Pixtronix, Incorporated

Snaptrack Incorporated

Raytheon Company

Sharp Corporation

John Fijol

Jasper Lodewyk Steyn

Jignesh Gandhi

Roger W Barton

Richard S Payne

Nesbitt W Hagood

Timothy J Brosnihan

Nesbitt Ward Hagood, Iv

Eugene E Fike, Iii

Mark B Andersson

Stephen R Lewis

Joyce H Wu

Abraham McAllister

Edward Buckley

Alan G Lewis

Fahri Yaras

Robert H Myers

Mark Douglas Halfman

Brian Finkel

Susan Oakley

James Eakin

Kar Yue Lee

Jorma Antero Peltola

Mark J Shufelt

Nakano Taketoshi

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

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

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 invention relates to methods of manufacturing fluid-filled MEMS displays, where the fluid is sealed in the display assembly and substantially surrounds the moving components of the display to reduce the effects of stiction and to improve the optical and electromechanical performance of the display.

Methods for manufacturing fluid-filled MEMS displays

A display for imaging includes an aperture layer and a set of light modulators. The aperture layer includes a light absorbing layer disposed over a light reflecting layer, each layer having a set of apertures defined therein. The light absorbing layer includes light absorbing material suspended in a photosensitive resin. The set of light modulators are for modulating light passing through the apertures defined in the aperture layer.

Displays having self-aligned apertures and methods of making the same

The invention relates to a light modulator including a substrate having a surface and a modulation assembly coupled to the substrate that includes a modulation element and a first compliant beam. The first compliant beam includes a first segment that extend away from a first anchor and a second segment that extends back towards the first anchor. The length of the first segment is different than the length of the second segment.

Mechanical light modulators with stressed beams

The invention relates to a spatial light modulator including a substrate having a surface and a modulation assembly coupled to the substrate including a modulation element and a compliant beam. The modulation assembly is configured to limit the bending of the compliant beam towards an opposing surface that would otherwise be caused by inherent stresses within the compliant beam. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a spatial light modulator including the steps of forming and releasing a modulation assembly that has a modulation element and a compliant beam formed in a pre-release position to have an intended inherent stress state. As a result of the stress state in the compliant beam, upon release of the compliant beam, the compliant beam bends into a rest position which is different than the pre-release position, where the rest position is based in part on the intended inherent stress state.

Display devices incorporating shutter-based light modulators are disclosed along with methods of manufacturing such devices. The methods are compatible with thin-film manufacturing processes known in the art and result in displays having lower power-consumption.

Display apparatus and methods for manufacture thereof

The invention relates to methods of manufacturing display devices which include the steps of depositing a layer of a dielectric material directly on a substantially transparent substrate, depositing a layer of metal directly on top of the dielectric material, forming a plurality of apertures in the layer of metal, forming a control matrix on top of the metal layer, and forming a plurality of light-modulating shutter assemblies on top of and in electrical communication with the control matrix such that the control matrix controls the light modulation functionality of the plurality of shutter assemblies.

Methods and apparatus for spatial light modulation

The invention relates to a display apparatus including a first substrate supporting an array of light modulators, a second substrate separated from the first substrate by a gap, a fluid substantially filling the gap, sealing material joining the first substrate to the second substrate, and a bubble trapping region within a space enclosed by the sealing material for substantially constraining a location of a bubble trapped within the gap. In some embodiments, the bubble trapping region extends along a majority of a side of at least one of the substrates. In some embodiments, the fluid has a viscosity less than 70 centipoise.

Display with controlled formation of bubbles

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming a display apparatus. According to one aspect of the invention, the display apparatus includes a first substrate having an aperture layer formed thereon, a light guide for guiding light towards the aperture layer, a plurality of MEMS light modulators for modulating light passing through the aperture layer from the light guide, and a spacer substantially surrounding the light guide for keeping the light guide and the first substrate a predetermined distance apart from one another, thereby forming a gap between the first substrate and the light guide. Alternatively or in addition, the first substrate may have a control matrix formed thereon.

Spacers for maintaining display apparatus alignment

This invention relates to display apparatuses having an array of light modulators and a plurality of spacers distributed within the interior of the array. The display apparatus may also include a reflective aperture layer disposed on a front facing surface of a substrate included in the display apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

John Fijol