System and method for display device with end-of-life phenomena

• US 7,916,103 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• 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: Palmateer, Lauren
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): SITTA, GRANT
• Application Number:
  US11/102,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 345 84- 86, 73/407, 116/200
• US Class Current: 345/85
• 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: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/06 Passive matrix structure, i.e. with direct application of both column and row voltages to the light emitting or modulating elements, other than LCD or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/04 Maintaining the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/04 Display protection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

Systems and methods of displaying an end-of-life image on an electronic display are disclosed. An end-of-life image is displayed on a MEMS display device in the presence of sufficient water vapor and without continued activation of the display. The image can he displayed in response to user input, in response to detection of a predefined level of water vapor within the display package, according to a prestored lifetime of the device, or according to the natural expiration of the lifetime of the display device and packaging.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image on a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display, comprising:

receiving water vapor in a MEMS display;

receiving user input to activate the display; and

displaying a predefined image on the display in response to activation, wherein the presence of water vapor allows the image being displayed without continued activation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined image comprises at least one of a user selected image and a prestored image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the predefined image comprises displaying at least one of text and one or more graphics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving water vapor comprises receiving water vapor through an opening in a packaging structure of the MEMS display, and wherein the opening is configured to expose the MEMS display to ambient conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MEMS display is encapsulated within a MEMS display package, and wherein the method further comprises detecting water vapor above a predefined level in the MEMS display package.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting water vapor above the predefined level comprises detecting water vapor above a plurality of predefined levels.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined image comprises at least one of text and one or more graphics.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined image comprises at least one of a user selected image and a prestored image.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the MEMS display is an interferometric modulator display.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing data representing a predetermined lifetime of the MEMS display in memory coupled to control circuitry configured to control operation of the display; and

determining when the predetermined lifetime of the MEMS display has expired.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising determining when the current life of the MEMS display is within a predefined range of the predetermined lifetime, and displaying a warning image in response to determining that the current life the MEMS display is within the predefined range.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising activating a plurality of MEMS elements of the MEMS display.

10. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display device, comprising:

a MEMS display encapsulated within a package; and

a water vapor sensor within the package and coupled to the MEMS display,

wherein the water vapor sensor is configured to sense water vapor in the package above a predefined level,

wherein the MEMS display is configured to be activated by a user and configured to display a predefined image, and

wherein the presence of water vapor in the package above the predefined level results in display of the predefined image without continued activation of the MEMS display.

11. The MEMS display device of claim 10, wherein the predefined image comprises at least one of text and one or more graphics.

12. The MEMS display device of claim 10, wherein the water vapor sensor is configured to sense water vapor in the package above a plurality of predefined levels and generate the display of a different predefined image in response to sensing the presence of water vapor in the package above each of the predefined levels.

13. The MEMS display device of claim 12, wherein at least a first predefined image displayed in response to sensing a first predefined level of water vapor indicates a remaining lifetime of the display device.

14. The MEMS display device of claim 10, wherein the predefined image comprises at least one of a user selected image and a prestored image.

15. The MEMS display device of claim 10, wherein the MEMS display device is configured to store information input by a user to a flash memory in response to sensing water vapor above a predefined level.

16. The MEMS display device of claim 10, wherein the MEMS display is an interferometric modulator display.

17. The MEMS display device of claim 10 further comprising:

a processor in electrical communication with said MEMS display, said processor configured to process image data; and

a memory device in electrical communication with said processor.

18. The MEMS device of claim 17 further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said MEMS display.

19. The MEMS device of claim 18 further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

20. The MEMS device of claim 17 further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

21. The MEMS device of claim 20, wherein said image source module comprises a receiver or a transmitter.

22. The MEMS device of claim 17 further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.