Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a shutter-based light modulator. The shutter includes at least three depressions extending outward from the surface of the shutter. Any two adjacent depressions of the at least three depressions define a gap therebetween to reduce damping forces caused by fluids in which the shutter is immersed. In some implementations, the at least three depressions can be aligned into more than one row, each row including more than two of the at least three depressions, along the surface of the shutter. In some implementations, to improve structural stability of the shutter, depressions in one row are staggered with respect to depressions in another row.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for reducing flicker in display devices. In one image formation process, the controller can determine a number of subframes to be displayed for a subfield based on a temperature of a display apparatus. In some implementations, the controller can determine dithering parameters based on the determined number of subframes, and perform dithering on pixel intensity values based on the determined dithering parameters. In some implementations, a vector error diffusion technique can be utilized for performing dithering. In some implementations the controller can determine drive voltages for light modulators and drive currents for light sources used for displaying the subframes, based on the temperature of the display apparatus.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for actuating an electromechanical systems (EMS)-based light modulator. An actuator for an EMS-based light modulator can be formed from the combination of a drive electrode, an anchored shutter electrode, and a suspended shutter electrode. A parallel plate portion of the drive electrode along with the suspended shutter electrode form a parallel plate portion of the actuator. A zipper portion of the drive electrode and the anchored shutter electrode form a zipper portion of the actuator.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a first substrate, a plurality of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) light modulators formed from a structural material coupled to the first substrate and a second substrate separated from the first substrate. A plurality of spacers extend from the first substrate to keep the second substrate a minimum distance away from the plurality of light modulators. The spacers include a first polymer layer having a surface in contact with the first substrate, a second polymer layer encapsulating the first polymer layer and a layer of the structural material encapsulating the second polymer layer. The spacers can be used as fluid barriers and configured to surround more than one but less than all of the MEMS light modulators in the display apparatus.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a multi-state shutter assembly. The multi-state shutter assembly can be used in an electronic display. The shutter assembly can include a movable light obstructing component. The shutter assembly also can include first and second actuators configured to move the light obstructing component between three states, including a fully light obstructive state, a substantially transmissive state, and a partially transmissive state. At least one of the three states is a neutral state in which both the first and second actuators are in an unactuated state. The shutter assembly also can include a controller configured to control the first and second actuator to selectively move the light obstructing component into each of the three states.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for actuating an electromechanical systems (EMS)-based light modulator. An actuator for an EMS-based light modulator can be formed from the combination of a drive electrode, an anchored shutter electrode, and a suspended shutter electrode. A parallel plate portion of the drive electrode along with the suspended shutter electrode form a parallel plate portion of the actuator. A zipper portion of the drive electrode and the anchored shutter electrode form a zipper portion of the actuator.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a MEMS display incorporating integrated sidewall reflectors. The display can include a light blocking component suspended over a substrate. The light blocking component can include an aperture in its surface that is parallel to the substrate. The display can include one or more sidewall reflectors positioned within the aperture. The one or more sidewall reflectors can be arranged at least partially normal to the surface of the light blocking component. Light that is directed through the aperture can be reflected off of the sidewall reflectors to escape from the display at a higher angle than would otherwise be possible.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus utilizing flexures in a display. In some implementations, an electromechanical systems (EMS) device can include flexures that have low stiffness along the axis of motion of a light modulator, and high stiffness in other directions. The flexures may include one or more beams mechanically coupling a MEMS structure to an anchor. The beams may be coupled to a hinge portion, the hinge portion being configured to suppress out of plane motion by the MEMS structure and the flexures. The flexures also may suppress out-of-plane motion using a stiffened portion. The stiffened portion can be mechanically coupled to the hinge portion or at least one beam of the flexure. By varying the cross-section geometry of the stiffened portion, the stiffness of the stiffened portion may be controlled to increase the force required to move the flexure in an out-of-plane direction.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a multi-state shutter assembly. The multi-state shutter assembly can be used in an electronic display. The shutter assembly can include a movable light obstructing component. The shutter assembly also can include first and second actuators configured to move the light obstructing component between three states, including a fully light obstructive state, a substantially transmissive state, and a partially transmissive state. At least one of the three states is a neutral state in which both the first and second actuators are in an unactuated state. The shutter assembly also can include a controller configured to control the first and second actuator to selectively move the light obstructing component into each of the three states.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for forming display structures having shutters that have a different height than corresponding actuators. In one aspect, a display apparatus includes an electrostatic actuator including opposing beam electrodes having primary faces normal to a substrate on which they are formed. The height of at least one of the opposing beam electrodes defines an actuator height. The apparatus also includes a shutter configured to be driven by the electrostatic actuator. The shutter includes at least one protrusion, the protrusion having a first sidewall and a second sidewall normal to a primary plane of the shutter, wherein a first sidewall height of the first sidewall is substantially different from the actuator height.

Abstract: Techniques relating to scrolling, object selection, and object moving are discussed. Strokes are inputted by a user, for instance using a touch sensitive surface. Strokes are directed to a scrollable surface with objects therein. Strokes that end before meeting a condition select the objects, and strokes then end after meeting the condition move the objects or representations thereof. The condition may be a distance. Selection may only occur when strokes meet a threshold condition such as having a particular direction (e.g., perpendicular to a direction for scrolling the surface) or moving a minimal distance. Strokes in a scrolling direction (e.g., horizontal) may scroll the surface in that direction and strokes in another direction (e.g., vertical) may both select and move the objects. Objects selected may slide on rails before moving.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a computing device having storage, a processor, a display, a first human input device, and a second human input device, where the first human input device is in a first category of human input devices and the second human input device is in a second category of human input devices. The computing device may perform a process involving executing a windowing environment that manages windows of applications executing on the computing device. The windowing environment may receive raw inputs from the first and second human input devices and in turn generate input pointers for the raw inputs, respectively. The input pointers may be or include instances of an input pointer class implemented by the windowing environment, the pointer class used by the windowing environment for arbitrary different types of human input pointer devices including the first human input device and the second human input device.

Abstract: An interactive display system with a contact geometry interface is disclosed. The interactive display system may include a multi-touch display, a touch detection system configured to detect a touch input on the multi-touch display and to generate contact geometry for a contact region of the touch input, and an application programming interface executed on a processor of the interactive display system. The application programming interface may be configured to receive the contact geometry and to send the contact geometry to a requesting application program for application-level processing. Further, the application programming interface may be configured to receive from the application program a display command based on the application level-processing. The application programming interface may be configured to send the display command to the multi-touch display to adjust a display of a graphical element on the multi-touch display.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a first substrate, a plurality of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) light modulators formed from a structural material coupled to the first substrate and a second substrate separated from the first substrate. A plurality of spacers extend from the first substrate to keep the second substrate a minimum distance away from the plurality of light modulators. The spacers include a first polymer layer having a surface in contact with the first substrate, a second polymer layer encapsulating the first polymer layer and a layer of the structural material encapsulating the second polymer layer. The spacers can be used as fluid barriers and configured to surround more than one but less than all of the MEMS light modulators in the display apparatus.

Abstract: An interactive display system with a contact geometry interface is disclosed. The interactive display system may include a multi-touch display, a touch detection system configured to detect a touch input on the multi-touch display and to generate contact geometry for a contact region of the touch input, and an application programming interface executed on a processor of the interactive display system. The application programming interface may be configured to receive the contact geometry and to send the contact geometry to a requesting application program for application-level processing. Further, the application programming interface may be configured to receive from the application program a display command based on the application level-processing. The application programming interface may be configured to send the display command to the multi-touch display to adjust a display of a graphical element on the multi-touch display.