Increasing Brightness in Field-Sequential Color Displays

A display comprising:

• a display panel, the panel having a plurality of pixels configured to modulate light in a temporal sequence so as to form an image during a frame;
• a light source arrangement that illuminates the display panel, the light source arrangement being configured to selectively emit light of at least two different colors;
• and
• a compensator cell having at least two states, one state wherein the compensator has no effect on the appearance to a viewer of individual pixels, and a second state wherein the compensator changes the appearance of pixels by inverting the contrast of the image;
• wherein the frame is divided time-wise into color segments with only one of the different colors of light being emitted from the light source arrangement during each color segment, wherein the light source arrangement illuminates the panel with blue light during at least one color segment, wherein the compensator changes from the first state to the second state at least once during the frame, and wherein the compensator changes state during the color segment during which the light source is illuminating the display panel with blue light.

A method of increasing the brightness of a display comprising:

• providing a display panel, the panel having a plurality of pixels, the pixels having a plurality of light modulating states, including ON and OFF, the pixels being configured to modulate light in a temporal sequence so as to form an image during a frame;
• providing a light source arrangement that illuminates the display panel, the light source arrangement being configured to selectively emit light of at least one of at least two different colors;
• dividing a data ordering arrangement that is receptive of incoming video data and that generates drive signals that drive the pixels to the light modulating states;
• dividing the frame time-wise into a plurality of color segments;
• inserting transition periods between each color segments;
• determining pixel brightness values for each color segment from the incoming video data;
• generating drive signals that cause individual pixels with pixel brightness values above predetermined values for each color segment in a given from to be in a state other than OFF during each transition period of the frame;
• illuminating the panel with only one of the different colors of light from the light source arrangement during a color segment;
• and
• illuminating the panel with at least one of the different colors of light from the light source arrangement during a transition period.

A field-sequential grayscale color display system, comprising:

• a display panel, including an array of pixels having a plurality of light modulating states;
• an illumination arrangement that illuminates the pixels, the illumination arrangement including a color generating arrangement that produces light in at least three different color spectrum ranges, wherein the illumination arrangement sequentially illuminates the panel with light from each one of the at least three different color spectrum ranges at a time during a frame, and wherein the light from at least three different color spectrum ranges produces white light when combined;
• and
• a pixel driving arrangement that is receptive of incoming video data and that produces grayscale pixel drive signals that drive individual pixels to light modulating states in accordance with a grayscale scheme;
• wherein the pixel driving arrangement also produces compensation drive signals that cause each pixel to be in the same light modulating state during each of at least three compensation periods, with one compensation period corresponding to each color spectrum range of light in the illumination sequence.

A method of operating a display, the method comprising:

• providing a display panel, the panel having a plurality of pixels configured to modulate light in a temporal sequence so as to form an image during a frame, the pixels having a plurality of light modulating states, including OFF and ON;
• illuminating the display panel with light of at least one of at least three different colors;
• and
• receiving incoming video data;
• generating drive signals for the pixels, based on the incoming video data, to control the light modulating states of the pixels;
• wherein the frame is divided time-wise into color segments with only one of the different colors of light being emitted from the light source arrangement during each color segment, wherein each of the color segments are separated in time by transition periods during which varying amounts of no more than two of the at least three different colors of light may illuminate the panel, wherein the incoming video data includes information from which the data ordering arrangement detennines pixel brightness values for each color segment, wherein the drive signals cause certain individual pixels to be in the same state other than the OFF state as they are during each of the other transition periods of a frame.

A method of operating a display, the method comprising:

• providing a display panel, the panel having a plurality of pixels configured to modulate light in a temporal sequence so as to form an image during a frame, the pixels having a plurality of light modulating states, including OFF and ON;
• illuminating the display panel with light of at least one of at least three different colors;
• receiving incoming video data;
• generating drive signals for the pixels, based on the incoming video data, to control the light modulating states of the pixels;
• and
• providing the drive signals to the display panel;
• wherein the drive signals include:
• signals to control the light modulating states of the pixels while the pixels are illuminated with a first one of the at least three different colors;
• signals to control the light modulating states of the pixels while the pixels are illuminated with a second one of the at least three different colors;
• signals to control the light modulating states of the pixels while the pixels are illuminated with a third one of the at least three different colors;
• and
• signals to control the light modulating states of the pixels while the pixels are illuminated with at least two of the first one, second one, and third one of the at least three different colors.