Methods of driving an array of optical elements
First Claim
1. A method of controlling an array of optical elements in a succession of cycles to alter their states according to respective ones of a series of input data sets, each cycle comprising a first step wherein selected elements only of an optically blank or uniform array are written as determined by a respective data set, and a second step wherein the selected elements are selectively erased to restore a blank array prior to another cycle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Relates to writing an array of optical elements which are each switched between two states according to input data sets. In a first method, data is written in two steps in which different selected elements are respectively driven to one binary state and the other binary state. The selected elements of the two sets may be complementary, but are preferably only those which are required to change from their existing state. The latter criterion may be used in an alternative method using a single addressing of the array to turn elements in either direction as required. In a further method, as shown, selected elements only of a blank array are written in a first WRITE step so as to correspond with a set of data, and in a subsequent second ERASE step the selected elements are selectively erased to restore a blank array prior to writing and erasing another set of data. The methods have particular utility for maintaining a dc balance at pixels of a liquid crystal array.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A method of controlling an array of optical elements in a succession of cycles to alter their states according to respective ones of a series of input data sets, each cycle comprising a first step wherein selected elements only of an optically blank or uniform array are written as determined by a respective data set, and a second step wherein the selected elements are selectively erased to restore a blank array prior to another cycle.
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13. An electro-optic arrangement comprising:
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an array of electro-optic elements; and
control means responsive to a series of input data sets, the control means being arranged to respond to each data set so that starting with an optically blank or uniform array of elements in a first step, the selected elements are written as determined by the data set, and in a second step, the selected elements are selectively erased to revert to a blank array prior to writing elements as determined by a successive data set. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification