Enhancements to optical flat panel displays

• US 7,042,618 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rambus Delaware
• Original Assignee: Uni-Pixel Displays Incorporated (Uni-Pixel Incorporated)
• Inventors: Selbrede, Martin G., Essman, Lynn, Derichs, Kevin, Van Ostrand, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanig, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/506,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20050063037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/142 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/148 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2018 by time modulation using two or more time intervals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2025 the sub-frames having all the same time duration
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2081 with combination of amplitude modulation and time modulation space and time error diffusion G09G3/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20

Abstract

A circuit for implementing a registration-free, contiguous conductive plane. A circuit may include a plurality of conductive structures in a first plane. The circuit may further include a contiguous conductive equipotential surface in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The circuit may further include activation means configured to adjust an electric field between the first and second planes thereby activating one or more structures in the first plane by increasing a potential difference between the first and second planes to a threshold level deemed to constitute an active state. The circuit may further include deactivation means configured to adjust the electric field between the first and second planes thereby deactivating one or more structures in the first plane by decreasing the potential difference between the first and second planes below a threshold level deemed to constitute a deactivation state.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

a plurality of conductive structures arranged in a first plane;

a contiguous conductive equipotential surface in a second plane parallel to said first plane;

activation means configured to adjust an electric field between said first and second planes thereby activating one or more structures in said first plane by increasing a potential difference between said first and said second planes to a threshold level deemed to constitute an active state; and

deactivation means configured to adjust said electric field between said first and second planes thereby deactivating one or more structures in said first plane by decreasing said potential difference between said first and said second planes below a threshold level deemed to constitute a deactivated state;

wherein said activation of said one or more structures in said first plane results in a deformation of said second plane; and

wherein said deformation of said second plane induces frustrating the total internal reflection (TIR) of light in a substrate of said first plane.

2. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said activation of said one or more structures in said first plane results in ponderomotive action.

3. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said deactivation of said one or more structures in said first plane results in a reversal of said deformation of said second plane.

4. The circuit as recited in claim 3, wherein said reversal of said deformation of said second plane is due to elastomeric properties of said second plane.

5. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said deformation of said second plane induces frustrating the TIR of light in said first plane through evanescent coupling caused by propelling a high refractive index material in intimate contact with said second plane into an evanescent field of said substrate.

6. The circuit as recited in claim 5, wherein said evanescent field extends upwards of 1 micrometer above a surface of said substrate.

7. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein a reversal of said deformation of said second plane induces termination of said frustration of said TIR light.

8. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said activated one or more structures in said first plane function in a first state in a binary switch, wherein said deactivated one or more structures in said first plane function in a second state in said binary switch.

11. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second planes are disposed on non-Euclidean surfaces.

12. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said first plane is subdivided into non-contiguous subsurfaces.

9. The circuit as recited 1 further comprising:

an interstitial dielectric between said first and second plane, wherein said activation of said one or more structures in said first plane results in changes in said interstitial dielectric, wherein said deactivation of said one or more structures in said first plane results in a reversal of said charges in said interstitial dielectric.

10. The circuit as recited in claim 9, wherein said changes in said interstitial dielectric comprises at least one or more of the following:

optical, electro-optical, refractive index, optomechanical, and optically non-linear effects.