Enhanced color resolution display screen using pixel shifting

• US 8,547,297 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3-D Virtual Lens Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: 3-D Virtual Lens Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Hoppenstein, Reuben, Rosenthal, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Caschera, Antonio A
• Application Number:
  US13/541,640
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/4
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0457 Improvement of perceived resolution by subpixel rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/06 Colour space transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, the color resolution of a first image display screen is increased by assembling the first display screen with a second image display screen in an overlaid manner. Transmissive color filter elements are provided associated with addressable sub-pixels of the display screens. A first set of sub-pixels of the first screen and a second set of sub-pixels of the second screen are cooperatively addressed to display an image pixel of the display assembly, where the first set of sub-pixels addressed is spatially offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed along the planar surfaces of the display screens. The exemplary display assembly formed by the display screens thereby enables the use of more than three colors to define a broadened color space relative to that defined by the display screens separately.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an image display assembly for providing enhanced color resolution, the method comprising:

assembling a first display screen having a first color resolution and comprising a first set of addressable sub-pixels in an overlaid manner with a second display screen having a second color resolution and comprising a second set of addressable sub-pixels;

aligning a first set of color filter elements associated with the first set of sub-pixels of the first display screen, wherein each of the first set of color filter elements is aligned with one of the first set of sub-pixels and filters optical output from the one of the first set of sub-pixels;

aligning a second set of color filter elements associated with the second set of sub-pixels of the second display screen, wherein each of the second set of color filter elements is aligned with one of the second set of sub-pixels and filters optical output from the one of the second set of sub-pixels; and

providing a processing device configurable to;

address the first set of sub-pixels of the first display screen to generate filtered optical output from the first set of sub-pixels through the first set of color filter elements, and

address the second set of sub-pixels of the second display screen to generate filtered optical output from the second set of sub-pixels through the second set of color filter elements;

wherein the first set of sub-pixels addressed is spatially offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction along planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens such that the first set of sub-pixels addressed do not overlap with the second set of sub-pixels addressed; and

wherein the cooperative addressing of the first and second sets of sub-pixels displays an image pixel with a color resolution greater than the first color resolution provided by the first display screen and the second color resolution provided by the second display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display screen and the second display screen are fabricated as separate components before assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second display screens employ liquid crystal device (LCD) technology.

4. An image display assembly for providing enhanced color resolution, the image display assembly comprising:

a first display screen comprising a first set of addressable sub-pixels, the first display screen having a first color resolution;

a second display screen comprising a second set of addressable sub-pixels assembled with the first display screen in an overlaid manner, the second display screen having a second color resolution;

a first set of color filter elements associated with the first set of addressable sub-pixels of the first display screen, wherein each of the first set of color filter elements is aligned with one of the first set of sub-pixels and filters optical output from the one of the first set of sub-pixels;

a second set of color filter elements associated with the second set of addressable sub-pixels of the second display screen, wherein each of the second set of color filter elements is aligned with one of the second set of sub-pixels and filters optical output from the one of the second set of sub-pixels; and

a processing device configurable to;

address the first set of sub-pixels of the first display screen to generate filtered optical output from the first set of sub-pixels through the first set of color filter elements, and

address the second set of sub-pixels of the second display screen to generate filtered optical output from the second set of sub-pixels through the second set of color filter elements;

wherein the first set of sub-pixels addressed is spatially offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction along planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens such that the first set of sub-pixels addressed do not overlap with the second set of sub-pixels addressed; and

wherein the cooperative addressing of the first and second sets of sub-pixels displays an image pixel with a color resolution greater than the first color resolution provided by the first display screen and the second color resolution provided by the second display screen.

5. The image display assembly of claim 4, wherein the greater color resolution enables image display in an enhanced color space formed using at least four primary colors.

6. The image display assembly of claim 4, wherein the first set of sub-pixels addressed is horizontally offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed by a fraction of a pixel width along the planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens.

7. The image display assembly of claim 4, wherein the first set of sub-pixels addressed is vertically offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed by a fraction of a pixel height along the planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens.

8. The image display assembly of claim 4, wherein the first set of sub-pixels addressed is horizontally offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed by a fraction of a pixel width along the planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens, and vertically offset from the second set of sub-pixels addressed by a fraction of a pixel height along the planar image display surfaces of the first and second display screens.

9. The image display assembly of claim 4, wherein a first color filter element among the first and second sets of color filter elements transmits a first color at a first intensity, and a second color filter element among the first and second sets of color filter elements transmits the first color at a second, different intensity.