Display using array of charge storage devices

• US 3,882,271 A
• Filed: 11/13/1973
• Issued: 05/06/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William E. Glenn
• Original Assignee: William E. Glenn
• Inventors: Glenn, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Psitos, Aristotelis M.
• Application Number:
  US05/415,334
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 178/7.3D,7.5D 358/62
• US Class Current: 348/771
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/00 Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements control of light by modification of the optical properties of the media of the elements involved therein G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/00 Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/14 by means of electrically scanned solid-state devices for picture generation H04N25/00

Abstract

An apparatus which receives a video signal representative of an image and displays the image in viewable form. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention there is provided a semiconductor substrate having an array of semiconductor devices formed in a surface thereof. Each of the devices is adapted to receive an element of video information as represented by stored charge. Means are provided for sampling the video signal and temporarily storing elemental samples thereof in the semiconductor devices. A layer of electrically deformable material is disposed on the substrate and a conductive means is disposed on the layer of deformable material. The charge pattern of the semiconductor devices creates a field with respect to the conductive means on the surface of the deformable material and this field, in turn, deforms the deformable material effectively causing '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'ripples'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' therein. Optical means are provided for converting these deformations of the deformable material into an image. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the optical system comprises a Schlieren system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving image-representative fields of electronic video information and displaying the images, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an array of semiconductor devices formed in a surface of said substrate, each of said devices being capable of receiving an element of video information as represented by stored charge;

means for sampling said video signal and for temporarily storing elemental samples thereof in said semiconductor devices;

a layer of electrically deformable material disposed on said substrate; and

optical means for converting deformations of said deformable material into an image.

2. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 further comprising a reflective layer disposed on said layer of deformable material.

3. An apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein said reflective layer is formed of conductive material.

4. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said optical means comprises a schlieren optical system.

5. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said semiconductor devices are charge transfertype devices.

6. An apparatus as defined by claim 5 wherein said semiconductor devices are charge-coupled devices.

7. An apparatus as defined by claim 6 further comprising a reflective layer disposed on said layer of deformable material.

8. An apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein said reflective layer is formed of conductive material.

9. An apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein said optical means comprises a schlieren optical system.

10. An apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein said layer of electrically deformable material is a gel.

11. Apparatus for receiving image-representative fields of electronic video information and displaying the images, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type;

an array of charge-coupled devices formed in a surface of said substrate, each of said devices being capable of receiving an element of video information as represented by stored charge;

a plurality of display regions formed in said surface and associated with said charge-coupled devices, each of said display regions comprising a region in said surface that is of opposite conductivity type than said semiconductor substrate;

means for sampling said video signal and for temporarily storing elemental samples thereof in said charge-coupled devices in the form of stored charge;

means for periodically transferring the charge stored in said charge-coupled devices to their associated display regions;

a layer of electrically deformable material disposed on said substrate; and

optical means for converting deformations of said deformable material into an image.

12. An apparatus as defined by claim 11 further comprising a reflective layer disposed on said layer of deformable material.

13. An apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein said reflective layer is formed of conductive material.

14. An apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein said optical means comprises a schlieren optical system.

15. An apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein said layer of electrically deformable material is a gel.

16. An apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein said layer of electrically deformable material is a gel.

17. An apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein said means for transferring the stored charge in said charge-coupled devices to their associated display regions comprises a plurality of gate electrodes disposed on said semiconductor surface between said charge coupled devices and their associated display regions.

18. Apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein two display regions are associated with each charge-coupled device in the array of charge-coupled devices.

19. An apparatus as defined by claim 18 wherein said means for transferring the stored charge in said charge-coupled devices to their associated display regions comprises a first plurality of gate electrodes disposed on said semiconductor surface between said charge-coupled devices and one of their associated display regions and a second plurality of gate electrodes disposed on said semiconductor surface between said charge-coupled devices and the other of their associated display regions.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for sampling said video signal includes an input register comprising a chain of charge-coupled devices formed in said surface, said input register having proximity to said array of charge-coupled devices so that charge-representative information stored in said input register can be transferred to said array of charge-coupled devices, said input register having a sampling gate which is operative to sample said video signal.