Abstract: A micromirror device comprises a plurality of mirrors arranged on a substrate, an elastic hinge for supporting any each of the mirrors to be deflectable in a plurality of directions, an electrode arranged to face the mirror, and a driving circuit, which is connected to the mirror via the elastic hinge, for applying to the mirror an address voltage for independently controlling the deflection of the mirror.

Abstract: A method for controlling a micromirror device including mirror elements each composed of a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and a address electrode arranged across the deflection axis of the micromirror comprises deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for the address electrode.

Abstract: A micromirror device comprises a plurality of mirrors arranged on a substrate, an elastic hinge for supporting each mirror to be deflectable, an address electrode having first and second regions arranged across the deflection axis of each mirror, a driving circuit for controlling a deflection of the mirror, and a stopper provided in a position of making contact with the mirror in a deflected state of the mirror. When the mirror makes contact with the stopper, the potential of the mirror or the stopper changes.

Abstract: A mirror device including: a mirror arranged on a substrate, supported by a hinge, and arranged substantially parallel to the substrate; a plurality of address electrodes for deflecting the mirror to an ON state, an OFF state, or an oscillating state; and a drive circuit for applying a voltage to the plurality of address electrodes. The mirror device is controlled such that a voltage can be applied to a corresponding address electrode to deflect the mirror, and oscillation in the oscillating state can be started from a state of the deflected mirror.

Abstract: A mirror device which deflects incident light includes: a mirror arranged on a substrate and supported by a hinge; an address electrode deflecting the mirror to an ON state, an OFF state, or an oscillating state; a drive circuit applying a voltage to the address electrode; and a first stopper unit determining an oscillation amplitude in the oscillating state.

Abstract: A micromirror device, which makes an image display with digital image data, comprises pixel elements each of which makes pulse width modulation for incident light depending on the deflection state of light and which are arranged in the form of an array. The array of the pixel elements is composed of B subsets each including pixel elements of Ms (COLUMNs)×Ns (ROWs) (Ms, Ns, and B are natural numbers). Each of the pixel elements has a mirror, and at least one memory cell. The memory cell has a transistor of an input gate capacity Ct[F]. Each memory cell is connected by a ROW line having a wiring resistance R[?], and a wiring capacity C[F]. When a gray scale display of 10 [bits] or more for each color is made with a color sequential display of C0 colors, Ms, Ns, B, Ct, R, C, and C0 have a relationship of R*(Ct+C)<(1.63*10?5*B)/[Co*Ms*Ns*(Ms+1)].

Abstract: The invention provides a display method using a plurality of subfields, the method including the step of splitting image data into N segments and distributing the intensity information on the image data in such a way that in a plurality of subfields that form a one-frame display period, the integrals of display light to be displayed in M (M?2) subfields are substantially the same, wherein in the splitting and distributing step, each of at least M split data has the LSB (least significant bit) is equal to the weight of the bit of the image data having the weight of the bit close to the (N?1).

Abstract: A display control system, comprises: a spatial light modulator (SLM) constituted by a plurality of pixel elements placed in array; a first control unit for controlling each of the plurality of pixel elements under a state of ON or OFF; a second control unit for controlling each of the plurality of pixel elements under a state other than the ON or OFF states; a control changeover unit for dividing one frame period, for each pixel element of the plurality thereof, into a period of the first control unit controlling and that of the second control unit controlling, and also changing over between a control of the first control unit and that of the second control unit for each pixel element of the plurality thereof; and a data division unit for dividing input data to each of the plurality of pixel elements into first control unit-use data, which is input to the first control unit, and second control unit-use data which is input to the second control unit in accordance with the content of the present input data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display system, comprising: a display device having a plurality of mirrors and an oscillating state; and a processor processing an input video signal and controlling the display device, wherein the processor generates a control signal for controlling the individual mirrors constituting an image based on a value of at least either of a reflection light intensity L, or of an oscillation period T, of a predetermined mirror.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image signal processor, comprising: (a) an input circuit for receiving and/or holding an image signal of N-bit binary data word, where N is a positive integer; (b) a data converter converting at least M-bit data of binary data into non-binary data having multiple bits, where M is a positive integer and N?M?2, wherein (c) all bits of the non-binary data have a weight which is equal to, or less than, that of the least significant bit of the M-bit data of binary data; and (d) the data converter outputting the each bit of the non-binary data in sequence starting from an equal data value.

Abstract: This invention provides a display system that receives an image signal containing a binary data of N bits, wherein N is a positive integer, for displaying an image with a grayscale corresponding to the binary data. The display system further includes a data converter for converting M-bit of the N bits of the binary data into a non-binary data, wherein M is a positive integer and N?M, for applying the non-binary data as a sub-frame in controlling the gray scale in displaying the image. In an exemplary embodiment, the data converter converts consecutive M-bit of the N bits of the binary data into the non-binary data. The display system further includes a spatial light modulator (SLM) having a plurality of pixel elements and the SLM receiving the non-binary data of M bits for controlling the pixel elements.

Abstract: This invention provides a display control system that includes: a) a micromirror array comprising a plurality of mirrors; b) a first control function for controlling the mirrors in a first state; c) a second control function for controlling the mirrors in a second state; d) and a switchover controller for switching from the first state to second state, or from the second state to first state, wherein the switchover controller switches the state of at least two mirrors simultaneously at a same predetermined point within a frame period.

Abstract: An image display device, which uses a spatial light modulator (SLM), comprises a deflective modulation element, which is provided in the SLM, for deflecting illuminating light depending on the deflection state of the element itself, a data converting unit for converting at least N consecutive bits of binary data according to an image signal into non-binary data, and a controlling unit for controlling the deflective modulation element with the non-binary data.

Abstract: Additional control flexibilities to generate more gray scales for an image display system is achieved by controlling the intensity distribution of the light projection from a light source to a deflecting mirror to further coordinate with the control of the intermediate states of the deflecting mirror. The control light source intensity distribution can provide incident light with wide varieties of intensity distributions including non-uniform, symmetrical and non-symmetrical, different distributions of polarizations, various cross sectional shapes of the incident lights and other combinations of all of the above variations. More stable and better control of gray scale control is also achieved by optimizing the intensity distributions of the incident light to produce the best visual effects of the image display.

Abstract: An image display system includes a light source for projecting an illumination light. The image display system further includes a light source control unit that controls the light source to adjust the illumination intensity and/or light emission time of the illumination light. The display system further includes an SLM (Spatial Light Modulator) having a plurality of pixel elements. The SLM modulates the incident illumination light to generate gray scales. The light source control unit controls the light source during at least one time slice in one frame period, and the SLM uses that time slice to control a minimum adjustable gray scale.

Abstract: Additional control flexibilities to generate more gray scales for an image display system is achieved by controlling the intensity distribution of the light projection from a light source to a deflecting mirror to further coordinate with the control of the intermediate states of the deflecting mirror. The control light source intensity distribution can provide incident light with wide varieties of intensity distributions including non-uniform, symmetrical and non-symmetrical, different distributions of polarizations, various cross sectional shapes of the incident lights and other combinations of all of the above variations. More stable and better control of gray scale control is also achieved by optimizing the intensity distributions of the incident light to produce the best visual effects of the image display.

Abstract: Test light emitting operation is performed in test zones or manufacturer zones formed across 100 or more tracks in a non-user area in an inner or outer disk portion. The optical output power is set successively for output currents Iw0, Iw1, and Iw2 during the above test light emitting operation. In an operation in a write mode, a CPU sets a W0-D/A converter, a W1-D/A converter, W2-D/A converter so that a W0-constant current circuit, a W1-constant current circuit, and a W2-constant current circuit can provide currents in accordance with the outputs of the respective D/A converters. Three switches are turned on and off in response to write data thereby supplying a driving current to a laser diode. Thus, the laser diode is driven by a multiple-level driving current using a simple low-frequency-band circuit without having to perform power setting operation in an ALPC area of an optical recording medium.

Abstract: In response to the output of an operational amplifier, a CPU sets via an R-D/A converter an R-constant current circuit for supplying a read power current Ir to a semiconductor laser thereby driving it, and also sets via a W0-D/A converter an W0-constant current circuit for supplying a first write power current Iw0 to the semiconductor laser thereby driving it. The output of the W0-D/A converter is applied to two voltage-controlled amplifiers so that W1-constant current circuit and W2-constant current circuit provide second and third write power currents Iw1 and Iw2, respectively, to the semiconductor laser in accordance with the outputs of the respective voltage-controlled amplifiers. The gains of these two voltage-controlled amplifiers are set by the CPU such that the gains corresponds to the ratios of Iw1 and Iw2 relative to Iw0.