System and method for resolving reset conflicts in a phased-reset spatial light modulator system

• US 7,515,324 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hui, Sue
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US11/550,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 359/223, 359/237, 359/238, 359/245, 359/249, 359/290, 359/291, 359/298, 359/634, 345/84, 345/85, 345/89, 345/100, 345/108, 345/151, 345/204, 345690-692, 345/698, 348204-206, 348/528, 348/731, 348/743, 348/770, 348/771, 327/143, 375/142
• US Class Current: 359/237
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• 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

A system for, and method of resolving reset conflicts in a phased-reset SLM system and a projection visual display system incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes a reset conflict arbiter configured to receive reset instructions containing conflicts from a sequence generator and resolve the conflicts by shifting an execution time of a selected one of the reset instructions according to a conflict resolution method.

Claims

1. A system for resolving reset conflicts in a phased-reset SLM system, comprising:

a reset conflict arbiter configured to receive reset instructions containing conflicts from a sequence generator and resolve said conflicts by shifting an execution time of a selected one of said reset instructions according to a conflict resolution method.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least a reset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said reset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least a reset pulse length time plus an offset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said reset pulse length time plus said offset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least an offset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said offset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes delaying said second reset instruction by at least a fraction of a minimum edge separation time.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said conflict resolution method includes delaying said second reset instruction by an entirety of said minimum edge separation time.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to said first and second reset instructions.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time or at most a reset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to said first and second reset instructions.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said conflicts involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to shifted said execution time of said first and second reset instructions.

11. A method of resolving reset conflicts in a phased-reset SLM system, comprising:

generating reset instructions having at least one conflict;

identifying said at least one conflict; and

shifting an execution time of a selected one of said reset instructions according to a conflict resolution method to achieve a resolution of said at least one conflict.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least a reset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said reset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least a reset pulse length time plus an offset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said reset pulse length time plus said offset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least an offset pulse length time plus said minimum edge separation time or at most said offset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first and second reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes delaying an execution time of said second reset instruction by at least a fraction of a minimum edge separation time.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said conflict resolution method includes delaying an execution time of said second reset instruction by an entirety of said minimum edge separation time.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to said first and second reset instructions.

19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time or at most a reset pulse length time minus said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to said first and second reset instructions.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said at least one conflict involves first, second and third reset instructions and said conflict resolution method includes shifting said execution time of a selected one of said first and second reset instructions by a fraction of a minimum edge separation time until execution times of said first and second reset instructions are separated by at least said minimum edge separation time and delaying an execution time of said third reset instruction by less than said minimum edge separation time with respect to shifted ones of said first and second reset instructions.

21. A projection visual display system, comprising:

a spatial light modulator including a digital mirror device (DMD) configured to generate real-time images from an input signal;

a sequence generator coupled to said DMD;

a DMD reset waveform controller coupled to said DMD; and

a reset conflict arbiter coupled between said sequence generator and said DMD reset waveform controller and configured to receive reset instructions containing conflicts from said sequence generator, resolve said conflicts by shifting an execution time of a selected one of said reset instructions according to a conflict resolution method and transmit said reset instructions, free of said conflicts, to said DMD reset waveform controller.