Microdisplay for portable communication systems

• US 6,545,654 B2
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Bumgardner, Rodney, Jacobsen, Jeffrey, Fan, John C. C., Pombo, Stephen, Zavracky, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US08/741,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/92, 345/32, 345/91, 345/95, 345/96, 345/100, 345/7-8, 349/5, 349/6, 379/53, 379/58, 379/110, 257/13, 359/59, 408/254.4, 437/86
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 25/002 Magnifying glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0408 Integration of the drivers onto the display substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0283 Arrangement of drivers for different directions of scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/063 Waveforms for resetting the whole screen at once
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0209 Crosstalk reduction, i.e. to reduce direct or indirect influences of signals directed to a certain pixel of the displayed image on other pixels of said image, inclusive of influences affecting pixels in different frames or fields or sub-images which constitute a same image, e.g. left and right images of a stereoscopic display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3659 the addressing of the pixel involving the control of two or more scan electrodes or two or more data electrodes, e.g. pixel voltage dependant on signal of two data electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3688 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 : Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 : Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 : Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 : using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 : Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 : comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 : comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 : for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0272 : for a projector or beamer module assembly constructional features of projectors per se G03B21/00; constructional details of projectors using electronic spatial light modulators per se H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/20 : including a rotatable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 : Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

The invention relates to a microdisplay system that utilizes a small high resolution active matrix liquid crystal display with an illumination system and a magnifying optical system to provide a hand held communication display device. The system can employ an LED illumination system and cellular communication or processor circuits within a compact housing to provide communication devices such as pagers, telephones, televisions, and hand held computer devices with a compact high resolution video display.

Claims

1. A microdisplay system comprising:

an active matrix liquid crystal display including an array of pixel electrodes;

a light emitting diode device having at least two light emitting diodes of different colors that illuminates the array of pixel electrodes sequentially;

a diffuser interposed between the light emitting diode device and the active matrix liquid crystal display for distributing the illumination; and

a lens positioned to receive an image formed on the active matrix liquid crystal display and that focuses an image on the display for viewing by a user and magnifies the image by at least a factor of two.

2. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 320×

240.

3. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 640×

480.

4. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the light emitting diode device comprises a backlight that transmits light through the active matrix liquid crystal display.

5. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the active matrix liquid crystal display further comprises an array of transistor circuits formed with single crystal silicon, the array of transistor circuits being bonded to an optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive layer.

6. The microdisplay system of claim 1 further comprising a cellular receiver.

7. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the system is contained within a housing having a volume of less than 1000 cm³.

8. The microdisplay system of claim 1 wherein the array of pixel electrodes includes at least 75,000 pixel electrodes and has an active area of less than 10 mm².

9. The microdisplay system of claim 8 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 10 microns.

10. The microdisplay system of claim 8 wherein the array of pixel electrodes has an active area of less than 5 mm².

11. The microdisplay system of claim 10 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 8 microns.

12. A microdisplay pager comprising:

a pager housing;

an active matrix liquid crystal display within the pager housing and including an array of pixel electrodes;

a light emitting diode device that transmits light through the array of pixel electrodes to provide a display lightsource;

a diffuser interposed between the light emitting diode device and the active matrix liquid crystal display for distributing the illumination;

a lens positioned within the housing to receive an image formed on the active matrix liquid crystal display and that focuses the image on the display for viewing by a user;

a receiver within the housing to receive image signals from an external source; and

a display circuit within the housing that is connected to the receiver and the liquid crystal display.

13. The pager of claim 12 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 320×

240.

14. The pager system of claim 12 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 640×

480.

15. The pager of claim 12 wherein the light emitting diode device comprises a backlight that transmits light through the active matrix liquid crystal display.

16. The pager of claim 12 wherein the active matrix liquid crystal display further comprises an array of transistor circuits formed with single crystal silicon, the array of transistor circuits being bonded to an optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive layer.

17. The pager of claim 12 further comprising a cellular receiver.

18. The pager of claim 12 wherein the pager housing has a volume of less than 1000 cm³.

19. The pager of claim 12 wherein the array of pixel electrodes includes at least 75,000 pixel electrodes and has an active area of less than 10 mm².

20. The pager of claim 19 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 10 microns.

21. The pager of claim 19 wherein the array of pixel electrodes has an active area of less than 5 mm².

22. The pager of claim 19 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 8 microns.

23. A cellular telephone comprising:

a telephone housing having a plurality of control elements;

an active matrix liquid crystal display within the housing and including an array of pixel electrodes;

a light emitting diode device that illuminates the array of pixel electrodes;

a diffuser interposed between the light emitting diode device and the active matrix liquid crystal display for distributing the illumination; and

a lens positioned to receive an image formed on the active matrix liquid crystal display and that focuses the image on the display for viewing by a user.

24. The cellular telephone of claim 23 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 320×

240.

25. The cellular telephone of claim 23 wherein the array of pixel electrodes comprises an array of at least 640×

480.

26. The cellular telephone of claim 23 wherein the active matrix liquid crystal display further comprises an array of transistor circuits formed with single crystal silicon, the array of transistor circuits being bonded to an optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive layer.

27. The cellular telephone of claim 23 further comprising a transmitter.

28. The cellular telephone of claim 23 wherein the system is contained within a housing having a volume of less than 1000 cm³.

29. The cellular telephone of claim 23 wherein the array of pixel electrodes includes at least 75,000 pixel electrodes and has an active area of less than 10 mm².

30. The cellular telephone of claim 29 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 10 microns.

31. The cellular telephone of claim 29 wherein the array of pixel electrodes has an active area of less than 5 mm².

32. The cellular telephone of claim 31 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 8 microns.

33. A wireless telephone comprising:

a telephone housing having a plurality of control elements;

an active matrix liquid crystal display within the housing and including an array of pixel electrodes;

a light emitting diode device that illuminates the array of pixel electrodes to provide a display backlight;

a lens positioned to receive an image formed on the matrix display and that focuses the image on the display for viewing by a user;

a receiver within the housing to receive image signals from an external source; and

a display circuit within the housing that is connected to the receiver and the liquid crystal display.

34. A wireless telephone as in claim 33, wherein the backlight is optically coupled to the matrix display with a side illumination device.

35. A wireless telephone as in claim 34, wherein the lens is hidden from a user in the storage position and is viewable in the operating position.

36. A wireless telephone as in claim 33, wherein the telephone has both a low resolution alphanumeric display and a high resolution display.

37. The wireless telephone of claim 33 wherein the array of pixel electrodes includes at least 75,000 pixel electrodes and has an active area of less than 10 mm².

38. The wireless telephone of claim 37 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 10 microns.

39. The wireless telephone of claim 37 wherein the array of pixel electrodes has an active area of less than 5 mm².

40. The wireless telephone of claim 39 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 8 microns.

41. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone, comprising

receiving audio and image data with a transceiver, and

operating a display control circuit connected to the transceiver and a matrix display to display an image on the display, the matrix displaying include an array of pixel electrodes.

42. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone as in claim 41 further comprising generating image data with a camera.

43. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone as in claim 42 further comprising selecting whether the image from the camera is seen on the display, transmitted to a remote location, or both.

44. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone as in claim 41 wherein the array of pixel electrodes includes at least 75,000 pixel electrodes and has an active area of less than 10 mm².

45. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone as in claim 44 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 10 microns.

46. A method of displaying an image on a wireless telephone as in claim 44 wherein the array of pixel electrodes has an active area of less than 5 mm².

47. The method of claim 46 wherein each pixel electrode has a width of less than about 8 microns.