Portable microdisplay system

A digital camera comprising:

• a housing;
• an image sensor within the housing that senses an image;
• a signal processor within the housing that processes signals from the image sensor;
• an active matrix display positioned within the housing and having an active matrix circuit including an array of transistor circuits in a first plane, a counter electrode panel extending in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane, and a plurality of pixel electrodes that displays an image, the pixel electrodes being connected to the signal processor;
• a light source within the housing positioned to illuminate the active matrix display;
• a display control circuit within the housing that controls activation of the pixel electrodes, the display control circuit being connected to the active matrix display by a data link that transmits data at a rate of speed of greater than 100 Mbytes per second in series, the counter electrode panel of the active matrix display receiving an applied voltage such that the display circuit actuates the pixel electrodes to write an image, flashes the light source to illuminate the image, switches the applied voltage to the counter electrode to erase the image, and initializes the pixel electrodes to a selected specific state prior to the writing a further image;
• and
• a lens optically coupled to the matrix display to magnify an image on the display.

A portable microdisplay system comprising

• an active matrix liquid crystal display including an array of at least 75,000 pixel electrodes, the active matrix liquid crystal display having an active matrix circuit having an array of transistor circuits formed in a first plane, each transistor circuit being connected to a pixel electrode in an array of pixel electrodes having an active area of less than 158 mm2, and a counter electrode panel extending in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane;
• a light source positioned to illuminate the active matrix display;
• a display control circuit that controls activation of the pixel electrodes, the display control circuit being connected to the active matrix liquid crystal display by a data link that transmits data at a rate of speed of greater than 100 Mbytes per second in series, the counter electrode panel of the active matrix liquid crystal display receiving an applied voltage such that the display circuit actuates the pixel electrodes to write an image, flashes the light source to illuminate the image, switches the applied voltage to the counter electrode to erase the image, and initializes the pixel electrodes to a selected state prior to the writing of a further image;
• and
• a lens positioned to receive an image formed on the active matrix liquid crystal display and magnify the image by at least a factor of two.

A portable microdisplay system comprising:

• an active matrix liquid crystal display including an active matrix circuit having an array of transistor circuits formed in a first plane, each transistor circuit being connected to a pixel electrode in an array of pixel electrodes, and a counter electrode panel extending in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane;
• a light source positioned to illuminate the array of pixel electrodes;
• a lens positioned to receive an image formed on the active matrix liquid crystal display and that magnifies the image by at least a factor of two;
• a display control circuit that generates images to be displayed on the liquid crystal display and connected to the active matrix liquid crystal display by a data link that transmits data at a rate of speed of greater than 100 Mbytes per second in series and to the light source, the display control circuit including a first switching circuit connected to the counterelectrode panel, the first switching circuit selecting a high or a low common voltage applied to the counterelectrode panel, a second switching circuit that selects a video or an inverted video signal to be transmitted to the display, and a timing control circuit that determines when the display control circuit actuates the pixel electrodes to write an image and flashes the light source to illuminate the image, when the second switching circuit selects the video or the inverted video signal, and when the first switching circuit selects the high or low common voltage applied to the counterelectrode to erase the image.