Modular flat-screen color television displays and modules and circuit drives therefor

Claim 1

A flat-screen color television display comprising: A. a plurality of modules positioned adjacent each other to form an array the size of the desired flat-screen display; B. each of said modules having a substrate with first and second major surfaces and edge surfaces, a matrix of picture elements extending over the first major surface of the substrate in a regular pattern with boundary picture elements adjacent the edge surfaces of the substrate to distances such that the regular pattern is continued substantially uninterrupted between adjacent modules, a matrix of electrical switching elements extending over the first major surface of the substrate with each of said switching elements capable of activating a picture element upon receiving electrical signals through both row and column conductive strips, said row and column conductive strips each extending over the first major surface from adjacent an edge surface to adjacent an opposite edge surface of the substrate such that said each switching element can be electrically activated by a row and a column conductive strip, a color filter positioned adjacent the picture elements of the matrix such that a color television image can be displayed by the modules, an electrical drive circuit positioned adjacent the second major surface of the substrate and capable of electrically activating the switching elements in correspondence to desired video images to be formed by the picture elements over the first major surface, and interconnecting conductors electrically connecting the drive circuit adjacent the second major surface with the row and column conductive strips on the first major surface and electrically insulated from similar interconnecting conductive strips of an adjacent module; and C. an electrical control circuit capable of categorizing incoming video signals corresponding to the modules in the array and directing the electrical signals to the drive circuit of each said module according to the portion of the video images to be reproduced by the picture elements on that module.