HYBRID COLOR SYNTHESIS FOR MULTISTATE REFLECTIVE MODULAR DISPLAYS
A display device including a plurality of optical modulators and a plurality of filter elements on a reflective side of the plurality of optical modulators is provided. The plurality of optical modulators includes a first set of optical modulators and a second set of optical modulators. Each optical modulator of the plurality of optical modulators is configured to be selectively switched among at least a first state, a second state, and a third state. Each state has a different spectral reflectance. The plurality of filter elements includes a first set of filter elements corresponding to the first set of optical modulators and a second set of filter elements corresponding to the second set of optical modulators. The first set of filter elements has a different spectral transmittance than the second set of filter elements.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/699,542, filed Jan. 29, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND1. Field
The field of the invention relates to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and more particularly to displays comprising MEMS.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) include micro mechanical elements, actuators, and electronics. Micromechanical elements may be created using deposition, etching, and/or other micromachining processes that etch away parts of substrates and/or deposited material layers or that add layers to form electrical and electromechanical devices. One type of MEMS device is called an interferometric modulator. As used herein, the term interferometric modulator or interferometric light modulator refers to a device that selectively absorbs and/or reflects light using the principles of optical interference. In certain embodiments, an interferometric modulator may comprise a pair of conductive plates, one or both of which may be transparent and/or reflective in whole or part and capable of relative motion upon application of an appropriate electrical signal. In a particular embodiment, one plate may comprise a stationary layer deposited on a substrate and the other plate may comprise a metallic membrane separated from the stationary layer by an air gap. As described herein in more detail, the position of one plate in relation to another can change the optical interference of light incident on the interferometric modulator. Such devices have a wide range of applications, and it would be beneficial in the art to utilize and/or modify the characteristics of these types of devices so that their features can be exploited in improving existing products and creating new products that have not yet been developed.
SUMMARYIn certain embodiments, a display device comprises a plurality of optical modulators and a plurality of filter elements on a reflective side of the plurality of optical modulators. The plurality of optical modulators comprises a first set of optical modulators and a second set of optical modulators. Each optical modulator of the plurality of optical modulators is configured to be selectively switched among at least a first state, a second state, and a third state. Each state has a different spectral reflectance. The plurality of filter elements comprises a first set of filter elements corresponding to the first set of optical modulators and a second set of filter elements corresponding to the second set of optical modulators. The first set of filter elements has a different spectral transmittance than the second set of filter elements.
In certain embodiments, a display device comprises first means for optically modulating light between at least a first color, a second color, and a third color, second means for optically modulating light between the first color, the second color, and the third color, first means for filtering light modulated by the first modulating means, and second means for filtering light modulated by the second modulating means. The first filtering means has a different spectral transmittance than the second filtering means.
In certain embodiments, a method of generating an image comprises providing a display device comprising a plurality of optical modulators and a filter on a reflective side of the plurality of optical modulators. The plurality of optical modulators comprises a first set of optical modulators and a second set of optical modulators. Each optical modulator of the plurality of optical modulators is configured to be selectively switched among at least a first state, a second state, and a third state. Each state has a different spectral reflectance. The filter comprises a first set of filter elements corresponding to the first set of optical modulators and a second set of filter elements corresponding to the second set of optical modulators. The first set of filter elements has a different spectral transmittance than the second set of filter elements. The method further comprises directing light from a light source onto the display device and selectively switching the plurality of optical modulators between the states.
In certain embodiments, a method of manufacturing a display device comprises forming a plurality of optical modulators and forming a plurality of filter elements on a reflective side of the plurality of optical modulators. The plurality of optical modulators comprises a first set of optical modulators and a second set of optical modulators. Each optical modulator of the plurality of optical modulators is configured to be selectively switched among at least a first state, a second state, and a third state. Each state has a different spectral reflectance. The plurality of filter elements comprises a first set of filter elements corresponding to the first set of optical modulators and a second set of filter elements corresponding to the second set of optical modulators. The first set of filter elements has a different spectral transmittance than the second set of filter elements.
The following detailed description is directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different ways. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout. As will be apparent from the following description, the embodiments may be implemented in any device that is configured to display an image, whether in motion (e.g., video) or stationary (e.g., still image), and whether textual or pictorial. More particularly, it is contemplated that the embodiments may be implemented in or associated with a variety of electronic devices such as, but not limited to, mobile telephones, wireless devices, personal data assistants (PDAs), hand-held or portable computers, GPS receivers/navigators, cameras, MP3 players, camcorders, game consoles, wrist watches, clocks, calculators, television monitors, flat panel displays, computer monitors, auto displays (e.g., odometer display, etc.), cockpit controls and/or displays, display of camera views (e.g., display of a rear view camera in a vehicle), electronic photographs, electronic billboards or signs, projectors, architectural structures, packaging, and aesthetic structures (e.g., display of images on a piece of jewelry). MEMS devices of similar structure to those described herein can also be used in non-display applications such as in electronic switching devices.
Apparatuses are provided that can render color images from three primary colors using two optical modulators by employing hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis. Each optical modulator can produce three spectral reflectances and is paired with a filter element to produce one or two primary colors. A color pixel can produce three primary colors by comprising an optical modulator and filter element that produces one primary color paired with an optical modulator and filter element that produces two other primary colors. Such an approach reduces the number of optical modulators (or “sub-pixels”) within a pixel from three to two, which can increase resolution and reduce fixed-pattern noise while maintaining the same number of column drivers as a conventional RGB display. Alternatively, the number of column drivers may be reduced while maintaining the same resolution as a conventional RGB display. In some embodiments, the size of the optical modulators and their corresponding filter elements may be optimized to account for the luminance of different primary colors. In embodiments in which the optical modulators comprise interferometric modulators rather than narrowband illuminants, blanking fields are advantageously eliminated, which can increases bandwidth. Projection devices comprising such modulators and filters may advantageously eliminate a color wheel because the optical modulators can perform color separation. Methods of generating an image using such apparatuses are also provided.
One interferometric modulator display embodiment comprising an interferometric MEMS display element is illustrated in
The depicted portion of the pixel array in
The optical stacks 16a and 16b (collectively referred to as optical stack 16), as referenced herein, typically comprise several fused layers, which can include an electrode layer, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), a partially reflective layer, such as chromium, and a transparent dielectric. The optical stack 16 is thus electrically conductive, partially transparent, and partially reflective, and may be fabricated, for example, by depositing one or more of the above layers onto a transparent substrate 20. The partially reflective layer can be formed from a variety of materials that are partially reflective such as various metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics. The partially reflective layer can be formed of one or more layers of materials, and each of the layers can be formed of a single material or a combination of materials.
In some embodiments, the layers of the optical stack 16 are patterned into parallel strips, and may form row electrodes in a display device as described further below. The movable reflective layers 14a, 14b may be formed as a series of parallel strips of a deposited metal layer or layers (orthogonal to the row electrodes of 16a, 16b) deposited on top of posts 18 and an intervening sacrificial material deposited between the posts 18. When the sacrificial material is etched away, the movable reflective layers 14a, 14b are separated from the optical stacks 16a, 16b by a defined gap 19. A highly conductive and reflective material such as aluminum may be used for the reflective layers 14, and these strips may form column electrodes in a display device.
With no applied voltage, the gap 19 remains between the movable reflective layer 14a and optical stack 16a, with the movable reflective layer 14a in a mechanically relaxed state, as illustrated by the pixel 12a in
In one embodiment, the processor 21 is also configured to communicate with an array driver 22. In one embodiment, the array driver 22 includes a row driver circuit 24 and a column driver circuit 26 that provide signals to a display array or panel 30. The cross section of the array illustrated in
In typical applications, a display frame may be created by asserting the set of column electrodes in accordance with the desired set of actuated pixels in the first row. A row pulse is then applied to the row 1 electrode, actuating the pixels corresponding to the asserted column lines. The asserted set of column electrodes is then changed to correspond to the desired set of actuated pixels in the second row. A pulse is then applied to the row 2 electrode, actuating the appropriate pixels in row 2 in accordance with the asserted column electrodes. The row 1 pixels are unaffected by the row 2 pulse, and remain in the state they were set to during the row 1 pulse. This may be repeated for the entire series of rows in a sequential fashion to produce the frame. Generally, the frames are refreshed and/or updated with new display data by continually repeating this process at some desired number of frames per second. A wide variety of protocols for driving row and column electrodes of pixel arrays to produce display frames are also well known and may be used in conjunction with the present invention.
In the
The display device 40 includes a housing 41, a display 30, an antenna 43, a speaker 45, an input device 48, and a microphone 46. The housing 41 is generally formed from any of a variety of manufacturing processes as are well known to those of skill in the art, including injection molding and vacuum forming. In addition, the housing 41 may be made from any of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, plastic, metal, glass, rubber, and ceramic, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the housing 41 includes removable portions (not shown) that may be interchanged with other removable portions of different color, or containing different logos, pictures, or symbols.
The display 30 of exemplary display device 40 may be any of a variety of displays, including a bi-stable display, as described herein. In other embodiments, the display 30 includes a flat-panel display, such as plasma, EL, OLED, STN LCD, or TFT LCD as described above, or a non-flat-panel display, such as a CRT or other tube device, as is well known to those of skill in the art. However, for purposes of describing the present embodiment, the display 30 includes an interferometric modulator display, as described herein.
The components of one embodiment of exemplary display device 40 are schematically illustrated in
The network interface 27 includes the antenna 43 and the transceiver 47 so that the exemplary display device 40 can communicate with one or more devices over a network. In one embodiment, the network interface 27 may also have some processing capabilities to relieve requirements of the processor 21. The antenna 43 is any antenna known to those of skill in the art for transmitting and receiving signals. In one embodiment, the antenna transmits and receives RF signals according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, including IEEE 802.11(a), (b), or (g). In another embodiment, the antenna transmits and receives RF signals according to the BLUETOOTH standard. In the case of a cellular telephone, the antenna is designed to receive CDMA, GSM, AMPS, or other known signals that are used to communicate within a wireless cell phone network. The transceiver 47 pre-processes the signals received from the antenna 43 so that they may be received by and further manipulated by the processor 21. The transceiver 47 also processes signals received from the processor 21 so that they may be transmitted from the exemplary display device 40 via the antenna 43.
In an alternative embodiment, the transceiver 47 can be replaced by a receiver. In yet another alternative embodiment, network interface 27 can be replaced by an image source, which can store or generate image data to be sent to the processor 21. For example, the image source can be a digital video disc (DVD) or a hard-disc drive that contains image data, or a software module that generates image data.
Processor 21 generally controls the overall operation of the exemplary display device 40. The processor 21 receives data, such as compressed image data from the network interface 27 or an image source, and processes the data into raw image data or into a format that is readily processed into raw image data. The processor 21 then sends the processed data to the driver controller 29 or to frame buffer 28 for storage. Raw data typically refers to the information that identifies the image characteristics at each location within an image. For example, such image characteristics can include color, saturation, and gray-scale level.
In one embodiment, the processor 21 includes a microcontroller, CPU, or logic unit to control operation of the exemplary display device 40. Conditioning hardware 52 generally includes amplifiers and filters for transmitting signals to the speaker 45, and for receiving signals from the microphone 46. Conditioning hardware 52 may be discrete components within the exemplary display device 40, or may be incorporated within the processor 21 or other components.
The driver controller 29 takes the raw image data generated by the processor 21 either directly from the processor 21 or from the frame buffer 28 and reformats the raw image data appropriately for high speed transmission to the array driver 22. Specifically, the driver controller 29 reformats the raw image data into a data flow having a raster-like format, such that it has a time order suitable for scanning across the display array 30. Then the driver controller 29 sends the formatted information to the array driver 22. Although a driver controller 29, such as a LCD controller, is often associated with the system processor 21 as a stand-alone Integrated Circuit (IC), such controllers may be implemented in many ways. They may be embedded in the processor 21 as hardware, embedded in the processor 21 as software, or fully integrated in hardware with the array driver 22.
Typically, the array driver 22 receives the formatted information from the driver controller 29 and reformats the video data into a parallel set of waveforms that are applied many times per second to the hundreds and sometimes thousands of leads coming from the display's x-y matrix of pixels.
In one embodiment, the driver controller 29, array driver 22, and display array 30 are appropriate for any of the types of displays described herein. For example, in one embodiment, driver controller 29 is a conventional display controller or a bi-stable display controller (e.g., an interferometric modulator controller). In another embodiment, array driver 22 is a conventional driver or a bi-stable display driver (e.g., an interferometric modulator display). In one embodiment, a driver controller 29 is integrated with the array driver 22. Such an embodiment is common in highly integrated systems such as cellular phones, watches, and other small area displays. In yet another embodiment, display array 30 is a typical display array or a bi-stable display array (e.g., a display including an array of interferometric modulators).
The input device 48 allows a user to control the operation of the exemplary display device 40. In one embodiment, input device 48 includes a keypad, such as a QWERTY keyboard or a telephone keypad, a button, a switch, a touch-sensitive screen, or a pressure- or heat-sensitive membrane. In one embodiment, the microphone 46 is an input device for the exemplary display device 40. When the microphone 46 is used to input data to the device, voice commands may be provided by a user for controlling operations of the exemplary display device 40.
Power supply 50 can include a variety of energy storage devices as are well known in the art. For example, in one embodiment, power supply 50 is a rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-cadmium battery or a lithium ion battery. In another embodiment, power supply 50 is a renewable energy source, a capacitor, or a solar cell including a plastic solar cell, and solar-cell paint. In another embodiment, power supply 50 is configured to receive power from a wall outlet.
In some embodiments, control programmability resides, as described above, in a driver controller which can be located in several places in the electronic display system. In some embodiments, control programmability resides in the array driver 22. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the above-described optimizations may be implemented in any number of hardware and/or software components and in various configurations.
The details of the structure of interferometric modulators that operate in accordance with the principles set forth above may vary widely. For example,
In embodiments such as those shown in
A common problem for all color displays, regardless of whether they are of the self-luminous type or the non-self-luminous type, is the synthesis of a full-color image from a limited set of primary colors. Several approaches to color synthesis have traditionally been employed for electronic displays. The most successful of these conform to the principles of additive color mixture and include optical superposition, spatial color synthesis, and temporal color synthesis.
Direct optical superposition of three primary color images is an effective and commonly used method in projection display systems, but is not readily amenable to most direct-view color display technologies. Spatial color synthesis has by far been the most successful method of color synthesis and remains the foundation of modern color display technology in devices like cathode ray tubes (CRT) and liquid crystal displays (LCD). Spatial color synthesis mixes sub-pixels of three or more primary colors (typically red (R), green (G), and blue (B)) in close proximity to generate a full spectrum. However, spatial color synthesis has two significant limitations that reduce image quality and display efficiency.
First, potential display resolution is sacrificed because the use of available spatial area for color synthesis reduces the spatial imaging potential of the display. Spatial color synthesis requires high sub-pixel density because the primary color elements must be encompassed within spatial integration zones of the human visual system (HVS). If the elements (e.g., sub-pixels) are too large, complete color synthesis will fail and color fringes will be apparent in the image. As such, the use of available spatial area for color synthesis reduces the spatial imaging potential for the display. In general, the use of RGB spatial mosaics to synthesize a full-color gamut results in a sacrifice of approximately ⅔ of the resolution potential of the display to color synthesis. Display area allocated to blue sub-pixels is especially wasteful since blue sub-pixels contribute little to luminance and short-wavelengths are processed only at a very low spatial resolution by the HVS.
Second, the mosaic of primary color sub-pixels, particularly due to blue sub-pixel elements, produces fixed-pattern noise. Principal sources of high fixed-pattern noise in some mosaics are low-luminance blue sub-pixels (or blue stripes in the case of commonly-used stripe mosaics), which typically account for only about 8% of the luminance of a displayed white field and therefore appear as dark regions in a relatively bright surrounding. If the green, red, and blue sub-pixel regions have the same radiance in the visible spectrum, then the green regions will appear the brightest of the three because the HVS luminous efficiency function peaks in the green region of the spectrum. Similarly, due to the HVS luminous efficiency, the red regions will appear less bright and the blue regions will exhibit an even further reduction in brightness. If luminance is computed from weighted values of R, G, and B, the weighting coefficient for G will be large (e.g., between about 0.55 and 0.8), the weighting coefficient for R will be intermediate (e.g., between about 0.15 and 0.35), and the weighting coefficient for B will be small (e.g., between about 0.05 and 0.15).
Temporal color (or “frame-sequential” or “field-sequential”) synthesis avoids the loss of spatial resolution inherent to spatial color synthesis and does not produce fixed-pattern noise. Unlike spatial color synthesis, temporal color synthesis does not rely on the integration of spatially separated primary color sub-pixels. Instead, primary color pixels are imaged sequentially in time at the same retinal position and temporally integrated to synthesize a full-color spectrum (assuming no positional shifts due to eye and/or head movements). This temporal color approach may be accomplished in various ways, including the sequential activation of R, G, and B emissive sources or the passing broadband light through three primary color filters (e.g., R, G, and B or yellow (Y), cyan (C), and magenta (M)) that can be selectively activated. Because the primary color components are all imaged to the same spatial location and there is no spatial mosaic, temporal color synthesis advantageously avoids the loss of spatial resolution. Additionally, since there is no mosaic, temporal color synthesis advantageously does not produce fixed-pattern noise. However, two important limitations of temporal color synthesis constrain the efficacy of displays employing temporal color synthesis.
First, although temporal color synthesis produces effective additive color mixtures, luminance differences between time-varying components can produce observable luminance flicker. Because the individual primary colors' fields are only present for one third of the total display viewing period, temporal color synthesis displays require a high system bandwidth in order to produce a full-color image at a refresh rate high enough to minimize observable flicker. Even with high system bandwidths and full-color frame refresh rates equivalent to monochromatic or spatial color synthesis displays (i.e., color field rates of three times the refresh rates of spatial color synthesis displays), temporal color synthesis displays are still prone to image flicker due to the residual luminance modulation existing between sequential color image fields.
Second, an even more difficult limitation results from relative movement between the displayed image and the viewer's retina, whether the motion arises from the image or from the viewer's head and/or eye movements. In either case, the time-varying color components are no longer imaged on the same retinal region, and the observer experiences what has come to be known as “color break-up” or “the rainbow effect.” Avoiding color break-up for RGB temporal color synthesis displays in the presence of large, high-velocity saccadic eye movements generally requires refresh frequencies well in excess of those needed to avoid flicker, which typically entail color field rates in the range of 360 to 480 fields per second, and can easily exceed 1,000 fields per second when the display luminance and contrast are high. These high field rates impose severe bandwidth limitations on temporal color synthesis displays, as well as their drive electronics, and make the temporal isolation of primary color image fields very difficult.
Image quality has been a driving force behind the evolution of display technology. In all major market segments, the momentum toward higher display resolution and enhanced color quality is inescapable. In turn, this has exposed the limitations of both spatial color synthesis and temporal color synthesis, and raises the question as to whether either method for synthesizing color can alone fully satisfy the ever-increasing demands on display image quality. New approaches to color synthesis may sustain the evolution of display technology.
Recognizing the limitations of traditional methods for synthesizing color in electronic displays, a new hybrid spatial-temporal method has recently been proposed which distributes the color synthesis function across both the spatial and temporal domains. One embodiment of this method has been proposed for transmissive LCDs. Hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis distributes the color synthesis function across both the spatial and temporal domains. The general approach reduces the number of primary color sub-pixels from three to two and produces the third primary color by temporal synthesis. Two temporally alternating illuminants with different spectral power distributions are typically used, and emit light at through both of the two sub-pixels, each having a different corresponding color selection filter. For example, yellow and blue illuminants may be combined with an LCD panel having a mosaic of magenta and cyan color filters. When the yellow illuminant is turned on during one temporal field, the display output in an activated cyan sub-pixel will be green because the cyan color filter transmits the green segment of the yellow spectral light distribution and the display output in an activated magenta sub-pixel will be red because the magenta color filter transmits the red segment of the yellow spectral light distribution. When the blue illuminant is turned on during an adjacent temporal field, the display output in activated cyan and magenta sub-pixels will be blue because both the cyan and magenta color filters transmit the same short-wavelength spectral region of the blue illuminant.
Hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis can provide an effective spatial resolution increase of up to three times along the horizontal and vertical dimensions, along with vanishingly low levels of fixed-pattern noise, when using the same number of horizontal sub-pixels and column drivers as a full-color display utilizing an RGB vertical stripe pixel mosaic and spatial color synthesis. Alternatively, hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis can be used with reduced pixel density and column drivers to provide comparable levels of effective resolution. Such an approach can retain reduced levels of fixed-pattern noise and can provide improved display efficiency (via increased pixel aperture ratios) while potentially reducing costs. However, a major drawback to using hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis for LCDs is the simultaneous illumination of all sub-pixels by each illuminant in each field.
In order to produce some colors in LCDs, it is necessary to write a blanking field between one temporal field and second adjacent temporal field. For example, creating cyan from red, green, and blue is usually accomplished by combining green and blue. In order to create green and blue in the above example LCD, the yellow illuminant would be turned on, thereby creating green in an activated cyan sub-pixel, then a blanking field would be written to ensure that no residual green remained in the sub-pixel. The blue illuminant would then be turned on, thereby creating blue in an activated cyan sub-pixel. The temporal combination of green and blue within the same pixel creates cyan in an observer's eyes. A second blanking field would be written before the next color is created in order to ensure that no residual blue remained in the sub-pixel. These blanking fields take time, and thus reduce the throughput of LCDs. A LCD with blanking fields requires increased frequencies to create sequential colors in the same period, again imposing severe bandwidth requirements and/or flicker. Moreover, the power provided to the LCD light sources during the non-blanking fields is typically increased to compensate for the lack of light being emitted during the blanking fields, disadvantageously increasing the LCD's power consumption.
Interferometric modulator technology poses unique challenges for generating full-color displays (i.e., displays in which three or more primary colors render color images). These challenges arise from the following operational characteristics: the device is a reflective spatial light modulator with constraints on the reflectance spectrum at each sub-pixel element; the spatial structure and density of the sub-pixel array are limited by design rules and timing-based addressing limits; the bi-stable and binary nature of pixel operation generally utilizes the synthesis of gray-scale levels via spatial and/or temporal color synthesis; and high pixel density interferometric modulator devices will likely be limited to relatively low temporal frame rates due to fundamental operational constraints and the need for high levels of synthesis for both grayscale and color.
Along with the unique challenges posed by the interferometric modulator technology for full-color displays are great opportunities offered by the unique modes of operation of the device. In particular, the capability to switch between two or more spectral reflectance functions at a sub-pixel level provides significant flexibility in methods of color synthesis for full-color interferometric modulator displays.
Embodiments of interferometric modulators described herein operate in one or more reflective states and a non-reflective (e.g., black) state. In certain embodiments, each reflective state produces white light or light of a color determined by the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16 when the modulator 12 is in a reflective state. In other embodiments, for example embodiments disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,796, the reflective layer 14 may be positioned at a range of positions relative to the optical stack 16 to vary the size of the cavity 19, and thus the color of the reflected light.
The interferometric modulator 12 includes an optical cavity 19 formed between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. The effective optical path length, L, of the optical cavity 19 determines the resonant wavelength, λ, of the optical cavity 19 and thus of the interferometric modulator 12. In certain embodiments, the effective optical path length, L, is substantially equal to the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. In certain embodiments, white light may be produced by having an effective optical path length, L, of less than about 100 Å (10 nm). The resonant wavelength, λ, of the interferometric modulator 12 generally corresponds to the perceived color of light reflected by the interferometric modulator 12, which in certain embodiments is described by Equation 1, where N is an integer.
A selected resonant wavelength, λ, is thus reflected by interferometric modulators 12 having effective optical path lengths, L, of 0.5λ (N=1), λ (N=2), 1.5λ (N=3), etc. The integer N may be referred to as the “order” of interference of the reflected light. As used herein, the order of an interferometric modulator also refers to the order N of light reflected by the interferometric modulator when the reflective layer 14 is in at least one position. For example, a first order (N=1) red interferometric modulator may have an effective optical path length, L, of about 325 nm, corresponding to a wavelength, λ, of about 650 nm. Accordingly, a second order (N=2) red interferometric modulator may have an effective optical path length, L, of about 650 nm. A list of examples of wavelength ranges for some common colors used in interferometric modulator displays are shown in Table 1.
When the cavity 19 comprises a fluid having an index of refraction of approximately 1 (e.g., air), the effective optical path length, L, is substantially equal to the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. When the cavity 19 comprises a fluid having an index of refraction of greater than 1, the effective optical path length, L, may be different from the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. In embodiments in which the optical stack 16 comprises an insulating layer, the effective optical path length, L, is affected by the thickness and index of refraction of the insulating layer such that the effective optical path length, L, is different from the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. In certain embodiments, the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16 is selected to compensate for the fluid in the cavity 19 and/or an insulating layer in the optical stack 16 by modifying the thickness of a sacrificial material disposed between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16 during fabrication of the interferometric modulator 12.
Generally, higher order modulators reflect light over a narrower range of wavelengths, and thus produce colored light that is more saturated. It will be appreciated that higher order modulators generally utilize larger distances between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. Additionally, because higher order modulators reflect a narrower range of wavelengths, the number of photons reflected is reduced and the display is less bright.
In the example modulator 80 of
The modulator 80 can produce a first spectral reflectance in a first state, a second spectral reflectance in a second state, and a third spectral reflectance in a third state.
As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the reverse driven state of
The materials used to produce the layers of the bus stack 82 can be dissimilar to the materials used to produce the optical stack 16. For example, the bus stack 82 does not need to transmit light. Additionally, if the conductive layer of the bus stack 82 is positioned beyond the reach of the reflective layer 14 in its deformed upward position, then the modulator 80 may or may not include an insulating layer between the reflective layer 14 and the conductive layer in the bus stack 82.
The voltages applied to the optical stack 16 to drive the reflective layer 14 from the relaxed state of
In certain embodiments, the spectral reflectance of the first state is substantially yellow, the spectral reflectance of the second state is substantially blue, and the spectral reflectance of the third state is substantially black. In order to produce such reflectances, the distance between the reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16 in
In certain embodiments, the plurality of filter elements 95 comprises a transparent material (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.) with a concentration of dye or pigmentation corresponding to each filter element 95. In some embodiments, the plurality of filter elements 95 is about one-half as thick as a similar plurality of filter elements would be for a LCD display using hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis. In some embodiments, the plurality of filter elements 95 has about one-half as much concentration of dye or pigmentation as a similar plurality of filter elements would have in a LCD display using hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis. Suitable color filters are available, for example, from Toppan of Tokyo, Japan and from Brewer Science, Inc. of Rolla, Mo.
In certain embodiments, the size and shape of each filter element corresponds to the size and shape of a corresponding interferometric modulator (e.g., as illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the shape of each filter element 96, 98 is substantially rectangular (e.g., as illustrated in
In
In
In certain embodiments, the display device 90 is configured to produce a full color spectrum (i.e., displays devices that produce three or more primary colors suitable for rendering color images). A pair of optical modulators and a pair of filter elements with the appropriate spectral reflectances and spectral transmittances, respectively, can produce a full color spectrum with the appropriate spatial and/or temporal synthesis. A plurality of optical modulators and a plurality of filter elements can thereby produce a color image. The following examples are not intended to be limiting, and other combinations using primary, secondary, and other colors are also hereby disclosed.
In
In
In
In
In accordance with color theory, various mixtures of red, green, and blue can be used to synthesize a full color spectrum. As an example, temporally mixing the green of
In
In
In
In accordance with color theory, various mixtures of red, green, and blue can be used to synthesize a full color spectrum. As an example, temporally mixing the green of
The weighted coefficients of the colors or the example embodiments and other suitable embodiments may be optimized to increase resolution and/or to decrease fixed pattern noise. For example, the optical modulator of the first pixel element may be in the first state for 76.3% of the time and in the second state for 23.7% of the time while the optical modulator of the second pixel element is in the first state for 100% of the time. Other proportions are also possible. For another example, the area of the first filter element may have an area smaller than the second filter element (e.g., between about 50% and 75% less than the area of the second filter element).
As described above, LCDs using spatial-temporal color synthesis require blanking fields between illuminant transitions. Displays comprising optical modulators advantageously do not require blanking fields because the reflectance color is controllable at an individual sub-pixel level. For example, one sub-pixel may reflect blue at the same time an adjacent sub-pixel reflects yellow, as opposed to an LCD where adjacent sub-pixels are necessarily illuminated with the same illuminant at one time. Elimination of blanking fields advantageously increases light efficiency and reduces power consumption.
In certain embodiments, the light reflected by the optical modulators comes from an external ambient broadband light source. Examples of ambient broadband light sources include, but are not limited to, sunlight and artificial lighting (e.g., fluorescent or filament light bulbs). In certain embodiments (e.g., the projection display described below), the display comprises a light source or a plurality of light sources. Optical modulator displays utilizing hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis and comprising light sources may advantageously provide broadband light (e.g., from a metal halide lamp) or narrowband light (e.g., from an LED projection illuminator). In some embodiments, narrowband light sources provide better display color performance (e.g., color saturation, color gamut).
The optical modulator displays utilizing hybrid spatial-temporal color synthesis described herein may also be integrated into a projection display.
Various specific embodiments have been described above. Although the invention has been described with reference to these specific embodiments, the descriptions are intended to be illustrative of the invention and are not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:
- generating a first color in a first sub-pixel of a pixel in a first temporal field; and
- generating a second color different than the first color in the first sub-pixel in a second temporal field without an intervening blanking field between the first temporal field and the second temporal field.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a third color different than the first color in a second sub-pixel of the pixel in the first temporal field.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the first color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching a first optical modulator to one of a first state, a second state, and a third state, each state having a different spectral reflectance, and wherein generating the third color in the second sub-pixel comprises switching a second optical modulator to one of the first state, the second state, and the third state.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the first color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching the first optical modulator to the first state and filtering light modulated by the first optical modulator with a first filter element having a first spectral transmittance, and wherein generating the third color in the second sub-pixel comprises switching the second optical modulator to the first state and filtering light modulated by the second optical modulator with a second filter element having a second spectral transmittance different than the first filter element.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the second color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching the first optical modulator to another of the first state, the second state, and the third state.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first optical modulator has a smaller area than the second optical modulator.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the area of the first optical modulator is between about 50% and about 75% smaller than the area of the second optical modulator.
8. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the third color in the second sub-pixel in the second temporal field.
9. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the second color in the second sub-pixel in the second temporal field.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching a first optical modulator to a first state having a first spectral reflectance and wherein generating the second color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching the first optical modulator to a second state having a different spectral reflectance than the first state.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first optical modulator is switchable to a third state having a third spectral reflectance different from the first and second spectral reflectances, wherein the third spectral reflectance is substantially black.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temporal field has a longer duration than the second temporal field.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first color comprises reflecting light from a broadband light source and wherein generating the second color comprises reflecting light from the broadband light source.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first color comprises reflecting light from a narrowband light source and wherein generating the second color comprises reflecting light from the narrowband light source.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the narrowband light source comprises a LED projection illuminator.
16. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:
- generating a first color in a first sub-pixel of a pixel during a first temporal field; and
- generating a second color different than the first color in the first sub-pixel during a second temporal field immediately subsequent the first temporal field.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
- generating a third color different than the first color in a second sub-pixel of the pixel during the first temporal field; and
- generating the third color in the second sub-pixel during the second temporal field.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
- generating a third color different than the first color in a second sub-pixel of the pixel during the first temporal field; and
- generating the second color in the second sub-pixel during the second temporal field.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the first color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching a first optical modulator to one of a first state, a second state, and a third state, each state having a different spectral reflectance, and wherein generating the second color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching the first optical modulator to another of the first state, the second state, and the third state.
20. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:
- generating a first color in a first sub-pixel of a pixel for a duration consisting of a first temporal field and a second temporal field;
- generating a second color different than the first color in a second sub-pixel of the pixel in the first temporal field; and
- generating a third color different than the first and second colors in the second sub-pixel in the second temporal field.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first temporal field has a longer duration than the second temporal field.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the second color occurs before generating the third color.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein generating the first color in the first sub-pixel comprises switching a first optical modulator to one of a first state, a second state, and a third state, each state having a different spectral reflectance, wherein generating the second color in the second sub-pixel comprises switching a second optical modulator to one of the first state, the second state, and the third state, wherein generating the third color in the second sub-pixel comprises switching the second optical modulator to another of the first state, the second state, and the third state.
24. A device comprising:
- a driver controller configured to be connected to a display device comprising at least one pixel comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel responsive to signals by generating colors, the driver controller configured to generate a first signal and a second signal, wherein a first sub-pixel of the at least one pixel responds to the first signal by generating a first color during a first temporal field and responds to the second signal by generating a second color different than the first color during a second temporal field without an intervening blanking field between the first temporal field and the second temporal field.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein the driver controller comprises an integrated circuit.
26. The device of claim 24, wherein the driver controller is integrated with a processor as hardware or software.
27. The device of claim 24, wherein the driver controller is integrated with an array driver as hardware.
28. The device of claim 24, wherein the driver controller comprises an interferometric modulator controller.
29. The device of claim 24, wherein the first temporal field has a longer duration than the second temporal field.
30. The device of claim 24, wherein the driver controller is configured to generate a third signal, wherein a second sub-pixel of the at least one pixel responds to the third signal by generating a third color during the first temporal field and during the second temporal field, the third color different than the first and second colors.
31. The device of claim 30, further comprising the display device, wherein the first sub-pixel comprises a first interferometric modulator having a first state, a second state, and a third state, each state having a different spectral reflectance, and wherein the second sub-pixel comprises a second interferometric modulator having the first state, the second state, and the third state.
32. The device of claim 31, wherein the first and second signals are configured to switch the first interferometric modulator between the first state, the second state, and the third state, and wherein the third signal is configured to switch the second interferometric modulator between the first state, the second state, and the third state.
33. The device of claim 31, further comprising:
- a first filter element corresponding to the first optical modulator; and
- a second filter element corresponding to the second optical modulator, the first filter element having a different spectral transmittance than the second filter element.
34. The device of claim 24, further comprising the display device, wherein the first sub-pixel comprises an interferometric modulator having a first state, a second state, and a third state, and wherein the first and second signals are configured to switch the interferometric modulator between the first state, the second state, and the third state.
35. A device comprising:
- a driver controller configured to be connected to a display device comprising at least one pixel comprising at least a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, each sub-pixel responsive to signals by generating colors, the driver controller configured to generate a plurality of signals, the first sub-pixel responsive to the plurality of signals by generating a first color for a duration consisting of a first temporal field and a second temporal field, the second sub-pixel responsive to the plurality of signals by generating a second color different than the first color during the first temporal field and by generating a third color different than the first and second colors during the second temporal field.
36. The device of claim 35, further comprising the display device, wherein the first sub-pixel comprises a first interferometric modulator having a first state, a second state, and a third state, each state having a different spectral reflectance and wherein the second sub-pixel comprises a second interferometric modulator having the first state, the second state, and the third state.
37. The device of claim 36, wherein the plurality of signals are configured to switch the first interferometric modulator between the first state, the second state, and the third state and to switch the second interferometric modulator between the first state, the second state, and the third state.
38. The device of claim 36, further comprising:
- a first filter element corresponding to the first optical modulator; and
- a second filter element corresponding to the second optical modulator, the first filter element having a different spectral transmittance than the second filter element.
39. The device of claim 35, wherein the first sub-pixel has a smaller display area than the second sub-pixel.
40. The device of claim 35, wherein the first temporal field has a longer duration than the second temporal field.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 14, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 30, 2008
Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc. (San Diego, CA)
Inventors: Louis D. Silverstein (Scottsdale, AZ), Alan G. Lewis (Sunnyvale, CA), Jennifer Lee Gille (Menlo Park, CA), Gang Xu (Cupertino, CA)
Application Number: 12/172,613
International Classification: G09G 5/10 (20060101);