Deformable micromirror device

• US 20080218438A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Maeda, Yoshihiro, Ishii, Fusao, Aral, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/55
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0223 Compensation for problems related to R-C delay and attenuation in electrodes of matrix panels, e.g. in gate electrodes or on-substrate video signal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• 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: H04N 9/3123 using pulse width modulation

Abstract

A micromirror device, which makes an image display with digital image data, comprises pixel elements which are arranged in the form of a matrix and each of which modulates incident light by using an ON state for deflecting incident light to projection optics, an OFF state for deflecting incident light to a direction different from the projection optics, and an oscillation state where a mirror oscillates between the ON and the OFF state, and a timing controller for performing a timing control for loading the image data into the pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix. Each of the pixel elements has a mirror, and at least one memory cell. The pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix are grouped into a plurality of subsets. The timing controller performs a timing control for loading the image data at independent timing for each of the plurality of subsets.

Claims

1. A micromirror device for making an image display with digital image data, comprising:

pixel elements, which are arranged in a form of a matrix and each of which modulates incident light by using an ON state for deflecting incident light to projection optics, an OFF state for deflecting incident light to a direction different from the projection optics, and an oscillation state where a mirror oscillates between the ON and the OFF states, and a timing controller for performing a timing control for loading the image data into said pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix, wherein;

each of said pixel elements has a mirror, and at least one memory cell;

said pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix are grouped into a plurality of subsets; and

said timing controller performs a timing control for loading the image data at independent timing for each of the plurality of subsets.

2. The micromirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

said timing controller performs a timing control for loading the image data into memory cells of adjacent pixel elements of subsets at different timings.

3. The micromirror device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data selector for respectively distributing bit data of the image data into the plurality of subsets in different order.

4. The micromirror device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data selector for distributing, to the plurality of subsets in different order, a first data block that includes the oscillation state, and a second data block that does not include the oscillation state, the first and second data blocks being included in the image data.

5. The micromirror device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ROW line decoder for selecting an arbitrary ROW line of each of the plurality of subsets, and a COLUMN line driver for loading the image data into memory cells in the selected ROW line via each COLUMN line, for each of the plurality of subsets.

6. The micromirror device according to claim 1, comprising:

pixel elements of 1920×

1080 [pixels] or more.

7. The micromirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

a pitch of the mirror is equal to or larger than 4 [um], and equal to or smaller than 10 [um].

8. The micromirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

at least two of the plurality of subsets are driven at same timing.

9. The micromirror device according to claim 8, wherein:

the subsets driven at the same timing are not adjacent in a ROW direction.

10. The micromirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

at least two of the plurality of subsets are driven at different timings.

11. The micromirror device according to claim 10, wherein:

at least two of the subsets driven at the different timings are adjacent in the ROW direction.

12. A micromirror device for making an image display with digital image data, comprising:

pixel elements, which are arranged in a form of a matrix and each of which makes pulse width modulation (PWM) for incident light depending on a deflection state of light, and

a timing controller for performing a timing control for loading the image data into said pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix, wherein;

each of said pixel elements has a mirror, and at least one memory cell;

said pixel elements arranged in the form of the matrix are grouped into a plurality of subsets; and

said timing controller performs a timing control for loading the image data at independent timing for each of the plurality of subsets.

13. The micromirror device according to claim 12, wherein:

said timing controller performs a timing control for loading the image data into memory cells of adjacent pixel elements of subsets at different timings.

14. The micromirror device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a data selector for respectively distributing bit data of the image data to the plurality of subsets in different order.

15. The micromirror device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a ROW line decoder for selecting an arbitrary ROW line of each of the plurality of subsets, and a COLUMN line driver for loading the image data into memory cells in the selected ROW line via each COLUMN line, for each of the plurality of subsets.

16. The micromirror device according to claim 12, comprising:

pixel elements of 1920×

1080 [pixels] or more.

17. The micromirror device according to claim 12, wherein:

a pitch of the mirror is equal to or larger than 4 [um], and equal to or smaller than 10 [um].

18. The micromirror device according to claim 12, wherein:

at least two of the plurality of subsets are driven at same timing.

19. The micromirror device according to claim 18, wherein:

the subsets driven at the same timing are not adjacent in a ROW direction.

20. The micromirror device according to claim 12, wherein:

at least two of the plurality of subsets are driven at different timings.

21. The micromirror device according to claim 20, wherein:

at least two of the subsets driven at the different timings are adjacent in the ROW direction.