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US 2006/0187191 A1Published application
Display methods and apparatus
AssigneePixtronix, Inc.
InventorsNesbitt Hagood, Abraham McAllister, Stephen Lewis, Roger Barton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming images on a display utilizing a control matrix to control the movement of MEMs-based light modulators.
Claims33
A display apparatus comprising:
- an array of pixels including
- a substrate having a plurality of apertures, and
- a plurality of shutters corresponding to the plurality of apertures configured for transverse motion relative to the substrate;
- and
- a control matrix connected to the substrate including, for a pixel in the array of pixels, i) a write-enabling interconnect for enabling the pixel to respond to a data voltage, ii) an actuation voltage interconnect for providing a voltage sufficient to actuate the pixel, iii) a first switch for selectively governing the application of the voltage provided by the actuation voltage interconnect to the pixel, and iv) a data voltage interconnect for controlling the first switch, thereby regulating the application of the actuation voltage across an actuator connected to a respective shutter and empowering transverse motion of the respective shutter corresponding to form an image on the display.
2 more elements
A display apparatus comprising:
- an array of pixels including
- a substrate having a plurality of apertures, and
- a plurality of shutters corresponding to the plurality of apertures;
- wherein a shutter has at least one mechanical support substantially limiting a range of motion of the shutter to a movement plane that is parallel to a plane defined by the substrate;
- and
- a control matrix disposed on the substrate including, for a pixel in the array of pixels, i) a write-enabling interconnect for enabling the pixel to respond to a data voltage, ii) an actuation voltage interconnect for providing a voltage sufficient to actuate the pixel, iii) a first switch for selectively governing the application of the voltage provided by the actuation voltage interconnect to the pixel, and iv) a data voltage interconnect for controlling the first switch, thereby regulating the application of the actuation voltage across an actuator connected to a respective shutter and empowering an electrostatically driven movement of the respective shutter substantially within the movement plane.
3 more elements
A method of forming an image on a display comprising:
- applying a write-enabling voltage to a plurality of pixels arranged in a scan line;
- applying an actuation voltage to at least one of the pixels in the scan line;
- selectively applying a data voltage to a switch corresponding to a pixel in the scan line to regulate the application of the actuation voltage to an actuator in the pixel, thereby controlling the position of a shutter connected to the actuator that corresponds to the switch, wherein the actuation voltage is at least twice the data voltage, and wherein the shutter is configured for transverse movement adjacent a substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.