Display apparatus with digital micromirror device
First Claim
1. A display apparatus, comprising:
- a digital micromirror device having an array of movable micromirrors, and exposing means for exposing the array of micromirrors to light of a first primary color, to light of a second primary color, and to light a third primary color, the light of the first primary color and the light of the third primary color impinging on the array from a first direction and the light of the second primary color impinging on the array from a second direction, the exposing means comprising a partially-transmissive, partially reflective optical element which transmits the light of the first primary color before it impinges on the array and which reflects the light of the third primary color before it impinges on the array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display apparatus includes a digital micromirror device and red, green and blue lamps which illuminate it. The light from the lamps impinges on the DMD from at least two different directions. The lamps may be flash tubes which are fired at different binary levels in accordance with the rank of the bits that are being displayed on the DMD. The lamps may be fluorescent lamps which are driven steadily at predetermined levels while the rows of micromirrors are turned on in sequence and subsequently turned off in sequence. Resetting to dislodge micromirrors that have become stuck can be accomplished by emitting current pulses through the micromirrors while exposing them to a magnetic field, or by coating the actuation electrodes of the DMD with piezoelectric material which moves mechanically when pulses are applied to the micromirrors.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A display apparatus, comprising:
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a digital micromirror device having an array of movable micromirrors, and exposing means for exposing the array of micromirrors to light of a first primary color, to light of a second primary color, and to light a third primary color, the light of the first primary color and the light of the third primary color impinging on the array from a first direction and the light of the second primary color impinging on the array from a second direction, the exposing means comprising a partially-transmissive, partially reflective optical element which transmits the light of the first primary color before it impinges on the array and which reflects the light of the third primary color before it impinges on the array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A display apparatus, comprising:
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a digital micromirror device having an array of movable micromirrors; and
resetting means for dislodging any micromirrors that become stuck, the resetting means including means for exposing the array of micromirrors to a magnetic field and means for causing current to flow through the micromirrors.
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12. A display apparatus, comprising:
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a digital micromirror device having an array of movable micromirrors, and resetting means for dislodging any micromirrors that become stuck, the resetting means including piezoelectric material beneath the micromirrors.
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13. A method of displaying a sequence of frames of video information on a digital micromirror device having an array of micromirrors that are disposed in rows and that are movable between a first position and a second position, the video information for a frame including a plurality of first multi-bit video words, each micromirror corresponding to one of the first multi-bit video words, each of the first multi-bit video words including at least a most significant bit and a least significant bit, comprising:
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(a) moving micromirrors which correspond to first video words whose least significant bit has a predetermined value from their first positions to their second positions, the micromirrors of a first one of the rows being moved before the micromirrors of a last one of the rows;
(b) returning the micromirrors that were moved during step (a) to their first positions, the micromirrors of the first row being returned before the micromirrors of the last row; and
(c) steadily exposing the micromirrors to light at a first level while step (a) is conducted and while step (b) is conducted. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
(d) moving micromirrors which correspond to first video words whose most significant bit has the predetermined value from their first positions to their second positions, the micromirrors of the first row being moved before the micromirrors of the last row;
(e) returning the micromirrors that were moved during step (d) to their first positions, the micromirrors of the first row being returned before the micromirrors of the last row; and
(f) steadily exposing the micromirrors to light at a second level while step (d) is conducted and while step (e) is conducted.
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15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first video words correspond to a first primary color, wherein the video information for a frame additionally includes a plurality of second multi-bit video words which correspond to a second primary color, each second video word including at least a most significant bit and a least significant bit, wherein step (c) is conducted by shining light of the first primary color on the micromirrors so that the light impinges on them from a first direction, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
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(d) moving micromirrors which correspond to second video words whose least significant bit has the predetermined value from their second positions to their first positions, the micromirrors of the first row being moved before the micromirrors of the last row;
(e) returning the micromirrors that were moved during step (d) to their second positions, the micromirrors of the first row being returned before the micromirrors of the last row; and
(f) steadily exposing the micromirrors to light of the second primary color at the first level while step (d) is conducted and while step (e) is conducted, the light of the second primary color impinging on the micromirrors from a second direction.
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16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of dislodging any micromirrors that become stuck by exposing the micromirrors to a magnetic field and running current through them.
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17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of dislodging any micromirrors that become stuck by jolting them with piezoelectric material that is disposed beneath the micromirrors.
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18. A display apparatus, comprising:
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a digital micromirror having an array of pivotable micromirrors which have pivot axes, the pivot axes of some of the micromirrors being transverse to the pivot axes of others of the micromirrors; and
exposing means for exposing the array of micromirrors to light of a first primary color which impinges on the array from a first direction, to light of a second primary color which impinges on the array from a second direction, and to light of a third primary color which impinges on the array from a third direction. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A display apparatus for displaying a sequence of frames of video information, the video information for a frame including a plurality of first video words for a first primary color component of the frame and a plurality of second video words for a second primary color component of the frame, each of the first video words having a predetermined number of bits and each of the second video words having a predetermined number of bits, said display apparatus comprising:
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a digital micromirror device having an array of micromirrors that are movable between two positions, each of the first video words corresponding to one of the micromirrors and each of the second video words corresponding to one of the micromirrors;
moving means, responsive to the first and second video words, for selectively moving the micromirrors during a predetermined number of first time periods to display the bits of the first video words and for selectively moving the micromirrors during a predetermined number of second time periods to display bits of the second video words, the number of first time periods being the same as the number of bits in the first video words and the number of second time periods being the same as the number of bits in the second video words, the first time periods having durations that are substantially equal to one another and the second time periods having durations that are substantially equal to one another; and
exposing means for exposing the array of micromirrors to light of the first primary color which impinges on the array from a first direction and to light of the second primary color which impinges on the array from a second primary color which impinges on the array from a second direction, the exposing means comprising generating means for generating first brief flashes of light of the first primary color during the first time periods and second brief flashes of light of the second primary color during the second time periods, the first brief flashes having different levels during different ones of the first time periods and the second brief flashes having different levels during different ones of the second time periods. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A display apparatus for displaying a sequence of frames of video information, the video information for a frame including a plurality of first video words for a first primary color component of the frame and a plurality of second video words for a second primary color component of the frame, each of the first video words having a predetermined number of bits and each of the second video words having a predetermined number of bits, said display apparatus comprising:
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a digital micromirror device having an array of micromirrors that are movable between two positions, each of the first video words corresponding to one of the micromirrors and each of the second video words corresponding to one of the micromirrors;
moving means, responsive to the first and second video words, for selectively moving the micromirrors during a predetermined number of first time periods to display the bits of the first video words and for selectively moving the micromirrors during a predetermined number of second time periods to display bits of the second video words, the number of first time periods being the same as the number of bits in the first video words and the number of second time periods being the same as the number of bits in the second video words, at least two of the first time periods having substantially the same duration and at least two of the second time periods having substantially the same duration; and
exposing means for exposing the array of micromirrors to light of the first primary color which impinges on the array from a first direction and to light of the second primary color which impinges on the array from a second direction, the exposing means comprising means for steadily generating light having different levels during different ones of the at least two first time periods having substantially the same duration and for steadily generating light having different levels during different ones of the at least two second time periods having substantially the same duration. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification