DRIVE METHOD FOR MEMS DEVICES
First Claim
1. An array of light modulators arranged at intersections of rows and columns of electrodes, the array comprising:
- a substrate;
at least one first electrode having a first electrical resistance;
at least one second electrode having a second electrical resistance and crossing the at least one first electrode to form at least one light modulator at the intersection(s) of the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode, wherein the second electrical resistance is less than the first electrical resistance; and
a driving circuit having outputs connected to the at least one first electrode and to the at least one second electrode and being configured to apply a potential difference of a first polarity across at least one light modulator during a first phase and then quickly transition to applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the first polarity across at least one light modulator during a second phase, andwherein the driving circuit applies a first voltage to the at least one first electrode during the first phase and a second voltage to the at least one first electrode during the second phase, and applies a third voltage to the at least one second electrode during the first phase and a fourth voltage to the at least one second electrode during the second phase, and wherein an absolute value of the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than an absolute value of the difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of exemplary MEMS interferometric modulators are arranged at intersections of rows and columns of electrodes. In certain embodiments, the column electrode has a lower electrical resistance than the row electrode. A driving circuit applies a potential difference of a first polarity across electrodes during a first phase and then quickly transition to applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the first polarity during a second phase. In certain embodiments, an absolute value of the difference between the voltages applied to the row electrode is less than an absolute value of the difference between the voltages applied to the column electrode during the first and second phases.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An array of light modulators arranged at intersections of rows and columns of electrodes, the array comprising:
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a substrate; at least one first electrode having a first electrical resistance; at least one second electrode having a second electrical resistance and crossing the at least one first electrode to form at least one light modulator at the intersection(s) of the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode, wherein the second electrical resistance is less than the first electrical resistance; and a driving circuit having outputs connected to the at least one first electrode and to the at least one second electrode and being configured to apply a potential difference of a first polarity across at least one light modulator during a first phase and then quickly transition to applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the first polarity across at least one light modulator during a second phase, and wherein the driving circuit applies a first voltage to the at least one first electrode during the first phase and a second voltage to the at least one first electrode during the second phase, and applies a third voltage to the at least one second electrode during the first phase and a fourth voltage to the at least one second electrode during the second phase, and wherein an absolute value of the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than an absolute value of the difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An array of light modulators arranged at intersections of rows and columns of electrodes, the array comprising:
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a substrate; at least one first electrode having a first electrical resistance; at least one second electrode having a second electrical resistance and crossing the at least one first electrode to form at least one light modulator at the intersection(s) of the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode, wherein the second electrical resistance is less than the first electrical resistance; and a driving circuit configured to apply a first voltage to the at least one first electrode during a first phase and apply a second voltage to the at least one first electrode during a second phase, and configured to apply a third voltage to the at least one second electrode during the first phase and apply a fourth voltage to the at least one second electrode during the second phase, and wherein an absolute value of the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than the absolute value of the difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage, and wherein the first voltage and the third voltage form an electric field between the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode pointing in a first direction, and wherein the second voltage and the fourth voltage form an electric field between the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode pointing in a direction opposite to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of driving an array of light modulators arranged at intersections of rows of electrodes and columns of electrodes, the method comprising:
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actuating a light modulator by applying a first potential difference having a first polarity across at least one light modulator during a first phase, wherein the first potential is greater than a bias voltage; maintaining the at least one light modulator in the actuated state by applying a second potential difference having the first polarity across the at least one light modulator during a second phase, wherein the second potential is substantially equal to the bias voltage; and applying a third potential difference opposite to the first polarity across the at least one light modulator during a third phase, wherein one of the columns of electrodes or the rows of electrodes forming the at least one light modulator has a higher conductivity and experiences a larger voltage shift between the first and third phases than the other one of the columns of electrodes and the rows of electrodes.
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22. A system for writing data to a MEMS display element of an array, the system comprising:
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a first set of electrodes characterized by a first resistivity; a second set of electrodes characterized by a second resistivity and crossing the first set of electrodes; and a driver circuit having outputs for applying voltages to the first and second sets of crossing and intersecting electrodes, wherein the driver circuitry is configured to periodically actuate at least one element of the array with a potential difference having a first polarity, and maintain the at least one element in an actuated state when transitioning to a bias voltage having an opposite polarity, wherein an absolute value of the difference between voltages applied to the row electrode before and after the transition is less than an absolute value of the difference between voltages applied to the column electrode before and after the transition. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A display system comprising:
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an array of microelectromechanical pixels; row and column driver circuitry configured to apply electrical signals to said pixels; a sensor, configured to sense a capacitance dependent response to at least some of said electrical signals. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of detecting a state of a microelectromechanical device, the method comprising:
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applying a selected voltage to an electrode coupled to at least one device; measuring a voltage across said device; and determining, based at least in part on said measured voltage, a state of said device. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A system for detecting a state of at least one display pixel, the system comprising:
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driver circuits coupled to said display; and means for measuring a voltage across a display pixel. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method of writing data to a portion of an array of microelectromechanical elements, said method comprising:
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applying a set of data signals to a series of column electrodes of the array; applying at least one write waveform to a row electrode; determining an actuation state of at least one element along said row; applying at least one additional write waveform to said row electrode if it is determined that an actuation state of at least one element along said row is not consistent with said data signals. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification