said bit serial processing requires only logical bit serial operations.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein said bit serial processing uses logical and/or arithmetic bit serial operations.

51. The device of claim 48, wherein said light modulating elements are part of a visual display apparatus.

52. The device of claim 48, wherein said light modulating elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

53. The device of claim 52, wherein said device includes two arrays of processing elements and wherein said two arrays of processing elements are located on opposite sides of said array of light modulating elements.

54. The device of claim 48, wherein said device further comprises:

at least one array of processing elements for computing pulse widths that control said light modulating elements.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein said array of light modulating elements comprises a first group of light modulating elements and a second group of light modulating elements, and wherein said at least one array of processing elements comprises a first array of processing elements and a second array of processing elements for controlling, respectively, said first group of light modulating elements and said second group of light modulating elements independently of each other.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein said array of light modulating elements is comprised of two partial arrays, and wherein said first group of light modulating elements and said second group of light modulating elements include each include light modulating elements in each of said two partial arrays.

57. The device of claim 56, further comprising a set of one or more first arrays of storage bits and a set of one or more second arrays of storage bits, wherein said first array of processing elements reads and processes data from said set of one or more first arrays of storage bits and wherein said second processing element reads and processes data from said set of one or more second arrays of storage bits.

58. The device of claim 48, further comprising a visual display apparatus including said light modulating elements.

59. The device of claim 58, wherein said visual display apparatus is an LCoS device and wherein said visual display apparatus includes pH indicating means indicating when a liquid crystal and/or the environment surrounding said liquid crystal of said visual display apparatus is damaged.

169. The device of claim 48, wherein said control means comprises means for generating pulse widths for driving said light modulating elements.

60. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing an array of light modulating elements; and

(b) controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing.

61. The method of claim of claim 60, wherein said bit serial processing uses only logical bit serial operations.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein said bit serial processing uses logical and/or arithmetic bit serial operations.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein said light modulating elements are part of a visual display apparatus.

170. The method of claim 60, further comprising the following step:

(c) generating pulse widths for driving said light modulating elements.

64. A system comprising:

an array of light modulating elements; and

control means for controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing.

171. The device of claim 64, wherein said control means comprises means for generating pulse widths for driving said light modulating elements.

65. A device comprising:

a substrate;

an array of electrodes for controlling light modulating elements, said electrodes being located on said substrate; and

an array of bit serial processing elements for controlling said light modulating elements, said bit processing elements being located on said substrate.

66. The device of claim 65, further comprising a visual display apparatus including said light modulating elements.

67. The device of claim 66, wherein said visual display apparatus is an LCoS device and wherein said visual display apparatus includes pH indicating means indicating when a liquid crystal and/or the environment surrounding said liquid crystal of said visual display apparatus is damaged.

68-168. -168. (canceled)