DISPLAY APPARATUS INCORPORATING DUAL-LEVEL SHUTTERS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A apparatus comprising:
- a first light blocking layer including an aperture formed therein; and
a shutter configured to be moved laterally along a first axis with respect to the light blocking layer by at least one actuator, the shutter including;
a first light obstructing portion having a dimension along the first axis which is smaller than a dimension of the aperture along the first axis; and
a second light obstructing portion having a dimension along the first axis which is greater than or equal to the dimension of the aperture along the first axis,wherein the at least one actuator is configured to move the shutter into a first state in which neither the first or the second light obstructing portion substantially obstructs light passing through aperture, a second state in which the first light obstructing portion obstructs a fraction of light passing through the aperture, and a third state in which the second portion obstructs substantially all of the light passing through the aperture.
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Abstract
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for modulating light to form an image on a display, as well as methods manufacturing such apparatus. The display apparatus includes shutters having asymmetric light obstructing portions extending out from opposing sides of a shutter aperture along an axis of motion of the shutter. Actuators move the shutters laterally along the axis of motion to move the shutter between fully closed, partially open, and fully open states to modulate light, thereby forming an image.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A apparatus comprising:
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a first light blocking layer including an aperture formed therein; and a shutter configured to be moved laterally along a first axis with respect to the light blocking layer by at least one actuator, the shutter including; a first light obstructing portion having a dimension along the first axis which is smaller than a dimension of the aperture along the first axis; and a second light obstructing portion having a dimension along the first axis which is greater than or equal to the dimension of the aperture along the first axis, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to move the shutter into a first state in which neither the first or the second light obstructing portion substantially obstructs light passing through aperture, a second state in which the first light obstructing portion obstructs a fraction of light passing through the aperture, and a third state in which the second portion obstructs substantially all of the light passing through the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of manufacturing a display element, comprising:
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defining a first aperture in a first light blocking layer; depositing a first layer of sacrificial material over the first light blocking layer; depositing at least a first layer of structural material over the first layer of sacrificial material; and patterning at least the first layer of structural material to define; a perimeter of a shutter and a shutter aperture through the shutter, wherein the shutter perimeter and the shutter aperture are configured such that the shutter includes asymmetric first and second light obstructing portions positioned on opposite sides of the shutter aperture along an axis of motion of the shutter; and at least one actuator configured to move the shutter along the axis of motion into a relaxed state in which neither the first nor the second light obstructing portions substantially obstructs light passing through the first aperture, a first actuated state in which the first light obstructing portion obstructs a fraction of light passing through the first aperture, and a second actuated state in which the second light obstructing portion obstructs substantially all of the light passing through the first aperture. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification