DIRECT-VIEW MEMS DISPLAY DEVICES AND METHODS FOR GENERATING IMAGES THEREON

• US 20120320112A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pixtronix, Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hagood, Nesbitt W. IV, Gandhi, Jignesh, McAllister, Abraham, Malzbender, Rainer M., Lewis, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US13/597,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0251 Precharge or discharge of pixel before applying new pixel voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0247 Flicker reduction other than flicker reduction circuits used for single beam cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2081 with combination of amplitude modulation and time modulation space and time error diffusion G09G3/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• 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 5/06 using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

A direct-view display includes an array of MEMS light modulators and a control matrix formed on a transparent substrate, where each light modulator can be driven into at least two states, and a controller for controlling the states of each light modulator in the array. The control matrix transmits data and actuation voltages to the array. The controller includes an input, a processor, a memory, and an output. The input receives image data encoding an image frame for display. The processor derives a plurality of sub-frame data sets from the image data, where each sub-frame data set indicates desired states of light modulators in multiple rows and multiple columns of the array. The memory stores the plurality of sub-frame data sets. The output outputs the plurality of sub-frame data sets according to an output sequence to drive light modulators into the states indicated in the sub-frame data sets.

Claims

1. An electromechanical device comprising:

at least one light source;

an array of light blocking elements having at least two positions; and

a controller for controlling the position of the light blocking elements and for;

obtaining from a memory a plurality of sub-frame data sets corresponding to an image frame, a respective sub-frame data set being associated with a weight, wherein the respective sub-frame data set indicates positions of light blocking elements in at least one row and at least one column of the array of light blocking elements;

driving the light blocking elements into a first position as indicated by a respective sub-frame data set; and

controlling the at least one light source to generate light to pass towards the light blocking elements as indicated by the respective sub-frame data based on the weight.

2. The electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the controller applies an electrical signal to drive the light blocking elements into the first position for a period of time proportional to the weight.

3. The electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the controller applies an electrical signal to illuminate the light source for a period of time proportional to the weight.

4. The electromechanical device of claim 3, wherein the period of time that the light source is illuminated for is less than or equal to 4 milliseconds.

5. The electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the controller applies an electrical signal to illuminate the light source with an illumination intensity proportional to the weight.

6. The electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the controller processes data in the plurality of sub-frame data sets according to an output sequence stored at least partially in memory, the output sequence representing timing information for illuminating the light blocking elements to form an image.

7. The electromechanical device of claim 1, comprising at least two light sources of at least two different colors, wherein the controller applies electrical signals to illuminate the light sources to generate a single sub-frame image corresponding to a single sub-frame data set.

8. The electromechanical device of claim 1, comprising a global actuation interconnect coupled to the array of light blocking elements for driving light blocking elements in multiple rows and multiple columns to actuate substantially simultaneously.

9. The electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the light blocking elements are electromechanical shutters formed on a transparent substrate, the electromechanical shutters moving transverse to the transparent substrate to modulate light.

10. A method for displaying an image frame, comprising:

obtaining from a memory a plurality of sub-frame data sets corresponding to an image frame, a respective sub-frame data set being associated with a weight, and indicating positions of light blocking elements in at least one row and at least one column of an array of light blocking elements formed on a substrate;

processing the plurality of sub-frame data sets according to an output sequence stored at least partially in memory to;

drive the light blocking elements into a first position indicated in a respective sub-frame data set; and

control at least one light source to generate light to pass towards the light blocking elements as indicated by the respective sub-frame data based on the weight.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising applying an electrical signal to drive the light blocking elements into the first position for a period of time proportional to the weight.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising applying an electrical signal to illuminate the light source for a period of time proportional to the weight.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising applying an electrical signal to illuminate the light source with an illumination intensity proportional to the weight.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the weight is associated with a respective sub-frame data set according to a binary coding scheme, a respective sub-frame data set being decomposed into at least a most significant sub-frame image and a next most significant sub-frame image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the most-significant sub-frame image contributes to a displayed image frame twice as much as the next most significant sub-frame image.