US20050052388A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Active matrix liquid crystal image generator
Assignee: Citizen Finetech Miyota Co Ltd
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Filing: 2003-05-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2023-05-12
Abstract
Abstract A system for producing spatially modulated monochrome or color light having gray scale includes an active matrix liquid crystal spatial light modulator having light modulating means including (i) a layer of ferroelectric liquid crystal material which is designed to switch between ON and OFF states and (ii) active matrix means including VLSI circuitry for dividing the layer of liquid crystal material into an array of individual liquid crystal pixels and for causing each of the pixels of liquid crystal material to modulate light individually by switching between the ON and OFF states in a way that depends upon the data which the VLSI circuitry is written. The system also includes illumination means having a light source for directing light from the source into the pixel-divided layer of ferroelectric liquid crystal material in a specific way. And finally, the system includes means for writing the VLSI circuitry with preselected data in accordance with a particular data ordering scheme such that the circuitry, in response to the written data, causes the pixels of liquid crystal material to individually switch between their ON and OFF states and therefore modulate light from the source in a way which, depending upon the data, produces a specific overall pattern of gray scale light.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Handschy
- 👤 Michael Meadows
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:23
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/34; G09G3/36; G09G3/3611; G09G3/3648; G09G3/3651; G09G3/3406; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; G02F1/133553; G02F1/1336; G02F1/133621; G02F1/133622; G02F1/135; G02F1/136; G02F1/1362; G02F1/136277; G02F1/137; G02F1/139; G02F1/141; G02F2203/00; G02F2203/12; G02F2203/30; G09G2310/00; G09G2310/02; G09G2310/0235; G09G2310/0237; G09G2310/0264; G09G2310/0278; G09G2310/06; G09G2310/061; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/06; G09G2320/0626; G09G2320/0633; G09G2320/064; G09G3/2007; G09G3/2018; G09G3/2022; G09G3/2025; G09G3/2029; G09G3/2077; G09G3/2081
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
1 . A system for producing modulated light having gray scale, comprising: a spatial light modulator having an array of pixels switchable between only two different optical states; a light source that illuminates the spatial light modulator for only approximately one-half of the time that the system is operating; and a data writing arrangement that writes data to the pixels of the spatial light modulator, to cause the pixels to individually switch to one of the two different optical states, so as to modulate light from the light source in a way to produce an overall pattern of gray scale light; wherein the gray scale produced is related to the timing of the writing operations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
1 . A system for producing modulated light having gray scale, comprising: a spatial light modulator having an array of pixels switchable between only two different optical states; a light source that illuminates the spatial light modulator for only approximately one-half of the time that the system is operating; and a data writing arrangement that writes data to the pixels of the spatial light modulator, to cause the pixels to individually switch to one of the two different optical states, so as to modulate light from the light source in a way to produce an overall pattern of gray scale light; wherein the gray scale produced is related to the timing of the writing operations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
115 words
2 . A system for producing modulated light having gray scale, comprising: a spatial light modulator having an array of pixels switchable between different light modulating states, each pixel having a pixel electrode associated therewith; a light source; and a data writing arrangement that writes data to the pixels of the spatial light modulator, to cause the pixel electrodes of the spatial light modulator to switch to one of only two different voltage levels that differ by an amount less than or equal to 5 volts, to cause the pixels to individually change states so as to modulate light from the light source in a way to produce an overall pattern of gray scale light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
115 words
2 . A system for producing modulated light having gray scale, comprising: a spatial light modulator having an array of pixels switchable between different light modulating states, each pixel having a pixel electrode associated therewith; a light source; and a data writing arrangement that writes data to the pixels of the spatial light modulator, to cause the pixel electrodes of the spatial light modulator to switch to one of only two different voltage levels that differ by an amount less than or equal to 5 volts, to cause the pixels to individually change states so as to modulate light from the light source in a way to produce an overall pattern of gray scale light.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
3 . A method for displaying-gray scale image frames, comprising providing a spatial light modulator arranged in an array of pixels, the pixels being switchable into either of two optical states in response to differing applied electric fields; providing a light source of substantially constant brightness; dividing the image frame into a plurality of subframes of equal time duration; and during each frame, switching each pixel to its ON state for a fraction of the subframes proportional to the gray level to be displayed and into its OFF state during the remaining subframes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
3 . A method for displaying-gray scale image frames, comprising providing a spatial light modulator arranged in an array of pixels, the pixels being switchable into either of two optical states in response to differing applied electric fields; providing a light source of substantially constant brightness; dividing the image frame into a plurality of subframes of equal time duration; and during each frame, switching each pixel to its ON state for a fraction of the subframes proportional to the gray level to be displayed and into its OFF state during the remaining subframes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
134 words
4 . A method for displaying gray scale image frames, comprising providing a spatial light modulator arranged in an array of pixels, the pixels being switchable into either of two optical states in response to differing applied electric fields, each pixel having a separate pixel electrode associated therewith; dividing the image frame into a plurality of subframes of equal time duration; and during each image frame, switching each pixel to its ON state for a fraction of the subframes related to the gray level to be displayed and into its OFF state during the remaining subframes; wherein the pixel electrodes are switched to one of two different voltage levels to achieve the ON state or the OFF state, the two different voltage levels differing by an amount less than or equal to 5 volts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
134 words
4 . A method for displaying gray scale image frames, comprising providing a spatial light modulator arranged in an array of pixels, the pixels being switchable into either of two optical states in response to differing applied electric fields, each pixel having a separate pixel electrode associated therewith; dividing the image frame into a plurality of subframes of equal time duration; and during each image frame, switching each pixel to its ON state for a fraction of the subframes related to the gray level to be displayed and into its OFF state during the remaining subframes; wherein the pixel electrodes are switched to one of two different voltage levels to achieve the ON state or the OFF state, the two different voltage levels differing by an amount less than or equal to 5 volts.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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