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US5959598A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Pixel buffer circuits for implementing improved methods of displaying grey-scale or color images

Assignee: Intel Corp
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Filing: 1996-02-09
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Granted: 1999-09-28
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Expires: 2016-02-09
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Abstract

Abstract A device such as a display device or a spatial light modulator can store pixel data in a plurality of small circuits coupled to pixel mirrors and simultaneously drive these pixel mirrors a frame at a time. This device is particularly beneficial for implementing improved image quality techniques which can convert binary images to grey-scale images and/or separate red, green and blue images into color images and displaying those images using the natural process of integration which occurs when a person views images at sufficiently high rates.

Inventors

  • 👤 Douglas J. McKnight

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 21:36
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T3/00; G06T3/40; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/2007; G09G3/2018; G09G3/2022; G09G3/34; G09G3/36; G09G3/3611; G09G3/3648; G09G3/3659; G09G2300/00; G09G2300/08; G09G2300/0809; G09G2300/0814; G09G2300/0823; G09G2300/0828; G09G2300/0842; G09G2300/0847; G09G2300/0857; G09G2310/00; G09G2310/02; G09G2310/0235; G09G2310/0243; G09G2310/0251; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/02; G09G2320/0233; G09G2320/0247; G09G2320/0266; G09G2320/06; G09G2320/0626; G09G2320/0633; G09G2320/064; G09G3/2011; G09G3/2014; G09G3/2033; G09G3/2037; G09G3/3406

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 183 words
A device, comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a first inverter coupled to said first switch for receiving said pixel datum; a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said first inverter, and a second inverter coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said first inverter to said second inverter synchronous with said clock signal, and outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 183 words
A device, comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a first inverter coupled to said first switch for receiving said pixel datum; a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said first inverter, and a second inverter coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said first inverter to said second inverter synchronous with said clock signal, and outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal layer arranged on said first surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 51 words
The display device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a window arranged on said liquid crystal layer, wherein said plurality of means comprises a plurality of storage elements capable of approximately simultaneously outputting said image data to said driving electrodes which drive said liquid crystal layer to yield an image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first switch comprises a first transistor and said second switch comprises a second transistor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
The display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second transistors are FETs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first switch comprises a first pair of FETs and said second switch comprises a second pair of FETs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal layer arranged on said first surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 40 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
The device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising capacitance means coupled to said first switch for receiving and storing said pixel datum.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said capacitance means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said capacitance means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
The device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an inverter which receives and outputs a pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of means receives image data comprising a series of subframes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 40 words
The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plurality of means receives image data comprising a series of color subframes to be displayed in series at sufficiently high frame rates to produce color integration of images to an observer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 40 words
The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plurality of means receives image data comprising a series of binary subframes to be displayed in series at sufficiently high frame rates to produce grey-scale integration of images to an observer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a spatial light modulator which is driven by said plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 27 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal layer arranged on said first surface which is driven by said plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 184 words
A device comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a capacitance means coupled to said first switch for receiving and storing said pixel datum, a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said first inverter, and an inverter coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said capacitor means to said inverter synchronous with said clock signal, and which outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 20
Independent Claim 184 words
A device comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a capacitance means coupled to said first switch for receiving and storing said pixel datum, a second switch coupled to a clock signal and said first inverter, and an inverter coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said capacitor means to said inverter synchronous with said clock signal, and which outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 14 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said capacitance means comprises a capacitor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 18 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a liquid crystal layer arranged on said first surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 22 words
The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plurality of means receives image data comprising a series of analog color subframes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 22 words
The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said plurality of means receives image data comprising a series of binary color subframes.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 188 words
A device, comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a capacitance means coupled to said first switch for receiving and storing said pixel datum, a second switch coupled to a global pull-up signal and said capacitance means, and an electrode driver coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said capacitor means to said electrode driver synchronous with said global pull-up signal, and which outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 26
Independent Claim 188 words
A device, comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on said first surface of the substrate; and a plurality of circuits arranged on said substrate and respectively coupled to said plurality of driving electrodes, for receiving and storing image data and for driving said plurality of driving electrodes a frame at a time synchronous with a switching signal; wherein each of said plurality of circuits comprises: a first switch coupled to a gate signal and a data line for receiving a pixel datum of said image data and outputting said pixel datum in accordance with said gate signal, a capacitance means coupled to said first switch for receiving and storing said pixel datum, a second switch coupled to a global pull-up signal and said capacitance means, and an electrode driver coupled to said second switch and to a respective one of said plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said pixel datum is transmitted from said capacitor means to said electrode driver synchronous with said global pull-up signal, and which outputs said pixel datum to said respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 15 words
The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said pixel datum comprises an analog quantity.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 24 words
The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said electrode driver comprises a voltage limiting transistor and said pixel datum comprises an analog quantity.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 40 words
The device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a third switch coupled to a global pull-down signal and a respective one of the plurality of driving electrodes, wherein said driving electrodes are reset synchronous with said global pull-down signal.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-09-27 2003-03-29 2003-09-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-09-27 2007-03-29 2007-09-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-09-27 2011-03-29 2011-09-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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