Field sequential color liquid crystal display and method

• US 4,843,381 A
• Filed: 11/16/1988
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OIS Optical Imaging Systems, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baron, Yair
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US07/274,638
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 340/784, 340/783, 340/702, 340/703, 340/716, 350/333, 350/339 F, 350/339 D, 358/236
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133622 Colour sequential illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/30 using solid-state colour display devices

Abstract

There is disclosed a system, display, and method for providing a full color image from a plurality of primary colors. A liquid crystal display including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows is addressed by addressing means for addressing the rows of pixels continuously and sequentially. Data input means applies operating potentials to selected ones of the pixels as the pixels are addressed to cause the display to provide continuously progressing sequential image fields with each one of the image fields corresponding to a respective one of the primary colors. A light projecting means projects light fields of the primary colors onto the liquid crystal display in sequence with and in substantially following progression with the image fields.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display for providing a color image from a plurality of primary colors, said display comprising:

a first image generating array of liquid crystal pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, said pixels capable of being continuously and sequentially addressed for providing a continuously progressing sequence of frames of image fields, each frame including at least two image fields, each image field corresponding to a primary color;

a second color-providing array of liquid crystal pixels, said second array including a plurality of substantially parallel, spacedly disposed, elongated pixel strips;

each strip being substantially coextensive in length to one dimension of the first array and having one color filter associated therewith, each color filter corresponding to one of said primary colors, said pixel strips capable of being continuously and sequentially addressed for providing a continuously progressing sequence of primary color fields to said continuously progressing image fields;

a first light diffuser operatively disposed between said image generating array and said color-providing array, said light diffuser adapted to diffuse colored light from a single strip of said second array over at least two rows of pixels of said first array; and

a light source adapted to project uniform light onto said second array, thereby sequentially transmitting light fields of said primary colors onto the first light diffuser and the liquid crystal pixels of said first array in a continuously progressing sequence of image fields.

2. A display as defined in claim 1 wherein said pixels of said first and second arrays are normally opaque and responsive to applied operating potentials for being transmissive to light.

3. A display as defined in claim 2 wherein said pixels are spaced apart and wherein the spaces between said pixels are opaque.

4. A display as defined in claim 1 wherein said primary colors are red, green, and blue.

5. A display as defined in claim 1 wherein said color filters include at least one filter corresponding to each respective one of said primary colors.

6. A display as defined in claim 5 wherein said color filters comprise plural sets of said color filters, each said set of filters including at least one filter corresponding to each respective one of said primary colors.

7. A display as defined in claim 1, further including a second light diffuser, said second light diffuser disposed between said light source and said second array, on the side thereof opposite said first diffuser.

8. A display as defined in claim 1, wherein said first light diffuser is adapted to diffuse colored light from a single strip of said second array over at least nine rows of pixels of said first array.