Apparatuses with enhanced low range bit depth

• US 7,898,725 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sampsell, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinkney; Dawayne A
• Application Number:
  US12/874,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 180 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-292, 359/296, 359223-226, 359/198, 359301-303, 359/237, 359/242
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0271 Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/207 by domain size control G09G3/3637 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A light modulator device includes a first electrical conduit, a second electrical conduit electrically isolated from the first conduit, a first display element, and a second display element. The first display element is in an actuated state when a voltage difference between the first conduit and the second conduit has a magnitude greater than a first actuation voltage and is in a released state when the voltage difference has a magnitude less than a first release voltage. The second display element is in an actuated state when the voltage difference has a magnitude greater than a second actuation voltage and is in a released state when the voltage difference has a magnitude less than a second release voltage. Either the actuation voltages are substantially equal and the release voltages are different, or the actuation voltages are different and the release voltages are substantially equal.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a plurality of electrical conduits;

a pixel comprising a plurality of display elements each in electrical communication with at least two of the plurality of electrical conduits, wherein the pixel has a plurality of quantization levels each comprising at least one quantization step, the plurality of quantization levels including an intermediate quantization level, a first plurality of quantization levels above the intermediate quantization level, and a second plurality of quantization levels below the intermediate quantization level, wherein the second plurality of quantization levels comprises more quantization steps than the first plurality of quantization levels.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of display elements comprises an interferometric display element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises at least four display elements.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical conduits comprises a first electrical conduit and a second electrical conduit electrically isolated from the first electrical conduit, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises a first display element having a first optically active area and a second display element having a second optically active area, the first display element and the second display element each in electrical communication with the first electrical conduit and the second electrical conduit, and wherein a ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is approximately equal to an integer to one.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the integer of the ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, or 2ⁿ−

1 where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein intensity differences between sequential said quantization steps in the second plurality of quantization levels are each less than about 4%.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein intensity differences between sequential said quantization steps in the second plurality of quantization levels are each undetectable by the human visual system.

8. A device comprising:

a plurality of electrical conduits;

a pixel comprising a plurality of display elements each in electrical communication with at least two of the plurality of electrical conduits, wherein the pixel has a plurality of intensity ranges including high intensity ranges and low intensity ranges, wherein bit density of the pixel at the low intensity ranges is higher than bit density of the pixel at the high intensity ranges.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of display elements comprises an interferometric display element.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises at least four display elements.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrical conduits comprises a first electrical conduit and a second electrical conduit electrically isolated from the first electrical conduit, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises a first display element having a first optically active area and a second display element having a second optically active area, the first display element and the second display element each in electrical communication with the first electrical conduit and the second electrical conduit, and wherein a ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is approximately equal to an integer to one.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the integer of the ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, or 2ⁿ−

1 where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein intensity differences at the low intensity ranges are each less than about 4%.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein intensity differences at the low intensity ranges are each undetectable by the human visual system.

15. A device comprising:

a plurality of electrical conduits;

a pixel comprising a plurality of display elements each in electrical communication with at least two of the plurality of electrical conduits, wherein the pixel has a plurality of quantization steps, wherein the pixel has intensity differences between sequential said quantization steps that are each less than about 4%.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of display elements comprises an interferometric display element.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises at least four display elements.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of electrical conduits comprises a first electrical conduit and a second electrical conduit electrically isolated from the first electrical conduit, wherein the plurality of display elements comprises a first display element having a first optically active area and a second display element having a second optically active area, the first display element and the second display element each in electrical communication with the first electrical conduit and the second electrical conduit, and wherein a ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is approximately equal to an integer to one.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the integer of the ratio of the first optically active area to the second optically active area is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, or 2ⁿ−

1 where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein intensity differences between sequential said quantization steps are each undetectable by the human visual system.