MATRIX-TYPE IMAGE DISPLAY WITH LIGHT-GUIDE ADDRESSING SYSTEM

• US 3,700,802 A
• Filed: 12/21/1970
• Issued: 10/24/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan Sobel, Joseph Markin
• Original Assignee: Alan Sobel, Joseph Markin
• Inventors: Sobel, Alan, Markin, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/100,240
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 178/7.3D,DIG.2 340/166,380
• US Class Current: 348/790
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/135 Liquid crystal cells structurally associated with a photoconducting or a ferro-electric layer, the properties of which can be optically or electrically varied G02F1/133348 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An image-display panel includes a plurality of light-displaying elements, such as electroluminescent capacitors or liquid crystals, disposed in an array of rows and columns. Associated with each light-displaying element is a photoconductor or other light-responsive device for activating the light-displaying elements. A pair of crossed arrays of fiber-optic light pipes have their crossings in juxtaposition with the photosensitive devices, the light pipes including localized light-emitting apertures near the crossings. A system is included for injecting light into the light pipes in a manner to provide systematic sequential scanning of the photosensitive devices by concurrent light emission from the localized apertures of selected lightconductive elements of both of the arrays. Light emitted from a single light-pipe aperture reduces the resistance of part of the associated photoconductor, but the resistance of the remaining part is sufficient to prevent the light-displaying element from functioning. When light is emitted from both light-pipe apertures associated with the photoconductor at a single display element, the photoconductor resistance is sufficiently reduced that the light-displaying element produces a useful output. In an alternative embodiment, the light pipes are utilized for scanning activation in but one direction, while electrical conductors are used to perform the coordinate scanning function.

Claims

1. An image-display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of light-responsive elements disposed in a predetermined array; and

a matrix of light guides in close juxtaposition with said panel arranged in rows and columns so as to define guide intersections adjacent said light-responsive elements, each light guide being provided with a plurality of exit apertures one disposed adjacent each light-responsive element for permitting light to escape therefrom transverse to the axis of the associated light guide to excIte said light-responsive elements.

2. An image-display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of light-displaying elements disposed in a predetermined array;

means including a corresponding plurality of light-responsive elements for controlling the energization of said light-displaying elements; and

means including a matrix of light guides provided with a corresponding plurality of localized light-emitting apertures, each in juxtaposition with one of said light-responsive elements, for selectively irradiating individual ones of said light-responsive elements in accordance with a predetermined pattern.

3. An image-display device as defined in claim 2, in which said light-responsive elements exhibit significant non-linearity of response to incident illumination.

4. An image-display device as defined in claim 2, in which said light-responsive elements effectively exhibit storage of the effects of the irradiation from said apertures.

5. An image-display device as defined in claim 2, in which a power source is included for effecting operation of said light-displaying elements, and said light-responsive elements control the application of power from said source to said light-displaying elements.

6. An image-display device as defined in claim 2, which further includes a source of composite video signals having picture information and synchronizing information and in which said matrix means responds to said synchronizing information for selecting said light-responsive elements and said light-displaying elements respond to said video signals for displaying light in correspondence therewith.

7. An image-display device comprising:

a matrix of light-displaying elements disposed in a predetermined pattern throughout an image-display field;

means, including photosensitive devices respectively associated with said light-displaying elements, responsive to light for activating individual ones of said light-displaying elements;

a pair of crossed arrays of light-conductive elements with their crossings respectively in juxtaposition with said photo-sensitive devices, said light-conductive elements being provided with localized light-emitting apertures near said crossings; and

means for injecting light into said light-conductive elements to provide selective scanning of said photosensitive devices by concurrent emission of light from localized apertures of selected light-conductive elements of both of said arrays.

8. An image-display device as defined in claim 7, in which said photosensitive devices are each separated into a pair of photoconductors individually responsive to light-conductive elements in respective ones of said arrays and electrically connected in series.

9. An image-display device comprising:

a matrix of light-displaying elements disposed in a predetermined pattern throughout an image-display field;

means, including photosensitive devices respectively associated with said light-displaying elements, responsive to light for modifying the actuation condition of individual ones of said light-displaying elements;

a pair of crossed arrays of scanning-control elements with their crossings respectively in juxtaposition with said photosensitive devices, at least one of said arrays being composed of light-conductive elements provided with localized light-emitting apertures at said crossings;

means for selectively injecting light into said light-conductive elements to provide energization of said photosensitive devices by emission of light quanta from said localized apertures; and

means for selectively energizing the scanning-control elements of the other of said arrays to provide selective modification of the activation condition of individual ones of said light-displaying elements, said elements individually being activated when said condition is concurrently modified by both of said arrays.

10. An image-display device as defined in claim 9, in which said other of said arrays is compOsed of electrically-conductive elements.