Patent Application
20140168223
This disclosure relates to electromechanical systems and devices, and in particular, to methods and apparatus for matching actuation voltages of display elements in a display.
Electromechanical systems (EMS) include devices having electrical and mechanical elements, actuators, transducers, sensors, optical components such as mirrors and optical films, and electronics. EMS devices or elements can be manufactured at a variety of scales including, but not limited to, microscales and nanoscales. For example, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices can include structures having sizes ranging from about a micron to hundreds of microns or more. Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) devices can include structures having sizes smaller than a micron including, for example, sizes smaller than several hundred nanometers. Electromechanical elements may be created using deposition, etching, lithography, and/or other micromachining processes that etch away parts of substrates and/or deposited material layers, or that add layers to form electrical and electromechanical devices.
One type of EMS device is called an interferometric modulator (IMOD). The term IMOD or interferometric light modulator refers to a device that selectively absorbs and/or reflects light using the principles of optical interference. In some implementations, an IMOD display element may include a pair of conductive plates, one or both of which may be transparent and/or reflective, wholly or in part, and capable of relative motion upon application of an appropriate electrical signal. For example, one plate may include a stationary layer deposited over, on or supported by a substrate and the other plate may include a reflective membrane separated from the stationary layer by an air gap. The position of one plate in relation to another can change the optical interference of light incident on the IMOD display element. IMOD-based display devices have a wide range of applications, and are anticipated to be used in improving existing products and creating new products, especially those with display capabilities.
To induce the relative motion between the conductive plates, a particular actuation voltage may be applied across the plates to cause the plates to move toward or away from one other. In general, the actuation voltage for a particular display element can be based on various geometric or structural features of the display element. It should be appreciated, therefore, that display elements having different structures or geometries may likewise have different actuation voltages. In some arrangements, it can be desirable to match actuation voltages among display elements that have different geometries and/or structures.
The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.
One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a display apparatus. The display apparatus can include a plurality of electromechanical display elements including a first set of electromechanical display elements and a second set of electromechanical display elements. Each electromechanical display element can include a common electrode and a segment electrode. Each of the segment electrodes of the first set of electromechanical display elements can have a first area located under the common electrodes of the first set. Each of the segment electrodes of the second set of electromechanical display elements can have a second area smaller than the first area located under the common electrodes of the second set.
In some implementations, each electromechanical display element can be associated with an actuation voltage. The actuation voltage of each electromechanical display element of the first set can be approximately the same as the actuation voltage of each electromechanical display element of the second set. Each electromechanical display element can have an aperture. Further, the aperture of each electromechanical display element in the first set can have a larger area than the aperture of each electromechanical display element in the second set. The electromechanical display elements in the first and second sets can be configured to display substantially the same color. For example, in some implementations, the electromechanical display elements in the first and second sets can be configured to display green. Furthermore, the plurality of electromechanical display elements may include one or more interferometric modulators (IMODs) in various implementations. In some implementations, the plurality of electromechanical display elements may form a passive matrix array. In other implementations, the plurality of electromechanical display elements may form an active matrix array.
Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method of manufacturing a display. The method can include depositing an optically opaque mask layer on a substrate to define a plurality of apertures by edge contours of the mask layer. The method can further include depositing segment electrodes over the mask layer and the apertures. The segment electrodes can have edge contours that are different to define sets of physically different apertures.
In some implementations, a first set of apertures can be defined in the mask layer. Each aperture in the first set can have a first area. A second set of apertures also can be defined in the mask layer. Each aperture in the second set can have a second area smaller than the first area. In some implementations, the edge contours of first portions of the segment electrodes overlying apertures of the first set can be defined. The edge contours of second portions of the segment electrodes overlying apertures of the second set also can be defined such that the first portions of the segment electrodes have a larger area than the second portions of the segment electrodes.
Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a display apparatus. The display apparatus can include a plurality of means for displaying image data. The displaying means can include means for forming apertures having different sizes. Further, the displaying means can include means for reducing a disparity in an actuation voltage associated with the differently-sized apertures, the actuation voltage being configured to actuate the displaying means from an unactuated state to an actuated state.
In some implementations, the aperture-forming means includes an optically opaque mask layer deposited on a substrate to define the differently-sized apertures by edge contours of the mask layer. Further, the disparity-reducing means can include segment electrodes deposited over the mask layer and the apertures, the segment electrodes having edge contours that are shaped differently for differently-sized apertures.
Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Although the examples provided in this disclosure are primarily described in terms of EMS and MEMS-based displays the concepts provided herein may apply to other types of displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, and field emission displays. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purposes of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, apparatus, or system that can be configured to display an image, whether in motion (such as video) or stationary (such as still images), and whether textual, graphical or pictorial. More particularly, it is contemplated that the described implementations may be included in or associated with a variety of electronic devices such as, but not limited to: mobile telephones, multimedia Internet enabled cellular telephones, mobile television receivers, wireless devices, smartphones, Bluetooth® devices, personal data assistants (PDAs), wireless electronic mail receivers, hand-held or portable computers, netbooks, notebooks, smartbooks, tablets, printers, copiers, scanners, facsimile devices, global positioning system (GPS) receivers/navigators, cameras, digital media players (such as MP3 players), camcorders, game consoles, wrist watches, clocks, calculators, television monitors, flat panel displays, electronic reading devices (e.g., e-readers), computer monitors, auto displays (including odometer and speedometer displays, etc.), cockpit controls and/or displays, camera view displays (such as the display of a rear view camera in a vehicle), electronic photographs, electronic billboards or signs, projectors, architectural structures, microwaves, refrigerators, stereo systems, cassette recorders or players, DVD players, CD players, VCRs, radios, portable memory chips, washers, dryers, washer/dryers, parking meters, packaging (such as in electromechanical systems (EMS) applications including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, as well as non-EMS applications), aesthetic structures (such as display of images on a piece of jewelry or clothing) and a variety of EMS devices. The teachings herein also can be used in non-display applications such as, but not limited to, electronic switching devices, radio frequency filters, sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, motion-sensing devices, magnetometers, inertial components for consumer electronics, parts of consumer electronics products, varactors, liquid crystal devices, electrophoretic devices, drive schemes, manufacturing processes and electronic test equipment. Thus, the teachings are not intended to be limited to the implementations depicted solely in the Figures, but instead have wide applicability as will be readily apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art.
Various implementations disclosed herein may be directed to matching actuation voltages in display elements that have different geometries or structures. For example, in some implementations, display elements may have different aperture areas. The different aperture areas associated with the display elements can result in different actuation voltages for the display elements. In various pixel schemes, the resulting differences in actuation voltages may introduce image artifacts in the images to be displayed. For example, if two green display elements have different aperture sizes, applying the same voltage across the two green display elements may result in the display of slightly different colors, which can produce a striped pattern on the display in various arrangements. In some other arrangements, other types of artifacts may be present when two display elements configured to display the same color have different actuation voltages. To reduce the image artifacts, it can be desirable to match the actuation voltages associated with the two green display elements that have differently-sized apertures.
In some implementations, actuation voltages for display elements may be matched by having different area segment electrodes associated with different display elements. Returning to the example of the two green display elements having apertures with different areas, the segment electrode associated with one of the green display elements may be cut, or otherwise modified, to reduce the area of the segment electrode positioned below the common electrode for that particular display element relative to another display element. Reducing the area of the associated segment electrode may increase the actuation voltage for the one green display element to match the actuation voltage for the other green display element.
Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. For example, modifying the area of the segment electrode below the common electrode for a particular display element can accordingly modify the actuation voltage for that display element. If the area of the modified segment electrode is selected appropriately, then the actuation voltage for the display element may approximately match the actuation voltage of another display element having a segment electrode with an unmodified area (such as an uncut segment electrode). By matching actuation voltages for various sets of display elements (such as display elements configured to display the same color in some implementations), image artifacts associated with the differing actuation voltages may be reduced or eliminated. Other methods for matching actuation voltages by creating different structures for different display elements often modify the color associated with the different display elements. Matching actuation voltages for two different display elements configured to display the same color may require additional color tuning, which can accordingly increase the complexity of processing sequences. In contrast, modifying the area of the segment electrode can reduce actuation voltage differences without affecting display element color significantly.
An example of a suitable EMS or MEMS device or apparatus, to which the described implementations may apply, is a reflective display device. Reflective display devices can incorporate interferometric modulator (IMOD) display elements that can be implemented to selectively absorb and/or reflect light incident thereon using principles of optical interference. IMOD display elements can include a partial optical absorber, a reflector that is movable with respect to the absorber, and an optical resonant cavity defined between the absorber and the reflector. In some implementations, the reflector can be moved to two or more different positions, which can change the size of the optical resonant cavity and thereby affect the reflectance of the IMOD. The reflectance spectra of IMOD display elements can create fairly broad spectral bands that can be shifted across the visible wavelengths to generate different colors. The position of the spectral band can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the optical resonant cavity. One way of changing the optical resonant cavity is by changing the position of the reflector with respect to the absorber.
The IMOD display device can include an array of IMOD display elements which may be arranged in rows and columns. Each display element in the array can include at least a pair of reflective and semi-reflective layers, such as a movable reflective layer (i.e., a movable layer, also referred to as a mechanical layer) and a fixed partially reflective layer (i.e., a stationary layer), positioned at a variable and controllable distance from each other to form an air gap (also referred to as an optical gap, cavity or optical resonant cavity). The movable reflective layer may be moved between at least two positions. For example, in a first position, i.e., a relaxed position, the movable reflective layer can be positioned at a distance from the fixed partially reflective layer. In a second position, i.e., an actuated position, the movable reflective layer can be positioned more closely to the partially reflective layer. Incident light that reflects from the two layers can interfere constructively and/or destructively depending on the position of the movable reflective layer and the wavelength(s) of the incident light, producing either an overall reflective or non-reflective state for each display element. In some implementations, the display element may be in a reflective state when unactuated, reflecting light within the visible spectrum, and may be in a dark state when actuated, absorbing and/or destructively interfering light within the visible range. In some other implementations, however, an IMOD display element may be in a dark state when unactuated, and in a reflective state when actuated. In some implementations, the introduction of an applied voltage can drive the display elements to change states. In some other implementations, an applied charge can drive the display elements to change states.
The depicted portion of the array in
In
The optical stack 16 can include a single layer or several layers. The layer(s) can include one or more of an electrode layer, a partially reflective and partially transmissive layer, and a transparent dielectric layer. In some implementations, the optical stack 16 is electrically conductive, partially transparent and partially reflective, and may be fabricated, for example, by depositing one or more of the above layers onto a transparent substrate 20. The electrode layer can be formed from a variety of materials, such as various metals, for example indium tin oxide (ITO). The partially reflective layer can be formed from a variety of materials that are partially reflective, such as various metals (e.g., chromium and/or molybdenum), semiconductors, and dielectrics. The partially reflective layer can be formed of one or more layers of materials, and each of the layers can be formed of a single material or a combination of materials. In some implementations, certain portions of the optical stack 16 can include a single semi-transparent thickness of metal or semiconductor which serves as both a partial optical absorber and electrical conductor, while different, electrically more conductive layers or portions (e.g., of the optical stack 16 or of other structures of the display element) can serve to bus signals between IMOD display elements. The optical stack 16 also can include one or more insulating or dielectric layers covering one or more conductive layers or an electrically conductive/partially absorptive layer.
In some implementations, at least some of the layer(s) of the optical stack 16 can be patterned into parallel strips, and may form row electrodes in a display device as described further below. As will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, the term “patterned” is used herein to refer to masking as well as etching processes. In some implementations, a highly conductive and reflective material, such as aluminum (Al), may be used for the movable reflective layer 14, and these strips may form column electrodes in a display device. The movable reflective layer 14 may be formed as a series of parallel strips of a deposited metal layer or layers (orthogonal to the row electrodes of the optical stack 16) to form columns deposited on top of supports, such as the illustrated posts 18, and an intervening sacrificial material located between the posts 18. When the sacrificial material is etched away, a defined gap 19, or optical cavity, can be formed between the movable reflective layer 14 and the optical stack 16. In some implementations, the spacing between posts 18 may be approximately 1-1000 μm, while the gap 19 may be approximately less than 10,000 Angstroms (Å).
In some implementations, each IMOD display element, whether in the actuated or relaxed state, can be considered as a capacitor formed by the fixed and moving reflective layers. When no voltage is applied, the movable reflective layer 14 remains in a mechanically relaxed state, as illustrated by the display element 12 on the left in
The processor 21 can be configured to communicate with an array driver 22. The array driver 22 can include a row driver circuit 24 and a column driver circuit 26 that provide signals to, for example a display array or panel 30. The cross section of the IMOD display device illustrated in
The details of the structure of IMOD displays and display elements may vary widely.
As illustrated in
In implementations such as those shown in
In
The process 80 continues at block 84 with the formation of a sacrificial layer 25 over the optical stack 16. Because the sacrificial layer 25 is later removed (see block 90) to form the cavity 19, the sacrificial layer 25 is not shown in the resulting IMOD display elements.
The process 80 continues at block 86 with the formation of a support structure such as a support post 18. The formation of the support post 18 may include patterning the sacrificial layer 25 to form a support structure aperture, then depositing a material (such as a polymer or an inorganic material, like silicon oxide) into the aperture to form the support post 18, using a deposition method such as PVD, PECVD, thermal CVD, or spin-coating. In some implementations, the support structure aperture formed in the sacrificial layer can extend through both the sacrificial layer 25 and the optical stack 16 to the underlying substrate 20, so that the lower end of the support post 18 contacts the substrate 20. Alternatively, as depicted in
The process 80 continues at block 88 with the formation of a movable reflective layer or membrane such as the movable reflective layer 14 illustrated in
The process 80 continues at block 90 with the formation of a cavity 19. The cavity 19 may be formed by exposing the sacrificial material 25 (deposited at block 84) to an etchant. For example, an etchable sacrificial material such as Mo or amorphous Si may be removed by dry chemical etching by exposing the sacrificial layer 25 to a gaseous or vaporous etchant, such as vapors derived from solid XeF2 for a period of time that is effective to remove the desired amount of material. The sacrificial material is typically selectively removed relative to the structures surrounding the cavity 19. Other etching methods, such as wet etching and/or plasma etching, also may be used. Since the sacrificial layer 25 is removed during block 90, the movable reflective layer 14 is typically movable after this stage. After removal of the sacrificial material 25, the resulting fully or partially fabricated IMOD display element may be referred to herein as a “released” IMOD.
In some implementations, the packaging of an EMS component or device, such as an IMOD-based display, can include a backplate (alternatively referred to as a backplane, back glass or recessed glass) which can be configured to protect the EMS components from damage (such as from mechanical interference or potentially damaging substances). The backplate also can provide structural support for a wide range of components, including but not limited to driver circuitry, processors, memory, interconnect arrays, vapor barriers, product housing, and the like. In some implementations, the use of a backplate can facilitate integration of components and thereby reduce the volume, weight, and/or manufacturing costs of a portable electronic device.
The backplate 92 can be essentially planar or can have at least one contoured surface (e.g., the backplate 92 can be formed with recesses and/or protrusions). The backplate 92 may be made of any suitable material, whether transparent or opaque, conductive or insulating. Suitable materials for the backplate 92 include, but are not limited to, glass, plastic, ceramics, polymers, laminates, metals, metal foils, Kovar and plated Kovar.
As shown in
The backplate components 94a and/or 94b can include one or more active or passive electrical components, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, diodes, switches, and/or integrated circuits (ICs) such as a packaged, standard or discrete IC. Other examples of backplate components that can be used in various implementations include antennas, batteries, and sensors such as electrical, touch, optical, or chemical sensors, or thin-film deposited devices.
In some implementations, the backplate components 94a and/or 94b can be in electrical communication with portions of the EMS array 36. Conductive structures such as traces, bumps, posts, or vias may be formed on one or both of the backplate 92 or the substrate 20 and may contact one another or other conductive components to form electrical connections between the EMS array 36 and the backplate components 94a and/or 94b. For example,
The backplate components 94a and 94b can include one or more desiccants which act to absorb any moisture that may enter the EMS package 91. In some implementations, a desiccant (or other moisture absorbing materials, such as a getter) may be provided separately from any other backplate components, for example as a sheet that is mounted to the backplate 92 (or in a recess formed therein) with adhesive. Alternatively, the desiccant may be integrated into the backplate 92. In some other implementations, the desiccant may be applied directly or indirectly over other backplate components, for example by spray-coating, screen printing, or any other suitable method.
In some implementations, the EMS array 36 and/or the backplate 92 can include mechanical standoffs 97 to maintain a distance between the backplate components and the display elements and thereby prevent mechanical interference between those components. In the implementation illustrated in
Although not illustrated in
In alternate implementations, a seal ring may include an extension of either one or both of the backplate 92 or the substrate 20. For example, the seal ring may include a mechanical extension (not shown) of the backplate 92. In some implementations, the seal ring may include a separate member, such as an O-ring or other annular member.
In some implementations, the EMS array 36 and the backplate 92 are separately formed before being attached or coupled together. For example, the edge of the substrate 20 can be attached and sealed to the edge of the backplate 92 as discussed above. Alternatively, the EMS array 36 and the backplate 92 can be formed and joined together as the EMS package 91. In some other implementations, the EMS package 91 can be fabricated in any other suitable manner, such as by forming components of the backplate 92 over the EMS array 36 by deposition.
As explained above, the display element 12 can be actuated by applying a sufficiently high actuation voltage Va across the conductive layers of the reflective layer 14 and the conductive optical absorber layer 16a of the segment electrode layer 16. Data signals may be routed to the display element 12 through the mask layer 23. Electrical signals passing through the mask layer 23 can electrically communicate with the conductive absorber layer 16a of the segment electrode layer 16 by way of vias formed in the insulating spacer layer 35.
The mask layer 23 can define the outlines of the display elements 12. For example,
The display elements 12 may be arranged to form multiple pixels 33a and 33b. As shown in
There are various reasons to design display elements of the same color to have different aperture areas. For example, image artifacts in certain displays (such as smartphones, tablets or other mobile device displays) may be reduced or eliminated by employing a binary weighted green pixel design. As shown in
However, the size of the mask layer 23 may affect various display element parameters, including the stiffness associated with the electromechanical display element 12. The variance in stiffness may result in different actuation voltages for display elements 12 having different mask layer areas. As shown in
For example, in some arrangements, it may be desirable to simultaneously apply a write voltage waveform simultaneously across green display elements G1 and G2 in different rows in order to, for example, reduce a frame write time. If the actuation voltages for the green display elements G1 and G2 in the different rows are different, yet the voltage applied to the display elements G1 and G2 is the same, then the displayed color for the G1 display elements may be different from the displayed color for the G2 display elements. In other arrangements, however, the pixel design may call for first green display elements G1 to be adjacent second green display elements G2 in a particular row (or to otherwise be in the same row). If a common write voltage waveform is applied to a row having both types of green display elements G1 and G2, then the display elements G1 and G2 may display different colors, introducing image artifacts into the displayed image. It should be appreciated that undesirable image artifacts may be introduced in various other display arrangements and pixel schemes. Furthermore, although the differently-sized apertures are discussed herein with respect to green display elements, it should be appreciated that similar artifacts may result from red and/or blue display elements that have different aperture areas.
For ease of illustration, the movable reflective layer 14 is not shown in
The segment electrode layer 16 may be patterned to define edge contours 31 that define the lateral boundaries for the segment electrode layer 16 for the display element G2 shown in
To reduce or eliminate the associated artifacts, various geometric and/or structural features of the display element 12 may be modified. For example, one model of an electromechanical display element, or IMOD, may be described by the following relationship between actuation voltage, Va, and the material and geometric properties of the components of a display element:
where k is the stiffness of the display element 12, g0 is the undriven air gap 19, ∈G is the vacuum permittivity, td is the thickness of the dielectric layer 16b, ∈r is the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 16b, and A is the electrode area, e.g., the area of the segment electrode layer 16 under the common line (or movable reflective layer 14) associated with a particular display element 12.
As shown from
Thus, in
Thus, to match actuation voltages in various implementations, the segment electrodes of a first set of display elements may have a first area located under the common electrodes of the first set, and the segment electrodes of a second set of display elements may have a second area smaller than the first area located under the common electrodes of the second set. The variation in segment electrode areas may thereby match actuation voltages for display elements in the first and second sets. For example, the display elements of the first set may have larger apertures than the display elements of the second set (such as display elements G1 have larger apertures than display elements G2), which may induce various image artifacts for certain pixel driving schemes. Matching the actuation voltages for the display elements having differently-sized apertures can advantageously reduce or eliminate image artifacts caused by the different apertures. Moreover, while the discussion herein relates to two differently-sized green display elements, it should be appreciated that the principles disclosed herein can apply to display elements configured to display any other suitable color, such as, for example blue and/or red.
As shown in
Turning to a block 1204, apertures may be defined in the mask layer. In some implementations, the apertures may be defined by edge contours of the mask layer. As above, it may be desirable to define apertures having different areas. For example, a first set of apertures may be defined in the mask layer to have a first area, and a second set of apertures may be defined in the mask layer to have a second area. The second set of apertures may have an area smaller than the apertures of the first set. In some implementations, green display elements can have apertures with different areas in order to improve image quality, as explained herein. For example, the apertures of the first green display elements G1 have larger apertures than the apertures of the second green display elements G2. The apertures may be defined in the mask layer by any suitable technique, such as by photolithographic techniques.
In block 1206, segment electrodes are deposited over the mask layer, wherein the segment electrodes have edge contours that are different for different apertures. As explained above, it can be desirable to form segment electrode areas to match actuation voltages in display elements having differently-sized apertures. For example, the edge contours of first portions of segment electrodes that overlie the apertures of the first set (defined in block 1204) can be defined. Edge contours of second portions of segment electrodes that overlie the apertures of the second set (defined in block 1204) may be defined to have a smaller area than the first portions of the segment electrodes that overlie the apertures of the first set. As explained above with respect to
Turning to a block 1216, a segment electrode layer is deposited over the opaque mask layer. As explained herein with respect to
In a block 1220, a common electrode layer is deposited over the segment electrode layer. As explained with respect to
For example, when both the first radius r1 and the second radius r2 of the second green display element G2 in
To match the actuation voltages, the size of the notch may be increased in the segment electrode layer of the second green display element G2 to form a larger, second radius r2, such as the second green display element G2 shown above in
The second radius r2 can be selected to achieve the desired actuation voltage. For example, in some example aperture arrangements, the maximum radius for the notch 37 may be about 16 μm, because larger notches may extend outside the mask layer 23 and into the aperture and affect optical performance. In such arrangements, because small increases in the notch radius can cause relatively large increases in actuation voltages, the radius r2 of the notch can be less than 16 μm and still be capable of matching actuation voltages for the first and second green display elements G1 and G2. For example, if the actuation voltage of the first green display element G1 is about 12 volts with r1=r2=7 μm, then, according to the graph of
The implementations disclosed herein may be realized in passive matrix displays or in active matrix displays. For passive matrix displays, in which display elements are actuated by applying signals to column and row electrodes, display elements having different aperture areas may be formed with different segment electrode areas to compensate for any resulting image artifacts. For example, as explained herein, edge contours for the segment electrodes may be defined to form a desired segment electrode area. Similarly, for active matrix displays, in which display elements are actuated by actuators located at each display element or pixel, the area of a segment electrode associated with a display element may similarly be modified to match actuation voltages of display elements having different actuation voltages. Skilled artisans will understand that the principles disclosed herein may be equally applicable for both passive and active matrix displays.
The display device 40 includes a housing 41, a display 30, an antenna 43, a speaker 45, an input device 48 and a microphone 46. The housing 41 can be formed from any of a variety of manufacturing processes, including injection molding, and vacuum forming. In addition, the housing 41 may be made from any of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to: plastic, metal, glass, rubber and ceramic, or a combination thereof. The housing 41 can include removable portions (not shown) that may be interchanged with other removable portions of different color, or containing different logos, pictures, or symbols.
The display 30 may be any of a variety of displays, including a bi-stable or analog display, as described herein. The display 30 also can be configured to include a flat-panel display, such as plasma, EL, OLED, STN LCD, or TFT LCD, or a non-flat-panel display, such as a CRT or other tube device. In addition, the display 30 can include an IMOD-based display, as described herein.
The components of the display device 40 are schematically illustrated in
The network interface 27 includes the antenna 43 and the transceiver 47 so that the display device 40 can communicate with one or more devices over a network. The network interface 27 also may have some processing capabilities to relieve, for example, data processing requirements of the processor 21. The antenna 43 can transmit and receive signals. In some implementations, the antenna 43 transmits and receives RF signals according to the IEEE 16.11 standard, including IEEE 16.11(a), (b), or (g), or the IEEE 802.11 standard, including IEEE 802.11a, b, g, n, and further implementations thereof. In some other implementations, the antenna 43 transmits and receives RF signals according to the Bluetooth® standard. In the case of a cellular telephone, the antenna 43 can be designed to receive code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), GSM/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), AMPS, or other known signals that are used to communicate within a wireless network, such as a system utilizing 3G, 4G or 5G technology. The transceiver 47 can pre-process the signals received from the antenna 43 so that they may be received by and further manipulated by the processor 21. The transceiver 47 also can process signals received from the processor 21 so that they may be transmitted from the display device 40 via the antenna 43.
In some implementations, the transceiver 47 can be replaced by a receiver. In addition, in some implementations, the network interface 27 can be replaced by an image source, which can store or generate image data to be sent to the processor 21. The processor 21 can control the overall operation of the display device 40. The processor 21 receives data, such as compressed image data from the network interface 27 or an image source, and processes the data into raw image data or into a format that can be readily processed into raw image data. The processor 21 can send the processed data to the driver controller 29 or to the frame buffer 28 for storage. Raw data typically refers to the information that identifies the image characteristics at each location within an image. For example, such image characteristics can include color, saturation and gray-scale level.
The processor 21 can include a microcontroller, CPU, or logic unit to control operation of the display device 40. The conditioning hardware 52 may include amplifiers and filters for transmitting signals to the speaker 45, and for receiving signals from the microphone 46. The conditioning hardware 52 may be discrete components within the display device 40, or may be incorporated within the processor 21 or other components.
The driver controller 29 can take the raw image data generated by the processor 21 either directly from the processor 21 or from the frame buffer 28 and can re-format the raw image data appropriately for high speed transmission to the array driver 22. In some implementations, the driver controller 29 can re-format the raw image data into a data flow having a raster-like format, such that it has a time order suitable for scanning across the display array 30. Then the driver controller 29 sends the formatted information to the array driver 22. Although a driver controller 29, such as an LCD controller, is often associated with the system processor 21 as a stand-alone Integrated Circuit (IC), such controllers may be implemented in many ways. For example, controllers may be embedded in the processor 21 as hardware, embedded in the processor 21 as software, or fully integrated in hardware with the array driver 22.
The array driver 22 can receive the formatted information from the driver controller 29 and can re-format the video data into a parallel set of waveforms that are applied many times per second to the hundreds, and sometimes thousands (or more), of leads coming from the display's x-y matrix of display elements.
In some implementations, the driver controller 29, the array driver 22, and the display array 30 are appropriate for any of the types of displays described herein. For example, the driver controller 29 can be a conventional display controller or a bi-stable display controller (such as an IMOD display element controller). Additionally, the array driver 22 can be a conventional driver or a bi-stable display driver (such as an IMOD display element driver). Moreover, the display array 30 can be a conventional display array or a bi-stable display array (such as a display including an array of IMOD display elements). In some implementations, the driver controller 29 can be integrated with the array driver 22. Such an implementation can be useful in highly integrated systems, for example, mobile phones, portable-electronic devices, watches or small-area displays.
In some implementations, the input device 48 can be configured to allow, for example, a user to control the operation of the display device 40. The input device 48 can include a keypad, such as a QWERTY keyboard or a telephone keypad, a button, a switch, a rocker, a touch-sensitive screen, a touch-sensitive screen integrated with the display array 30, or a pressure- or heat-sensitive membrane. The microphone 46 can be configured as an input device for the display device 40. In some implementations, voice commands through the microphone 46 can be used for controlling operations of the display device 40.
The power supply 50 can include a variety of energy storage devices. For example, the power supply 50 can be a rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-cadmium battery or a lithium-ion battery. In implementations using a rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery may be chargeable using power coming from, for example, a wall socket or a photovoltaic device or array. Alternatively, the rechargeable battery can be wirelessly chargeable. The power supply 50 also can be a renewable energy source, a capacitor, or a solar cell, including a plastic solar cell or solar-cell paint. The power supply 50 also can be configured to receive power from a wall outlet.
In some implementations, control programmability resides in the driver controller 29 which can be located in several places in the electronic display system. In some other implementations, control programmability resides in the array driver 22. The above-described optimization may be implemented in any number of hardware and/or software components and in various configurations.
As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c.
The various illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules, circuits and algorithm steps described in connection with the implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. The interchangeability of hardware and software has been described generally, in terms of functionality, and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits and steps described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.
The hardware and data processing apparatus used to implement the various illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose single- or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or, any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor also may be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, particular steps and methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.
In one or more aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, digital electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents thereof, or in any combination thereof. Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification also can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on a computer storage media for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.
If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. The steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented in a processor-executable software module which may reside on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that may be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that may be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection can be properly termed a computer-readable medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above also may be included within the scope of computer-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and instructions on a machine readable medium and computer-readable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.
Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel features disclosed herein. Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate, the terms “upper” and “lower” are sometimes used for ease of describing the figures, and indicate relative positions corresponding to the orientation of the figure on a properly oriented page, and may not reflect the proper orientation of, e.g., an IMOD display element as implemented.
Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations also can be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation also can be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one more example processes in the form of a flow diagram. However, other operations that are not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the illustrated operations. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.
