Point source scanning apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A scanning display apparatus, comprising:
- an image signal source operative to produce an image signal;
a scanning signal source generating a scanning signal;
a light emitter coupled to the image signal source and responsive to the image signal to emit light;
a support carrying the light emitter at a first portion of the support; and
a drive circuit coupled to the support and responsive to the scanning signal to move at least the first portion of the support through a predetermined angular range, wherein the light emitter is moved through said predetermined angular range to scan the emitted light along a desired scan path.
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Abstract
A scanning display device directly scans a light source along at least one scanning path, rather than scanning a light beam emitted from such source along such scanning path. By scanning the light source a smaller, lighter weight scanner without a mirror can be used to achieve light source scanning along the desired scan path. A resonant cantilever translates one or more point sources (e.g., one for a monochromatic display; red, green and blue for an RGB display). The cantilever motion is driven by an electromagnetic drive circuit or by a piezoelectric drive actuator. The light source is one or more light emitting diode point sources, one or more a fiber optic point sources, or one or more light emitting polymer light sources.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A scanning display apparatus, comprising:
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an image signal source operative to produce an image signal; a scanning signal source generating a scanning signal; a light emitter coupled to the image signal source and responsive to the image signal to emit light; a support carrying the light emitter at a first portion of the support; and a drive circuit coupled to the support and responsive to the scanning signal to move at least the first portion of the support through a predetermined angular range, wherein the light emitter is moved through said predetermined angular range to scan the emitted light along a desired scan path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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23. A scanning display apparatus, comprising:
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an image signal source operative to produce an image signal; a scanning signal source generating a scanning signal; a light emitter coupled to the image signal source and responsive to the image signal to emit light; a support carrying the light emitter at a first portion of the support and moving in response to the scanning signal to move at least the first portion of the support through a predetermined angular range, wherein the light emitter is moved through said predetermined angular range to scan the emitted light along a desired scan path.
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29. A retinal scanning display apparatus, comprising:
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an image signal source operative to produce an image signal; a scanning signal source generating a first periodic scanning signal and a second periodic scanning signal; a light emitter coupled to the image signal source and responsive to the image signal to emit light; a support carrying the light emitter at a first portion of the support; a drive circuit coupled to the support and responsive to the first scanning signal to move at least the first portion of the support through a predetermined angular range, wherein the light emitter is moved through said predetermined angular range to scan the emitted light along a desired scan path for a first scanning axis; a scanner for scanning the emitted light along a second scan path for a second scanning axis; and an eyepiece receiving the emitted light being scanned for the first scanning axis and the second scanning axis, wherein the emitted light is focused to define an exit pupil at a location adjacent the eyepiece where a viewer'"'"'s eye may be positioned to perceive an image.
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- 38. The apparatus of claim 38, in which the light emitter comprises a plurality of light emitting devices emitting respective beams of colored light, wherein the plurality of light emitting devices are aligned in a common plane, wherein the movement of the plurality of light emitters caused by the drive circuit occurs with the common plane, and wherein the image signal is operative with a timing to modulate each one of the light emitters to define an image pixel of a desired color at a given pixel location as each one of the light emitters is in position to address said image pixel.
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43. A method of scanning an optical beam responsive to a scanning signal, comprising the steps of:
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modulating a light emitter with an image signal to generate a modulated light beam of image pixel components; receiving a scanning signal at a drive circuit operative to drive motion of a support, the support carrying the light emitter; moving the support through a predetermined angular range as controlled by the drive circuit, wherein the light emitter is moved through said predetermined angular range with the support to scan the emitted light along a desired scan path.
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Specification