Method and device for manipulating color in a display

• US 8,362,987 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• 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: Gally, Brian J., Cummings, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DENNIS P
• Application Number:
  US11/118,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,832 Days
• Field of Search: 345/84, 345/85, 345/603, 345/604, 359/291
• 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: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method and device for manipulating color in a display is disclosed. In one embodiment, a display comprises interferometric display elements formed to have spectral responses that produce white light. In one embodiment, the produced white light is characterized by a standardized white point.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

at least one interferometric modulator configured to selectively reflect light incident thereon, the at least one modulator having a first spectral response across substantially the visible light spectrum, the first spectral response further having a spectral peak centered in the green portion of the visible light spectrum; and

at least one filter positioned in front of the at least one interferometric modulator so as to receive the selectively reflected light from the at least one interferometric modulator and configured to selectively transmit visible wavelengths associated with magenta light, the filter having a second spectral response characterizing transmission through the filter over the visible spectrum, the second spectral response having two portions corresponding to transmission of red and blue wavelengths and a non-zero reduced portion of the spectrum therebetween,

wherein a combination of the at least one interferometric modulator and the at least one filter has a third spectral response lower than the first spectral response of the at least one interferometric modulator due to the at least one filter being configured to remove at least a portion of the said light selectively reflected by the at least one interferometric modulator to output white light, and

wherein the at least one interferometric modulator includes a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface defining an optical cavity, the optical cavity having an optical path length that is substantially equal to one half of a wavelength associated with green light.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the filter includes an absorption filter.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the filter is configured to filter light incident on the at least one interferometric modulator and to filter light reflected by the interferometric modulator.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the at least one interferometric modulator and the filter produce white light having a standardized white point.

5. The display of claim 4, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D55 which correlates with a color temperature of 5,500°

K.

6. The display of claim 4, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D65 which correlates with a color temperature 6,500°

K.

7. The display of claim 4, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D75 which correlates with a color temperature 7,500°

K.

8. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with the at least one interferometric modulator, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with the processor.

9. The display of claim 8, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the at least one interferometric modulator.

10. The display of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

11. A display comprising:

means for modulating light, the modulating means selectively reflecting light incident thereon, and having a first spectral response across substantially the visible light spectrum, the first spectral response further having a spectral peak centered in the green portion of the visible light spectrum; and

means for filtering positioned in front of the means for modulating light so as to receive the selectively reflected light from the means for modulating light, the filtering means selectively transmitting visible wavelengths associated with magenta light, the filtering means having a second spectral response characterizing transmission through the filtering means over the visible spectrum, the second spectral response having two portions corresponding to transmission of red and blue wavelengths and a non-zero reduced portion of the spectrum therebetween,

wherein the means for modulating includes an electromechanical system and wherein a combination of the means for modulating light and the means for filtering has a third spectral response lower than the first spectral response of the means for modulating light due to the means for filtering being configured to remove at least a portion of the light selectively reflected by the means for modulating light to output white light, and

wherein the modulating means includes a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface defining an optical cavity, the optical cavity having an optical path length that is substantially equal to one half of a wavelength associated with green light.

12. The display of claim 11, wherein the filtering means includes an absorption filter.

13. The display of claim 11, wherein the modulating means and the filtering means produce white light having a standardized white point.

14. The display of claim 13, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D55 which correlates with a color temperature of 5,500°

K.

15. The display of claim 13, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D65 which correlates with a color temperature 6,500°

K.

16. The display of claim 13, wherein the standardized white point is a standard white point D75 which correlates with a color temperature 7,500°

K.

17. The display of claim 11, wherein the filtering means is configured to filter light incident on the modulating means and to filter light reflected by the modulating means.

18. The display of claim 11, wherein the means for modulating light includes a means for interferometrically modulating light.

19. The display of claim 11, wherein the means for modulating light includes an interferometric modulator.