LOW POWER SEMI-REFLECTIVE DISPLAY

• US 20150130692A1
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novasolix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novasolix, Inc.
• Inventors: Cooke, Laurence H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/17 based on variable-absorption elements not provided for in groups G02F1/015 - G02F1/169
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/19 based on variable-reflection or variable-refraction elements not provided for in groups G02F1/015 - G02F1/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/08 Power processing, i.e. workload management for processors involved in display operations, such as CPUs or GPUs
• 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 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/142 Energy conversion devices photovoltaic modules or arrays of single photovoltaic cells comprising bypass diodes integrated or directly associated with the devices H01L31/0443; photovoltaic modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1085 the devices being of the Metal-Semiconductor-Metal [MSM] Schottky barrier type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

A semi-reflective display and a method for fabricating and assembling a semi-reflective display are presented, where the display may be comprised of visible light rectifying antenna arrays tuned to four different colors, which when forward biased may use electric power to amplify reflected colored light, and when reversed biased may generate electric power by absorbing light. TFT-tunnel diode logic may be used to control each sub-pixel.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

an array of sub-pixels, wherein a respective sub-pixel comprises an array of light frequency antennas.

2. The display as in claim 1, wherein, in a first mode a respective sub-pixel absorbs light, and in a second mode, a respective sub-pixel amplifies ambient light.

3. The display as in claim 2, wherein the respective sub-pixel in the first mode converts light into electric power and in the second mode converts electric power into light.

4. The display as in claim 2, further comprising a control circuit configured to individually control the mode of a respective sub-pixel.

5. The display as in claim 4 wherein the control circuit comprises at least one latch.

6. The display as in claim 5, wherein the latch is a tunnel diode latch.

7. The display as in claim 1, wherein the array of light frequency antennas is a collinear array.

8. The display as in claim 1, wherein a respective sub-pixel comprises two perpendicular arrays of light frequency antennas.

9. The display as in claim 8, wherein the antennas in each array of light frequency antennas are tuned to a particular light frequency of a set containing plural light frequencies.

10. The display as in claim 9, wherein the set containing plural light frequencies comprises light frequencies corresponding to:

red, green, blue and yellow.

11. A display comprising:

a glass substrate containing interconnect and thin film transistors; and

an array of sub-pixels;

wherein a respective sub-pixel contains at least two layers of multiple collinear light frequency antennas.

12. The display as in claim 11, wherein the light frequency antennas in a first of the at least two layers of sub-pixels are perpendicular to the light frequency antennas in a second of the at least two layers of sub-pixels.

13. The display as in claim 11, further comprising, for a respective sub-pixel, one or more solder bumps configured to electrically couple the at least two layers to the glass substrate.

14. The display as in claim 11, further comprising circuitry configured to individually control a respective sub-pixel to be in one of two modes.

15. The display as in claim 14, wherein the circuitry comprises at least one latch.

16. The display as in claim 15, wherein the latch is a tunnel diode latch.

17. The display as in claim 14, wherein, in a first mode a respective sub-pixel absorbs light, and in a second mode, a respective sub-pixel amplifies ambient light.

18. The display as in claim 17, wherein the respective sub-pixel in the first mode converts light into electric power and in the second mode converts electric power into light.

19. The display as in claim 11, wherein the antennas for a respective sub-pixel are all tuned to a particular light frequency of a set containing plural light frequencies.

20. The display as in claim 19, wherein the set containing plural light frequencies comprises light frequencies corresponding to:

red, green, blue and yellow.

21. A display comprising:

an array of sub-pixels; and

control logic configured to independently control a respective sub-pixel, the

control comprising thin film transistors and tunnel diodes.