System for Determining An Operational State of a MEMS Based Display
AssigneeMicrovision, Inc.
InventorsGregory T. Gibson, Richard A. James, Wyatt O. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an operational state of a MEMS device of a scanner system may be determined. In the event it is determined that the MEMS device is possibly operating in an unsafe mode, the laser may be turned off and/or the MEMS device may be shut down. An operational state of the MEMS device may be determined for example by obtaining a MEMS drive voltage sense signal and/or a MEMS drive current sense signal, and a potentially unsafe mode of operation may be identified if one or more of such signals are not at proper values with respect to predetermined threshold values.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a laser to emit a beam of light;
- a MEMS device having a mirror to reflect the beam of light emitted by the laser;
- a scan line generator circuit to provide a drive signal to the MEMS device to move the mirror and direct the reflected beam of light in a motion responsive to the drive signal to project an image;
- and
- a circuit to obtain an operational state of the MEMS device;
- wherein the laser beam is turned off or the MEMS device is shut down, or combinations thereof, if the circuit obtains an operational state of the MEMS device indicative that the MEMS device is operating in a possibly unsafe mode of operation.
A scanned beam display, comprising:
- a video controller;
- and
- a MEMS module capable of being controlled by said video controller to project an image, said MEMS module comprising:
- a laser to emit a beam of light;
- a MEMS device having a mirror to reflect the beam of light emitted by the laser:
- a scan line generator circuit to provide a drive signal to the MEMS device to move the mirror and direct the reflected beam of light in a motion responsive to the drive signal to project the image;
- and
- a circuit to obtain an operational state of the MEMS device;
- wherein the laser beam is turned off or the MEMS device is shut down, or combinations thereof, if the circuit obtains an operational state of the MEMS device indicative that the MEMS device is operating in a possibly unsafe mode of operation.
A display system, comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory coupled to said processor;
- and
- a MEMS module capable of being controlled by said processor by a program stored in the memory, said MEMS module comprising:
- a laser to emit a beam of light;
- a MEMS device having a mirror to reflect the beam of light emitted by the laser:
- a scan line generator circuit to provide a drive signal to the MEMS device to move the mirror and direct the reflected beam of light in a motion responsive to the drive signal to project an image;
- and
- a circuit to obtain an operational state of the MEMS device;
- wherein the laser beam is turned off or the MEMS device is shut down, or combinations thereof, if the circuit obtains an operational state of the MEMS device indicative that the MEMS device is operating in a possibly unsafe mode of operation.
A method, comprising:
- powering a laser to emit a beam of light;
- driving a MEMS device having a mirror to reflect the beam of light emitted by the laser, to move the mirror and direct the reflected beam of light in a motion responsive to the drive signal to project an image;
- obtaining an operational state of the MEMS device;
- and
- turning off the laser beam or shutting down the MEMS device, or combinations thereof, if the operational state of the MEMS device is indicative that the MEMS device is operating in a possibly unsafe mode of operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.