Abstract: A video display system includes a passive display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel including a first plurality of horizontally aligned transparent conductive scanning electrodes and a second plurality of vertically aligned transparent conductive signal electrodes disposed on opposed surfaces of the panel. Light directed onto the aft surface of the display panel is transmitted through the panel as each horizontal linear array of first scanning electrodes is turned "ON" with the horizontal linear arrays sequentially turned on for vertically scanning the display panel in a step wise manner. Time varying video image information is provided to the vertically aligned electrodes. Liquid crystal display backlighting is provided in the form of a thin, elongated light beam of uniform intensity directed onto the display panel's aft surface.

Abstract: A multi-beam electron gun for a color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal inline beams, where each inline array of beams provides the three primary colors of red, green and blue and adjacent inline beam arrays simultaneously trace adjacent horizontal scan lines on the color CRT's display screen. The beams in each horizontal inline array of beams are focused on a common spot on the display screen, with the three beams deflected across the screen in unison. Each inline array of beams is modulated in accordance with that portion of the video image which they form allowing adjacent, vertically spaced inline arrays to write different video image information on the screen in simultaneously forming adjacent portions of the color video image. In the beam-forming region of the electron gun, a charged grid includes an array of apertures including at least upper and lower horizontally aligned apertures for passing inline arrays of beams.

Abstract: An inline electron gun for use in a multi-beam color cathode ray tube (CRT) has a main focus lens for focusing the electron beams on a display screen of the CRT. The main focus lens includes adjacent charged electrodes each having a respective common lens aperture through which the electron beams are directed and which are in facing relation for reducing horizontal spherical aberration of the electron beams on the display screen, where each common lens aperture has a longitudinal axis aligned with the inline electron beams. In one embodiment, each common lens aperture is chain-link-shaped including spaced, vertically enlarged portions, each aligned with a respective electron beam for correcting for vertical spherical aberration. Each adjacent electrode further includes a plurality of auxiliary apertures, each aligned with and passing a respective electron beam.

Abstract: A color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a multi-beam electron gun capable of operating in two or more modes for use as either a television receiver display or as a high resolution video monitor. The electron gun directs a plurality of electron beams onto the CRT's display screen, with the electron beams arranged in two or more groups. In one group of electron beams, the beam forming portion of the electron gun provides small diameter electron beams having reduced spot size on the CRT's display screen for high video image resolution when used as a monitor for graphics and/or character display. In another group of electron beams, the beam forming portion of the electron gun provides electron beams having a larger diameter and current for increased video image brightness when used as a television receiver. Each group of electron beams includes a plurality of horizontally aligned electron beams, with each beam providing one of the primary colors of red, green, or blue.

Abstract: A video display system includes a passive display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel including a first plurality of horizontally aligned transparent conductive scanning electrodes and a second plurality of vertically aligned transparent conductive signal electrodes disposed on opposed surfaces of the panel. Light directed onto the aft surface of the display panel is transmitted through the panel as each horizontal linear array of first scanning electrodes is turned "ON" with the horizontal linear arrays sequentially turned on for vertically scanning the display panel in a step wise manner. Video image information is provided to the vertically aligned electrodes. Liquid crystal display backlighting is provided by an elongated, linear lamp disposed within a first concave reflector for directing the beam onto a second reflector which reflects the beam onto the display panel's aft surface in the form of a thin, elongated line extending the width of the display panel.

Abstract: An electron gun for use in a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a cathode, a low voltage beam forming region (BFR), and a high voltage deflection focus lens disposed in the beam deflection region of the CRT's magnetic deflection yoke for simultaneous and coincident focusing and deflection of the electron beam on the CRT's display screen. The deflection lens includes a plurality of first focus grids disposed in the CRT's neck portion including a spaced first pair of grids each having respective beam passing apertures, with one of the beam passing apertures horizontally offset and the other beam passing aperture vertically offset from the electron beam axis. Other grids disposed on opposed sides of each of the first pair of grids have respective beam passing apertures centered with respect to the electron beam axis and are maintained at a fixed focus voltage.

Abstract: An electron gun such as used in a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes an Einzel lens having charged G3, G4 and G5 grids for focusing an electron beam on the CRT's display screen. The G3, G4 and G5 grids are cylindrical and have the same inner diameter, with their respective longitudinal axes colinear and aligned with the electron beam axis. Where T is the thickness of a grid and L is the G3-G4 or G4-G5 spacing, or gap, shielding against stray electrostatic fields within the grids arising from stray electrons on either a grid-supporting glass bead or on the inner surface of the CRT's neck portion is provided by maintaining the relationship 3.0.gtoreq.T/L.gtoreq.0.75. Another embodiment employs thinner grids having a thickness t with outward turned end flanges, or folded edges, disposed about facing edges of adjacent grids having a thickness T, where T>t and the above-stated relationship of T/L is maintained.

Abstract: A multi-beam electron gun for use in a monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT) such as used in a black and white television receiver, a projection television receiver, or a computer monitor includes G1 control and G2 screen grids each having a plurality of vertically aligned apertures for forming electron beams which are deflected in unison across the CRT's display screen to simultaneously trace a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal scan lines with each display screen sweep. The electron beams are deflected across the screen in a raster-like manner with each beam containing video information for each adjacent scan line. The G1 control grid includes a plurality of discrete conductive portions each including a respective beam passing aperture and each coupled to a respective video signal source, with the video signal sources including memory for storing video signal information for subsequent display.

Abstract: An inline electron gun for a color cathode ray tube (CRT) directs electron beams through an Einzel lens common to all of the beams for focusing the beams on a display screen across which the beams are scanned in horizontal scan lines in a raster-like manner. The electron gun includes a beam forming region (BFR) for forming the beams in a matrix array including a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally aligned apertures, where each horizontally aligned group of apertures passes the primary color electron beams for one scan line on the display screen and vertically aligned apertures are grouped to pass common color electron beams which are horizontally deflected in synchronism over adjacent, vertically spaced scan lines on the display screen.

Abstract: A projection liquid crystal display (LCD) system includes a liquid crystal display panel including a first plurality of horizontally aligned transparent conductive scanning electrodes and a second plurality of vertically aligned transparent conductive signal electrodes disposed on opposed surfaces of the panel. Light directed onto the display panel's aft surface is transmitted through the panel as each horizontal linear array of electrodes is turned "ON", with the horizontal linear arrays sequentially turned on for vertically scanning the display panel in a stepwise manner. LCD backlighting is provided by a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a phosphorbearing faceplate which emits light when an electron beam is incident thereon. The CRT includes two electron beams which are directed onto the faceplate's inner phosphor layer and are deflected in opposed directions along a common horizontal scan line, where each horizontal scan line on the CRT's faceplate is traced in sequence by the two beams.

Abstract: A multi-beam electron gun for a color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal inline beams, where each inline array of beams provides the three primary colors of red, green and blue and adjacent inline beam arrays simultaneously trace adjacent horizontal scan lines on the color CRT's display screen. The beams in each horizontal inline array of beams are focused on a common spot on the display screen, with the three beams deflected across the screen in unison. Each inline array of beams is modulated in accordance with that portion of the video image which they form allowing adjacent, vertically spaced inline arrays to write different video image information on the screen in simultaneously forming adjacent portions of the color video image.

Abstract: In an inline electron gun for use in a color cathode ray tube (CRT), a fixed, or static, electrostatic quadrupole in the low voltage beam forming region (BFR) exerts a negative astigmatism on the electron beams in reducing beam horizontal cross-section and compensating for the horizontal under-focusing of the beams by the CRT's self-converging magnetic deflection yoke. The negative astigmatism is compensated for by a dynamic electrostatic quadrupole in the CRT's main focusing lens. The electrostatic quadrupole in the CRT's BFR includes either a plurality of spaced, horizontally oriented, aligned, elongated indentations in the G.sub.2 facing surface of the G.sub.1 control grid or a plurality of spaced, vertically oriented, elongated indentations in the G.sub.1 facing surface of the G.sub.2 screen grid, where each of the indentations has an associated through-hole circular aperture through the grid.

Abstract: An electron gun for a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a cathode, a low voltage beam forming region (BFR), and a high voltage deflection focus lens disposed in the beam deflection region of the CRT's yoke for simultaneous focusing and deflection of the electron beam on the CRT's display screen. The deflection lens includes a first electrode either in the form of a cylindrical metal grid or a conductive coating disposed on the inner surface of the CRT's neck portion and extending into the magnetic deflection field. The deflection lens further includes a second electrode disposed either on or immediately adjacent to the inner surface of the CRT's frusto-conical funnel portion intermediate the magnetic deflection yoke and the CRT's display screen.

Abstract: A projection liquid crystal display (LCD) system includes an LCD panel including a first plurality of horizontally aligned transparent conductive scanning electrodes and a second plurality of vertically aligned transparent conductive signal electrodes disposed on opposed surfaces of the panel. Light directed onto the aft surface of the display panel is transmitted through the panel as each horizontal linear array of first scanning electrodes is turned "ON", with the horizontal linear arrays sequentially turned on for vertically scanning the display panel in a stepwise manner. Liquid crystal display backlighting is provided by a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a phosphor-bearing faceplate which emits light when energetic electrons in the form of a horizontal, linear, elongated beam are incident thereon.

Abstract: An inline electron gun for use in a multi-beam color cathode ray tube (CRT) has a main focus lens for focusing the electron beams on a display screen of the CRT. The main focus lens includes adjacent charged electrodes each having chain link-type common lens apertures through which the electron beams are directed and which are in facing relation for reducing horizontal spherical aberration of the electron beams on the CRT display screen, where each common lens aperture has a longitudinal axis aligned with the inline electron beams. Each common lens aperture includes spaced, vertically enlarged portions, each aligned with a respective electron beam, for correcting for vertical spherical aberration of the electron beams. Increasing the vertical dimension of that portion of each of the common lens apertures aligned with a respective electron beam reduces the vertical spot size of the electron beam without degrading other electron gun operating characteristics.

Abstract: A limiting aperture disposed in a relatively low voltage and electrostatic field-free region in the main focusing lens portion of an electron gun in a cathode ray tube (CRT) provides reduced electron beam spot size and improved video image contrast and purity in the CRT's display screen. The generally circular limiting aperture is disposed on the axis of the electron gun and within a charged electrode, or grid, within the main focusing lens. The cylindrically shaped, charged grid is elongated along the gun axis and includes generally circular recesses in facing surfaces thereof, which recesses are also disposed on the gun axis and separated by an inner partition defining the limiting aperture. The charged grid is maintained at a voltage V.sub.G, with V.sub.G .ltoreq.0.12 V.sub.A, where V.sub.A is the CRT's anode voltage.

Abstract: The low voltage beam forming region (BFR) of an electron gun such as used in a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a reduced aperture in an electrostatic field-free region of the gun's G.sub.2 screen grid. The electron gun's G.sub.1 control grid is provided with an enlarged aperture to allow more electrons to enter the BFR from the cathode for increased electron beam peak current densities and enhanced video display brightness. The limiting aperture in the G.sub.2 grid intercepts outer electrons in the electron beam as well as those electrons having a high velocity transverse to the beam axis for limiting beam spot size and eliminating undesirable "halo" about the electron beam spot on the CRT's display screen. In another embodiment, the spacing between the electron gun's cathode and its G.sub.1 control grid is increased to allow the introduction of more electrons in the beam for higher peak electron beam current density while the G.sub.

Abstract: An electron gun for a color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a cathode, a low voltage beam forming region (BFR), and a high voltage deflection focus lens disposed in the beam deflection region of the CRT's magnetic deflection yoke for simultaneous and coincident focusing and deflection of the electron beams on the CRT's display screen. The deflection lens includes a first focus electrode either in the form of a cylindrical metal grid or a conductive coating disposed on the inner surface of the CRT's neck portion and extending into the magnetic deflection field. The deflection lens further includes a second focus electrode either in the form of a conductive coating or a frusto-conical metallic grid disposed on or immediately adjacent to the inner surface of the CRT's funnel portion intermediate the magnetic deflection yoke and the CRT's display screen.

Abstract: Energetic electrons emitted by heated cathodes in a multi-beam color cathode ray tube (CRT) are directed to a low voltage beam forming region (BFR) of an electron gun, with the thus formed electron beams then directed through a high voltage main focus lens for focusing the beams on a display screen of the CRT. The BFR includes a G.sub.2 electron having three spaced inline apertures each disposed within an essentially electrostatic field-free region and through each of which a respective electron beam passes. Each G.sub.2 aperture intercepts an outer portion of an associated electron beam to provide an electron beam cross sectional shape which compensates for the asymmetric focusing effect of the main focus lens in correcting for beam spherical aberration to provide a rotationally symmetric electron beam spot on the display screen.

Abstract: A limiting aperture disposed in a low voltage, beam forming region (BFR) of an electron gun in a cathode ray tube (CRT) provides reduced electron beam spot size with low power dissipation. The limiting aperture is located in a low voltage, electrostatic field-free region, preferably in the screen grid electrode G.sub.2, where the field-free region is formed by increasing the thickness of the screen grid electrode G.sub.2 to 1.8 times the diameter of a pair of circular recessed portions in opposing surfaces of the screen grid electrode G.sub.2 which are separated by the small diameter limiting aperture on the electron gun's axis through which the beam is directed. A narrow, relatively electrostatic field-free zone is thus formed in the center of the screen grid electrode G.sub.2 which is maintained at a relatively low voltage, i.e., ranging from approximately 300 V to less than 12% of the anode voltage.