Distortion-correcting deformable displays

• US 9,135,863 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Duerksen, Gary Lynn, Miller, Seth Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US13/811,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 345/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source

Abstract

Provided herein are devices and methods relating to detecting and/or correcting distortions and other events that can occur to a display surface so that a desired image is viewed despite the presence of a distortion in the display surface itself.

Claims

1. A self-correcting deformable display, comprising:

a deformable display comprising at least a first pixel and a second pixel; and

an array of strain sensors incorporated into the deformable display,

wherein the array of strain sensors is configured to detect a distortion between the at least first pixel and the second pixel and to provide a datum regarding the distortion,

wherein the deformable display is configured to compensate for a displacement of the at least first pixel or the second pixel by calibration of a pixel intensity of the at least first pixel or the second pixel, based on the displacement, and configured to display an adjusted pixel intensity of the at least first pixel or the second pixel in a compensated display image,

wherein the array of strain sensors is configured to be in communication with a processor that generates a distortion map from a collection of strain values from the array of strain sensors, wherein a density of strain sensors in the array of strain sensors is about 1/10 a density of pixels in the deformable display and wherein the distortion map represents a distortion of an original image given a distortion to the deformable display, and

wherein the distortion map is usable to adjust an appearance of the compensated display image in response to distortion of the deformable display.

2. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 1, wherein the array of strain sensors is configured to provide the datum to the processor to enable the processor to use the datum regarding the distortion to alter the compensated display image.

3. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 2, wherein the array of strain sensors comprises at least one of a resistive wire, a capacitive gauge, or a light guide.

4. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 3, wherein the resistive wire comprises at least one of:

a carbon nano-tube, a conducting polymer, a graphite-filled polymer, a graphene-filled polymer, or a metal-filled polymer.

5. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 2, wherein the deformable display comprises an elastomer substrate.

6. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 1, wherein at least the first pixel and the second pixel are part of an array of pixels.

7. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 2, wherein the deformable display is configured to display an initial image provided by the processor, provide information from the array of strain sensors to the processor to enable the processor to transform the initial image into the compensated display image, and display the compensated display image.

8. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 2, wherein the array of strain sensors comprises polydimethylsiloxane doped with multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

9. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 8, wherein the array of strain sensors comprises a dual-axis resistivity strain gauge.

10. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 9, wherein the dual-axis resistivity strain gauge comprises a first member that intersects a second member.

11. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 10, wherein the first member that intersects the second member form a cross shape comprising a first end, a second end, a third end, and a fourth end.

12. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 11, wherein a first electrical lead is coupled to the first end, a second electrical lead is coupled to the second end, a third electrical lead is coupled to the third end, and a fourth electrical lead is coupled to the fourth end.

13. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 12, wherein the first electrical lead and the first end form about a 90 degree angle, wherein the second electrical lead and the second end form about a 90 degree angle, wherein the third electrical lead and the third end form about a 90 degree angle, and wherein the fourth electrical lead and the fourth end form about a 90 degree angle.

14. The self-correcting deformable display of claim 2, wherein the first pixel comprises a first light emitting diode and wherein the second pixel comprises a second light emitting diode.

23. A viewing surface comprising the display of claim 1, wherein the viewing surface is part of at least one of:

a contact lens, a rigid curved surface, a flexible surface, or a display panel on an automobile.

15. A self-correcting deformable display, comprising:

a deformable display comprising at least a first pixel and a second pixel; and

an array of strain sensors incorporated into the deformable display,

wherein the array of strain sensors is configured to be in communication with a processor that generates a distortion map from a collection of strain values from the array of strain sensors, and wherein the distortion map represents a distortion of an original image given a distortion to the deformable display,

wherein the distortion map is usable to adjust an appearance of a compensated image in response to distortion of the deformable display, and

wherein a distance between a first strain sensor and a second strain sensor is no more than about W_max, wherein W_max=((distance between the at least first pixel and the second pixel)*π

)/2*(maximum strain).

16. A self-correcting deformable display, the display comprising:

a display substrate comprising at least a first pixel and a second pixel;

an array of strain sensors associated with the display substrate, wherein the array of strain sensors is configured to detect a distortion between the at least first pixel and the second pixel and to provide a datum regarding the distortion, wherein a distance between a first strain sensor and a second strain sensor is no more than about W_max wherein W_max=((distance between the at least first pixel and the second pixel)*π

)/2*(maximum strain);

a processor configured to generate a distortion map from the array of strain sensors, wherein the distortion map comprises a collection of strain values from the array of strain sensors, and wherein the distortion map represents the distortion of an original image given a distortion to the display substrate; and

a distortion compensation filter, the filter configured to use the distortion map to adjust the original image to a compensated image that can be displayed on the display substrate, wherein the distortion compensation filter is configured to compensate for the distortion of the original image to produce an appearance of the compensated image in response to the distortion to the display substrate.

17. The display of claim 16, wherein the appearance of the compensated image and the original image is of a same image.

18. The display of claim 16, wherein the appearance of the original image and the appearance of the compensated image is substantially similar.

19. A method to provide a self-correcting image, the method comprising:

distorting a deformable display to provide a distorted deformable display;

measuring at least one amount of distortion of the deformable display that results from distorting the display to create a distortion map, wherein said measuring at least one amount of distortion of the deformable display is measured by an array of strain sensors incorporated into the deformable display, wherein a density of strain sensors in the array of strain sensors is about 1/10 a density of pixels in the deformable display;

using the distortion map to adjust an original image to create a compensated image; and

displaying the compensated image on the distorted deformable display, wherein one or more pixels in the compensated image has an adjusted pixel intensity relative to one or more corresponding pixels the original image, wherein displaying the compensated image comprises cropping such that only a subpart of the original image is viewable on the distorted deformable display, and wherein the compensated image has an appearance that is similar to the original image when the compensated image is displayed on the distorted deformable display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the measuring is achieved by measuring a change in a resistivity.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the amount of distortion of the display is determined by measuring a displacement of at least one pixel from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, a surface of the deformable display, is at rest, and wherein in the second position, the surface of the deformable display is distorted.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein displaying the compensated image comprises dropping pixels in the cropped image from the deformable display so that the pixels do not participate in image creation.