Reflective display pixels arranged in non-rectangular arrays

• US 7,719,500 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Jennifer T
• Application Number:
  US11/134,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 345/55, 345/84, 345/85, 345/107, 345/108, 345/204, 359290-297, 359/223, 359/224, 359/245, 359/237, 359/315, 359/316, 359/567
• US Class Current: 345/84
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display driving waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A display is formed with a plurality of reflective display pixels arranged in a curvilinear configuration, and a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is electrically coupled to two or more reflective display pixels. In some embodiments, the array is at least partially curvilinear. The reflective display pixels include interferometric modulators.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a first plurality of interferometric modulators;

a second plurality of interferometric modulators, the first and second plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration, the second plurality of interferometric modulators being different from the first plurality of interferometric modulators in at least one of size and shape; and

a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the area ratio of an optically active area to an optically inactive area is substantially uniform throughout the display.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of regions is about the same size.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of regions contains at least four interferometric modulators.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of regions is larger than a designated surface area, and wherein the designated surface area is between about 0.0025 mm² and about 10 mm².

8. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of regions is larger than a designated surface area, and wherein the designated surface area is between about 0.01 mm² and about 1 mm².

9. The display of claim 1, wherein the interferometric modulators are arranged along arc segments generally parallel to one another.

10. The display of claim 9, wherein the arc segments are concentric circular segments.

11. The display of claim 9, wherein at least some of the interferometric modulators are further arranged along straight lines generally perpendicular to the arc segments.

12. The display of claim 11, wherein the straight lines are generally non-parallel to one another.

13. The display of claim 1, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has a generally rectangular shape.

14. The display of claim 1, wherein at least some of the interferometric modulators are arranged along straight lines.

15. The display of claim 1, wherein the display has an edge and the first and second pluralities of interferometric modulators are arranged to form a boundary corresponding to the edge.

16. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

17. The display of claim 16, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

18. The display of claim 17, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

19. The display of claim 16, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

20. The display of claim 19, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

21. The display of claim 16, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

22. A display comprising:

a plurality of means for interferometrically modulating light, wherein the means for interferometrically modulating light are arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration and at least one means for interferometrically modulating light is different from at least one other means for interferometrically modulating light in at least one of size and shape; and

a viewing surface comprising a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the area ratio of an optically active portion to an optically inactive portion is substantially uniform throughout all regions.

23. The display of claim 22, wherein the plurality of means for interferometrically modulating light comprises a plurality of interferometric modulators.

24. The display of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of regions is about the same size.

25. The display of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of regions contains at least four interferometric modulators.

26. The display of claim 22, wherein at least one means for interferometrically modulating light has one or more substantially straight edges.

27. The display of claim 22, wherein each means for interferometrically modulating light has substantially the same area.

28. The display of claim 22, wherein each means for interferometrically modulating light has substantially the same shape.

29. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:

providing a display comprising a first plurality of interferometric modulators and a second plurality of interferometric modulators arranged in an at least partially curvilinear configuration, the second plurality of interferometric modulators being different from the first plurality of interferometric modulators in at least one of size and shape, the display further comprising a viewing surface comprising a plurality of regions, each region comprising an optically active area and an optically inactive area, each region having a ratio of the optically active area to the optically inactive area, wherein the area ratio of an optically active area to an optically inactive area is substantially uniform throughout the display; and

selectively activating selected interferometric modulators of the plurality of interferometric modulators.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of regions is about the same size.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of regions contains at least four interferometric modulators.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one interferometric modulator has one or more substantially straight edges.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same area.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein each interferometric modulator has substantially the same shape.