Sony Corporation

Candescent Technologies Corporation

Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc.

Rf Systems, Inc.

Jerome M Truppa

James C Dunphy

Ronald L Hansen

James Montague Cleeves

Christopher J Spindt

Yukinobu Iguchi

Donald John Elloway

Richard Allen Wayman

Gregory M Fink

Brian E Lindberg

Duke K Amaniampong

A field emission display (FED) having a correction system with a correction coefficient derived from emission current is presented. Within one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, a field emission display has an anode at the faceplate and a focus structure. The anode potential is held at ground while the focus structure potential is held between, but is not limited to, 40 and 50 volts. The current flowing to the focus structure is measured and used as the basis for the correction coefficient for the field emission display.

System and method for recalibrating flat panel field emission displays

A circuit and method for turning-on and turning-off elements of an field emission display (FED) device to protect against emitter electrode and gate electrode degradation. The circuit includes control logic having a sequencer which in one embodiment can be realized using a state machine. Upon power-on, the control logic sends an enable signal to a high voltage power supply that supplies voltage to the anode electrode. At this time a low voltage power supply and driving circuitry are disabled. Upon receiving a confirmation signal from the high voltage power supply, the control logic enables the low voltage power supply which supplies voltage to the driving circuitry. Upon receiving a confirmation signal from the low voltage power supply, or optionally after expiration of a predetermined time period, the control logic then enables the driving circuitry which drives the gate electrodes and the emitter electrodes which make up the rows and columns of the FED device. Upon power down, the control logic first disables the low voltage power supply, then the high voltage power supply. The above may occur upon each time the FED is powered-on and powered-off during the normal operational use of the display. By so doing, embodiments of the present invention reduce emitter electrode and gate electrode degradation by restricting electron emission from the emitter electrode directly to the gate electrode.

Procedures and apparatus for turning-on and turning-off elements within a field emission display device

The present invention is a self-calibrating n.times.m optical routing switch which is controlled by a microprocessor to operate when signal condition degrades beyond user-definable thresholds. Preferably, the optical routing switch is a 2.times.2 or 1.times.2 device with an optical switch isolator to minimize crosstalk. In other embodiments, the optical routing switch output comprises the RF modulation carried by the input optical signal or the optical fiber input comprises a plurality of carrier wavelengths. A microprocessor compares real-time signal quality to a standard value and operates the switch when signal quality falls below a threshold value. Depending on the desired characteristics of the optical routing switch, the microprocessor controlled switch may comprise an optical switch, an optical switch isolator coupled to an optical switch, an optical switch isolator coupled to a wave division multiplexer, or an RF switch.

Self-calibrating optical fiber switch

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Jerome M Truppa