Bit serial control of light modulating elements

• US 8,035,627 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syndiant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Syndiant Incorporated
• Inventors: Guttag, Alvin, Guttag, Karl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Prabodh
• Application Number:
  US11/382,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 345/57, 345 84- 90, 345/100, 345/173, 345/581, 345/582, 345/587, 345/619, 345/691, 345501-505, 345/204, 359/292, 219/121.6, 365/158, 365/189.02, 365/210, 365/275, 365/205, 382/275, 436/518, 369/47.19, 369/53.31, 369/275.4, 708/191, 348/771, 348/750, 349/78
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0221 with use of split matrices G09G3/3644 and G09G3/3666 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0275 Details of drivers for data electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays, not related to handling digital grey scale data or to communication of data to the pixels by means of a current
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2014 by modulation of the duration of a single pulse during which the logic level remains constant
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

The present invention provides a various methods, systems and devices for controlling light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators. In some embodiments of the present invention, a recursive feedback method is used to control light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an array of light modulating elements; and

one or more processors for controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing to control pulse widths that drive said light modulating elements, wherein said light modulating elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array, wherein said device includes two arrays of processing elements and wherein said two arrays of processing elements are located on opposite sides of said array of light modulating elements.

2. A device comprising:

an array of light modulating elements; and

one or more processors for controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing to control pulse widths that drive said light modulating elements, wherein said device further comprises;

at least one array of processing elements for computing said pulse widths that drive said light modulating elements.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said array of light modulating elements comprises a first group of light modulating elements and a second group of light modulating elements, and wherein said at least one array of processing elements comprises a first array of processing elements and a second array of processing elements for controlling, respectively, said first group of light modulating elements and said second group of light modulating elements independently of each other.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said array of light modulating elements comprises two partial arrays, and wherein said first group of light modulating elements and said second group of light modulating elements each include light modulating elements in each of said two partial arrays.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a set of one or more first arrays of storage bits and a set of one or more second arrays of storage bits, wherein said first array of processing elements reads and processes data from said set of one or more first arrays of storage bits and wherein said second processing element reads and processes data from said set of one or more second arrays of storage bits.

6. A device comprising:

an array of light modulating elements; and

one or more processors for controlling each of said light modulating elements using bit serial processing to control pulse widths that drive said light modulating elements, further comprising a visual display apparatus including said light modulating elements.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said visual display apparatus is an LCoS device and wherein said visual display apparatus includes pH indicating means indicating when a liquid crystal and/or the environment surrounding said liquid crystal of said visual display apparatus is damaged.

8. A device comprising:

a substrate;

an array of electrodes for controlling light modulating elements, said electrodes being located on said substrate;

an array of bit serial processing elements for controlling said array of electrodes to thereby control said light modulating elements, said bit serial processing elements being located on said substrate; and

a visual display apparatus including said light modulating elements, wherein said visual display apparatus is an LCoS device and wherein said visual display apparatus includes pH indicating means indicating when a liquid crystal and/or the environment surrounding said liquid crystal of said visual display apparatus is damaged.