Display system with clock-dropping to compensate for lamp variations and for phase locking of free-running sequencer
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDonald B. Doherty, Daniel J. Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A display system includes a light source 110 and a spatial light modulator 122 located to receive light from the light source. The spatial light modulator (e.g., a DMD) includes a number of independently controllable elements that are activated for a period of time to display light of a desired brightness. A light sensor 136 is located to determine a characteristic of light from the light source 110. A control circuit 126 is coupled to the spatial light modulator 122 and controls the period of time that the independently controllable elements are activated. This period of time is based at least in part by an input received from the light sensor 136.
Claims32
A display system comprising:
- a light source;
- a spatial light modulator located to receive light from the light source, the spatial light modulator including a plurality of independently controllable elements that are activated to a period of time to display light of a desired brightness;
- a light sensor located to determine a characteristic of light from the light source;
- and
- a control circuit coupled to the spatial light modulator, the control circuit providing signals to the spatial light modulator to control the period of time that the independently controllable elements are activated, the period of time being based at least in part by an input received from the light sensor.
A display system comprising:
- a light source;
- a color wheel located to receive light from the light source;
- a light sensor located to receive light from the light source;
- a spatial light modulator located to receive light from the color wheel;
- a memory device with an image data output coupled to an image data input of the spatial light modulator;
- and
- an integrated circuit coupled with an output coupled to the spatial light modulator to control timing and duration of light directed from the spatial light modulator to a display, the integrated circuit including an input coupled to receive a signal from the light sensor.
A method of displaying pixel data, the method comprising:
- receiving image data;
- determining an activation duration of a spatial light modulator element based upon the received image data;
- measuring a characteristic of light used to display the pixel data;
- modifying the activation duration based upon the measured characteristic;
- and
- activating the spatial light modulator element for the modified duration.
A system for controlling timing signals for a spatial light modulator-based display, the system comprising:
- a sequencer having at least one spatial light modulator timing signal output, the sequencer also having a sequencer index signal output;
- and
- a processor having a first input coupled to receive a video synchronization signal, a second input coupled to receive a color cycle index signal, and a third input coupled to the sequencer index signal output of the sequencer, the processor running a first control loop that locks the color cycle index signal to the video synchronization signal, the processor also running a second control loop that locks the sequencer index signal to the color cycle index signal.
A method of controlling the timing of a spatial light modulator, the method comprising:
- receiving a video timing signal;
- generating a spatial light modulator timing signal based upon the video timing signal;
- determining the timing of a color wheel;
- comparing the timing of the color wheel with the timing of the spatial light modulator timing signal;
- and
- based upon the result of the comparing, adjusting the spatial light modulator timing signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.