Generalized reset conflict resolution of load/reset sequences for spatial light modulators

• US 7,403,187 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hewlett, Gregory J., Bellis, Harold E. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheng; Tom V
• Application Number:
  US10/753,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 345/85, 345/87, 345/89, 345/94, 345/98, 345/103, 345/108, 345/204, 345/690, 345/691
• US Class Current: 345/108
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0251 Precharge or discharge of pixel before applying new pixel voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods for providing a load/reset sequence for a visual display system (100) having a phased reset spatial light modulator (SLM) (14). The SLM (14) has pixels (21) that are addressable with data by means of loads (ld) and resets (r), where the data is formatted in bit-planes (0-14)and each bit-plane is loaded as one or more segments (S₀-S₅) in a predetermined sequence during a frame-time. In one embodiment, the method comprises storing a display order of the segments (S₀-S₅) and determining whether resetting any of the segments (S₀-S₅) conflicts with the resetting of another of the segments (S₀-S₅), thereby identifying a conflicting segment. The method further includes skewing the display time of the conflicting segment to avoid the reset conflict, and identifying in the sequence a segment before and a segment after the conflicting segment each affected by the skewing of the conflicting segment, where the segments before and after the conflicting segment are each of respective bit-planes comprising multiple segments in the sequence. In this embodiment, the method further comprises counter-skewing the display times of segments respectively corresponding to the segments before and after the conflicting segment. Then, the method includes setting start times for each load (ld) and reset (r) of each of the segments (S₀-S₅).

Claims

1. A method for providing a load/reset sequence for a display system having a phased reset spatial light modulator having pixels addressable with data by means of loads and resets and having a minimum load-time, the data being formatted in bit-planes, the bit-planes each loaded as one or more segments in a predetermined sequence during a frame-time, the method comprising:

storing a display order of the segments;

determining whether resetting any of the segments conflicts with the resetting of another of the segments, thereby identifying a conflicting segment;

skewing the display time of the conflicting segment to avoid the reset conflict;

identifying in the sequence a segment before and a segment after the conflicting segment each affected by the skewing of the conflicting segment, wherein the segments before and after the conflicting segment are each of respective bit-planes comprising multiple segments in the sequence;

counter-skewing the display times of segments respectively corresponding to the segments before and after the conflicting segment; and

setting start times for each load and reset of each of the segments.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the segments before and after the conflicting segment are adjacent the conflicting segment.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the respectively corresponding segments are non-adjacent each other in the sequence.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising counter-skewing the display times of segments in the sequence between the respectively corresponding segments.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the respectively corresponding segments are each before or each after the conflicting segment in the sequence.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the respectively corresponding segments are arranged in the sequence in reverse order to the segments before and after the conflicting segment.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising skewing and counter-skewing by adjusting a hold-time of the conflicting segment.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the conflicting segment is shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein all of the segments are shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sequence comprises a subsequence in a larger sequence of segments.

11. A method for providing a load/reset sequence for a display system having a phased reset spatial light modulator having pixels addressable with data by means of loads and resets and having a minimum load-time, the data being formatted in bit-planes, the bit-planes each loaded as one or more segments in a predetermined sequence during a frame-time, the method comprising:

storing a display order of the segments;

determining whether resetting any of the segments conflicts with the resetting of another of the segments, thereby identifying a conflicting segment;

skewing the display rime of all of the segments in the sequence to avoid the reset conflict without counter-skewing; and

setting start times for each load and reset of each of the segments.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the sequence comprises a subsequence in a larger sequence of segments.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the conflicting segment is shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein all of the segments are shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising skewing by adjusting a hold-time of the segments.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the sequence comprises a beginning segment equal to an ending segment.

17. A method for providing a load/reset sequence for a display system having a phased reset spatial light modulator having pixels addressable with data by means of loads and resets and having a minimum load-time, the data being formatted in bit-planes, the bit-planes each loaded as one or more segments in a predetermined sequence during a frame-time, the method comprising:

storing a display order of the segments;

determining whether resetting any of the segments conflicts with the resetting of another of the segments, thereby identifying a conflicting segment;

skewing a subsequence of bit planes including the display time of the conflicting segment to avoid the reset conflict;

identifying in the sequence a segment before and a segment after the conflicting segment each affected by the skewing of the conflicting segment, wherein the segments before and after the conflicting segment are each of respective bit-planes comprising multiple segments in the sequence;

counter-skewing a subsequence of three or more segments bounded by respective bits; and

setting start times for each load and reset of each of the segments in the subsequence.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the respectively corresponding segments are non-adjacent each other in the sequence.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein all of the segments are shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the conflicting segment is shorter than the load-time of the spatial light modulator.