Tiled, flat-panel microdisplay array having visually imperceptible seams
First Claim
1. A tiled, substantially flat, panel display comprising a plurality of microdisplays, each of said microdisplays being capable of displaying no less than a 640×
- 480 array of pixels at a pixel pitch no greater that approximately 30 μ
m and occupying a space no greater than about 45×
55 mm, said display having the characteristic of visually imperceptible seams between microdisplays disposed in an interior portion thereof, such that said panel display can be viewed as though it were a single, monolithic display, comprising;
a) a plurality of adjacently disposed microdisplays, said microdisplays comprising a non-transparent stack having an embedded integrated circuit, and having spaced-apart, reflective pixel-active areas upon which are formed at least a segment of an image, said segment of an image being combinable into a complete image at a view plane, said pixel-active areas being disposed at a predetermined pitch, each of said microdisplays having a predetermined thickness, disposed on a substrate adjacent and substantially parallel to said reflective pixel-active areas, said microdisplays and said substrate comprising a microdisplay assembly;
b) means defining seams disposed between adjacent microdisplays;
c) means for illuminating said image formation plane;
d) light absorbing means proximate said seams so that light directed to said seams is substantially absorbed, thereby rendering said seams substantially visually imperceptible to a viewer; and
e) means for enlarging and projecting said image segments into said view plane, with substantially no visually perceptible discontinuities between said enlarged image segments.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention describes tiling structures, methods, and circuits for making large flat-panel displays from an array of microdisplays. The inventive displays overcome the intrinsic size limits of monolithic microdisplays and allow the construction of large area, low cost, high brightness, high contrast magnified view or rear projection flat panel displays having visually imperceptible seams and are optically uniform. A structure wherein multiple microdisplay tiles are mounted on a thermally matched common substrate having inherent temperature control features is described. Additional integrated circuits such as CMOS circuits may be embedded either in the back plane of the microdisplay tiles themselves and/or in the common substrate if the common substrate is made from a suitable semiconductor material. These circuits can provide functions such pixel addressing, image control, or even complete microprocessor functions within the flat-panel display assembly itself.
116 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A tiled, substantially flat, panel display comprising a plurality of microdisplays, each of said microdisplays being capable of displaying no less than a 640×
- 480 array of pixels at a pixel pitch no greater that approximately 30 μ
m and occupying a space no greater than about 45×
55 mm, said display having the characteristic of visually imperceptible seams between microdisplays disposed in an interior portion thereof, such that said panel display can be viewed as though it were a single, monolithic display, comprising;a) a plurality of adjacently disposed microdisplays, said microdisplays comprising a non-transparent stack having an embedded integrated circuit, and having spaced-apart, reflective pixel-active areas upon which are formed at least a segment of an image, said segment of an image being combinable into a complete image at a view plane, said pixel-active areas being disposed at a predetermined pitch, each of said microdisplays having a predetermined thickness, disposed on a substrate adjacent and substantially parallel to said reflective pixel-active areas, said microdisplays and said substrate comprising a microdisplay assembly; b) means defining seams disposed between adjacent microdisplays; c) means for illuminating said image formation plane; d) light absorbing means proximate said seams so that light directed to said seams is substantially absorbed, thereby rendering said seams substantially visually imperceptible to a viewer; and e) means for enlarging and projecting said image segments into said view plane, with substantially no visually perceptible discontinuities between said enlarged image segments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- 480 array of pixels at a pixel pitch no greater that approximately 30 μ
-
32. A tiled, substantially flat, panel display comprising a plurality of microdisplay tiles, each of said microdisplays being capable of displaying no less than a 640×
- 480 array of pixels at a pixel pitch no greater that approximately 30 μ
m and occupying a space no greater than about 45×
55 mm, said display having the characteristic of a visually imperceptible seam, such that said panel display can be viewed as though it were a single, monolithic display, comprising;a) means defining an image viewing plane; b) a plurality of microdisplay tiles each having a reflective image formation plane upon which is formed at least a segment of an image, said segment of an image being combinable into a complete image at said image viewing plane, said microdisplay tiles being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said image formation plane; c) means for enlarging and protecting said image segments into said viewing plane, thereby forming said complete image having no visually perceptible discontinuities between said enlarged image segments; d) means defining a seam disposed between adjacently disposed microdisplay tiles; and e) masking means disposed proximate said seam for blocking light directed from said seam towards a viewer of said display, thereby making said seam substantially visually imperceptible to said viewer. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
- 480 array of pixels at a pixel pitch no greater that approximately 30 μ
Specification