System and method of reducing color shift in a display

• US 8,169,688 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• 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: Sampsell, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, BRANDI N
• Application Number:
  US12/724,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-292, 359/295, 359/298
• US Class Current: 359/290
• 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

Abstract

A system and method of reducing color shift in a display includes an interferometric modulator display configured to reflect light from at least one light source and through at least one converging optical element in an optical path from the light source to a viewer via the display. In one embodiment, the converging optical element comprises a diffractive optical element.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a display system, the method comprising:

providing a reflective display having a plurality of interferometric modulators on a first substrate;

providing a converging optical element disposed on a second substrate and having a lens aperture greater than a total aperture of two of the plurality of interferometric modulators; and

positioning the optical element with respect to at least one surface of at least one of the plurality of interferometric modulators such that a focal length of the optical element is greater than a distance between the optical element and the at least one surface so as to reduce color shift of an image between two viewing locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the converging optical element comprises depositing at least one layer of material on the second substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the converging optical element further comprises patterning the at least one layer of material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the converging optical element comprises providing a diffractive optical element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the diffractive optical element comprises providing a binary optical element formed on the second substrate.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the diffractive optical element comprises providing a patterned material having a plurality of diffractive features.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises the second substrate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical element is positioned relative to the plurality of modulators such that the first substrate is located therebetween.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical element is positioned so as to be located between the plurality of interferometric modulators and the first substrate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical element is positioned such that the plurality of interferometric modulators are located between the optical element and the first substrate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the converging optical element comprises providing a lenticular lens.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical element is configured to spread the modulated light differently along a first axis of the display system than along a second axis of the display system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a light source so as to illuminate the optical element; and

configuring the optical element to compensate for at least one optical property of the light source.

14. A display system fabricated by the method of claim 1.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interferometric modulators are configured to output colored light.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein each of the plurality of interferometric modulators is configured to output colored light.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the display system has a diagonal size greater than 30 inches.

15. A display system fabricated by a method comprising:

providing a reflective display having a plurality of interferometric modulators on a first substrate;

providing a converging diffractive optical element disposed on a second substrate and having a lens aperture greater than a total aperture of two of the plurality of interferometric modulators;

positioning the optical element such that the optical element redirects light that is incident on at least one surface of at least one of the plurality of interferometric modulators so as to reduce color shift of an image between two viewing locations.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein providing the optical element comprises depositing at least one layer of material on the substrate.

17. The display system of claim 16, wherein providing the optical element further comprises patterning the at least one layer of material.

18. The display system of claim 15, wherein providing the optical element comprises providing a binary optical element formed on the substrate.

19. The display system of claim 15, wherein providing the optical element comprises providing a patterned material having a plurality of diffractive features.

20. The display system of claim 15, wherein the first substrate comprises the second substrate.

21. The display system of claim 15, wherein the optical element is positioned relative to the plurality of modulators such that the first substrate is located therebetween.

22. The display system of claim 15, wherein the optical element is positioned so as to be located between the plurality of interferometric modulators and the first substrate.

23. The display system of claim 15, wherein the optical element is positioned such that the plurality of interferometric modulators are located between the optical element and the first substrate.

24. The display system of claim 15, wherein providing the optical element comprises providing a lenticular lens.

25. The display system of claim 15, wherein the optical element is configured to spread the modulated light differently along a first axis of the display system than along a second axis of the display system.

26. The display system of claim 24, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.

27. The display system of claim 15, further comprising:

disposing a light source so as to illuminate the optical element; and

further configuring the optical element to compensate for at least one optical property of the light source.

41. The display system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of interferometric modulators are configured to output colored light.

42. The display system of claim 41, wherein each of the plurality of interferometric modulators is configured to output colored light.

46. The display system of claim 15, wherein the display system has a diagonal size greater than 30 inches.

28. A display system for displaying an image, the display system comprising:

a reflective display having a plurality of interferometric modulators configured to modulate light incident thereon; and

a converging diffractive optical element configured to redirect light incident on at least one of the plurality of interferometric modulators, the optical element having a lens aperture greater than a total aperture of two of the plurality of interferometric modulators and configured to reduce color shift of an image between two viewing locations.

29. The display system of claim 28, wherein the optical element comprises a positive power optical element.

30. The display system of claim 28, wherein the optical element comprises a binary optical element.

31. The display system of claim 28, wherein the optical element comprises a diffuser.

32. The display system of claim 28, further comprising:

a substrate supporting the plurality of interferometric modulators and supporting the optical element.

33. The display system of claim 32, wherein the substrate is located between the optical element and the plurality of modulators.

34. The display system of claim 32, wherein the diffractive optical element is located between the plurality of interferometric modulators and the substrate.

35. The display system of claim 32, wherein the plurality of interferometric modulators are located between the optical element and the substrate.

36. The display system of claim 32, wherein the optical element is configured to spread the modulated light differently along a first axis of the display system than along a second axis of the display system.

37. The display system of claim 32, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.

38. The display system of claim 32, further comprising:

a light source, wherein the optical element is configured to compensate for at least one optical property of the light source.

43. The display system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of interferometric modulators are configured to output colored light.

44. The display system of claim 43, wherein each of the plurality of interferometric modulators is configured to output colored light.

47. The display system of claim 28, wherein the display system has a diagonal size greater than 30 inches.