Display apparatus using pulsed light source

• US 8,270,061 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite), Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Endo, Taro, Arai, Kazuma, Maeda, Yoshihiro, Ishil, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/295, 359/242, 359/298, 353/20
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1026 for use with reflective spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1033 having a single light modulator for all colour channels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0237 Switching ON and OFF the backlight within one frame
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0653 Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2077 by a combination of two or more gradation control methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833

Abstract

The present invention provides a display apparatus, comprising: a light source; at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source; and a controller for processing inputted video image information and for controlling the light source and spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and spatial light modulator so that the light source performs pulse emission for a period shorter than a period in which the spatial light modulator is controlled under a modulation state.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source; and

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator;

the period of the shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator is a minimum length of time controllable by the controller based on the video image data; and

the minimum length of time controllable by the controller is a minimum period of time based on a minimum unit of data of the video image for controlling a brightness scale of the spatial light modulator.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED) or laser light source.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the spatial light modulator is controlled to operate in a plurality of modulation states in accordance with a control signal received from the controller.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projector, wherein

the spatial light modulator further includes a mirror device comprising a plurality of micromirrors, and

the projector projects a modulation light reflected and modulated by the mirror device.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4 wherein:

the spatial light modulator is controlled by a control signal received from the controller to operate in an ON state for guiding the luminous flux emitted from the light source to the projector, or an OFF state for guiding the luminous flux emitted from the light source away from the projector or an oscillation state between the ON state and OFF state.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the cycle of the pulse emission is approximately the same as the oscillation cycle of the micromirror in the oscillation state.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the pulse width of the pulsed emissions is approximately the same as n times an oscillation cycle of the micromirror in the oscillation state, where “

n”

is a positive integer.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source stops the pulsed emission when a plurality of pixels of the spatial light modulator is in an OFF state.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source emitting a plurality of pulsed emissions during a period when the spatial light modulator is controlled under a modulation state.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller converts an inputted binary video signal into a non-binary video signal, and

the spatial light modulator applies the non-binary signal for controlling a modulation operation of the spatial light modulator.

11. A display apparatus comprising;

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls the pulse widths of a plurality of pulsed emissions emitted from the light source when the spatial light modulator is operated in an ON state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

12. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls a plurality of the pulsed emissions for emitting different pulse intensities from the light source when the spatial light modulator is operated in an ON state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

13. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls a number of cycles for emitting said plurality of the pulsed emissions from the light source when the spatial light modulator is operated in an ON state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

14. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls said plurality of the pulsed emissions with different pulse width from the light source during a frame period of a video image or during a sub-frame of said video image when the spatial light modulator is operated in an ON state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

15. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls said plurality of the pulsed emissions with different intensities from the light source during a frame period of a video image or during a sub-frame of said video image when the spatial light modulator is operated in a an ON state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

16. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a modulation state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls a number of cycles for emitting said plurality of the pulsed emissions from the light source during a frame period of a video image or during a sub-frame of said video image when the spatial light modulator is operated in the modulation state for changing a light intensity of a display image.

17. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source;

a controller for processing inputted video image data for controlling the light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the controller controls the light source and the spatial light modulator to project pulsed emission from the light source with a pulse width shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulator; and

the controller controls said light source to project said pulsed emission during at least a part of a transition time between an ON state and an OFF state controlled by said spatial light modulator.

18. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulators; and

the controller controls the light source(s) to perform pulse emission in a sequential emission of all colors from the light source(s) containing a plurality of colors for a period shorter than the shortest controllable period of the ON state of the spatial light modulator.

19. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the period of a modulation state of the spatial light modulator is a minimum length of time controllable by the controller based on the video image data.

20. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the light source comprising a light emitting diode (LED) or laser light source.

21. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the spatial light modulator is controlled to operate in a plurality of modulation states in accordance with a control signal received from the controller.

22. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

a projector, wherein the spatial light modulator further includes a mirror device comprising a plurality of micromirrors, and

the projector projects a modulation light reflected and modulated by the mirror device.

23. The display apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the spatial light modulator is controlled by a control signal received from the controller to operate in an ON state for guiding the luminous flux emitted from the light source to the projector, or an OFF state for guiding the luminous flux emitted from the light source away from the projector or an oscillation state between the ON state and OFF state.

24. The display apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the controller controls the light source to emit the pulse emissions with respective cycles of the pulse emission of at least one of the two colors are approximately the same as the oscillation cycle of the micromirror in an oscillation state.

25. The display apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the controller controls the light source to emit the pulse emissions with respective cycles of the pulse emission of at least one of the at least two colors are approximately the same as a value obtained by n times the oscillation cycle of the micromirror in the oscillation state, where “

n”

is a positive integer.

26. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the controller controls the light source to emit the pulse emissions with a pulse width of each single pulse emission in the color sequential emission emitted from the light source(s) having at least two colors is a predetermined value.

27. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the controller controls the light source to emit the pulse emissions with pulse widths of each single of pulse emission in the color sequential emission emitted from the light source having at least two colors.

28. The display apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the controller controls the light source to adjust and change cycles of the pulse emissions in the color sequential emission emitted from the light source of at least two colors.

29. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulators; and

the shortest controllable period of an ON state controllable by the controller is a minimum period of time based on a minimum unit of data of the video image for controlling a brightness scale of the spatial light modulator.

30. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulators; and

the controller controls the light source to emit the pulse emissions with a pulse width of each single pulse emission in a color sequential emission emitted from the light source(s) having at least two colors having a certain ratio in a period of the ON state of the spatial light modulator.

31. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a shortest controllable period of an ON state of the spatial light modulators; and

the controller controls the light source to change the pulse widths of each single pulse emission in a color sequential emission emitted from the light sources(s) of at least two colors for adjusting a color balance of a display image.

32. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a modulation state of the spatial light modulators; and

the controller controls the light source to change cycles of each single pulse emission in a color sequential emission emitted from the light source(s) of at least two colors for adjusting and changing a color balance of a display image.

33. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a modulation state of the spatial light modulators; and

the controller controls the light source to change the respective cycles of the pulse emission of at least two colors to increase a brightness of a displayed video image for increasing a component of a combined color within a displayed image.

34. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source or light sources for emitting a luminous flux or luminous fluxes having a plurality of colors;

spatial light modulators for modulating the luminous flux(es) having a plurality of colors emitted from the light source(s);

a controller for processing an inputted video image data and for controlling the light source(s) and spatial light modulators, wherein

the controller applies the input video image data to generate video signals of a plurality of colors, and the controller further controls the light sources of at least two colors to emit color sequential pulsed emissions during a period shorter than a period of a modulation state of the spatial light modulators; and

the light sources further emitting sequential emissions of at least three colors and said light source further controlling and adjusting the pulse width of the pulse emissions of the respective colors for increasing the white component within a displayed image, thereby increasing the brightness thereof.