FLAT-PANEL IMAGE DISPLAY WITH PLURAL DISPLAY DEVICES AT EACH IMAGE POINT

• US 3,647,958 A
• Filed: 08/31/1970
• Issued: 03/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan Sobel
• Original Assignee: Alan Sobel
• Inventors: Sobel, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/068,086
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 178/7.3,7.3D,5.4EL,6 340/166,166EL 315/169,169TV
• US Class Current: 348/800
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon

Abstract

An image-display panel is formed to present picture elements distributed over the panel in a matrix of rows and columns. At the position of each picture element is a light-display device capable of displaying light in an amount proportional to its level of energization. Associated with each device are a plurality of energizing systems each of which is responsive to a different input signal amplitude. Each system energizes its associated light-display device at a particular level. By varying the input signal amplitude, different numbers of the energizing systems are activated and the level of energization of the lightdisplay device, and hence its output, is varied. The lightdisplay devices are either light producers such as electroluminescent cells or light modulators such as liquid crystals. Enabling signals are selectively addressed to different rows of the energizing systems in response to row-selection signals. At the time that one row is selected, each column of the energizing system is selectively addressed with an individual input signal pulse that is proportional in amplitude to the picture information level of that element of the picture which is to appear at the intersection of the selected row and column. The addressing of any one of the rows simultaneously with a column effects selection of the picture element at the intersection of that row and column, and the amplitude of the voltage above a basic selection level determines the level of energization of the corresponding light-display element.

Claims

1. In a panel for displaying an image formed of picture elements distributed over said panel in a matrix, the combination comprising:

a plurality of light-display devices disposed at the respective positions of said picture elements, each of said devices displaying light in an amount proportional to its level of energization;

a corresponding plurality of groups of energizing systems, each group being located at and associated with one of said devices and each system within each group being responsive to a different input signal amplitude for energizing its associated device at a correspondingly different level of energization;

means for supplying a video signal composed of amplitude-varying picture information together with position-selection signals;

means responsive to said position-selection signals for selectively addressing different groups of energizing systems; and

means responsive to said video signal for applying to each addressed group of energizing systems an input signal proportional in amplitude to the level of picture information at the corresponding picture element.

2. A panel as defined in claim 1, in which each of said light-display devices is composed of a plurality of separate light-display elements actuated at different light-control levels by the respective energizing systems in the associated group.

3. A panel as defined in claim 1, in which each of said light-display devices is a single light-producing element actuated at different light-display levels by the respective energizing systems in the associated group.

4. A panel as defined in claim 1, in which each of said groups of energizing systems includes a plurality of switches respectively responsive to different input signal amplitudes.

5. A panel as defined in claim 4, in which each of said switches is individually associated with means for isolating that switch from the effects of the other switches in its group of systems.

6. A panel as defined in claim 1, in which each of said display devices comprises a plurality of display elements and the associated group of energizing systems includes a corresponding plurality of mutually differing threshold switches spaced from one another and each coupled to a different one of said display elements.

7. A panel as defined in cLaim 1, in which each group of energizing systems responds only to signals exceeding a predetermined threshold and thereafter maintains its response to signals of a lesser level, and said addressing means and video-signal-responsive means apply input signals cumulatively exceeding said threshold level.

8. A panel as defined in claim 1, in which each of said light-display devices is composed of a plurality of light-display elements each of which, in turn, displays light in an amount proportional to its level of energization, in which each of said elements individually is coupled in series with a respective one of the systems in the associated group, and in which the series combinations of said elements and systems are coupled in parallel.

9. An image display panel comprising:

an array of horizontal conductors spaced vertically across said panel;

an array of vertical conductors spaced horizontally across said panel;

a plurality of light-display devices individually associated with respective crossings of said horizontal and vertical conductors and each displaying light in proportion to its level of energization;

a corresponding plurality of groups of energizing systems, each group being located at and associated with one of said devices and each group at each location being responsive to a plurality of different input signal amplitudes for energizing its associated device at correspondingly different levels of energization;

means for supplying a video signal composed of picture information together with synchronizing signals;

means responsive to said video signals for applying to said vertical conductors individual input signals, proportional in amplitude to said video signal; and

means responsive to said synchronizing signals for enabling actuation selectively of said horizontal conductors, the actuation of any one of said horizontal conductors conjointly with the application of said input signals on a vertical conductor effecting selection of the level of energization of the light-display device at the cross point between the selected horizontal and vertical conductors.

10. In a panel for displaying an image formed of picture elements distributed over said panel in a matrix of rows and columns, the combination comprising:

a plurality of light-display devices disposed at the respective positions of said picture elements and each displaying light in an amount proportional to its level of energization;

a corresponding plurality of groups of energizing systems, each group being located at and associated with one of said devices and each system within each group being responsive to a different input signal amplitude for energizing its associated device at a correspondingly different level of energization;

means for supplying a video signal composed of amplitude-varying picture information together with row and column selection signals;

means responsive to said column-selection signals for selectively addressing different columns of said groups of energizing systems with individual control signals;

means responsive to said row-selection signals for selectively addressing different rows of said groups of energizing systems with enabling signals, the addressing of any row conjointly with the addressing of a vertical column effecting selection of the light-display device at the intersection of that row and that column; and

means responsive to said video signal for applying to the energizing systems associated with the selected light-display device an input signal proportional in amplitude to the level of picture information at the corresponding picture element.

11. A panel as defined in claim 10, in which the input video signals are superimposed on said control signals.