Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc

Sharp Corporation

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

Sharp Laboratories of Europe Limited

Harry Garth Walton

Michael John Towler

Martin David Tillin

Elizabeth Jane Acosta

Benjamin John Broughton

Paul Antony Gass

Michael James Brownlow

Michael Geraint Robinson

John Hartzell

Nathan James Smith

Graham Andrew Cairns

Edward P Raynes

Jonathan Francis Mather

Allan Evans

Craig Tombling

Patrick Zebedee

Adrian Marc Simon Jacobs

Charlotte Wendy Michele Borgers

Jonathan Harrold

Kenji Maeda

David James Montgomery

Christopher James Brown

Yuichiro Yamada

Akira Tagawa

Akiyoshi Fujii

Mitsuhiro Shigeta

Emma Jayne Walton

Andrew Kay

Lesley Anne Parry-Jones

Tomoaki Kuratate

Graham Roger Jones

Jonathan Rennie Hughes

Paul Bonnett

Tong Zhang

Yoshimitsu Inamori

James Rowland Suckling

Nicholas Mayhew

Duncan James Anderson

Gregory Gay

Tadashi Kawamura

Takashi Yasumoto

Harald Reinhart Bock

Alistair Paul Curd

Gareth John

Sergio Garcia Castillo

Kirstin Ann Saynor

David Charles Scattergood

Michel Sagardoyburu

John Patrick Nonweiler

Jeremy Lock

Jaganath Rajendra

Sumanta Talukdar

Meelis Lootus

Tim Gasser

Mike James Brownlow

Emma Jayne Beynon

Brian Henley

James Robert Karamath

A display device is provided that comprises a liquid crystal display panel () for displaying an image by spatial light modulation. The image is represented by a plurality of image elements each having an image data value (). The display device further comprises a display controller () arranged to determine a signal voltage to be applied to the panel () for each image element in dependence upon its image data value () and a secondary data value () for the element, there being a predetermined mapping between the data values and the signal voltage. The secondary data values () are arranged to vary across the image so as to introduce variations in luminance as a result of the mapping. The mapping and secondary data values () are mutually arranged to take account of the signal voltage to on-axis luminance response of the panel () so that the luminance variations introduced on-axis tend to balance locally through spatial averaging to, and hence would not be perceivable by, an on-axis viewer (). The panel () furthermore has a non-linear off-axis luminance to on-axis luminance relationship, so that at least some of the luminance variations introduced off-axis do not balance locally through spatial averaging to, and hence would be perceivable by, an off-axis viewer ().

Display device

A method of processing an image comprises: receiving pixel data constituting an image, the pixel data including at least four sub-pixel color components having respective data values, and modifying one or more of the sub-pixel color component data values. The data values of corresponding sub-pixels from two pixels are modified in opposite directions to one another and such that the overall luminance of the display panel appears substantially unchanged to an on-axis viewer of the display panel.

Image processing method for reduced colour shift in multi-primary LCDs

A tactile feedback actuator includes a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a gap, and a surface layer above the first and second electrodes. The first electrode receives a first stimulus voltage at a first frequency and the second electrode receives a second stimulus voltage at a second frequency, and the first and second electrodes superimpose the first and second stimulus voltages to generate a total voltage that has a beat frequency less than a perception threshold frequency. An object in contact with a portion of the surface layer is caused to vibrate at the beat frequency. The first electrode and the second electrode may constitute an electrode array including a plurality of column electrode segments, and a plurality of row electrode segments. An object in contact with a portion of the surface layer above one or more electrode segments is caused to vibrate at the beat frequency.

Touch-screen device including tactile feedback actuator

A display comprises a parallax optic (), such as a combined parallax barrier and lens array, and a pixellated display device (). The pixels of the display device () are arranged as groups cooperating with a parallax element () of the parallax optic (). Each group comprises a first pixel (A) aligned with the centre of the parallax element (), second and third pixels (B, C) on either side of the first pixel (A), and fourth pixels (D) shared with adjacent groups and disposed outside the second pixels (B, C). The parallax elements () make the different pixels of each group visible in different viewing regions. A control arrangement selects regions of the display and selects different combinations of the pixels of each group for image display within respective regions so as to provide simultaneously-present different viewing modes having different viewing range characteristics.

Display device configured to simultaneously exhibit multiple display modes

A single view display of reduced power consumption is provided. The display comprises a display device for displaying the single view and an optical system for concentrating light modulated by the single view into a reduced angular range. A viewer direction determining system determines the direction of a viewer relative to the display and controls the display device and the optical system so that the angular range includes the direction of the viewer.

Single view display

A method and apparatus is provided for reducing color shift in relation to viewing angle in an LCD. The method includes receiving a plurality of pixel data constituting an image, each pixel data including a plurality of sub-pixel color components having respective data values; for each of the pixel data, comparing the sub-pixel color component data values included therein; and based on the comparison, modifying the sub-pixel color component data values included in the pixel data to reduce color shift when displayed on the LCD.

Adaptive image processing method and apparatus for reduced colour shift in LCDs

An optical system is provided for use with a display device to convert a flat image from the display device to a non-flat image. The optical system comprises first and second spaced-apart partial reflectors, at least one of which is non-flat. The reflectors, together with polarization optics, provide a light path such that light from the display is at least partially transmitted by the first reflector, partially reflected by the second reflector, partially reflected by the first reflector and partially transmitted by the second reflector so that a viewer perceives a non-flat, for example curved, image. Light which does not follow the light path is prevented from leaving the optical system.

Optical system and display that converts a flat image to a non-flat image

In one embodiment of the present invention, a drive circuit includes: a logic block connected between a source of a first voltage and a source of a second voltage, and a sampler including a plurality of sampling circuits. Each sampling circuit is for sampling, in use, an input data signal and outputting a voltage to a respective output. The drive circuit further includes a voltage booster having plurality of voltage boost circuits, each voltage boost circuit being associated with a respective one of the sampling circuits and, in use, generating a boosted voltage signal and providing the boosted voltage signal to the respective sampling circuit. Each voltage boost circuit is connected between the source of the first voltage and the source of the second voltage. The logic block may be, but is not limited to, a shift register.

Drive circuit, a display device provided with the same

A light guide includes a light guide substrate having a top surface through which light is to be emitted, a bottom surface, an incident edge surface through which incident light is to be introduced into the light guide substrate, and another edge surface. The another edge surface includes at least one micro structure operative to reflect at least a portion of the incident light, which travels through the light guide substrate and is incident on the another edge surface, back within the light guide substrate.

Lighting system including light guide with reflective micro structures on edge surfaces

In one embodiment of the present invention, a switched capacitor digital/analog converter is provided, for example providing gamma correction in liquid crystal displays. The converter includes a plurality of conversion capacitors including first plates connected to an output line and second plates connectable via electronic switches to first or second reference voltages in accordance with the values of corresponding bits of an input word. The converter also includes a plurality of terminating capacitors, at least one of which is switchable in or out of circuit depending on the value of at least one of the bits of the input word. By suitable choice of capacitance values and reference voltages, a wide range of non-linear transfer functions can be provided by the converter.

Digital/analogue converter, converter arrangement and display

An integrated MEMS package and associated packaging method are provided. The method includes: forming an electrical circuit, electrically connected to the first substrate; integrating a MEMS device on a first substrate region, electrically connected to the first substrate; providing a second substrate overlying the first substrate; and, forming a wall along the first region boundaries, between the first and second substrate. In one aspect, the electrical circuit is formed using thin-film processes; and, wherein integrating the MEMS device on the first substrate region includes forming the MEMS using thin-film processes, simultaneous with the formation of the electrical device. Alternately, the MEMS device is formed in a separate process, attached to the first substrate, and electrical interconnections are formed to the first substrate using thin-film processes.

Method for integrated MEMS packaging

Integrated MEMS packaging

A shift register is provided, for example, for use in scan and data line drivers for an active matrix liquid crystal display. The shift register comprises X stages, where X is an integer greater than 3. A clock signal generator supplies Y-phase clock signals, where Y is greater than 2. Each of the stages comprises a flip-flop and logic circuit and receives a set enable signal from the immediately preceding stage output. Each stage is set by the leading edge of one of the clock phases in the pressure of the set enable signal and is reset by the trailing edge of the clock phase. In order to provide bi-directional operation, each intermediate stage also receives set enable signals from the immediately succeeding stage output. The clock signal generator supplies clock pulses in a first order for shift register operation in the forward direction and in the reverse order for shift register operation in the reverse direction.

Shift register

A switched capacitor digital/analog converter is provided for performing non-linear conversion. An input receives an n bit digital word for conversion. The individual bits of the input word control electronic switches which switch the plates of n capacitors between upper and lower reference voltages. The capacitors have values C , . . . C such that C <C for each integer x greater than &minus;1 and less than (n&minus;1) and such that C is different from 2&middot;C for at least one integer y greater than &minus;1 and less than (n&minus;1). The other electrodes of the capacitors are connected together and to the output of the converter.

Digital/analog converter, display driver and display

A surface mode liquid crystal device, for example of the pi-cell type, comprises a layer nematic liquid crystal ( ) disposed between alignment layers ( ) and an electrode arrangement ( ). The nematic liquid crystal has viscosity coefficients &eegr; , &eegr; and &ggr; , such that (&eegr; -&eegr; )/&ggr; &gE;1.15 or (&eegr; -&eegr; )/&ggr; &lE;0.9.

Liquid crystal device and display

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Oxford, United Kingdom

Harry Garth Walton