Pixtronix, Incorporated

Snaptrack Incorporated

Sharp Corporation

Pitronix, Inc.

Jignesh Gandhi

Jasper Lodewyk Steyn

John Fijol

Richard S Payne

Roger W Barton

Nesbitt Ward Hagood, Iv

Je Hong Kim

Nesbitt W Hagood

Eugene E Fike, Iii

Timothy J Brosnihan

Stephen R Lewis

Edward Buckley

Abraham McAllister

Fahri Yaras

Joyce H Wu

Robert H Myers

Mark Douglas Halfman

Alan G Lewis

Mark B Andersson

Rainer M Malzbender

Javier Villarreal

Jianru Shi

Cait Ni Chleirigh

Brian Finkel

Susan Oakley

James Eakin

Nakano Taketoshi

Mark J Shufelt

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for enhancing display viewability in high ambient conditions without excessive increase in power consumption. In one aspect, a controller associated with the display device can be configured to obtain an indication of ambient light conditions from an ambient light sensor or from a host device hosting the display device. Upon receiving an image frame, the controller can derive a set of color subfields and determine a bit-depth value for each color subfield based on the obtained indication of current ambient light conditions and mapping data which maps ranges of ambient light to respective bit-depth values on a color subfield by color subfield basis. The controller can then generate a number of subframes for each color subfield based on the respective determined bit-depth value and cause the generated subframes to be displayed.

Apparatus and method for adaptive image rendering based on ambient light levels

A method of operating a display including loading image data to pixels in multiple rows of pixels in an array of pixels during a data loading phase, actuating the pixels in the multiple rows during an update phase, and illuminating at least one lamp during an lamp illumination phase to illuminate the actuated pixels to form an image on the display, in which each of the loading, actuating and illuminating phases partially overlap in time.

Circuits for controlling display apparatus

A display apparatus incorporating electromechanical light modulators and a layer of material including apertures corresponding to the electromechanical light modulators that results in the display apparatus having lower power-consumption.

MEMS-based display apparatus

A direct-view display apparatus includes a transparent substrate, an internal light source, a plurality of light modulators coupled to the transparent substrate, and a controller for controlling the states of the plurality of light modulators and the internal light source. The controller is configured to cause the display to transition from one of a transmissive, reflective and transflective mode, to a second of said modes.

Reflective and transflective operation modes for a display device

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for dissipating charge buildup within a display element with a conductive layer. The conductive layer is maintained in electrical contact with a fluid within the display element. The fluid, in turn, remains in contact with light modulators within the display elements. Any charge buildup that may be caused by the filling of the fluid during fabrication of the display device, or during operation of the light modulators can be dissipated by the conductive layer. Thus, by dissipating the charge buildup, the conductive layer reduces or eliminates electrostatic forces due to the charge buildup that may affect the operability of the light modulators. The display can include conductive spacers in an active display region of the display and a spacer-free region that allows the substrates to deform while retaining an electrical connection between the conductive layer and the spacers in the active display region.

Electromechanical systems display apparatus incorporating charge dissipation surfaces

Systems and methods for a display having an array of pixels, a substrate, and a control matrix formed on the substrate are described. The array of pixels includes mechanical light modulators that can be referred to as micro-electro-mechanical or MEMS light modulators. The MEMS light modulators may be shutter-based light modulators, and an array of apertures may be formed on the substrate corresponding spatially to the shutters in the array of shutter-based light modulators. Each modulator is configured to be driven from a-light-blocking state to a-light-transmissive state through a movement direction. The array of light modulators are arranged to reduce the correlations in movement directions of neighboring pixels, thereby reducing the amplitude of acoustic emissions from the display.

Systems and methods for MEMS light modulator arrays with reduced acoustic emission

This application relates to a display including a first layer of material including a first aperture having at least one side, a first substrate separated from the first layer of material by a gap, where the first substrate is arranged to pass through a portion of light emitted from a light source into the gap. The display further includes a movable shutter arranged within the gap, where the shutter is movable to at least a first position and a second position, to obstruct passage of the portion of light through the first aperture at the first position. The movable shutter has a first edge, and in the first position, the movable shutter is aligned with the first aperture such that the first edge extends a first length past the at least one side of the first aperture.

Alignment methods in fluid-filled MEMS displays

Display devices incorporating light modulators are disclosed along with methods of manufacturing such devices. According to some aspects of the invention, a control matrix for controlling light modulators of a display includes a light absorbing layer that includes a material having a substantially light absorbing property.

Display apparatus and methods for manufacture thereof

Improved apparatus and method for collecting and directing light from a source via a light guide and modulated display assembly in an efficient manner through the design and use of prismatic optical structures, diffusers and/or light redirectors.

Light guides and backlight systems incorporating prismatic structures and light redirectors

This invention relates to MEMS display apparatus and methods for assembly thereof that include a plurality of light modulators having components substantially surrounded in a liquid that reduces the effects of stiction and improves the optical and electromechanical performance of the display apparatus. The invention also relates to methods for aligning components of a MEMS display to establish a correspondence between the plurality of light modulators and a plurality of apertures to regulate the transmission of light through the apparatus.

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for reducing undesired capacitance and electrostatic attraction among components of electromechanical systems (EMS) displays. An apparatus includes an array of display elements, a control matrix, and an electric insulation layer. The display elements each include a movable light blocking component coupled to a conductive beam. The control matrix includes a plurality of interconnects, including at least one switched interconnect, which passes under and is electrically isolated from at least one of the conductive beam and the movable light blocking component.

Display apparatus with densely packed electromechanical systems display elements

An apparatus for displaying three-dimensional (3D) images includes an array of display elements and a controller. The controller can control a set of display elements in the array to form, at a first time, a first eye image corresponding to input data by causing the light modulators to be driven into a first set of positions. The first eye image includes an angular distribution of light weighted towards a first side of the display. The controller also can control the same set of display elements to form, at a second time, a second eye image corresponding to input data by causing the light modulators to be driven into a second set of positions. The second eye image includes an angular distribution of light weighted towards an opposite side of the display.

Three dimensional (3D) image generation using electromechanical display elements

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for displaying images using a frame-specific contributing color (FSCC). In one aspect, an input is configured to receive image data corresponding to a current image frame. Contributing color selection logic is configured, based on received image data, to obtain a FSCC for use in conjunction with a set of frame-independent contributing colors (FICCs) to generate the current image frame on a display. In addition, subframe generation logic is configured to process the received image data for the current image frame to generate at least two subframes for each of the FICCs and the obtained FSCC such that an output by the display of the generated subframes results in the display of the current image frame.

Display apparatus employing frame specific composite contributing colors

A display includes pixels and a controller. The controller can cause the pixels to generate colors corresponding to an image frame. The controller can cause the display to display the image frame using sets of subframe images corresponding to contributing colors according to a field sequential color (FSC) image formation process. The contributing colors include component colors and at least one composite color, which is substantially a combination of at least two component colors. A greater number of subframe images corresponding to a first component color can be displayed relative to a number of subframe images corresponding to another component color. The display can be configured to output a given luminance of a contributing color for a first pixel by generating a first set of pixel states and output the same luminance of the contributing color for a second pixel by generating a second, different set of pixel states.

Display devices and methods for generating images thereon

Systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed herein for adjusting the operation of a display based on ambient lighting conditions. One such apparatus includes a sensor input for receiving sensor data indicative of an ambient lighting condition, output logic and color gamut correction logic. The output logic is configured to simultaneously cause light sources of at least two colors to be illuminated to form each of at least three generated primary colors. The color gamut correction logic is configured to cause the output logic to adjust the output of at least one display light source for each of the at least three generated primary colors to change the saturation of each of the at least three generated primary colors based on the received ambient light sensor data.

Growing community of inventors

Burlington, MA, United States of America

Jignesh Gandhi