Optical device arrays with optimized image resolution

• US 6,728,023 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Light Machines Corporation (SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Light Machines Corporation (SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alioshin, Paul, Tomita, Akira, Corrigan, Robert W., Corbin, Dave B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US10/161,193
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/298, 359/214, 359/224, 359/223, 359/849, 359/850, 349/73, 349/74
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/465 using masks, e.g. light-switching masks
• 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: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1903 Arrangements for enabling electronic abutment of lines or areas independently scanned by different elements of an array or by different arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1934 Combination of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7416 involving the use of a spatial light modulator, e.g. a light valve, controlled by a video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7458 the modulator being an array of deformable mirrors, e.g. digital micromirror device [DMD]

Abstract

Optical devices comprising addressable pixels are tiled in an array configured for generating an image line. The addressable pixels are grouped into center pixels and addressable sub-pixels are grouped at the ends. The optical devices are tiled in staggered rows with addressable. sub-pixels and/or pixels overlapping along the array. To optimize the quality of the image, addressable sub-pixels are selectively operated and/or disabled to remove artifacts and maximize pixel density in the image line generated by the overlap regions. Arrays of optical devices, in accordance with the invention, are used generate image lines for display and print applications. The optical devices can be any light valve including MEM devices such as diffraction grating light valves and LCD devices.

Claims

1. A light modulator comprising an array of pixels, the array comprising a center group, a first end group and a second end group, wherein the center group comprises a plurality of pixels and wherein the first end group and the second end group comprise fractional pixels configured to image sub-pixels.

2. The light modulator of claim 1, further comprising driver circuits corresponding to each of the pixels and each of the sub-pixels.

3. The light modulator of claim 2, wherein each sub-pixel comprises ribbon pairs and each pixel comprises sets of ribbon pairs.

4. The light modulator of claim 3, wherein alternating ribbons from the ribbon pairs are addressable to image the pixels and the sub-pixels.

5. The light modulator of claim 3, wherein the array of ribbons comprise silicon nitride with a reflective aluminum layer for modulating reflected light.

6. The light modulator of claim 2, wherein each pixel comprises an LCD pixel and each sub-pixel comprises a predetermined fraction of a size of the LCD pixel.

7. An apparatus comprising an array of optical MEM devices for generating pixels in an image line, the linear array of optical MEM devices comprising:

a. a first row of the optical MEM devices; and

b. a second row of the optical MEM devices, the first row of optical MEM devices and the second row of optical MEM devices being staggered with a portion of each row forming a first overlapping region, wherein the first and second row of optical MEM devices are configured for imaging sub-pixels in the first overlapping region for optimization pixels in the image line corresponding to the overlapping regions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the linear array further comprises a third row of optical MEM devices being staggered with respect to the second row of optical MEM devices, wherein a portion of the second row overlaps a portion of the third row in a second overlapping region and the second and third rows of optical MEM devices are configured for imaging sub-pixels in the second overlapping region.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the optical MEM devices comprises an array of ribbon pairs.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the array of ribbon pairs comprise a center group, a first end group and a second end group in the first overlapping region, wherein the center group comprises sets of addressable ribbon pairs and wherein the first end group and the second end group comprise fractional sets of addressable ribbon pairs.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a driver circuit for driving selected ribbons to image the pixels and the sub-pixels.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprises a display means for displaying the image line.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a print means for printing the image line.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each pixel comprises an LCD pixel and each sub-pixel comprises a predetermined fraction of a sub-pixel.

15. A method comprising:

a. tiling an array of optical MEM devices in at least two rows with overlapping regions, wherein the optical MEM devices are configured to image pixels and subpixels in overlapping regions;

b. generating an image from the array of optical MEM devices; and

c. disabling selected sub-pixels in the overlapping regions to enhance the image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical MEM devices comprise ribbon pairs elongated perpendicular to the at least two rows.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the image comprises illuminating the ribbons with a light source and selectively moving at least one ribbon in each of the ribbon pairs.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each image pixel is generated with a number of ribbons collectively addressed and wherein each sub-pixel is generated with a fraction of the number of ribbons.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the image comprises activating a display medium.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the image comprises activating a print medium.