Electrooptical switching device

Claim 1

A visual display comprising: plural display elements formed by plural electrodes arranged in first and second orthagonal arrays to define a visual display zone; data generation means for generating first signals to be applied to the electrodes of the first array electrodes and for supplying second signals in the form of predetermined potentials to be applied to the electrodes of said second array, said first signals having a voltage level which varies in correspondence to an image to be displayed; switching means for connecting said first signals and said second signals to the electrodes of said first and said second arrays, respectively, comprising, optically controlled switching elements each having a first terminal coupled to said data generation means and a second terminal coupled to a respective electrode, said first signals coupled to the first terminal of the switching elements connected to the first array of said electrodes and said second signals applied to respective of the first terminals of the switching elements and through respective resistors to the electrodes of the second array, optical addressing means for optically scanning said switching elements to control switching of said switching elements, and memory capacitors connected to respective second terminals of said switching elements which have said first signals applied to the first terminals thereof.