Color changeable pixel

• US 6,982,820 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prime View International Company Limited (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tsai, Hsiung-Kuang
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Jordan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STULTZ, JESSICA T
• Application Number:
  US10/670,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 359/238, 359/240, 359242- 4, 359/247, 359/250, 359/252, 359/263, 359/265, 359/267, 359/278, 359/287, 359290- 1, 359/318, 359315- 6
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/002 the movement or the deformation controlling the frequency of light, e.g. by Doppler effect

Abstract

A color changeable pixel comprises a first plate, a second plate and a third plate. The three plates are settled in parallel. The second plate is a deformable and reflective plate. An incident light from one side of the first plate is modulated and only specific frequency light reflects by the second plate. The frequency of the reflected light is related to the distance between the first plate and the second plate. The second plate shifts by the voltage added on the third plate to change the distance between the first plate and the second plate. Therefore, the frequency of the reflected light is altered.

Claims

1. A color changeable pixel, comprising:

a first plate;

an operating plate, wherein the operating plate is settled in parallel with the first plate;

a second plate, the second plate settled between the first plate and the operating plate;

at least one first post located between the operating plate and the second plate, wherein the second plate is directly connected to the first post; and

at least one second post located between the first plate and the second plate, wherein a cavity is formed between the first plate and the second plate, and an incident light from one side of the first plate is modulated and a reflected light of only specific frequency is reflected by the second plate, and the second plate directly contacts and shifts along the first post towards the operating plate and directly contacts and shifts along the second post towards the first plate by a voltage added on the operating plate so as to change the distance of the cavity, thereby changing the frequency of the reflected light.

2. The color changeable pixel of claim 1, wherein the first plate at least comprises:

a substrate;

an absorption layer; and

a dielectric layer.

3. The color changeable pixel of claim 2, wherein the substrate is a transparent conductive substrate.

4. The color changeable pixel of claim 2, wherein a material for forming the dielectric layer is silicon oxide, silicon nitride or metal oxide.

5. The color changeable pixel of claim 2, wherein the absorption layer is made from metal.

6. The color changeable pixel of claim 2, wherein the substrate is made from ITO or IZO.

7. The color changeable pixel of claim 2, wherein the first plate and the second plate are selected from the group consisting of narrowband mirror, broadband mirror, non-metal mirror, metal mirror and the combination thereof.

8. The color changeable pixel of claim 1, wherein the second plate is a deformable plate.

9. The color changeable pixel of claim 1, wherein the second plate is a moveable plate.

10. The color changeable pixel of claim 1, wherein the second plate at least comprises a dense material or a semi-transparent material.

11. The color changeable pixel of claim 10, wherein the semi-transparent material is selected from the group consisting of ITO, IZO, thin metal and the combination thereof.