Abstract: A light source has a rear glass substrate and a front glass substrate having a plate surface disposed in facing relation to a principal surface of the rear glass substrate. The plate surface of the front glass substrate is coated with a phosphor. A two-dimensional array of electron emitters is disposed on the principal surface of the rear glass substrate. A space defined between the rear glass substrate and the front glass substrate is filled with a gas. The gas may be an Hg (mercury) gas or an Xe (xenon) gas.

Abstract: During each of frame periods, an image including gradation information is displayed at once on a display screen. Electrons are emitted in a second stage from all the pixels, independent of row scanning, separately from a first stage based on the row scanning. A display has a plurality of electron emitters arrayed in association with a plurality of pixels, and the image is displayed by electrons emitted from electron emitters. In each of the electron emitters, electrons are emitted from a first electrode toward an emitter to charge the emitter in the first stage, and the electrons are emitted from the emitter in the second stage.

Abstract: A crosspiece precursor and a picture element assembly precursor are hardened at mutually different timings to form a crosspiece and a picture element assembly. For example, the crosspiece precursor is firstly hardened to form the crosspiece. After that, the picture element assembly precursor is hardened while allowing an upper end surface of the picture element assembly precursor to make pressed contact with an optical waveguide plate, by displacing an actuator element toward an actuator substrate. The picture element assembly, which is formed by hardening the picture element assembly precursor, reliably abuts against the optical waveguide plate when a display device is in a light emission state.

Abstract: An electron emitter 10A has an emitter 12 made of a dielectric material and an upper electrode 14 and a lower electrode 16 for being supplied with a drive voltage Va for emitting electrons. The upper electrode 14 is disposed on an upper surface of the emitter, and the lower electrode 16 is disposed on a lower surface of the emitter 12. The upper electrode 14 has a plurality of through regions 20 through which the emitter 12 is exposed. Each of the through regions 20 of the upper electrode 14 has a peripheral portion 26 having a surface facing the emitter 12 and spaced from the emitter 12.

Abstract: An electron emitter has an emitter made of a dielectric material and an upper electrode and a lower electrode for being supplied with a drive voltage for emitting electrons. The upper electrode is disposed on an upper surface of the emitter, and the lower electrode is disposed on a lower surface of the emitter. The upper electrode has a plurality of through regions through which the emitter is exposed. Each of the through regions of the upper electrode has a peripheral portion having a surface facing the emitter and spaced from the emitter.

Abstract: An actuator element has a plate member, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body disposed in facing, relation to the plate member, and a beam disposed between the plate member and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and fixing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body to the plate member. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body has a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, an upper electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer which faces the plate member, and a lower electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer which is opposite to the surface thereof facing the plate member. When an electric field is applied to the upper electrode and the lower electrode, a portion of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is displaced toward or away from the plate member.

Abstract: A display device comprises an actuator substrate which has actuator elements, an optical waveguide plate, crosspieces which intervene between the optical waveguide plate and the actuator substrate and which surround the actuator element, and picture element assemblies which are joined onto the actuator elements. The picture element assembly includes a transparent layer which makes contact with the optical waveguide plate or which stands close to the optical waveguide plate, and a color layer which is arranged under the transparent layer. An opposed area of the transparent layer opposed to the optical waveguide plate is identical with or smaller than a projected area of the color layer.

Abstract: An electron emitter has an emitter made of a dielectric material, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode to which a drive voltage is applied to emit electrons. The upper electrode is formed on a first surface of the substance serving as the emitter, and the lower electrode is formed on a second surface of the substance serving as the emitter. The upper electrode has a plurality of through regions through which the emitter is exposed. The upper electrode has a surface which faces the emitter in peripheral portions of the through regions and which is spaced from the emitter.

Abstract: An electron emitter has an emitter made of a dielectric material and an upper electrode and a lower electrode for being supplied with a drive voltage for emitting electrons. The upper electrode is disposed on an upper surface of the emitter, and the lower electrode is disposed on a lower surface of the emitter. The upper electrode has a plurality of through regions through which the emitter is exposed. Each of the through regions of the upper electrode has a peripheral portion having a surface facing the emitter and spaced from the emitter.

Abstract: A light source has a light emission section comprising a two-dimensional array of electron emitters and a drive circuit for applying a drive voltage to each of the electron emitters of the light emission section. The drive circuit applies the drive voltage between upper and lower electrodes of each of the electron emitters based on a control signal representative of turn-on/turn-off from an external source (a turn-on/turn-off switch or the like), for thereby controlling each of the electron emitters. Each of the electron emitters has a plate-like emitter, an upper electrode disposed on a face side of the emitter, and a lower electrode disposed on a reverse side of the emitter.

Abstract: One image is displayed in a period as one frame, which includes one charge accumulation period and one light emission period. In the charge accumulation period, all electron emitters are scanned, and voltages depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels are applied to the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on (to emit light), to accumulate charges (electrons) in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels in the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on. In the next light emission period, a constant voltage is applied to all the electron emitters to emit electrons in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels from the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on, thereby emitting light from the pixels to be turned on.

Abstract: One image is displayed in a period as one frame, which includes one charge accumulation period and one light emission period. In the charge accumulation period, all electron emitters are scanned, and voltages depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels are applied to the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on (to emit light), to accumulate charges (electrons) in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels in the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on. In the next light emission period, a constant voltage is applied to all the electron emitters to emit electrons in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels from the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on, thereby emitting light from the pixels to be turned on.

Abstract: A circuit element comprises a first lead wire; a second lead wire; a third lead wire; first and second rectifying elements which are connected in series in a forward direction between the first lead wire and the second lead wire; and a load which is connected between the third lead wire and a connection point between the first and second rectifying elements. V1≧V2 over an entire operating period provided that V1 represents an electric potential of the first lead wire and V2 represents an electric potential of the second lead wire. V2≦V3≦V1 in a period in which a current is blocked and does not flow into the load, provided that V3 represents an electric potential of the connection point.

Abstract: An adhesion-suppressing agent is added or applied to a picture element assembly precursor which is a precursor of a picture element assembly. Accordingly, when the hardening is performed while allowing the picture element assembly precursor to make pressed contact with an optical waveguide plate, the picture element assembly precursor is prevented from adhesion to the optical waveguide plate. Further, the gap between the picture element assembly and the optical waveguide plate is narrowed by allowing the adhesion-suppressing agent to intervene. Therefore, when a display device is in the light emission state, the picture element assembly reliably makes pressed contact with the optical waveguide plate. Further, owing to the adhesion-suppressing agent, the mutual adhesion between the picture element assembly and the optical waveguide plate is remarkably suppressed when the display device is used. Preferred examples of the adhesion-suppressing agent include silicone-based substances.

Abstract: A reflective display device includes a transparent display panel into which light is introduced. A driving section is disposed at the back of the display panel. Actuator elements corresponding to a number of picture elements are arranged in the driving section. A picture element assembly is provided on each of the actuator elements. The picture element assembly includes a light-reflecting layer and a color filter. A light-absorptive material is filled between the display panel and an actuator substrate. The actuator elements are selectively driven according to an attribute of an input image signal for controlling displacement of the picture element assembly in a direction closer to or away from the display panel, thereby adjusting degree of light-absorption and/or light reflection between the display panel and the picture element assembly so that a screen image corresponding to the image signal is displayed on the display panel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a display device comprising an optical waveguide plate 12 for introducing light 10 thereinto; an actuator substrate 18 provided opposingly to one plate surface of the optical waveguide plate 12 and arranged with actuator elements 14 of a number corresponding to a large number of pixels; a pixel structure 102 formed on each of the actuator elements 14 of the actuator substrate 18; and a crosspiece 70 formed at a portion other than the pixel structure 102 between the optical waveguide plate 12 and the actuator substrate 18. Accordingly, it is easy to form a gap between the optical waveguide plate and the pixel structure. Further, the gap can be formed uniformly for all of the pixels.

Abstract: A display driving device drives a display which includes a plurality of actuators which control light emitted from specified parts of an optical wave guide plate. A first drive circuit controls the row electrodes, while a second drive circuit controls the column electrodes by outputting a data signal. The data signal includes a light emitting signal and a light extinguishing signal for each dot in the display, based on an input image signal. The column electrode drive circuit controls gradation only by a temporal modulation method. A signal processing circuit, which controls the first and second drive circuits, also controls brightness correction data. Brightness correction data are determined upon manufacture of the display and can be modified during the life of the display to correct for brightness deterioration.

Abstract: A display device has drive circuits each having a logic gate for inhibiting the inputting of a data signal from a signal line when unselected and permitting the inputting of a data signal from the signal line when selected, based on a drive signal (select voltage) applied from a select line, a capacitor for holding the output of the logic gate when selected and outputting the held output as a control voltage, and a drive voltage generating circuit for generating a drive voltage for displacing the actuator based on the control voltage from the capacitor.

Abstract: A display device has drive circuits each having a logic gate for inhibiting the inputting of a data signal from a signal line when unselected and permitting the inputting of a data signal from the signal line when selected, based on a drive signal (select voltage) applied from a select line, a capacitor for holding the output of the logic gate when selected and outputting the held output as a control voltage, and a drive voltage generating circuit for generating a drive voltage for displacing the actuator based on the control voltage from the capacitor.

Abstract: A display device has first row select lines for selecting rows of picture elements, picture element signal lines for supplying picture element signals to picture elements which are selected, a drive unit having drive circuits arrayed at respective picture elements each for driving the corresponding actuator in response to a picture element signal, and a selector unit for selecting the actuators corresponding to selected picture elements. Each of the drive circuits has a drive potential generating circuit for applying a drive potential based on a signal from a picture element signal line to upper electrodes of actuators. The selector unit has selector circuits for applying a select potential to lower electrodes of the actuators corresponding to selected picture elements.