Apparatus for addressing active displays

Claim 2

In an active addressed display of the type employ­ing display elements arranged in a matrix pattern wherein columns of display elements are coupled to vertical source lines each having an associated storage capacitor, the improvement comprising: means for sampling an input signal to provide sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals, each signal sample obtained over a time interval t₁; means coupled between said sampling means and said storage capacitors for transferring said sequentially occurring signal samples from said sampling means to said storage capacitors; and means coupled to said vertical source lines for transferring sampled signals stored in said capacitors to display elements arranged in rows of said matrix pattern.

Claim 3

The active addressed display of claim 1 wherein said transferring means comprises: n signal lines coupled to sequentially receive said sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; and signal line switch means for coupling each signal sample to a storage capacitor during a time period t₂ = n x t₁.

Claim 4

The active addressed display of claim 2 wherein said signal line switch means comprises m groups of n signal line switches, each signal line switch coupled to one of said storage capacitors in a manner to provide m switch capacitor combinations coupled to each of said signal lines.

Claim 5

The active addressed display of claim 3 wherein said sampling means comprises: n sampling switches coupled correspondingly to said signal lines and constructed and arranged for sequentially sampling said input signals such that each provides a signal sample taken over a duration t₁ and samples at n x t₁ intervals; and n sample capacitors correpondingly coupled to said sampling switches for storing said signal samples, each sample capacitor providing signal samples to an associated signal line for coupling to said m switches coupled to said associated signal line.

Claim 6

The active addressed display in accordance with Claim 4 wherein said display elements, said signal switches and said storage capacitors are on a substrate and said sampling switches in said sample capacitors are external to said substrate.

Claim 7

The active addressed display of Claim 1 wherein said transferring means includes: a plurality of signal lines coupled to sequentially receive said sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; means having a plurality of output terminals for providing a sequence of activating signals at said output terminals; and a plurality of signal line switches each coupled between one signal line of said plurality of signal lines and a storage capacitor associated with said one signal line, said plurality of signal line switches arranged to form groups of signal line switches with all switches in a group coupled to one output terminal of said activating signal means common to all signal line switches in said group, such that all switches in a group are activated simultaneously by an activating signal at said one output terminal, thereby coupling signal lines in groups to associated storage capacitors.

Claim 8

The active addressed display of Claim 1 further including buffer amplifier means coupled between said sampling means and said transferring means.

Claim 9

In a display apparatus of the type employing display elements arranged in a matrix pattern having rows and columns of display elements and wherein the columns of display elements are coupled to vertical source lines, the improvement comprising: means for sampling an input signal to provide sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; means coupled between said sampling means and said vertical source lines for transferring said sequentially occurring signal samples from said sampling means to said vertical source lines; and means coupled to rows of display elements for simultaneously coupling all display elements in a pre­determined row to respectively corresponding vertical source lines.

Claim 10

In a display apparatus of the type employing display elements arranged in a matrix pattern having rows and columns of display elements and wherein the columns of display elements are coupled to vertical source lines, the improvement comprising: means for sampling an input signal to provide sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; means coupled between said sampling means and said vertical source lines for transferring said sequentially occurring signal samples from said sampling means to said vertical source lines; and means coupled to rows of display elements for simultaneously coupling all display elements in a pre­determined row to respectively corresponding vertical source lines.

Claim 11

The display apparatus of claim 8 wherein said transferring means includes: a plurality of signal lines coupled to sequentially receive said sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; means having a plurality of output terminals for providing a sequence of activating signals at said output terminals; and a plurality of signal line switches each coupled between one signal line and a vertical source line associat­ed with said one signal line, said plurality of signal line switches arranged to form groups of signal line switches with all switches in a group coupled to one output terminal of said activating signal means common to all signal line switches in said group such that all switches in a group are activated simultaneously by an activating signal at said one output terminal, thereby coupling signal lines in groups to associated vertical source lines.

Claim 14

The method of claim 6 wherein the step of coupling said signal to said sample-and-hold circuits includes: coupling said signal to a plurality of sequentially and cyclically operable sampling switches; and coupling storage elements correspondingly to said sampling switches.

Claim 15

In apparatus for generating a display corresponding to an input signal, said apparatus comprising display elements arranged in a matrix pattern having columns of display elements coupled to vertical source lines each having an associated storage capacitor, the improvement comprising: means for sampling said input signal to provide sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals, each signal sample obtained in a time interval t₁ and main­tained for a time interval t₂ = nt₁; means coupled between said sampling means and said storage capacitors for transferring said sequentially occurring signal samples from said sampling means to said storage capacitors, each transfer to a storage capacitor accomplished within said time period t₂; and means coupled to said vertical source lines for transfering sampled signals stored in said storage capaci­tors to display elements constituting a row of said matrix pattern.

Claim 16

In apparatus for generating a display corresponding to an input signal, said apparatus comprising display elements arranged in a matrix pattern having columns of display elements coupled to vertical source lines each having an associated storage capacitor, the improvement comprising: means for sampling said input signal to provide sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals, each signal sample obtained in a time interval t₁ and main­tained for a time interval t₂ = nt₁; means coupled between said sampling means and said storage capacitors for transferring said sequentially occurring signal samples from said sampling means to said storage capacitors, each transfer to a storage capacitor accomplished within said time period t₂; and means coupled to said vertical source lines for transfering sampled signals stored in said storage capaci­tors to display elements constituting a row of said matrix pattern.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said transferring means comprises: n signal lines coupled to sequentially receive said sets of n sequentially occurring sampled signals; and signal line switch means for coupling each signal sample to a storage capacitor during said time period t₂.

Claim 18

The apparatus of Claim 13 wherein said signal line switch means comprises m groups of n signal line switches, each signal line switch coupled to one of said storage capacitors in a manner to provide m switch-capacitor combinations coupled to each of said signal lines.

Claim 19

The apparatus of Claim 14 wherein said sampling means comprises: n sampling switches coupled correspondingly to said signal lines for sequentially sampling said input signal such that each provides a signal sample taken over a duration t₁ and samples at n x t₁ intervals; and n sample capacitors correspondingly coupled to said sampling switches for storing said signal samples for said time interval t₂, each sample capacitor providing signal samples to an associated signal line for coupling to said m switches coupled to said associated signal line.

Claim 20

The apparatus of Claim 15 wherein said display elements, said signal switches and said storage capacitors are on a substrate and said sampling switches and said sample capacitors are external to said substrate.