Two-dimensional surface light emitting element array

• US 5,907,572 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masateru, Sakamoto, Akira, Iwasa, Izumi, Otake, Shigeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang, Ellen Eunjoo
• Application Number:
  US08/739,753
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 372/50.452, 372/26, 372/36, 313/495-497, 340/771, 250/213 A, 357/32, 357/17
• US Class Current: 372/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

Column wirings are divided into at least two groups of first column wirings and second column wirings. Image data corresponding to different rows in one frame are supplied to these groups of column wirings at the single timing. At the same timing, row signals are applied to the different wirings at e.g. j=1 and j=17. Rows and columns can be replaced by each other.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional surface light emitting element array comprising:

a wiring matrix having a first side and a second side, said second side being transverse to said first side, said matrix including

a first wiring group of plural electrodes arranged in a first wiring direction from said first side toward a side opposite said first side and in parallel to each other;

a second wiring group of plural electrodes arranged in a second wiring direction from said second side toward a side opposite said second side and in parallel to each other, said second wiring group of plural electrodes crossing the first wiring group;

plural surface light emitting elements connected to respective electrodes of said first wiring group and said second wiring group, and arranged two-dimensionally at intersecting points of said first wiring group and said second wiring group, wherein said first wiring group includes a first subset of plural electrodes and a second subset of plural electrodes, each electrode of said first subset having a first end adjacent said first side and a second end opposite said first end in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset having a first end facing said second end of a corresponding electrode of said first subset and a second end opposite said first end of said second subset in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset being coaxial with the corresponding electrode of said first subset in said first wiring direction such that each second end of said electrodes of said first subset is electrically separate from and out of contact with each first end of said electrodes of said second subset, wherein a first gap is provided in said first wiring direction between each second end of said first subset and each first end of said second subset;

and

the electrodes of one of said electrode groups are provided with an external connection section for driving said surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes individually from the surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes of the remaining electrode group.

2. The two-dimensional surface light emitting element array of claim 1, wherein

said second wiring group includes a third subset of plural electrodes and a fourth subset of electrodes, each electrode of said third subset having a first end adjacent said second side and a second end opposite said first end in said second wiring direction, each electrode of said fourth subset having a first end facing said second end of a corresponding electrode of said third subset and a second end opposite said first end of said fourth subset in said second wiring direction, each electrode of said fourth subset being coaxial with the corresponding electrode of said third subset in said second wiring direction such that each second end of said electrodes of said third subset is electrically separate from and out of contact with each first end of said electrodes of said fourth subset, wherein a second gap is provided in said second wiring direction between each second end of said third subset and each first end of said fourth subset so that said first gap and said second gap are transverse;

and

the electrodes of one of said electrode groups are provided with an external connection section for driving said surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes individually from the surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes of the remaining electrode groups.

3. The two-dimensional surface light emitting element array of claim 1, wherein

the electrodes of said first wiring group and said second wiring group and said plural surface light emitting elements are formed monolithically.

4. An image recording device using a two-dimensional surface light emitting element array as a light source in which said two-dimensional surface light emitting element array comprises:

a writing matrix having a first side and a second side, said second side being transverse to said first side, said matrix including

a first wiring group of plural electrodes arranged in a first wiring direction from said first side toward a side opposite said first side and in parallel to each other;

a second wiring group of plural electrodes arranged in a second wiring direction from said second side toward a side opposite said second side and in parallel to each other, said second wiring group of plural electrodes crossing the first wiring group;

plural surface light emitting elements connected to respective electrodes of said first wiring group and said second wiring group and arranged two-dimensionally at intersecting points of said first wiring group and said second wiring group;

driving means for supplying a signal to said electrode groups through an external connection section, wherein said first wiring group includes a first subset of plural electrodes and a second subset of plural electrodes, each electrode of said first subset having a first end adjacent said first side and a second end opposite said first end in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset having a first end facing said second end of a corresponding electrode of said first subset and a second end opposite said first end of said second subset in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset being coaxial with the corresponding electrode of said first subset in said first wiring direction such that each second end of said electrodes of said first subset is electrically separate from and out of contact with each first end of said electrodes of said second subset, wherein a gap is provided in said first wiring direction between each second end of said first subset and each first end of said second subset;

and

the electrodes of one of said electrode groups are provided with an external connection section for driving said surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes individually from the surface light emitting elements connected to the electrodes of the remaining electrode group.

5. The image recording device of claim 4, wherein

said driving circuit serves to supply a signal to cause the surface light emitting elements connected to different ones of said electrode groups to emit light simultaneously.

6. The image recording device of claim 4, wherein

said driving circuit serves to supply a signal to cause the surface light emitting elements connected the same one of said electrode groups to emit light simultaneously.

7. A method of driving a two dimensional surface light emitting element array, comprising the steps of:

separating electrically first or second wiring groups of plural electrodes of a two-dimensional surface light emitting element array into at least first and second subsets of plural electrodes, wherein said first wiring group of plural electrodes is arranged in a first wiring direction from a first side toward a side opposite said first side and in parallel to each other and said second wiring group of plural electrodes is arranged in a second wiring direction from a second side toward a side opposite said second side and in parallel to each other, said second side being transverse to said first side and said second wiring group of plural electrodes crossing said first wiring group, wherein said first wiring group includes said first subset of plural electrodes and said second subset of plural electrodes, each electrode of said first subset having a first end adjacent said first side and a second end opposite said first end in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset having a first end facing said second end of a corresponding electrode of said first subset and a second end opposite said first end of said second subset in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset being coaxial with the corresponding electrode of said first subset in said first wiring direction such that each second end of said electrodes of said first subset is electrically separate from and out of contact with each first end of said electrodes of said second subset, wherein a gap is provided in said first wiring direction between each second end of said first subset and each first end of said second subset;

supplying data of plural divided light emission patterns resulting from division of a light emission pattern to said first and second subsets of plural electrodes of said first or second wiring groups; and

when said data are supplied to said first and second subsets of plural electrodes of said first or second wiring groups, supplying a wiring signal to each one wiring selected respectively from plural first or second wiring groups corresponding to said first and second subsets of plural electrodes of said first or second wiring group.

8. A device for driving a two-dimensional surface light emitting element array comprising:

a two-dimensional surface light emitting element array with separated electrically row or column wiring groups separated into at least two wiring groups, wherein a first wiring group of plural electrodes is arranged in a first wiring direction from a first side toward a side opposite said first side and in parallel to each other and a second wiring group of plural electrodes is arranged in a second wiring direction from a second side toward a side opposite said second side and in parallel to each other, said second side being transverse to said first side and said second wiring group crossing said first wiring group, wherein said first wiring group includes a first subset of plural electrodes and a second subset of plural electrodes, each electrode of said first subset having a first end adjacent said first side and a second end opposite said first end in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset having a first end facing said second end of a corresponding electrode of said first subset and a second end opposite said first end of said second subset in said first wiring direction, each electrode of said second subset of said wiring group being coaxial with the corresponding electrode of said first subset in said first wiring direction such that each second end of said electrodes of said first subset is electrically separate from and out of contact with each first end of said electrodes of said second subset, wherein a gap is provided in said first wiring direction between each second end of said first subset and each first end of said second subset;

plural driver circuits corresponding to said plural separated electrically row or column wiring groups for driving said plural separated electrically rows or column wiring groups in accordance with a surface light emitting pattern; and

plural selector circuits for sequentially selecting each one wiring from plural row or column wiring groups corresponding to said plural separated electrically row or column wiring groups.