Visible plus non-visible field sequential color

• US 8,077,376 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rambus Delaware
• Original Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Inventors: Selbrede, Martin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, James
• Application Number:
  US12/121,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20080290278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/142 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/148 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2018 by time modulation using two or more time intervals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2025 the sub-frames having all the same time duration
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2081 with combination of amplitude modulation and time modulation space and time error diffusion G09G3/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20

Abstract

A circuit for implementing a registration-free, contiguous conductive plane. A circuit may include a plurality of conductive structures in a first plane. The circuit may further include a contiguous conductive equipotential surface in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The circuit may further include activation means configured to adjust an electric field between the first and second planes thereby activating one or more structures in the first plane by increasing a potential difference between the first and second planes to a threshold level deemed to constitute an active state. The circuit may further include deactivation means configured to adjust the electric field between the first and second planes thereby deactivating one or more structures in the first plane by decreasing the potential difference between the first and second planes below a threshold level deemed to constitute a deactivated state.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a light guidance substrate;

a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and

a plurality of sources for the light optically coupled to the light guidance substrate, light from the sources propagating through the light guidance substrate by total internal reflection, the sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light,

wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image; and

wherein the source of visible light operates in a selected manner interchangeably with the source of non-visible light to display the visible light image for a first period of time and to display the non-visible light image for a second period of time.

2. The display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.

3. The display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.

4. The display system as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.

5. The display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green and blue light.

11. The display system as recited in claim 2, additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.

12. The display system as recited in claim 11, wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternately activated.

6. In a display system, a method comprising:

propagating light from a plurality of light sources through a light guidance substrate by total internal reflection to illuminate a plurality of pixels, the plurality of light sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light;

operating the pixels to display a visible light image when the light from the visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; and

operating the pixels to display a non-visible light image when the light from the non-visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate;

wherein the source of visible light operates in a selected manner interchangeably with the source of non-visible light to display the visible light image for a first period of time and to display the non-visible light image for a second period of time.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, additionally comprising selectively frustrating total internal reflection using a moveable element.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green, and blue light.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, additionally comprising selectively frustrating the total internal reflection using a moveable element.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternately activated.

15. A display system comprising:

a light guidance substrate;

a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and

a plurality of sources for the light optically coupled to the light guidance substrate, light from the sources propagating through the light guidance substrate by total internal reflection, the sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light,

wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image; and

wherein the sources of visible light and non-visible light are alternately activated in a field sequential manner.

16. The display system as recited in claim 15, wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed via the display system through a single display screen.

19. The display system as recited in claim 16, wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed on the single display screen in an interleaving manner.

27. The display system as recited in claim 15, wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.

28. The display system as recited in claim 15, wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.

29. The display system as recited in claim 15, additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates the total internal reflection.

30. The display system as recited in claim 15, wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green and blue light.

31. The display system as recited in claim 27, additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.

32. The display system as recited in claim 31, wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternatively activated.

17. In a display system, a method comprising:

propagating light from a plurality of light sources through a light guidance substrate by total internal reflection to illuminate a plurality of pixels, the plurality of light sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light;

operating the pixels to display a visible light image when the light from the visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate;

operating the pixels to display a non-visible light image when the light from the non-visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; and

alternately activating the sources of the visible light and non-visible light in a field sequential manner.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising displaying the visible and non-visible images using a single display screen.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed on the single display screen in an interleaving manner.

21. A display system comprising:

a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and

a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light,

wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the visible light is emitted;

a second mode in which only the non-visible light is emitted; and

a third mode in which the visible light and the non-visible light are emitted in an interleaving manner.

22. A display system comprising:

a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and

a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light,

wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the source of visible light is turned on to cause the visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels;

a second mode in which only the source of non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; and

a third mode in which the source of visible light and the source of non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light and non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels in an interleaving manner.

23. A display system comprising:

a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and

a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light,

wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the source of visible light is turned on to cause the visible light image to be displayed;

a second mode in which only the source of non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light image to be displayed; and

a third mode in which the source of visible light and the source of non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light image and the non-visible light image to be displayed by the display system in an interleaving manner.

24. In a display system, a method comprising:

operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and

selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light;

displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and

displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the visible light is emitted;

a second mode in which only the non-visible light is emitted; and

a third mode in which the visible light and the non-visible light are emitted in an interleaving manner.

25. In a display system, a method comprising:

operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and

selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light;

displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and

displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the source of the visible light is turned on to cause the visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels;

a second mode in which only the source of the non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; and

a third mode in which the source of the visible light and the source of the non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light and non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels in an interleaving manner.

26. In a display system, a method comprising:

operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and

selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises;

a source of visible light; and

a source of non-visible light;

displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and

displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which only the source of the visible light is turned on to cause the visible light image to be displayed;

a second mode in which only the source of the non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light image to be displayed; and

a third mode in which the source of the visible light and the source of the non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light image and the non-visible light image to be displayed by the display system in an interleaving manner.